The Sin Eater - Megan Campisi

Set in the 16th century a young girl of 14 years old is punished for a small crime she committed.  Where others from her jail cell are sentenced to be tortured or hanged, May is given the worst punishment of them all, to be cast as a Sin Eater. 

May's whole life has fell apart.  She has lost both her Mother and Father and now she is banished from the only home she has ever known.  Things just go from bad to worse when the townsfolk no longer make her welcome, as being a Sin Eater comes with fear and dread from those around.  A Sin Eater must be unseen and unheard until by the deathbed of a sinner where they can then recite and devour their sins.

Although the facts aren't exactly accurate as to what a Sin Eater would eat and what sin it represents (the general being just bread and this being placed on the deceased chest) this makes the novel a whole lot more of an interesting read.
This is a remarkably fascinating journey of a frightened young girl and the ordeals she must now endure, to becoming a strong heroine.

But this journey just keeps getting better as May is also given insight in to the medieval royal going-ons. Chuck in a royal scandal and a murder or two and voilla, you also have your classic 'Who Dunnit?'

I enjoyed how Megan Campisi portrayed May.  You got a really good idea of how life would be walking in her shoes,  what she was going through, how she was feeling and how she dealt with certain situations.  What genuinely made me fall in love with this book is how Megan writes seamlessly. I adored how she also names the characters as May sees them, with the likes of Country Mouse and Black Fingers and in my mind you could just envision these characters as real people.
This is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2020 so far, and It completely engrossed me from beginning to end.

Thankyou to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.

The Sin Eater is historical fiction with a fantastic premise and an intriguing central mystery. The protagonist, May, has a strong voice, and I found her teenage moodswings believeable and endearing - it made her experience as a sin eater feel far more real. The prose is eloquent, distinctive without being overly poetic.

The murder mystery element should have made for a gripping plot, but I found this was sometimes undermined by weaknesses in the structure. The storytelling is quite repetitive, and at times it lacked the forward momentum you really need for a detective story. Some of the important reveals were harried and lost emotional impact. In places, the prose needed to be pared back a little to let the story shine.

The Sin Eater feels like a debut novel, but one with plenty of promise.

Well written, historical fiction with a touch of magic

This book is dark and keeps you reading from page one

Touches the real history behind the sin eaters as well

Characters are strong and believable,

A truly fantastic read

Imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, May is unexpectedly set free. It is not any sort of freedom, however, she is now a sin eater and must eat the foods on the coffins of others to take their sins upon herself. When food start appearing on coffins without being listed, the sin eater must learn who is putting them there and what crimes they are trying to hide.

I must confess that I found the first chapter of this book really hard going and thought I probably wouldn't enjoy it. I am not ashamed to admit that I was completely wrong though and by the end I was very disappointed to see it finish.

I had never heard of a sin eater before but what a fantastic concept so richly brought to life by Megan Campbell. What a fascinating way to live and what a cleverly put together novel this is - the characterisation of the sin eater herself is just wonderful but the supporting characters really help the place the novel and to put yourself into that place.

As you can probably see, I really loved this novel and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a twist. What a treat you have in store!

A great historical fiction read.

The characters are all not based on real people but could be considered similar to Tudor England.

Through unfortunate events May finds herself sentenced to become a Sin Eater. She takes the sins of the dying to allow them to go to their Maker (in heaven). She finds herself repeatedly serving the royals in the castle however the eatings become spoiled and a mystery ensues.

The Sin Eater is a good read filled with court gossip and murder. If you enjoy reading about Tudor court you'll enjoy this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Despite the fact it contained well-used elements of historical mystery (not a bad thing, they are popular for a reason) The Sin Eater's alternate England and its cast of well-known and thinly-veiled (but cleverly so) characters felt very original. Megan Campisi's own characters -those not based on historical figures- never felt contrived and fitted authentically within the world.
I loved learning which foods were consumed for which sins (there's a strange decadence to the actual sin-eating, or maybe I'm just weird) and the unique twist on names, speech, religious and cultural practices gave everything it's own atmosphere whilst still being grounded in the familiar.
I did have an inkling as to the answer to the mystery early on, which was probably because I'm familiar with the symbolism and imagery used, not because too much was revealed too soon. There were a few surprises later on which worked well also.
The pace and length were perfect for this type of story, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in books set in the Elizabethan period and/or historical mystery readers that would like to read something a bit different. To me, The Sin Eater had it's own 'feel', which is something I always look for in the books I read, and quite rare for a historical type novel.
I will certainly be watching out for the next book by this author!
Thank you very much to Netgalley and Megan Campisi for the ARC of this intriguing debut novel!

Do you want to give your sins away to another before death so that you will go to the maker........ this is a book about folklore and superstition, it tells of how a sin eater would take your sins and eat foods that are relevant to the sin and then you will go to your maker cleansed of them and the sin eater takes them on ....

Although this may sound strange it is a true identity and sin eaters were called on when somebody was passing ..
and as much as they were required they were also feared and shunned, but because of this they were left alone
The book centers around the sin eater and a mystery that unfolds itself as she is called to different people before death...... How she became a sin eater is for you to read and find out, but a good read it is .....

If you like the Binding then you will love this..... five stars for me and how it opened my eyes to what took place years ago .....

The first version I had of this book was really difficult to read (parts of the text kept being repeated) so I downloaded it again and thankfully it had been updated. It was definitely worth the effort as I had a feeling this was my kind of book.

The Sin Eater is really atmospheric, you sense the darkness and despair from the very beginning. The book is set in an alternate history, similar to our own, very much shadowing the Tudor period. The story reads so well just like any historical book, it doesn’t feel like a fantasy story, which is one of the things I loved. A really enjoyable read.

The story follows the Sin Eater who sits with people whilst they are dying and takes on their sins. Different foods absolve people of different sins and have to be eaten by the Sin Eater. Then one day one of the Queen’s courtiers grows ill, and the Sin Eater hears their confession, except something doesn’t fit quite right, and the Sin Eater vows to unravel the mystery. Although the Sin Eater is shunned and an outcast living on the edge of society the curse can actually have advantages as invisibility can have its own freedoms...

The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi was an unusual read. I learned things about religious/pagan symbols and about the era, things which I loved about the book. The awful inhumanity towards May was so staggering. Clever depiction of the vagrants, miscreants and diseased of the day was well depicted, again giving good insight and enhancing the story, creating a credible tale. I love that May got to experience small kindness eventually, even if it was momentary with the musician and a one-off with her squatters. The mystery,as May unravelled it, was also well crafted. The book did hold my attention but it was difficult to keep track of the court characters and their links. I think I missed something at the end and need to re-read to get a final question sorted. (That’s the only problem with reading on the kindle as it’s not so easy to go back to fact check). Overall a decent wee read but it’s definitely different ...

this ARC is unreadable the phrasing stops mid sentance then repeats the sentence before then a bit of the last chapter and maybe a bit of the next I have no idea but I cannot follow it. I understand the ARC is unproofed but this si shocking. I cannot comment on what the book may be ike

This was right up my street, and I loved every minute of it. Rich, and genuine. A wonderful voice. Highly recommended.

So much food so little appetite
Wow what a brilliant writing style, I was there with May, the chatty, mischievous, clever girl.. She is just about managing to survive as an orphan when she gets caught for stealing.. Her life is turned around because her sentence is to become a sin eater, someone who hears peoples dying confessions and eats off their coffins the food that represents their sins, she must remain mute apart from addressing dying person. May is the lowest of the low, ignored, avoided and hated. Everyone she meets she has a name for Fair face, Mush face, Willow tree, Black finger to name but a few. she uncovers a conspiracy but can not speak of it and vows to solve the riddle.
This book is very cleverly written with humor injected at the most tense moments, better not to try to put it into historical context as it has a context of its own.

<I>Sin Eater</i> by Megan Campisi was an interesting read with a unique premise. The book is based around the idea of a sin eater, who is an individual (usually a woman) who listens to the sins of the town and for their sins eats specific foods to take on those sins and relieve the sinner. The sin eater will then take these sins to their death and be judged when they meet the maker. The sin eater is not seen by anybody, they are not allowed to talk to anybody they are shunned from society. They are an outcast and pariah.

In Campisi's novel she takes a young girl who becomes apprenticed to the older sin eater after she is thrown in prison. However, when the older sin eater refuses to eat for a specific sin, the duty falls to the young and newer sin eater to eat the sin and uncover the mystery behind this sin. This novel combines historical fiction and mystery as the young sin eater struggles to come to terms with her new role, her new identity, her past and uncover the truth.

My biggest problem with the book was that Campisi lifted her entire royal family structure from Henry VIII and the tudors. The king had had six wives, two of which were killed, one was a plain Jane (Anne of Cleves), and the last one Queen Katryna outlived the king and married a Baron Seymaur. Henry's last wife, Katherine also married Lord Seymour. <spoiler>Lord Seymour was accused of having an affair with Elizabeth and Baron Seymaur gets Queen Bethany pregnant</spoiler>. One of his wives has a daughter Bethany, who is known for persecuting those that do no follow her religion. This again follows the idea of the Elizabeth or Mary's reign of persecuting Catholics/Protestants for their faith. This irritated me because I love Tudor England and Tudor history and because the whole story felt lazy. I feel like it would have been so much easier for Campisi to change the numbers or names further, rather than drawing on real history so much.

The actual plot and mystery was really solid, and I read this as a buddy read so I really enjoyed the slow unveil after each set of five chapters of a new plot twists and a new piece of information to discuss. I think the plot was clever in what it attempted and how it all connected together. However, I think this was again spoiled by the historical connection for me.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and thought that it was a solid read that individuals who haven't studied Tudor England would definitely enjoy more. I think it had interesting ideas and a strong premise that just didn't quite work for me in its entirety.

I wasn’t sure about this at the very beginning; it took me a little while to get into the writing style. Once I was a few chapters in, though, I was off and running and halfway through before I knew it. In common with The Binding, The Sin Eater inhabits a world that is almost recognisable as our own but not quite. Declared as fiction, there are nevertheless clear parallels with the historical past: the old king had six wives and has been succeeded first by Bloody Maris and now by Queen Bethany.
May is sympathetic from the outset; a victim of circumstance, she is desperately lonely. With nobody to turn to, she resorts to stealing a piece of bread. Her punishment is not flogging or hanging but to become a sin eater. In this custom, the dying confess their sins in a Recitation; once dead, food appropriate to those sins is eaten for all to see.
May serves a kind of apprenticeship to an experienced sin eater, visiting the homes of the dying and dead, low and highborn. When she discovers intrigue at court, her powers of observation and reasoning are put to good use. While it has a quirky premise, this is an out and out page-turner which I strongly recommend.

May is cursed to carry the sins of the dying. When she learns that people have been incorrectly accused of murder, she uncovers proof of poison and arson... but she can't tell anyone.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In an very-subtly-alternate-Tudor England, the Virgin Queen, Bethany is on the throne; and the new religion is being imposed. Their religion revolves around Eve being the equivalent of the devil, demonstrating how dangerous women can be if they stray into sin.
Men and women alike can shed their sins via a sin-eater - a woman who is cursed to eat the embodiment of their sin. This can be everything from vanity or envying their neighbour, to peadophilia.
As such, the sin-eater is cursed to be silent and unseen, a walking curse, feared more than lepers.

After stealing bread, May is branded as the new sin-eater.
She has the older sin-eater (whom she fondly calls Ruth) to teach her the ropes; but as they aren't allowed to speak, and May can't read, it's not a straight-forward thing.

I loved the concept. Campisi has created a book that has the feeling of real history, with a lot of very authentic English scenes and characters. It feels well-researched, and still entertaining to read.
This is paired with her twist on the Tudor history, taking hold of the real religious conflict of the time, and giving it a unique new spin. It feels awfully realistic, that women should be blamed for the existence of sin.

The plot itself was intriguing, as May is driven to understand why some women were wrongly accused of murder; especially when May suspects they were murdered themselves.
In the middle of the Virgin Queen's court, there are plenty of suspects, and plenty of red herrings, as the noble men and women all have their own ambitions and reasons.

I liked how the story ended, especially with May free to make her own choices. I think the decision at the end of the book, with May being so much more educated, is very different to what the innocent girl would have made.
I liked that it didn't devolve into winning the guy; or even achieving a reward for uncovering the truth. May was content to do things her way.

The not-so-good.
They story is quite slow-building and, because mute-May is our narrator, it can be quite hard to follow.
May is from a simple background, and has absolutely no knowledge of sin-eaters. She knows very little about the court, or the history of her country.
Unfortunately, <i>because she is a sin-eater</i>, no one will actually talk to her, or explain what's happening; and she can't ask questions. May has to guess at everything. This makes the book very slow and stumbling.

Overall, this was a very interesting book, and I look forward to reading more of Campisi's work.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this dark and twisting tale set in a fantasy historical period that mirrors the reign of Elizabeth I. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wonder if May Owens will continue to develop as a character in a sequel?
May is an orphan, with two different strands of family who, she discovers, have both given her character traits she needs to call on when she steals some bread and is sentenced to be a Sin Eater. The role is vital in the community but leads to the holder becoming an outcast, feared and reviled. It’s an embellishment to what the real Sin Eaters were like in history but the conceit works due to the excellent efforts of the author to build the alternative universe in her novel.
Along the way May discovers Royal Court intigue, friendship from unlikely sources and crushing disappointment from those she grew up thinking would always help her and keep her safe. Resourceful, angry, fuelled by the unfairness of poverty, she refuses to give in to her appointed fate, whilst at the same time grudgingly embracing the strange freedom being a Sin Eater can bestow when you truly have nothing.
The language is luscious without descending into Purple Prose, the sights and scents of the world beautifully made flesh on the page. Each Sin needing a specific foodstuff to be consumed is an excellent way to add meat to the bones of a now largely forgotten practice. It also allows plot development in some areas, as the meaning is not always clear to the illiterate May.
I was sad to reach the end of this book. It reminded me of books by Karen Maitland and Frances Hardinge in some ways, but was never derivative. A gloriously luscious tale.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

This was a very strange book - opening with a note telling us that sin eaters were a real thing that happened in history yet the book is set in a fantasy type world (although incredibly close to our real history and transparently about Queen Elizabeth I).
This was dark and decidedly a miserable tale for our main character although the plot was well done. Someone who isn’t as well versed in the Tudors or Queen Elizabeth I would not see the plot twists coming.

Trigger warnings for death of animals on page, descriptions of injuries and diseases in detail, miscarriages, sexual assault, graphic descriptions of torture.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. This book has certainly entertained and engrossed me during the pandemic lockdown and took me away to a much more interesting and dangerous place. I won't go into the plot because many other reviewers have covered it thoroughly, but the character and storytelling are spot on, and the central figures as well as the peripheral characters we meet along the way, are very well drawn. It is like looking at a richly drawn illuminated medieval manuscript. The phenomenon of sin eaters is very real to the Welsh Marches where I live and interestingly the last sin-eater died in the 20th century and is buried in a small rural church in Shropshire. It's no small thing to take on the sins of another soul in order to give them, and their families, peace. This is a theme well explored in the book, and the concept of truth and the debt the living owe to the dead to remember their lives faithfully and honestly. I absolutely loved this book and unhesitatingly recommend you read it and escape to a world where the opposite of social distancing -human connection and relationship- was the best way to survive
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0811YTG6X?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_18IJ3C6MSkTs8

This book was so disappointing for me! I love the idea of the Sin Eater but, I felt as though the book took so long to get into anything interesting. Everything seemed to take longer than it needed and then the revelations at the end were rushed. The whole story came to a point on the last few chapters. The actual ending was confusing too, everything finally kicked off and then the book pretty much ended. There was a small effort to type everything together but, I feel this book could have been written in a much more fluid way.

Megan Campisi writes a fascinatingly original and imaginative piece of alternative historical fiction set in a barely disguised sixteenth century England under the reign and royal court of Queen Elizabeth I. In this darkly moody, intense, creepy, and atmospheric novel, the actual existence of real sin eaters of the period is taken to another level. Only women can be sin eaters, a religious allusion to the biblical figure of Eve, her eating of the forbidden apple, the original sin. Sin eaters eat and take on the sins of others confessed on their death beds, allowing them to enter the kingdom of heaven, whilst the sin eater carries their burden of sin silently to their graves. The young and hungry 14 year old orphan, May Owen, is imprisoned for stealing some bread, finding herself branded with a S on her tongue, and a heavy collar placed around her neck. She is condemned to the cursed ostracised life of a sin eater instead, serving as an apprentice to an older sin eater to become acquainted with her new role.

Various foods representing the specific sins confessed to, are placed on the coffin for the sin eater to eat, but when a deer heart appears on a coffin which bears no resemblance to what had been confessed, May's mentor refuses to eat it, which results in her being accused of treason and to her death. In a tautly plotted, multilayered, and complex story, a lonely May reflects on the nature of the life open to her and the limitations placed on it. Despite all the dangers, the determined May searches for the truth, she is going to need all all her wits to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, mystery and murder at the heart of the royal court. Campisi's bleak storytelling has a vibrancy that hooked my interest, and although the pacing was uneven and aspects of the story were over emphasised, I found this riveting reading with its historical details.

The highlights of this novel for me was the wonderful creation of the character of May, her life riddled with difficulties and obstacles, and her development, along with the fear, superstitions, and the social norms and attitudes of the period. This is a terrific read, of sin eaters and their lives, royal court intrigue, betrayal, gender, class and identity. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.