I picked up
The Mephisto Covenant: Redemption of Ajax by Trinity Faegen excited about the premise and looking forward to a new "favorite read". Unfortunately, I had severe theological issues with Faegen's mythos that I couldn't get past enough to truly enjoy the novel.
All the elements are in place for a dark paranormal romance: tormented boy, nice girl, dark curse. But for some reason it just did
not work for me. Jax is an interesting character if a bit hard to relate to since he lacks have any compassion, while Sasha seems very accepting of a complete change of her world. But what really got to me what issues with the theology behind the premise. According to the Mephisto Covenant, Eve had a daughter before she ate the apple
{Issue 1} meaning that the daughter was "pure" of spirit a.k.a. without sin. At some point this daughter leaves the Garden of Eden; the why she would leave when she was without sin is never answered; and ended up falling in love with and having sons by Mephistopheles, the angel who carries condemned souls to Hell. These sons are apparently "of Hell" so God doesn't know about them
{Issue 2} and doesn't hear their prayers. In order for these sons to be redeemed they must find the female descendants of Eve's first daughter, the Anabo, who are also pure souls
{Issue 3} and convince the girl to love them and become immortal. The Anabo become immortal and redeem Mephistopheles's sons by giving up half of their "sinlessness" and taking on part of the darkness of the "sons of Hell"
{Issue 4}. The Anabo then becomes Mephisto (which is what M's sons are called) but somehow still Anabo and helps the Mephisto track down the followers of Eryx. (Eryx is looking to collect enough souls to overthrow Lucifer and plunge the world into chaos - even more so than it is now.
Basically, I
REALLY wanted to like this book, but was unable to suspend my disbelief enough to become engrossed in the story. However, Faegen is a good writer and I would give another of her books a read (although perhaps not one of the Mephisto Covenant series).
Writing: 4 Stars
Plot Details: 2 Stars
