My Sister's Reaper (Reaper's Rite, #1)

by Dorothy Dreyer

[Angie]

My Sister’s Reaper is a debut that I was simultaneous really excited about and really nervous for (I haven’t had the best luck with Month9Books titles). Luckily, it ended up being a really fun and quick read! Zadie’s sister has been in a coma, and one night during a party, she blurts out that she can bring her out of it. It’s in part to impress her crush, Gavin, but Zadie also knows that she has powers, and she wants to see if she really can do it. Of course, Mara comes out of the coma soon after Zadie performs some kind of bogus ritual, and later Zadie learns that waking her sister may not have been for the best. Now a Reaper is after her soul that was suppose to be his until Zadie interfered, and Zadie must go to the town witch to learn about her heritage, harness her gifts, and save her sister.

I loved how My Sister’s Reaper was about a different kind of paranormal creature: Vila. Zadie and Mara are both Vila, which are a mixture of faeries and witches. Their magic is, of course, grounded in the elements. However, since Mara had been using her magic selfishly a Reaper set his sights on her. Once she’s out of the coma, the only way to keep him away is with her pain and to do his bidding. Zadie, on the other hand, does use her magic too much, but only for the occasional prank. Plus she’s not 17 yet, which is when something called the Reaper’s Rite kicks in, basically allowing a Reaper to eat her soul. I liked the mythology used and wish there had been more of it! Vila aren’t exactly unique, but I found them interesting nonetheless.

What I didn’t like about My Sister’s Reaper was Zadie at times. She’s a bit bland as a heroine, but not every fictional girl can be super kick ass and snarky. Her main fault is that she never stands up for herself when someone is mean to her. In fact, nothing seems to even faze her in the slightest. People are constantly calling her stupid, dense, and a dimwit but she never even reacts. Ever. It’s like she agrees with them and isn’t hearing anything new. Zadie does say some stupid things at times, and comes across as an airhead occasionally, but she could at least feel a little hurt by their comments!

In the end, I enjoyed My Sister’s Reaper. It was cute and fun, and it was actually a bit dark and violent at times, too. I really liked how magic was handled, and would definitely like to learn more about it. Especially Cations, which are essentially regular humans who amp up a magical person’s ability (much like Blue in The Raven Boys). There is a little bit of romance in this one between Zadie and her Cation, but it’s nothing over-the-top. They’re actually pretty darn cute at times, although I am a bit worried about the angry, possessive side he showed at one point. I can only hope things are looking up in the next book.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.