7 Deadly Instincts

The Sinfire Chronicles #1

by Aaron Crash

Between heaven and hell, virtue and sin, life and death, there is a bond that can never be broken.
Grayson Fade didn’t come to First Field to be a hero or fall in love. He was on his way to prison when a mysterious woman grabbed him and changed his life forever.

Gray now finds himself in a world governed by the seven deadly instincts. This world allows everyone to resonate with only a single instinct…except him. This is a secret he must hide.

He’s the mysterious woman’s secret weapon at First Field, a place where recruits are forged into demon hunters, but only if they can survive the Testing. Even though he has a mana core vast beyond imagination, it is fundamentally broken.

Then he meets Rynn, a shy but lethal warrior—and the one person he can’t help but trust.

Forced together, Gray and Rynn edge closer to a bond that could ruin them both.

Loving her could cost Gray everything.
Walking away might cost him more.

"By the slut gods of old, Aaron has done it again! He's back with another wonderful entry to the genre."
--Bruce Sentar

"Aaron Crash is a hell of an author. His ability to make deep characters and compelling worlds is something that compels me to read his work. Every new release is something to look forward to."
--Daniel Schinhofen

505 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2026

Reviews

[GrumpyOldMan · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

This book was just ok, and there were times I contemplated putting it down. For it being 505 pages long, not much happens in its pages.

The MC starts off with a bad heart (hole in it) and no mana core because where he lives has no mana. He's stealing a necklace from a local princess when he runs afoul of the guards, then some woman rescues him. Said woman takes him away and fixes his heart, and starts his mana core, which happens to be enormous. From there, he's more or less an invalid as he tries to build stamina and strength his heart prevented him from gaining. It's a very tedious backstory that takes up too many pages and doesn't delivery much except to show the MC works for many of his gains.

The MC has one official LI in the book, because the act of sex causes a bond to form between two people with mana cores, which is very dual cultivation. That's a trope I am not fond of, and it causes the relationship to stagnate for most of the book. Other party members are introduced late, and the MC has pretty much no relationship with them outside of helping each other win some competition.

For as long as the book was, world building was minimal because various characters didn't want to share commonly known information with the MC. And relationship building was not only stunted because of the insta-bond for having sex, but the way the MC meets each woman and interacts with them is also poorly developed.

I am on the fence about reading a sequel, though leaning towards not reading book 2.

[Shiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

The action, brutal games, and unique world building made this such an addictive read. Gray and his squad kept me hooked from start to finish definitely a series I want to continue.

[Kiba Snowpaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final Rating: 4.09/5.00

I've left out the full scoring breakdown to give the characters and story room within Goodreads' limit. The score is still calculated from the same 2.50 starting point.

Gray's determination to build a home in a place that treats people as disposable is what makes this audiobook work for me. He's an escaped arena slave with a newly repaired heart, a strange magical core, and a sponsor whose kindness comes attached to expectations she won't fully explain. The supposed opportunity ahead of him involves proving himself in an institution where cruelty is practically part of the welcome speech. There's plenty of violence, sexual banter, and ugly treatment of vulnerable people, but the strongest thread is the slow formation of a group whose members start becoming important to one another. The romance takes its time, and the explicitly described sex comes late. I like how much of the story's weight rests on earning trust before demanding sacrifice. That matters more to this Ice Wolf than another promise of spectacular power. The middle needs tightening, and the constant reminders that Gray is extraordinary get tiresome, but the relationships give the struggle something worth winning.

Gray's cleverness has an actual history behind it. He learned to read people because he couldn't rely on his body, and the opening escape shows him flattering, bargaining, and exploiting information to stay alive. Those habits don't disappear when magic enters his life. His little cup game is another way of finding room to survive, and the difference between how he and Rynn regard it tells me something about both of them. I also appreciate that his guilt has substance. The memories of Carter keep returning, and the eventual account of the arena explains why trusting Gray shouldn't be effortless. His past includes choices that hurt someone else, and carrying that knowledge into a new group makes leadership more interesting. Can he help people without turning them into resources? Can he believe his own life has value without making somebody else's expendable? Those questions give his later decisions weight. His sarcasm sometimes feels rehearsed, but the wounded person underneath it has enough definition to make me care about his growth.

The instinct magic is one of the strongest ideas here because it gives everyday behaviour consequences. Wrath and patience share a foundation; pride and humility belong to the same instinct. A person's appetite, ambition, restraint, or generosity can affect how they gather power. That leaves room for much more than matching a spell to a personality label. Mama Cinders's discussion of virtues becoming harmful is particularly useful: kindness can leave someone open to exploitation, and diligence can consume a life. I like a system that makes me question what a supposedly admirable quality is actually doing. The social rules around discussing someone's resonance add another layer. People can observe behaviour, make assumptions, and get things wrong, while asking directly may be an intrusion. Gray's unusual perception complicates that privacy. Magic becomes part of how these people judge and conceal themselves. The familiar seven-sins framework gains character through those consequences, especially when someone presenting themselves as generous has a very obvious interest in my purse.

The world also has enough ordinary texture to keep its mythology from floating away into a list of names. Pit City has commerce, opportunists, poor accommodation, expensive alternatives, and food worth leaving the barracks for. Gorgonzola's Counter contributes more than a convenient place to deliver lore. The sauces, crisp edges, cheeses, and different ways of preparing a meal make prosperity something Gray can actually experience. Food has a practical relationship with mana, but it also gives him pleasure that isn't another survival calculation. I like that distinction. Beyond the market, the ruined streets around the Weeping Well and the protection of the Hellbinder give the setting a clear sense of danger and separation. Ruin Manor can be comfortable inside while something monstrous passes outside. That is a kind of shelter I understand in HowlStrom: warmth matters because the cold is still there. The domestic details make that shelter feel inhabitable, down to the water supply, broken windows, and work still needed on the house.

Rynn is much more convincing when I consider her choices than when the narration keeps reminding me how adorably awkward she is. She's sheltered and anxious in unfamiliar company, but she has training, convictions, and ambitions that existed before Gray arrived. Their friendship gives both of them something they lack. He helps her deal with people who won't respect the rules; she brings knowledge and magical ability he genuinely needs. Their teasing grows out of shared routines and problems, so the affection has time to become familiar. The disagreement over leaving the barracks matters because her loyalty to her family and sponsor isn't something she can simply shrug off. Neither is his refusal to keep living in misery when he sees another way. I like that they have to confront that difference. Her willingness to stand beside him becomes a decision she owns. As an Alpha, that is the loyalty I value: someone understands the risks, has a voice, and still chooses to walk with the pack.

The sexual writing follows that same relationship rather than suddenly dropping different personalities into a bedroom. Most of the book builds through attraction, teasing, kisses, and conversations about what intimacy could mean. The opening refers to Gray's earlier sexual relationship, but the developed explicit encounter belongs near the end. When the story reaches it, it follows through with sustained physical detail and mutual involvement. Rynn's humour and increasing confidence remain present, and the characters discuss the lasting consequences they might accept. I want detail and emotion together, and this gives both room. The possibility of an enduring magical bond has already been made frightening through other people's experiences, so their hesitation has a reason beyond stretching out the teasing. The scene also changes their circumstances, but its value isn't limited to supplying another magical development. There is pleasure, affection, and the relief of finally being direct. I would have found a brief fade to black disappointing after that much preparation; the book delivers the intimacy it has spent time building.

Settie is the character who most complicates the warmth. She devotes extraordinary effort to keeping Gray alive, then speaks about him as an investment or an instrument. She can offer comfort and make a threat within the same relationship. I like a dragon whose power doesn't protect her from being frightened, jealous, controlling, or lonely. I especially like getting a black dragon whose character is shaped by her decisions and history rather than having her scales settle the question of her morality. Her tenderness can be real while her demands remain cruel. Gray has good reasons to feel grateful and good reasons to push back. The conflicting stories about her past also make her reputation more interesting than a single accusation would. I still want answers about what she has done and what she ultimately wants. Her later vulnerability and apology move the relationship forward, but they leave a serious imbalance in place. She continues to insist on her superiority. That gives their growing attachment an uncomfortable edge, and I want that edge taken seriously.

The rest of the squad brings more than different bodies and combat abilities. Midj's delight in food and habit of reaching for someone's hand give her an immediate warmth, and the homesickness beneath that cheerfulness makes her much more interesting. Tomi's sarcasm and sleeping initially seem like the entire joke, until closeness becomes difficult and the possibility of going home stops sounding comforting. Her transformed fighting body is also properly feline and formidable. Give this wolf a cat woman who can become a wall of fur and muscle, and yes, I am paying attention. Ames has a different sort of distance: she's gentle, unsettling, and sometimes aware of things the others can't understand. The individual attempts to connect with their cores are particularly effective because the same practical task becomes a different emotional encounter with each woman. Gray has to notice reluctance, fear, and sadness. He can't treat them all as identical containers waiting for his mana. That is exactly the sort of attention that can make a growing harem cast worth caring about.

They arrive too late, though. Gray and Rynn get a long stretch in which their everyday interactions can accumulate, while Midj, Tomi, and Ames enter close to Culling Day and have much less room to establish themselves before the pressure peaks. Their introductions are strong enough to make the missing time noticeable. I wanted more opportunities to see how they behave together without an imminent contest forcing every connection along. The earlier middle has space that could have helped. Training, eating ironbites, dealing with the discomfort, discussing the core, and preparing to do it again recur across the summer. Some passages show a useful change; others return to a limitation or routine that's already clear. The repeated visits and explanations spread the preparation out more than it needs. By the time the fuller squad appears, the story has to work quickly to establish several people I wish had been allowed to settle in sooner. The distribution of attention is the problem: the pair gets breathing room that the ensemble could also use.

Yellow gives the quieter material a clear emotional purpose. Gray's determination to return to him drives effort, bargaining, and a risky search for a way through Settie's wards. Caring for the dog costs him something. I appreciate that much more than a pet appearing whenever the story needs a quick moment of sweetness. Yellow is also an animal with habits and reactions: he warns, hides, hunts, wants affection, and notices the tension between people. He's already part of the pack. Of course we're going back for him. The eventual importance of Ruin Manor grows from that same instinct to include someone. It starts as a place where Gray is recovering under another person's control, then becomes somewhere he wants to return because of who is there. A good den isn't made by announcing that everyone is family. It's made through company, meals, care, and the gradual certainty that a familiar presence will be waiting. This book spends enough time on those things for the house to acquire that meaning.

The physical progression works because Gray has useful power without having an easy answer to every problem. His large core doesn't automatically give him the ability to use ordinary techniques, refill himself quickly, or match an experienced opponent. The growing tolerance for mana-rich food, the running, and the sparring establish effort and discomfort behind his improvement. I particularly like that repeated losses can still teach him something. His fights with Pinch become a way to gain experience and change the cost of her bullying, even when he can't simply beat her. Later, his role as the squad's source of mana forces him to depend on the women actually using it. The difference between having a large reserve and being able to replenish that reserve matters across a long day. He's valuable, but the group still needs protection, healing, movement, and judgement. That makes the preparation useful beyond proving how determined he is. The limits eventually affect decisions under pressure, which is where all that discussion of the core needs to earn its place.

The contests provide that payoff. The run, the changing demands of Sixblood, and the struggle for possession in Final Hold ask different things of the squad. Speed alone won't solve every event, and having fewer members affects what they can defend or attempt. I like watching their plans encounter other people with abilities and intentions of their own. A shield, a transformation, a burst of raw mana, and a healer's attention all matter in different ways. The violence is severe, with characters being battered, burned, and driven beyond what they can comfortably endure. Healing helps them continue, but it still uses time and resources while the next event approaches. The hardest decisions involve asking someone to risk pain for the group and deciding what can reasonably be asked of them. Tomi's response to the idea that tears make her weak is especially welcome. My pack has room for someone who hurts openly. Fur and fangs don't make pain disappear, and neither does winning. I have far less patience for people who mistake hiding pain for being stronger than everyone around them.

First Field's cruelty works best when the book connects it to who can afford alternatives. Wealthier recruits have private training, better connections, and routes that aren't available to everyone desperate enough to enter this place. The institution can tolerate theft, intimidation, and appalling living conditions because opportunity itself is valuable enough to keep people coming. Its repeated slogan turns almost any abuse into another supposed test of merit. Gray recognises the appetite of a crowd that wants suffering dressed up as achievement, because he knows that appetite from the arena. That connection keeps the brutality from becoming merely decorative. The monopoly over demon hunting adds to the same picture: even dangerous work protecting the city is controlled by families with an interest in retaining the benefits. Individual kindness exists within that arrangement, but it doesn't make the arrangement fair. I like that the story gives me reasons to question what success here actually means. Being noticed by powerful people offers a way forward while also drawing the squad further into their control.

The constant assurances about Gray's specialness weaken some of that uncertainty. Settie recognises extraordinary potential, the Widow Stone recognises it, and Oma's dream conversations keep pointing toward a much larger destiny. The water, stars, and distant gathering have a strong atmosphere, especially when darker images enter them. But I don't need quite so many reminders that this struggling recruit carries something immense inside him. I know the core is remarkable. Let the next choice surprise me. The local danger is strongest when his reserves are shrinking and his plan has gone wrong. The repeated promises surrounding his future pull in another direction, encouraging me to wait for the exceptional person everyone has already announced. Ames's cryptic observations add to that crowded field of hints. Her concern for the others interests me more than another obscured prediction. The mysteries give the series room to grow, but this volume spends too much time underlining how important their eventual answers will be.

The dialogue also needs a firmer edit. Rynn's long bursts of speech suit her, and Gray's affection for them helps establish their relationship. Repeatedly telling me that she's about to ramble, has rambled, or is apologising for rambling wears that trait down. I can recognise it from what she says. The recurring appeals to Aunt Florence and Blind John's wisdom sometimes offer a useful connection between their different backgrounds, but the story leans on those ready-made lessons heavily. Too many exchanges explain the point again after the conversation has already made it. I prefer the moments when an action carries the meaning, such as Gray respecting a boundary or returning for Yellow. There are also straightforward editing slips: “You are not you mind” needs “your,” and Yellow being “at the food of their bed” plainly needs “foot.” Those are small errors, but they are errors. The larger writing problem is repetition, especially when the narration describes a character habit immediately before or after demonstrating it.

The ending earns its quiet time. Culling Day receives a result, and the story stays with the people afterward instead of treating the scoreboard as sufficient closure. Relationships change, the house takes on a different life, and Gray gets a chance to consider what he is doing with the freedom he wanted. There is still a great deal ahead: the larger Testing isn't complete, several histories remain hidden, and the final developments open substantial possibilities. The last piece of unfinished business does tease a continuation, but Gray's response to it also pays off the idea of mastering his own impulses. That makes the pause feel chosen. My strongest attachment is to the home these people are beginning to make and the trust they will need to keep it. The shared home means something because I've seen the work, arguments, and care that went into making it possible. There are cracks in this den, and some of them need work. The warmth inside has been earned.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Aaron Crash is into something fantastic with this his first book in a new series, it is a hefty book which I read in just two sittings as I could not put it down. This is the story of Grayson Fade, an orphan in Cradleport, who ended up becoming an arena slave, and who was a null. He stole from the princess, and ran from his city towards a new life, and boy what a life this turned out to be. He was picked by Captain Sette Setanya, a dragon who was hated in Pit city for her past. She wanted to choose a squad to participate in the Testing games, which were brutal. Turns out that Gray had a core which was empty of mana, but which he could use as a conduit to fill the rest of the members of his squad to keep them going. He and Rynn, an elf from the Crown, and a rich and powerful family, were the first chosen members, and they trained hard and fought off enemies, in the dreaded barracks where they lived and prepared for the testing. Then the Captain returned with the rest of the squad, they ended up with five members in all, to compete with numerous groups of seven members each. The games were cutthroat and only murder was prohibited. Gray and Rynn were joined by Tomi, a catkin shifter, Midj a goblin, and Ames a dark elf, and their enemies came all out to defeat them. The captain wanted them to win Culling Day in order to get chosen by one of the seven families, to become demon hunters and protectors of the city in the Belly. Can they survive the brutal games, against the fae, orcs and beastkin teams? I love how Gray looked out for Yellow, and I love the excitement in this book which reminded me a bit of Hunger Games. This is definitely a series which needs to be read and I cannot wait to go on reading book 2!

[Chris Schellingerhoudt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a well crafted tale

I'll be happy to read book 2. It's a well crafted tale. Poetically written in many places and a good slow burn romance make it an excellent read.
I also enjoyed the world building and the side characters. I hope the magic continues to be interesting and opens up into something bigger and better as we go along.

[Kim Klimek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun characters and a new magic system

Ready enjoyed Grayson Fade and Rynn - good dialogue and chemistry. I read a lot of romantasy and I enjoyed reading from a male mc's pov. New magic system and I enjoy th we world. And I love the food names!

[Robert L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

This is a fine fantasy harem adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the goblin woman. I anxiously await the author's next novel.

[Dantegideon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grayson Fade is exactly as edgy as he sounds, unfortunately.