Currently Reading│Book Beginning : The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin

Currently Reading #40

Name: The Blackwell Family Secret:
The Guardians of Sin
Author: Jonathan L. Ferrara
Number of Pages: 230 pages in Paperback
Published: December 5th 2014
by Dragonwell Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

Nicholas Blackwell has no idea he is supposed to fulfill a destiny. All he knows is that he draws trouble like a magnet. Orphaned at seven when two demonic men killed his parents, he copes with the strict rules of his new home, St. Christopher’s academy, unaware that he has been the real target for the killers and that his guardian angel has saved him in the nick of time. And now, his problems are only beginning when a mysterious serpent lures him into the woods and tricks him into a demonic ritual that will unleash the Seven Deadly Sins to destroy the humankind. Nicholas has no choice but to correct his mistake–or die trying. Aided by Amy, a shy but determined girl who seems to know more about his task than she should, Nicholas’s quest is to travel into the City of Demonio and defeat the Seven Guardians of Sin. To succeed, he must confront demons, monsters, and lost souls, learn the mysteries of the Chapel of Dreams, discover the true meaning of friendship and love, and face the darkest secret of all: the Blackwell Family Secret.

I got approved for this on NetGalley and since I haven’t logged on to my NetGalley account for almost three weeks now (YES! I’m staying away for the meantime.), I forgot about the book. Lol! Sorry. Believe me, I am trying my best to read my unread ones these days. The publisher did send me an email looking for my review and I was like.. “OMG. I forgot about it.” so I’m reading this now instead of Tear You Apart. Not good. Again. Sorry. Anyway, here’s a five star, three star and one star review respectively. Got them from book lovers on Goodreads. 😉

I loved the book. Nicholas is a charming protagonist, cleaver, arrogant, yet brave and selfless at times. Ferrara’s world, inspired by Biblical tales, of course, is elaborate and imaginative. I especially loved his focus on the Seven Deadly Sins–what they are, where they came from, etc. Angels and demons are intertwined with fantasy elements, and the whole concept of good and evil is explored. There’s romance, action, adventure, and mystery. It is also a bit dark at times, which I enjoyed. Ferrara is a talented writer, his prose smooth and his dialogue witty. The pace was excellent and the story kept moving forward with increasing tension until the very satisfying ending that left me hungry for book 2. Recommended!
— Mayra of Mayra Calvani

Overall, I’ve never read a book like The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin, I mean that in a good way. This book did have some Christian themes, taking place in a Catholic school and quoting a part of the Bible. They talked a bit about God, and a whole lot about The Garden of Eden which didn’t bother me at all. I’m a Christian so I just found it very interesting to read this book, even if it wasn’t 100% accurate (it is a young adult fiction book after all!) I would recommended this book to people who don’t mind if there is a Christian theme, and enjoy a good adventure.
— Brianna and Angelina of OtakuTwins

It was at this point, with the serpent opening its mouth to hell, where Nick has to confront the seven princes of hell for pieces of the devil’s crown, and Amy the angel volunteers to go with him, and with their discovery that hell is really called Demonio, and Pugdush the demon is on their side, that I quit reading. This novel is not a young-adult novel; it’s a children’s novel and it’s really not very good, nor is it really interesting. Life is too short to spend on stories like this when there is better fare to be had out there.
— Ian of Ian Wood’s Novellum

Quite intriguing comments, don’t you think? Well, it’s for me to see. I’m kind of bothered though. I’ve read a couple of not so good reviews that bothered me. Still, I hope I’ll enjoy the book. It sounds really interesting to me though. Happy reading to me for now! Book review to follow. 😀

Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader, where we share the first sentence (or so) of the books we are reading, along with initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Here’s the book’s beginning:

“The dark night engulfed Nicholas. His sweaty palms trembled against his thighs as he stood in the valley, knowing there was a good chance he was about to die.”

Starting a book with someone who’s about to die is such a downer. Lol. Interesting nonetheless and I really wonder why there was a good chance that he’s going to die. Hmm. I’m sure it’s not a natural death. Forgive me from being sinister, but that’s what I’ve thought initially 😀

What do you think of the book’s beginning? You could share book beginnings on your current read too. Comment the link of your own Book Beginnings on Fridays so I can check it out and have an idea of amazing books that I would want to read. Come on! Join us! 😀