The Quick Cut: A girl finds herself in trouble when a thievery goes wrong and she ends up integrated into an army that uses chemicals to induce one of the seven sins (& create a more potent soldier).

A Real Review:
Thank you to The Parliament House for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if the seven deadly sins could be used to create a more ferocious being? It's a frightening concept that isn't a new one, but still horrifying none the less. Using the weaknesses of your own against a person happens all the time in real life, but the method of turning them into chemical compounds is what turns this into a more science fiction tale. With the story of Kai, you experience what it's like to accidentally end up in this frightening scenario.

Kai is a thief whose robbery at Club Seven goes all wrong and gets her in the hands of an army of soldiers who use chemical compounds to induce specific sensations that over time turn them into more bestial soldiers. Red creates wrath, yellow is sloth, and blue is gluttony. Depending on a person's physiology, they will get a different compound to best bring out their vicious and perfect soldier persona. How will Kai escape before losing who she is?

When I read the concept of this story, I immediately wanted to read it. The deadly sins turned into a chemical solution was a fascinating idea to me and I wanted to see how the author played it out. Unfortunately, I was left wanting by the end of my time reading this one.

A good measure of how much I enjoy a book is how often I put it down and this one was dropped often. The science behind how the sins were made into physical form isn't nearly as explained as I hope - something that is a practical necessity for any good sci-fi tale. Beyond that, the characters really don't give you a reason to root for them. There's no distinguishing figures or struggles that makes you connect with them, which in turn makes the story fall flat.

An amazing concept without the benefit of a well told story.

My rating: 2 out of 5

An interesting beginning to a YA Sci-Fi series. Auerbach's story talks ain't a world where the Eastern Forces soldiers are altered by compounds of different crystals to behave in distinct ways. Kai, the protagonist gets captured and pulled into the world of the Seven Soldiers.

I like the pacing of Auerbach's story, and love the moral ambiguity tied to characters. The leads and supports aren't inherently good or inherently evil, they are products of their decisions and the decisions of others. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the saga plays out.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I liked (characters, possible deeper history) but the politics were really confusing. Which, I guess, was kind of the point. But I like knowing who are the good guys and who the bad. And there were multiple undefined parties here that confused the hell out of me. But I'm intrigued. Hopefully, the wait for book 2 won't be too long.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC in exhcange for an honest review. Rating: 2.5/5, rounded up. Review will be posted on my blog on Monday 8 July.

Content warnings: implication of sexual assault (though never discussed), violence, addiction

Sadly The Sin Soldiers is another recent read for me that had a very interesting concept but just didn’t quite work. There were lots of inconsistencies and I was just quite bored throughout, and didn’t care much for any of the characters.

Kai has been kidnapped by the Eastern Forces, and taken to a base where they inject teenagers with different compounds (meant to represent three of the seven sins - wrath, gluttony and sloth) in order to train them into soldiers. These compounds are created from crystals found on the planet. The soldiers are used to guard the mines and mine the crystals, which keep the Eastern Forces in power. Kai is brought to the compound and lives with three other characters, each on a different type of compound.

I was quite disappointed by the book. I thought the premise of a sci-fi novel which examined addiction was really quite interesting, but I really just didn’t get into the book at all. All of the characters were just a bit meh. Their emotions and drive just changed constantly from page to page when they weren’t on the compounds. There was no consistency in their motivations at all. This seemed to be the case for the four MCs we’re supposed to root for, as well as the villains of the piece, the Eastern Forces. They’re supposed to be this really evil organisation, forcing drugs into young kids to make them zombie like creatures who’ll fight for them….and yet they let them have loving relationships? It just doesn’t make sense to me. I didn’t really find any of the villains particularly villainous. Kai, the POV we see from for most of the book wasn’t well developed. Her thoughts and feelings made no sense to me (for example, her level of hurt over the ‘betrayal’....by someone she met a day ago.) A lot of the motivations just didn’t really gel.

The characters who came into play closer to the end, Aric and Dex, were equally confusing. Of all, I think Aric has the most potential. He’s characterised as more evil than the Eastern Forces, and this is successful - he comes across as quite creepy (and not inconsistently so!) so he’s definitely one of the better reads. Dex is just a mess who seems to not care at all for the sister he apparently spent a week worrying over and trying to rescue. I literally scoffed out loud when it got to his protective brother ‘stay away from my sister, champ’ speech.

I don’t really have much to say about the plot. The book only lasts a week of time, and that’s just far too rushed for the amount of changes in character motivations. Perhaps the constant changing in motivation would’ve made more sense if it had actually happened over a longer period of time, instead of a day.

I did think the concept and discussions around addiction were interesting, and I enjoyed the idea behind using these different compounds to evoke different responses in the soldiers. One of my favourite scenes was the glass in the tunnel scene, as I felt that really portrayed the evilness of the Eastern Forces as well as the trauma and feelings of addiction. I also thought the concept of the planet itself was great - I really like books based on the human race destroying Earth and embarking on a voyage to a new planet. Unfortunately, that was a very small part of the story and wasn’t mentioned much. I’d hoped we’d find out more about how the society began after escaping the dying Earth, but we didn’t.

I really wanted to like this book. The concept was fantastic, I really enjoy reading books which have a good portrayal of mental illness. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it. I just didn’t get into this one - the characters really let it down for me.

Pros
-The characters were some of the best I have read in a long time and I loved getting to know them. I already want the next book so I can join them again.
-The story was original and I loved the concept and slowly learning about the world and what was going on. It started out slower but built as it went on till close to the end where I was so pumped to be reading the book and wanted to be in the world as much as possible.
Cons
-The writing wasn't perfect but wasn't bad either, I'm hoping it will get better as the series unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Red compound makes them angry. Yellow exhausts them. Blue drives them into a state of ravenous addiction.
Kai thought she knew all about the chemically controlled soldiers. She thought she knew how dangerous they were and how they were to be avoided at all costs. While on a robbery attempt Kai finds that the life of being a thief with her twin brother Dax is getting to her and all she wants is some of the food that’s just sitting their unnoticed. One moment she’s reaching for the slice of cake and the next she’s captured by a handler and his soldier.

Kai wakes inside the military base and all she wants to know is what happened to her twin and what they want from her. It isn’t long before it all comes to light and Kai is not only living in the same quarters as the soldier that nearly killed her, Charlie, but with his girlfriend Tessa and always angry friend Finn. Oh and if things couldn’t get any worse she’s forced into a drug and training regimen where she is injected with the blue compound. The scientists have decided that having a former thief would be perfect for mining the mysterious power crystals beneath the desert.

After living in the same vicinity as the three soldiers it isn’t long before she starts to realise how wrong she had been about them, she's now starting to truly see them as they are; genetically enhanced, drug-controlled teenagers who have no say in their lives.

Meanwhile Dex and his genius boyfriend are trying to find a way to break the chemical code and get Kai out of the base but Kai has already found herself being drawn into her new world. On top of developing feelings for Finn, Kai’s judgement is becoming clouded and now she doesn’t know if she can escape without becoming a monster herself.

When I first started reading this book I wasn’t sure if it was going to be for me, I was getting extremely confused by the compound system and found myself having to re-read part but once I continued on (and made notes) the more it just clicked into place. I think what also helped was the idea of comparing them to the three sins wrath, glutton and sloth. I found the whole concept of the different classes really interesting, seeing how each class acted under the influence of the compound. I definitely would have liked more of the science behind the compounds and what it is exactly that triggers these behaviours.

While I did like our four main characters I felt that they weren’t any different from characters I had read in different books of this genre. At times I did feel sorry for them and what they were going through but I felt no real emotional connection to the four. I’m not sure if this was because it was the first book and we were only scraping the surface of these characters lives so I'm looking forward to seeing how the characters develop over the course of the series.

I found the way this book was written to be quite enjoyable in the sense that we were given different perspectives throughout. I felt like that it made the book more exciting and one of the reasons that I couldn’t put this book down. I personally would have liked to have read more from Dax's perspective to see what he was doing I stead of just appearing here and there.

Overall I did really enjoy this book and cannot wait to read the next part of this story.

This book had a lot of promise. The basic premise was really good, but there were huge gaps in information. I was left wondering why the scientists did what they did, and what happened to Earth? I’m hoping that the rest of the series will answer these questions.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy to read and review!

3.5/5 stars, rounded down

So I was actually really intrigued by this when I discovered it months ago! I found it to be really unique, and the synopsis immediately made me want it. When I received an ARC for this book, I was so excited to finally dive in! Unfortunately, I was a bit let down by the book. I found it to give little explanation as to why scientists do certain things, why one character acts one way but another doesn't, and just some pacing issues as well. It just eventually all added up and made me not enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

The story itself is interesting, but it leaves a lot to be desired. We're to take things at face-value, when in reality I wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of the sciences behind the compounds. I'm usually not like this when reading sci-fi, but I was genuinely curious as to why they worked the way they did, and how it affected everyone a bit differently. We get minor explanations, but nowhere near enough to satisfy me. Around the middle, where lines are drawn and some "betrayals" (if you can call them that) happen, I just started to feel the story shift. From there, it became more character focused and moved away from delving into the compounds and what everyone's purpose is. I felt it to downgrade in quality a bit, which I wasn't expecting at all. By the end, I found myself severely disappointed in the outcomes. It was enough to where I physically shook my head.

The characters were mediocre at best, in my personal opinion of course. I found myself interested, detatched, and confused with each of the main 4 characters all the time. There's not one where I could point out and say that I loved them. They were just sort of...there. There wasn't much to them, and they each just seemed to be fullfilling their own roles in the story. I would've loved to see more development from all of them. Characters introduced in the middle-end of the book I didn't even care about. I didn't even bother to remember their names.

Honestly, this was such a unique book but it just fell flat. Story was interesting, but the science aspects could've been delved into further. It left much to be desired. Characters were fairly one-dimensional, but they still had their unique qualities to them. Story starts off well, but it takes a bit of a decline near the middle. If I'm being honest, I don't think I'd come back to this book in the future. Even though I thought it was ok and had some shining moments, it just isn't one I would prefer over other books.

ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was very intrigued by the title and synopsis of this YA sci fi book. The idea is that compounds could induce such strong reactions that actual chemical changes could occur within the brain leading the patient ( victim ?) exhibiting strong behaviours that mimic some of the so called deadly sins . Red for wrath and uncontrollable anger, yellow for sloth which in reality was a truly strong sedative and then there’s blue the truly scary addictive mixture . Set in the future on what appears to be a planet colonised by humans but the sad rub is general population have no idea they originally came from Earth.
Kai and her brother Dex are young thieves trying to stay alive and well out of the reach of the super soldiers known as the Seven. Unfortunately Kai gets caught and wakes up inside the Fortress were she discovers that she too is to be put on the meds . Trapped she can only bide her time whilst searching for an escape but meanwhile she’s starting to realise that the Seven are perhaps not the Monsters she always believed .
This is a fabulous idea and the way these characters are dehumanised is truly chilling. Some like Kai are captured and considered useful so started on the chemicals but there are many more who are lab created. These are not clones per say but have certainly had their DNA altered to help create super soldiers that sadly have quite short shelf lives. What’s even more chilling is the fact that as children they socialise and form attachments only to lose that emotional bond once started on their daily injections. Perhaps even more distasteful is the way they have no control over how they are used and this is something that I feel will divide many readers.
I’ve tried to explain the world without giving away too much of the plot which started with a bang and then seemed to slow down somewhat but I guess the author was trying to flesh out the characters that become so much a part of Kai’s life. It does end in a way that leaves the way clear for a follow up although for this reader the lack of action felt off somewhat considering these are enhanced badass soldiers ! However I was entertained and look forward to more from this author.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair (le

** 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 characters.

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.

An interesting premise and an interesting book, well written, story flowed well, characters had depth and potential, well worth a a read

I don’t know what I expected from this book but this wasn’t it.

“The Sin Soldiers” finds Kai at the hands of those who control the soldiers who fit the titles of long forgotten seven deadly sins with the main focus on gluttony, sloth and wrath. With her future looking more and more grim with each passing day she leans on her bunk mates to survive a world where free will is nonexistent but with her brother looking for her on the outside, she finds that sometimes the biggest threat are the ones closest to home.

This is an interesting premise but that’s about as far as it gets, trigger warning that there is a lot of black outs and mindless states the characters find themselves in where those not under control can do whatever they want to them and though we don’t see anything explicit within the pages we are told it happens as women eagerly present what are known as “backstage passes” to the soldiers and are carted off screen to do what needs little explanation.

I feel like the world and changes amongst the characters happen way too fast especially as they weave in and out of their drugged in states and somehow go from uncaring with no attachments to someone who is willing to risk it all to save someone they just met with very little withdraw or cravings until they need a stumbling block and it happens to hit harder than it did a few pages earlier.

I feel like the biggest theme of this book is addiction and as someone who works with that population there is a lot that is handled wrong apart from what I mentioned above. It’s easy to see their comparisons to Captain America, a weirdly placed pop culture reference that shatters what’s left of this post apocalyptic sci fi story which is centered on biblical mythology, but apart from a cheap copy for that specific character there’s no real attempt at creating something new and by throwing in that reference the door opens for a lot of comparisons between the two and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a weak attempt to make a Winter Soldier which I might not have caught on to without that little nod.

This might work for some people but honestly this story as been told a couple dozen times and a heck of a lot better and I would hope someone would look to those before wasting an hour and a half of their afternoon like I did.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**