Review: The Sinner by Emma Scott

Note: An advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

"I've loved you for a hundred lifetimes, Lucy. If it could've saved me, it would've done so by now." 

"I don't believe that. Love is stronger than anything. I feel it in you. How can there be nothing left if we're here right now?"

I'm at a loss for words. Emma Scott is an author I'd willingly and happily follow wherever she may choose to take her readers next. Whether it be young adult or new adult, contemporary or historical, paranormal or urban fantasy, M/F or M/M or F/F, romantic comedy or angsty drama, I'm here for all of it. Why? Because experience has taught me to trust that whatever it is that Scott writes about will be worth reading. She creates stories that make her happy; and it turns out that those same stories make readers like me just as happy. When she announced she was working on a book called The Sinner, I had no inkling it was going to be an urban fantasy romance, or alternatively, a paranormal romance. I didn't care. I added it to my to-be-read list and pre-ordered once it was up on Amazon. And let me tell you, Scott repaid my faith and trust in her storytelling in spades.

The Sinner is a standalone (that could potentially be a series starter, but more on that later) that introduces readers to This Side, the Other Side, and the extraordinary power of true love. We meet Lucy Dennings, a native New Yorker who blends into the crowded and bustling metropolis, meek and mild-mannered at all times. She doesn't stand out, barely noticeable and certainly not all that memorable. Then she finds someone in her backyard, and he's definitely more enigma than man. After all, Lucy's pretty sure he was dead when she first came upon him, but he seems to be regaining consciousness, weak but aware of his surroundings...and her. Pale skin, amber eyes, and black hair to go with his black...wings--Casziel is unlike any other creature she's ever come across. He insists on her help. He hopes for redemption, but in exchange, will it mean her eternal damnation?

Have you ever come across a story that dares to claim your heart, mind, and soul, so that by the end, all you want to do is experience it all over again? I'm not simply talking about re-reading a book. Countless readers do that, but usually it's after a certain period of time. In the case of Emma Scott's latest literary masterpiece, I wanted to read Lucy and Cas's story as soon as I was done. She's created this world that I never wished to leave, and she's made it to the point that it's brimming with potential for even more tales to be whipped up by her and devoured by her readers. This story is about faith but not about religion, even if it does have themes of redemption and absolution. It's about love, the kind that's everlasting and consuming and that truly prevails. Dare I say that The Sinner is one of the most extraordinary novels published this year? Yes, I do dare. Five-plus stars.

P.S. And dare I hope that The Muse is about a certain servitor and a particular artist? Yet even if it isn't about the aforementioned standout peripheral characters from The Sinner, I'd still happily read The Muse, which is already on my never-ending to-be-read (TBR) list. 

Release Date: 15 August 2021

Date Read: 11 August 2021

Learn more about Emma Scott.

Purchase The Sinner on Amazon.