Bumpy Oak Books

4 stars

** I was provided an electronic ARC of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

In The Sin Soldiers, author Tracy Auerbach, utilizes her background as a science teacher to bring the dystopian science fiction tale to life.

The world that Auerbach creates is one in which crystals are inherently powerful. Different crystals are used as power sources and others, in the form of compounds, are used to create the Seven Soldiers. Though the basis of the process is left pretty general in the novel, I loved the potential that this system had. I also enjoyed the way that Auerbach was considerate about how the compounds would affect the human body and made the process of chemical dependency to the compounds both believable to those who have scientific background and accessible to those who don’t. This is absolutely one of my favorite features of the novel, and sets the groundwork for our character

The main character that the reader follows is Kai, a thief who is captured on a job gone wrong. While her twin brother, Dex, works toward finding her and getting her back, Kai is taken into the compound where she lives among three of the Seven Soldiers. I was pleased with the LGBTQ representation in Dex, who expressed a preference for men and had a boyfriend, even though he was a bit of a background character for most of the novel.

Ultimately, the relationships between Kai and the soldiers (Charlie, Tessa, and Finn) seem to be the strength of the story rather than being overly plot-driven. Despite the lack of much depth or multi-faceted approach to the characters, I found each character to be distinct and thoughtfully written.

To me, the pacing toward the end of the novel seemed rather rushed; much of the book was spent relationship-building and a lot of the action occurred in the last 40 or so pages. There is a clear intention for the story to be continued in a sequel or series, which I would definitely be interested in continuing to read.

Overall, I was pleased and entertained by the world Auerbach created. I would recommend The Sin Soldiers to others, particularly to those who enjoy a quick read with novel takes on science fiction.