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Sinner
"The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." ~Oscar Wilde
Step into the shadows where obsession meets immortality...
“Sinner" promises a blood-soaked adventure you won't soon forget.
In a world hidden from mortal eyes, Alice's life shatters into a thousand razor-sharp pieces.
Thrust into an existence of blood and betrayal, her transformation from a young woman suffering from OCD and PTSD into a vampire ignites a chilling odyssey of survival, desire, and redemption. As feral nightwalkers close in and sunlight becomes her enemy, an even deadlier force emerges from Alice’s past, forcing her to navigate a labyrinth of allies with secrets as dark as the night itself.
When monsters wear human faces, she'll discover that the line between sinner and saint is as thin as a vampire's fang.
"Sinner" is a mesmerizing journey into the heart of obsessive-compulsive darkness, perfect for fans of character-driven supernatural thrillers. With its unflinching exploration of transformation and moral ambiguity, this haunting tale will leave you questioning the true nature of humanity long after you turn the final page.
"Wow! I can't remember any other vampire book going into such fabulous detail about the transition from human to vamp. It's that good!" - Shelley Wilson
Expect gore, strong language, a bisexual heroine, and situations that defy the laws of nature.
"Sinner" is just the beginning - Alice's descent continues in the unsettling sequel, "Requiem."
Step into the shadows where obsession meets immortality...
“Sinner" promises a blood-soaked adventure you won't soon forget.
In a world hidden from mortal eyes, Alice's life shatters into a thousand razor-sharp pieces.
Thrust into an existence of blood and betrayal, her transformation from a young woman suffering from OCD and PTSD into a vampire ignites a chilling odyssey of survival, desire, and redemption. As feral nightwalkers close in and sunlight becomes her enemy, an even deadlier force emerges from Alice’s past, forcing her to navigate a labyrinth of allies with secrets as dark as the night itself.
When monsters wear human faces, she'll discover that the line between sinner and saint is as thin as a vampire's fang.
"Sinner" is a mesmerizing journey into the heart of obsessive-compulsive darkness, perfect for fans of character-driven supernatural thrillers. With its unflinching exploration of transformation and moral ambiguity, this haunting tale will leave you questioning the true nature of humanity long after you turn the final page.
"Wow! I can't remember any other vampire book going into such fabulous detail about the transition from human to vamp. It's that good!" - Shelley Wilson
Expect gore, strong language, a bisexual heroine, and situations that defy the laws of nature.
"Sinner" is just the beginning - Alice's descent continues in the unsettling sequel, "Requiem."
- GenresVampires
ebook
Published February 28, 2020
6 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Blakely Chorpenning
10 books55 followersBlakely Chorpenning is a multi-genre author. Her stories blend the magnificent with the mundane, inviting readers to walk with monsters and fall in love with dreams. linktr.ee/blakelychorpenning
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 18, 2020
~About:
Alice suffers from nightmares while waking. After a mysterious accident, she begins to need no air and no food. She is changing, but that’s not all: a battle is on. Will Alice be pulled toward evil intent by outside forces, or not? She must decide what she wants her life to be.
Which path will she take, one to further understanding and safety, or one to rebellion and almost certain destruction?
~Characters
Alice was a really interesting character. I could relate to her anxiety and loved her sense of humour. Her fear of the dark was well explored and made more sense once the story began to delve deeper into the cause. Her running to keep her loved ones safe was admirable at the same time that it felt like a terrible act. To me, Alice is a walking contradiction that showcases what it really means to be human.
Wolf was, I thought, the main antagonist of the story, at least as far as influencing Alice went. Wolf was deranged- in an overtly sexual way at times and seemed to represent temptation in human form. Her manipulations of Alice were intriguing, especially as Alice seemed to fall for her every word and every trick, despite knowing they were tricks all along.
A favourite character of mine was Gesick. I found him to be funny, caring, and above all mysterious. No matter what happened with Alice, he was always there to support her, which I thought was particularly admirable.
Overall, the range of characters included felt like they all added a little extra something to the story, really fleshing it out.
~Likes and Dislikes
I loved how Alice’s personality seeps into the pages, as well as how the progression of the story felt so organic and thrilling, as though her memories were my own and I was simply re-experiencing them in High Definition.
The language used and general expression fascinated me and, along with good tension-building, managed to keep me hooked all the way through.
How Alice distracts herself from her thoughts by reading ingredient labels (some form of OCD) was another thing I could relate to, and this made the story experience even better.
~Memorable Quotes
As usual, I couldn’t pick any one quote from such a wonderful piece of work.
I did, however, manage to settle on three.
1) ‘Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past- no-one’s soul is clean.’
2) ‘You have a way of seeing the world. You create a rhythm and cast it over everything.’
3) ‘With every choice comes a ripple effect across countless lives. What are we to do when our waters ripple too far, too fast, consuming everyone around us?’
Each of these three quotes holds a powerful message about life.
No-one is perfect: we all hold secrets, dark thoughts, and mistakes that we must learn from if we are ever to improve upon ourselves.
We see the world however we’ve been taught to see it, but this too we can change if we want to.
Every thought we have and action we take has an underlying meaning and its own consequences.
~Overview
Overall, I really enjoyed Sinner. It was a well-executed story, with memorable characters that agonized over their own personal problems, as well as those around them in the world.
My rating: 5 stars.
Recommended for: lovers of dark urban-fantasy, with vampires / the un-dead.
Alice suffers from nightmares while waking. After a mysterious accident, she begins to need no air and no food. She is changing, but that’s not all: a battle is on. Will Alice be pulled toward evil intent by outside forces, or not? She must decide what she wants her life to be.
Which path will she take, one to further understanding and safety, or one to rebellion and almost certain destruction?
~Characters
Alice was a really interesting character. I could relate to her anxiety and loved her sense of humour. Her fear of the dark was well explored and made more sense once the story began to delve deeper into the cause. Her running to keep her loved ones safe was admirable at the same time that it felt like a terrible act. To me, Alice is a walking contradiction that showcases what it really means to be human.
Wolf was, I thought, the main antagonist of the story, at least as far as influencing Alice went. Wolf was deranged- in an overtly sexual way at times and seemed to represent temptation in human form. Her manipulations of Alice were intriguing, especially as Alice seemed to fall for her every word and every trick, despite knowing they were tricks all along.
A favourite character of mine was Gesick. I found him to be funny, caring, and above all mysterious. No matter what happened with Alice, he was always there to support her, which I thought was particularly admirable.
Overall, the range of characters included felt like they all added a little extra something to the story, really fleshing it out.
~Likes and Dislikes
I loved how Alice’s personality seeps into the pages, as well as how the progression of the story felt so organic and thrilling, as though her memories were my own and I was simply re-experiencing them in High Definition.
The language used and general expression fascinated me and, along with good tension-building, managed to keep me hooked all the way through.
How Alice distracts herself from her thoughts by reading ingredient labels (some form of OCD) was another thing I could relate to, and this made the story experience even better.
~Memorable Quotes
As usual, I couldn’t pick any one quote from such a wonderful piece of work.
I did, however, manage to settle on three.
1) ‘Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past- no-one’s soul is clean.’
2) ‘You have a way of seeing the world. You create a rhythm and cast it over everything.’
3) ‘With every choice comes a ripple effect across countless lives. What are we to do when our waters ripple too far, too fast, consuming everyone around us?’
Each of these three quotes holds a powerful message about life.
No-one is perfect: we all hold secrets, dark thoughts, and mistakes that we must learn from if we are ever to improve upon ourselves.
We see the world however we’ve been taught to see it, but this too we can change if we want to.
Every thought we have and action we take has an underlying meaning and its own consequences.
~Overview
Overall, I really enjoyed Sinner. It was a well-executed story, with memorable characters that agonized over their own personal problems, as well as those around them in the world.
My rating: 5 stars.
Recommended for: lovers of dark urban-fantasy, with vampires / the un-dead.
March 17, 2020
I’m a sucker for a vampire story (no pun intended!), so when I spotted Sinner on the RBRT list I jumped at the chance to read it.
The book blurb assures us that the main character, Alice, is a vampire without a sire, but the book begins with her journey toward becoming a member of the undead. Wow! I can’t remember any other vampire book I’ve read going into such fabulous detail about the transition from human to vamp. It’s well written – I almost wrote well researched before remembering this is fiction, yes it’s that good!! You are pulled along the path of fear and terror as Alice throws up her internal organs and struggles to understand what’s happening.
Aside from the transformation, we all know to be developing there’s a dark menace that haunts our mc. Alice can’t be left in the dark, something is lurking in the darkness, and this pulls the reader between two distinct threats.
We get introduced to the first group of vampires who help Alice as much as she will allow. A quirky bunch of vampires with stories of their own. I liked them all, and was Team Gesick for most of the novel! Swiftly we’re torn from the sanctuary of this small group to the turmoil, excitement, and terror of Wolf and her group of less than orthodox vampires.
I didn’t like Wolf (Team Gesick all the way here), but Chorpenning has written a complex character which allows you to hate her yet still feel drawn to the dark side. You can understand why Alice is attracted to her world.
There are references to drugs and overdosing, cutting, addiction, and anxiety, but it’s beautifully done and managed. I like books and authors that don’t shy away from the tough topics, especially when writing for a young adult audience.
Sinner finishes off in a neat and tidy way while leaving a couple of threads for more stories in the series. Who is Pope, what hold does he have over the vampires? Will Alice do what she promised? These were a few of my unanswered questions (possibly to be answered in book 2), but they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I read and reviewed Sinner on behalf of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team #RBRT
The book blurb assures us that the main character, Alice, is a vampire without a sire, but the book begins with her journey toward becoming a member of the undead. Wow! I can’t remember any other vampire book I’ve read going into such fabulous detail about the transition from human to vamp. It’s well written – I almost wrote well researched before remembering this is fiction, yes it’s that good!! You are pulled along the path of fear and terror as Alice throws up her internal organs and struggles to understand what’s happening.
Aside from the transformation, we all know to be developing there’s a dark menace that haunts our mc. Alice can’t be left in the dark, something is lurking in the darkness, and this pulls the reader between two distinct threats.
We get introduced to the first group of vampires who help Alice as much as she will allow. A quirky bunch of vampires with stories of their own. I liked them all, and was Team Gesick for most of the novel! Swiftly we’re torn from the sanctuary of this small group to the turmoil, excitement, and terror of Wolf and her group of less than orthodox vampires.
I didn’t like Wolf (Team Gesick all the way here), but Chorpenning has written a complex character which allows you to hate her yet still feel drawn to the dark side. You can understand why Alice is attracted to her world.
There are references to drugs and overdosing, cutting, addiction, and anxiety, but it’s beautifully done and managed. I like books and authors that don’t shy away from the tough topics, especially when writing for a young adult audience.
Sinner finishes off in a neat and tidy way while leaving a couple of threads for more stories in the series. Who is Pope, what hold does he have over the vampires? Will Alice do what she promised? These were a few of my unanswered questions (possibly to be answered in book 2), but they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I read and reviewed Sinner on behalf of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team #RBRT
February 19, 2020
Sinner is a fabulous vampire read that you won't be able to put down.
Alice is turning into a vampire due to a bad blood transfusion. A vampire that doesn't necessarily have to live on blood.
Gesick and his friends kidnap Alice to help her go through the transition. When Alice meets Wolf she is torn between sinner and saint. If she thought her world was spiraling downwards before now she's descending to the gates of h*ll. Which will she chooses?
If you love vampires you definitely will love sinner.
I received a complimentary copy from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review.
Alice is turning into a vampire due to a bad blood transfusion. A vampire that doesn't necessarily have to live on blood.
Gesick and his friends kidnap Alice to help her go through the transition. When Alice meets Wolf she is torn between sinner and saint. If she thought her world was spiraling downwards before now she's descending to the gates of h*ll. Which will she chooses?
If you love vampires you definitely will love sinner.
I received a complimentary copy from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2020
Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Explicit content: Some sexual content, gore, violence, death, abusive relationships/partners
When I review ARCs, I tend to sign up for a whole bunch at once, which leads to me forgetting about the specifics of the blurbs. This is fun, because I get to figure out what the story's going to be about as I go along - and this novel was a really good one in that context. Piecing together what the heck was happening to our main character was very fun, and being proven right was pretty satisfying. Overall, though this novel falls into the pitfall many similar stories have - strong, engaging characters, but really no plot to speak of. The closest thing this novel gets to a plot is our main character vacillating between the two big factions of the story, and coming to terms with the transformation she's undergoing. There are hints of bigger things going on in the background, but these never really come front and center. It's much more of a character-driven novel than a plot-driven one.
At its core, it's also an exploration of abusive/toxic relationships. Our main character finds herself drawn into one, and unlike with a lot of such relationships in fiction, you can understand why. There is something intoxicating about Wolf and the freedom she represents. At the same time, she's very dangerous, selfish, and manipulative, continually shifting things around and doing everything she can to build up a specific image of herself. This is genuinely well-done, and very engaging. You can sympathize with our main character for falling for her ploys, and even with Wolf herself, though you can also still dislike her. It was also nice to see some bi representation.
The story attempts to have some themeing set around religious ideas - sinners and saints, mainly. Wolf plays our various obvious sinner, while the other group is our saints, though none of them are really untouched by sin, which we learn as we go along. Unpacking everyone's baggage and seeing how none of them were necessarily born good, but have to struggle for it, was interesting. There is something vaguely icky about our female love interest being the bad one and the more typical male love interest being the good one, but I don't get the vibe that this was intentional, just unfortunate (Wolf is also way more sexualized than our male love interest, which is equally unfortunate).
At the same time, the story sometimes bites off more than it can chew. There are a lot of grandiose lines that fall flat, fancy words used incorrectly ("suffrage" is not a fancy word for "suffering"), the dialogue can be hammy, and typos abound. The themes come in a little heavy-handed at times, especially in regards to some characters having divine experiences, and some not. And, again, the plot is eclipsed by all of these other threads going on. There are also many, many unresolved questions by the end of the novel - there's tons of stuff that is raised throughout, but nothing is ever really answered. I assume this is to lead in to the rest of the series, but it ends up being a little frustrating, when we never really learn what Lo is, or about the other factions and stuff. I wish there was more of a focus on these things beyond generating conflict and just being generally spooky.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It's very engaging, very atmospheric, and the characters are strong. However, if you're someone more interesting in plotting or reveals, this is pretty light on both of those. It's way more about the journey our main character goes through than any actual story. If you like that kinda thing, you'll enjoy this - if not, give it a pass.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Explicit content: Some sexual content, gore, violence, death, abusive relationships/partners
When I review ARCs, I tend to sign up for a whole bunch at once, which leads to me forgetting about the specifics of the blurbs. This is fun, because I get to figure out what the story's going to be about as I go along - and this novel was a really good one in that context. Piecing together what the heck was happening to our main character was very fun, and being proven right was pretty satisfying. Overall, though this novel falls into the pitfall many similar stories have - strong, engaging characters, but really no plot to speak of. The closest thing this novel gets to a plot is our main character vacillating between the two big factions of the story, and coming to terms with the transformation she's undergoing. There are hints of bigger things going on in the background, but these never really come front and center. It's much more of a character-driven novel than a plot-driven one.
At its core, it's also an exploration of abusive/toxic relationships. Our main character finds herself drawn into one, and unlike with a lot of such relationships in fiction, you can understand why. There is something intoxicating about Wolf and the freedom she represents. At the same time, she's very dangerous, selfish, and manipulative, continually shifting things around and doing everything she can to build up a specific image of herself. This is genuinely well-done, and very engaging. You can sympathize with our main character for falling for her ploys, and even with Wolf herself, though you can also still dislike her. It was also nice to see some bi representation.
The story attempts to have some themeing set around religious ideas - sinners and saints, mainly. Wolf plays our various obvious sinner, while the other group is our saints, though none of them are really untouched by sin, which we learn as we go along. Unpacking everyone's baggage and seeing how none of them were necessarily born good, but have to struggle for it, was interesting. There is something vaguely icky about our female love interest being the bad one and the more typical male love interest being the good one, but I don't get the vibe that this was intentional, just unfortunate (Wolf is also way more sexualized than our male love interest, which is equally unfortunate).
At the same time, the story sometimes bites off more than it can chew. There are a lot of grandiose lines that fall flat, fancy words used incorrectly ("suffrage" is not a fancy word for "suffering"), the dialogue can be hammy, and typos abound. The themes come in a little heavy-handed at times, especially in regards to some characters having divine experiences, and some not. And, again, the plot is eclipsed by all of these other threads going on. There are also many, many unresolved questions by the end of the novel - there's tons of stuff that is raised throughout, but nothing is ever really answered. I assume this is to lead in to the rest of the series, but it ends up being a little frustrating, when we never really learn what Lo is, or about the other factions and stuff. I wish there was more of a focus on these things beyond generating conflict and just being generally spooky.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It's very engaging, very atmospheric, and the characters are strong. However, if you're someone more interesting in plotting or reveals, this is pretty light on both of those. It's way more about the journey our main character goes through than any actual story. If you like that kinda thing, you'll enjoy this - if not, give it a pass.
October 23, 2023
still left not knowing…
This story takes a very long time to explain what is actually happening. It takes a long time to figure out the darkness in more ways than one.
It does give some newness to the preternatural community of vampires that I had never really heard before. It is quite intriguing. I like the nuances of what I know to be of a vampiric being from other books, movies, lore and etc.
It was hard to know why Alice made some of the decisions that she did. I am glad that she had Gesick, Malone, and Bunny. I wanted to know more about Wolf than what was revealed in the story. I’d like to know more about the history of Gesick and Wolf, also about Bunny and Pope. I’d like to know where Wolf was going when she disappeared from time time after seeing Pope. I wanted to know more about why Wolf really wanted Alice. There was just too much mystery still around those issues. It made the book and the story not very satisfying.
I kept reading waiting for something MORE to happen or be revealed. None of it did. I am not sure I liked the actual story to be honest. It definitely wasn’t a love story, although I thought it would be. It was more a story about man vs man (vampire). The author was superb in explains what was happening inside of Alice and then the change. But she didn’t explain further about vampiric life as she should have. The whole story just felt very anticlimactic. I didn’t really have a vested interest in any of the characters. They all seemed to lack purpose or relevance. They were all just…there.
This story takes a very long time to explain what is actually happening. It takes a long time to figure out the darkness in more ways than one.
It does give some newness to the preternatural community of vampires that I had never really heard before. It is quite intriguing. I like the nuances of what I know to be of a vampiric being from other books, movies, lore and etc.
It was hard to know why Alice made some of the decisions that she did. I am glad that she had Gesick, Malone, and Bunny. I wanted to know more about Wolf than what was revealed in the story. I’d like to know more about the history of Gesick and Wolf, also about Bunny and Pope. I’d like to know where Wolf was going when she disappeared from time time after seeing Pope. I wanted to know more about why Wolf really wanted Alice. There was just too much mystery still around those issues. It made the book and the story not very satisfying.
I kept reading waiting for something MORE to happen or be revealed. None of it did. I am not sure I liked the actual story to be honest. It definitely wasn’t a love story, although I thought it would be. It was more a story about man vs man (vampire). The author was superb in explains what was happening inside of Alice and then the change. But she didn’t explain further about vampiric life as she should have. The whole story just felt very anticlimactic. I didn’t really have a vested interest in any of the characters. They all seemed to lack purpose or relevance. They were all just…there.
May 20, 2021
“Sinner” is the second book I’ve read by author, Blakey Chorpenning. The first book was “Souled Out” which I was really enthusiastic about. “Sinner” was not as good in my opinion, but it is still worth the reading. To me, this shorter paranormal novel didn’t have many likable characters. They were more irritating and self-absorbed. But what carries the book is the details of the frightening occurrences and the spooky descriptions of what’s plaguing Alice.
Alice is a young college aged girl recovering from the sudden death of her best friend and roommate, Lo and the aftermath of a car accident which leaves unexpected repercussions. Alice suffers greatly despite the support of her mother and brother, Lindy. Alice’s journey is filled with horror and encounters with strangers, Wolf, Bunny, Noa, Malone and Gesick.
I am recommending this book because I read it at night and heard unknown noises throughout my house. This was not fun, but hey I like scary books. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.
Alice is a young college aged girl recovering from the sudden death of her best friend and roommate, Lo and the aftermath of a car accident which leaves unexpected repercussions. Alice suffers greatly despite the support of her mother and brother, Lindy. Alice’s journey is filled with horror and encounters with strangers, Wolf, Bunny, Noa, Malone and Gesick.
I am recommending this book because I read it at night and heard unknown noises throughout my house. This was not fun, but hey I like scary books. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.
July 10, 2024
❤️💀Unique and creepy crush !
Alice hurried to close all the blinds in the house, terrified that someone might look inside the house.
Her brother Lindy was waiting for her to start the film...
************
An unexpected crush for this exceptional, creepy and also very moving read which tells the incredible metamorphosis of Alice.
Although very creepy, I loved the sensitive and detailed writing of this author so much so that you felt like you were immersed in the story.
I recommend this exceptional novel to fans of a moving adolescent/vampire conversion story.
Absolutely worth discovering!
Alice hurried to close all the blinds in the house, terrified that someone might look inside the house.
Her brother Lindy was waiting for her to start the film...
************
An unexpected crush for this exceptional, creepy and also very moving read which tells the incredible metamorphosis of Alice.
Although very creepy, I loved the sensitive and detailed writing of this author so much so that you felt like you were immersed in the story.
I recommend this exceptional novel to fans of a moving adolescent/vampire conversion story.
Absolutely worth discovering!
May 14, 2021
I enjoyed this vampire thriller. This is a new author for me which I enjoyed reading. This is a well written story that has characters that bring the story to life. They bring the twists and turns to a new level. They are relateable and made the story entertaining to read. This is a story about saints and sinners. One has a past and the has a future. Alice made a graeat character and she made the story for me. I highly recommend this book.
February 27, 2022
Good, fast, quick read. I was hooked. I would love to read more. I felt like the last chapter was rushed to finish. The author did wonderfully in drawing you in and keeping you interested. I loved the details she included to make you feel like you were there. Which is why the last chapter felt rushed and incomplete in some way. However with that said, it was a satisfactory ending.
February 23, 2025
this was really well done and was invested in what was happening in this story. The characters were everything that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening. Blakely Chorpenning has a strong writing style and enjoyed reading this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 6, 2020
Creepy and funny. Can't wait for book 2
June 17, 2021
Although quite predictable overall this was an interesting vampire story. I didn't really connect with the lead but the story held my attention
November 18, 2024
This was a fun and dark story I really enjoyed! A great read for an afternoon.
I received a copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews