The first thing that drew me to this book was the title and the cover. The way that the society is built in this book made me so frustrated, but I love the main character Eva. Her strong willed opinions, but her willingness to keep her head down had me extremely interested in her. At first I couldn't believe that they forced her into something she didn't want to do but how she excelled was like a huge foreshadowing. This book is a definite page turner!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Crow Publishing for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Eva and Ari, two citizens in the Commonwealth where the Seven Deadly Sins can really turn out to be deadly. Human emotion of love/lust, greed, anger, any emotion is forbidden. Citizen are made in a lab and anyone that is natural born is expected to be the slaves to the citizens.

We follow Eva from the time of her Choosing ceremony where she is selected to be a warrior instead of ending up in computers where she thinks she belongs. Eva becomes the apprentice and Ari her mentor as they fight a growing attraction to each other which could send them to their deaths. This story is full of forbidden love, witty banter, mystery and intrigue as Eva and Ari unravel who they are in a system that doesn’t want you to be unique.

I loved this book and I was quite glad to also have the sequel on hand to go straight into. The one thing I don’t understand about this book is why I had not heard of it before now. I will definitely be continuing with this series.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounded right up my alley! A girl and a boy forced in a grim profession that neither of them really want to do fall for each other slowly and it became them against the world? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the story itself did not live up to the expectations. The book is narrated in alternating pov from Eva's (17) and Ari's (19) and while this is always something that I appreciate I felt like both of the characters somewhat lacking dimensions. The way their relationship evolved felt fake, like we are told that they are falling in love rather than showing it. The world building lacked details.
Overall is not a bad book but it reads very much like a generic YA without nothing really standing out.

*thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

And I am quite grateful that I also received a copy of the sequel at the same time because I don't have to wait any longer to start reading it than it takes me to write this review.

This was one of those books I knew I'd like as soon as I started reading it. The book is narrated in somewhat alternating chapters from Eva's (17) and Ari's (19) points of view. I found both of them to be likable characters, despite the occupation that was chosen for them. I wholeheartedly rooted for them from the moment their eyes met in the first chapter, even though they were only 10 and 12 at the time and living in a society where any type of attachment is forbidden. Something I really like about Ari is that he never feels threatened by Eva despite her skills improving to the point that they are superior to his. Instead, he is supportive and proud of her.

From clues within the text, I'm assuming this takes place sometime in the distant future on the North American continent. The Commonwealth is a walled-in society that supposedly protects its citizens from the barbarians and the wilds outside, all led by a man known as the Executor. Society is built upon seven Virtues to ward against seven Sins (wrath, lust, envy, greed, gluttony, pride, and sloth). No attachments are permitted between people, with the teaching that it leads down a road to chaos. All children (regulation born) are conceived through in vitro fertilization and implanted into surrogates--so nobody knows who they're related to in order to prevent said attachments. Whenever citizens are found guilty of a sin, they receive a punishment relevant to what they did (for example, a citizen is found guilty of gluttony for borrowing more than the allotted number of books and is forced to serve an elaborate meal to everyone else without being allowed to eat any of it). Natural-born children are considered inferior and forced to do menial labor, their parents executed or exiled. The Bellators are basically the law enforcement, but I suppose a more apt comparison would be to the Peacekeepers in The Hunger Games--they're more like the Executor's strong arm. They receive training the hones their senses and makes them stronger.

It's a rather interesting world, to be honest. The science-fiction aspect of it completely surprised me, though--I wasn't expecting to see genetic modifications to that point. To be honest, that's possibly the only aspect of the book that makes me worry about it ending well. Not that this is a sunshine and butterflies book. It's not. But I do hope that it works out. As I mentioned in the beginning, however, I am glad that I get to start reading book two soon.

Note: A little swearing. A couple of sensual scenes and talk about sex (by two people who really have no idea what it even is).

A solid 3.5
This one was an easy read and while I liked the original dystopian premise, some of the revelations towards the end just didn’t do it for me. The characters felt flat, and although there was some great tension, overall the romance aspect felt rushed. To be honest, the book in its entirety felt rushed. This one has some great potential but it didn’t snag me enough to want to read the sequel.

Amazing book! I absolutely loved it! The romance was amazing, and I loved the plot! The characters were also super likeable!

If you’re looking to fulfill your need for YA dystopian and relive the 2012 dream then Sword of the Seven Sins is for you – and I promise it still has some new elements so you won’t be reading the same blueprint.

Overall, I enjoyed this book once I was able to really get into it. It took a little while to invest in the characters and story but after I understood the world and got used to the religious focus of the society and the attitudes held by the leaders of this world, I could begin to have fun. It’s an interesting take in the dystopian genre while still including the ‘controlled state’ element.

The romance however did feel a little too close to insta-love for me. There seemed to be barely any interactions between our two leads, Ari and Eva, before they couldn’t stop thinking about one another. Don’t get me wrong that have great chemistry and their banter was great, I just would have preferred more of that before it got all intense, you know? I would guess that you do because it looks like almost every other 3 star review has the same feeling.

While we have dual point of views, an element I absolutely love, there was one moment where it wasn’t utilised right. In the interest of not spoiling this I’ll do my best to be vague but instead of adding suspense and having the audience believe the duplicity of a character we’re in on it from the start because we see from both POVs within seconds of each other. I would have liked to feel the betrayal of this moment instead of knowing because that would have made it more thrilling and shocking.

As soon as it picked up I really loved this book. This pulled me out of the reading slump that I had been in for a while.

really liked this book, it was fun and easy to get through. the mc is a great character she isn’t the usually annoying i liked the side characters even more the main relationship was the best thing. the pacing and the setting of this novel was so good and just made the book even better.

Wow! This was very different! At first I got very Hunger Games mixed with Divergent vibes but as Ari and Eva’s story progressed I admit I was becoming enthralled!

The world building is quite good, I liked the way Colin incorporated the Seven sins. Everyday tasks could easily be construed as having too much Pride or too much Gluttony. Look at someone the wrong way and you’d be accused of Envy or Wrath… and procreation! Don’t even get me started!

And the more I read the more little sneaky twists snuck in… one page there was story… and the next Acknowledgements! Well done! Kept me on my toes! Keen to see where it goes next!

**chefs kiss**

The story follows our two main characters Eva and Ari. They live in one of a few surviving post-war cities called the Commonweath and it’s run by religious fanatics. This is a place where the smallest of sins has egregious consequences. Eva and Ari must find a way to live within the system they hate so much or be exiled to the wastelands with the hoards of barbarians.

(Think Divergent but if the church won the war)

I loved everything about this story!! From the dual perspective to the authors perfect use of imagery. I felt like I was in the book! Emily Colins writing put me smack dab in the middle of the action. Though the story is your stereotypical down with the system dystopian novel, Colins twist on the community being run by the church, and taking “I’m not like every other girl” to a whole new level; was a beautiful breath of fresh air!

If that doesn’t convince you then all I have to say is ARI…. He was everything I wanted in a leading male character.

This story just gave me exactly what I wanted from a dystopian story and I can not wait to read the next one!!

Ok Ms. Emily Colin, you now have a new fan! This book takes a much different approach from my usual fantasy books. The book is set in a modern post-war America where most people are now created artificially and society abides by never committing any of the seven deadly sins and living by the seven virtues. If they are caught showing pride, greed, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth, or worst of all lust, then they endure severe punishment including execution. So obviously, the slow burn romance is excruciatingly real for this book. I absolutely loved the plot of this book. It was fast-paced, witty, and entirely captivating. The main characters, Ari and Eva, are easy to root for and I'm excited to see how their relationship continues to develop. The writing sometimes feels forced but overall kept me tuned in. If you loved the Divergent series then I would highly recommend giving this book a try!

I have received a digital advance review copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I started reading this book I really thought I was going to love it, but it ended up kinda disappointing me. The writing of Emily Colin's was good, but as the story developed I just felt like it was all a bit rushed. To be honest I felt like someone threw Delirium and Divergent series into a mixing bowl and this was the result. I lost interest in it when I got to like 80% of the book.

Sadly, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. But if you like dystopian books and you love Delirium or Divergent series then you might just end up liking this book, so you should give it a chance.

Eva, born into the Commonwealth, where citizens live and die by the code of the Seven Sins. Sins can not go unpunished and the threat of being executed at every corner, causes Eva to secretly question the Commonwealth.

" I knew I should nod like everyone else, knew the mothers were watching the children from the nursery to make sure we showed the appropriate response. But within me, from some unknown and dangerous place, came a spark of resistance."

Pretending to fit in and feel like the rest she’s Chosen as the first female bellator. Scared to be exiled or worse, she joins to become a trained fighter. Ari Westergaard, her unreadable mentor challenges her and brings out talents she was unaware she had.

Love is forbidden- Ari’s reminds himself daily to conceal his love for Eva since they were children. Eva who secretly has feelings for Ari, they both struggle with temptation and the strong pull of "sin". The two uncover a secret that could Commonwealth itself. Now Eva and Ari must make a choice: continue being a Bellator and protect the Commonweath or follow their hearts.

Well this book has been added to my "Favorite" Bookshelf and plan to pre-order the second book that comes out in August 2021. The author explains well how Eva is feeling as well and Ari, that allows you to feel part of the story. The surprises and twist and turns causes you to stay on the edge of your seat. The slow burn romance was greatly done, just the two touching each other hands caused you to stir with emotion. Greatly done!

"I don't think love makes you weak," Eva says, shooting him an irritated look. "But I do think it's dangerous. For love, people will take risks they'd never dream of otherwise."

Unique Dystopian story with action, romance, thrill, suspense and never ending turn of events..
Damn excited to see what's next for Eva and Ari.

The book stars with "The first time I condemned a man to death, I was ten years old. I was standing with the rest of the Commonwealth of Ashes in Clockverk Square, beneath the giant clockwork tower that stood watch over us all." Could never disappoint and I knew it then that I will be hooked to this series.

The story is of a society commonwealth, where there are 7 sins.. one of which forbids them to fall in love, have a family and make babies. So yeah here babies are concieved in test tubes and kept in nursery untill their chosen on coming of age.
Eva expects her to be chosen as a techie but instead is chosen to be a soldier a protector. Ari was a young strong soldier and deeply attracted to Eva. To his surprise she was chosen to be his Apprentice.
Everything was going well the training their duty untill Killian gives Ari a reality of his past his parents and the fact that he is a natural born. Moreover his parents are alive and living outside commonwealth.

Ari along with his apprentice try to leave commonwealth in search of his parents and the truth.

Eva however is not what she looks like.. she is something more something most unnatural.

The plot is ❤️ soo goooodd.. and I can't contain my excitement to see how their lovestory takes shape and what's their fate.


Must read!!!

First sentence: The first time I condemned a man to death, I was ten years old. I was standing with the rest of the Commonwealth of Ashes in Clockverk Square, beneath the giant clockwork tower that stood watch over us all.

Premise/plot: Sword of the Seven Sins is a dystopian YA novel set in the future starring Eva, our heroine, and Ari, our hero. They live in a very unforgiving, strict, life-or-death society. There are, you guessed it, seven sins. And breaking any of the sins could lead to exile or death--most likely death. The sin tempting both Eva and Ari is the sin of lust. Now in this society, men and women do not fall in love, get married, have a family. Babies are conceived in a test tube and raised communally. There are no family units. No bonds between parent and child, no bonds between siblings, no attachments allowed ever. Well, you're supposed to be super-super-super loyal to the Commonwealth and serve where you're supposed to serve. But essentially, you're not supposed to be all feely-feely and think about the meaning of life.

Eva had hopes of being chosen to be a computer tech, but, she's chosen instead to be a warrior. Ari is her mentor/trainer and fellow warrior. These warriors are called bellators.

The first book is all about world-building and initial conflicts leading to bigger conflicts. The goal of book one is to make the heroes feel angsty about the world they're living in and to get them to start questioning big things, little things, everything.

When the two begin to have some big doubts about the Powers That Be, will they risk everything to do what they think is right?

My thoughts: It has been a while since I've read a new-to-me dystopia. I've revisited dystopias off and on through the past few years. I've started rewatching some dystopian movies lately (Hunger games series, Divergent series, etc.) and so I was in the mood to revisit what used to be a favorite sub-sub-genre of me.

I liked it. I did. It is very much a YA DYSTOPIA.

You might be wondering...is it "ruined" with a love triangle?!?!?! I can say that there is NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!! That is fantastic news. Is it "ruined" with insta love??? That's more complicated. Romance is a super-strong element of this one. If you absolutely HATE romance mixed in with your dystopia, then I can see this one might drive you crazy! If you don't mind romance so long as it feels right and not forced, not rushed, then you might enjoy this one. It is intended to be a steamy read. And the last bit of the novel especially is all let's explore each other bodies now that the big chase scene stuff is over!

What agenda(s) does it have? This future nightmarish world is brought about due to climate change, bad immigration policies, and racism.

A good YA post-apocalyptic read. I enjoyed this one. It was a quick and easy read with two main characters, Eva and Ari, each not quite fitting into the mold of the Commonwealth, fighting against sin.

Things I liked were the world itself. Built on the remnants of the USA (although this isn't really overt) after the Fall of mankind due to overuse of resources, followed by a war, areas were sectioned off into commonwealths where humans were genetically bred for intelligence, beauty (blonde hair and blue eyes mostly), and physical ability. Science is still heavily relied on, but so is religion, with society being based around cutting out all sin. Citizens are punished and executed for committing the seven deadly sins (greed, gluttony, lust, etc.). I actually would like to see more of the world building developed further.

I liked the main characters, especially Eva. She's pretty strong and is a survivor. She has a strong sense of justice that doesn't always fit in with the society around her, and it's interesting to see how she gets around that.

The love story is just a bit heavy handed for me. I like a good romance, but I felt it was a bit overdone.

Overall, this definitely has promise, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.

This is a fast paced, action packed dystopian romance with twists and turns. Eva, the main character, is a strong female lead. The world building is just so versatile and in some ways reminded me of Divergent but holds it's own characters.

The forbidden relationship between Eva and Ari adds extra spice to the story. I really enjoyed this book and definitely worth a read.

Five Stars!

"The first time I condemned a man to death, I was ten years old."

Author Emily Colin hooked me into this novel right away when she opened the books with those words. They might have to go down as one of the best first lines in a book that I have read in a while.

Synopsis:
In this reimagined dystopian fantasy novel, Eva Marteinn has spent her life in the Commonwealth, a community completely governed by the code of the Seven Sins. Minor infractions result in intense punishment from the High Priest and the Executor, all in the name of remaining pure. The will of the Commonwealth is said to be protected by the Bellators of Light (think of them as the enforcers) who are trained to injure and/or kill those who do not fit their way of life.

When Eva is selected to become the first female bellator, everything she has ever known about herself gets turned on its head. Suddenly, she finds herself exceling in a role she despises and trained by her mentor, Ari Westergaard, a boy who has haunted her thoughts for longer than she can ever admit.

While Ari tries to keep his distance from Eva, he can't hide the attachment he has to her from himself. Ever since they were children, Eva has always held a place in Ari's thoughts.

In a world where love and attachments are forbidden, feelings can be a death sentence.

When Eva and Ari stumble upon the many secrets the Commonweath Executor has been keeping, they must make a choice between everything they have ever known and what they could have with a little freedom.

My thoughts:
Okay, I am not normally a big fan of dystopian books, but Emily Colin did this book so well, that even I was completely sucked in.

I fell in love with the characters. From the beginning, Eva was questioning things and maintained a sense of morality, even when raised in a world that doesn't allow for it. Ari had a strong personality and I really enjoyed his character development. The dual viewpoints were very well done in this book and maintained a sense of clarity for the overall story.

The action and adventure is fast-paced, well written, and imaginative! At points, I felt like I was there with the characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to reading more of the series as it comes out! I need to know what happens!

Keypoints:
- Two viewpoints
- dystopian fantasy
- romance, but not too much to take away from the story
- interesting societal choices
- great action scenes!

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and Blue Crow Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way effects my review.

Fear Is The Enemy

Emily Colin smashes the typical dystopian novel to smithereens. She did an amazing job creating a world that readers will find themselves easily lost in. Characters that were loveable and easy to connect with and a plot not dense enough to chew on but just enough to keep you entertained without being too confusing!