**OctobeRec Fest Review #1 ~ Angel Kin ~ Tricia Skinner**

I one-clicked Angel Kin after reading great reviews from Carmel @Rabid Reads and Traci @Mad Hatter Reads. Thanks, ladies. Angel Kin is a book I'm happy to have one-clicked! :)

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Angel Kin
Angel Assassins #1
Release Date: April 28, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased ebook on Amazon
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis
While channeling Robin Hood's "steal from the rich and give to the poor" attitude at a local politician's house, ex-con Katie Logan witnesses a forced suicide. Dirty or not, supernatural or not, he didn't deserve to die, especially not by his own hand. But with her record, stepping forward as a witness isn't an option. On the run from the police and the murderer, she turns to The Bound Ones for help.

When a beautiful woman comes to The Bound Ones, half-angel assassin Cain is immediately drawn to her. But when she fingers him as the killer, he can come to only one conclusion. The twin he thought was dead is very much alive...and trying to send him a message. Unfortunately, that message is: "You're next."

It's a race against time as Cain fights to save the woman he's falling in love with before his brother Abel destroys them both.

Whoa. The beginning of Angel Kin immediately drew me into this story. It was a great way to introduce our heroine, Katie, and the crux of the plot. I'm a sucker for angel stories, so I was drawn into this new world wondering what Heaven and Hell were up to. 

Katie is the only girl in her firefighting family and a black sheep by her own admission. She got in trouble for having sticky fingers. But I quite enjoyed that Skinner made her a 'noble' thief. Katie was, after all, trying to get some loot to sell in order to save her friends. She is an extremely loyal and caring woman, which are traits Cain find very appealing. 

Katie finds herself enmeshed in the latest battle between good and evil, after witnessing a murder. She can't go to the police because the reason she was in the position to witness it would cause her some trouble, so her brother takes her to The Bound Ones. They promise to keep her safe but sparks really fly when Katie meets Cain - partially because of an attraction and partially because he looks exactly like the murderer.

Cain is one of The Bound Ones, a Nephilim whose powers have been bound. He and the three other Nephilim, all have different powers, which they refer to as their Grace. They use these gifts to protect innocents. Cain has kept his emotions locked down for centuries, never allowing anyone, outside of his brethren, in. Katie, however, brings out his possessive and protective instincts unlike no one else ever has.

Ms. Skinner did a great job of world building, weaving biblical mythology - angels, Nephilim, and even Cain and Abel - with human and Others - demons, lycans, shifters, and vampires. It was fascinating to see how they lived among one another and fought for political dominance as part of the proverbial battle between Heaven and Hell. The history Skinner built around the Nephilim and The Bound Ones is unique and I quite enjoyed it. The explanation of the powers, or Grace, how it manifests, was interesting as well. 

Angel Kin revolves around trying to find Abel, before it's too late, and understanding why he's not found Cain before. Of course, Abel's actions are part of a bigger agenda - that of the Renegades, or the surviving Fallen Angels, and others who've joined their fight against the Directorate, or Heaven.

In all, I'm so happy with this recommendation. With great world building and compelling characters, action, and a touch of romance, Angel Kin was an exciting start to the series. The only issue I had was with the pacing. I thought the beginning, despite a whopper of an opening scene, was a bit slow. But I'm eager for what promises to be the intriguing and possibly gruesome battle that is brewing between Heaven and Hell. I'm also eager to learn more about each of the other Bound Ones as the series continues, as well as what the Renegades are after and what the Directorate and Heaven intended when they started this.