What a great book, and a terrific start to the series!

First of all, the Blessed (soul eater)/Ankh/Neith world is a creative and original concept. I loved the use of Egyptian rather than the more popular Greek/Roman stories as the basis for the story. I love this mythology as much as the others, and they don't get enough print time, imo.

Eden is such a sympathetic character. She has a great, snarky voice that hides the pain and internal turmoil she lives with every day. She is being torn up inside by what she is, what her family is, and what they do. The scenes Young wrote about Eden's father and Teagan were beyond creepy... they were disturbing. And that's good, because it gave me a real sense of the terrifying, gut-wrenching circumstances of Eden's life. Thank God for Stellan! But even he can't help being what he is, though it tears him up for Eden's sake. Stellan's love for his sister, his anguish, and his overall story tugged at my heart strings. I won't say more than that.

Noah is another great character, and I enjoyed reading events from his point of view in addition to Eden's. He annoyed me at times, but in a good way if that makes sense. I was invested in his character, and therefore in choices that he made. Ahem... Romany... ahem. His assignment isn't an easy one, however, and I felt for him as he tried to juggle duty with his burgeoning feelings for Eden. I liked the way things played out and left off. Realistic, but with a hint of hope and determination on his part. I like that Young didn't wave the author's magic wand and make everything happy and sparkly. Still, things aren't hopeless, either. I like that. It gives me something to look forward to in the next book.

The only thing I didn't like about this book (or the others for that matter) is the cover. I took way too long to read this, despite the intriguing synopsis, because the cover turned me off. What a waste it would have been if I hadn't gotten over it!

This series is definitely needs to be read.