Sword of the Seven Sins: An Exciting Dystopian Romance

The young adult dystopian genre exploded in popularity in the 2010s, right when I was  in high school. I absorbed everything from “The Hunger Games” to “Divergent” to  “Legend,” and those books still hold special places in my heart. From strong  characters to sharp commentary on social issues of our world, dystopia is an important  genre that helped shape me into the person I am today. 

While the genre is not as popular as it used to be, authors are still publishing dystopian  books, tackling both old and new issues. One of those authors is Emily Colin, a local  author based in Wilmington who has written both young adult and adult fiction novels. I  had the pleasure of reading “Sword of the Seven Sins,” a 2020 young adult dystopian  novel and the first in her “Seven Sins” series. 

“Sword of the Seven Sins” follows Eva who lives in the Commonwealth, a tyrannical place  where everyone is punished if they commit one of the Seven Deadly Sins. She hates  the world she lives in, but when she’s forced to work as an assassin, she finds herself  inexplicably attracted to her mentor, Ari. Loving is one of the deadly sins, yet Eva can’t  deny her attraction to Ari, even as he enforces the very rule of the Commonwealth that  she despises.  

Ari comes across as cold and aloof, but he, too, cannot help his attraction to Eva—one  he’s had since childhood. They both know what love could cost them in a world where  it’s punishable by death, but they can’t deny their feelings for each other—and they  may no longer be able to hide it.  

Self-published books don’t get as much love as they deserve, and “Sword of the  Seven Sins” certainly deserves more recognition. I was engaged from the first sentence  throughout the entire story; it’s one of those books you just can’t put down. It did feel a  little too fast paced in some regards, and I think it could have benefited from slowing  down, but it was well paced overall, and I appreciate that it didn’t drag. 

The world building in “Sword of the Seven Sins” is fascinating. Colin has a clever take  on the deadly seven sins vice in many sects of Christianity. Instead of being judged on  it by a church or people within your religious circle, it’s punishable by death. This  leaves characters like Eva and Ari struggling with natural feelings like romantic  attraction and wrath. While it’s fantastical in many ways, the idea of a government  controlling people to such a personal degree is startlingly realistic. 

While I don’t love the enemies-to-lovers as a trope in general—it’s too easy for them to  depict toxic relationships—Eva and Ari are a different story. For one, their chemistry is  electrifying. Every interaction between them feels natural. The way they bounce off each other and complement one another makes a couple you can’t help but root for. 

Secondly, Eva avoids the trap of being a weaker lead compared to her male  counterpart who bosses her around. Several times throughout the novel, she stands up  for herself against his arrogant and obnoxious behavior and bests him several times. 

This makes them feel like equals—something I don’t always see in this genre —which  made it easy to root for Eva as a character.  

What helps make Eva and Ari’s relationship so appealing is the fact that they’re both  strong, well-developed characters. The chapters alternate between both their point of  views, showing us their views on the world and each other in a way that really devalues their individual voices. The contrast and similarities they share are explored  excellently through each of their point of views, similar to the way Marie Lu’s “Legend”  expertly handles its two romantic leads. 

Overall, “The Sword of the Seven Sins” was an excellent, thought provoking read and  an exciting introduction to The Seven Sins series. The world building is solid, the  fantasy elements mix well overall with the dystopian world, and Ari and Eve are  compelling leads with electric chemistry.  

If you’re looking for a fun, unique blend of the dystopian novel with fanatical elements,  badass lead characters, and a tantalizing romance, I highly recommend “Sword of the  Seven Sins.” You’ll be supporting a local author and diving into a great dystopian  romance!