James Coleman
Summary
Living in a society where religion dominates, envision a culture which physically reflects the dirt of all humanity, the sorrow and stains of God. How hated those people would be. Those people are called the aki, and they eat Sins so others are not burdened by feelings of guilt.
In the enchanting city of Kos, purity is worshiped while sin is reprehensible. Those considered as royals must be cleansed of every sin, no matter how insignificant. These sins are called forth from the spirit by Mages, then take shape of a sin-beast: feelings of guilt manifested into an animal made of night and shadows. It falls upon the aki to Eat these sins, which then stains their skin while the guilt is reflected upon their conscience. Most aki go mad and die young, while others do not survive the process of Eating a sin, which is why it is rare to be older than sixteen.
Taj is one of the eldest aki still alive. His skin is smothered by the ink of his Eaten sins and the tattoos do not fade, unlike other aki. This strange occurrence labels him a legend by his peers and a threat by those in power. When he is called to the royal palace to Eat a sin for the king, after he kills the beast--one of the largest he has ever Eaten-- he is offered a job in the palace. He accepts in order to provide for his family and protect his friends, but ultimately, Taj is lead down the path where he is little more than a pet on the Mages' leash. Later, his job is to train younger aki how to consume sins so they are not killed by the beasts, and as time passes, his body and mind becomes steadily worse. When the realization strikes that he has helped build an army of aki for the Mages to control, he joins a resistance plotting to overthrow the king and change the social rules of Kos. The plan goes awry, though, and in light of recent revelations, Taj is forced to fight for the very future of his city, and everyone in it.
In the enchanting city of Kos, purity is worshiped while sin is reprehensible. Those considered as royals must be cleansed of every sin, no matter how insignificant. These sins are called forth from the spirit by Mages, then take shape of a sin-beast: feelings of guilt manifested into an animal made of night and shadows. It falls upon the aki to Eat these sins, which then stains their skin while the guilt is reflected upon their conscience. Most aki go mad and die young, while others do not survive the process of Eating a sin, which is why it is rare to be older than sixteen.
Taj is one of the eldest aki still alive. His skin is smothered by the ink of his Eaten sins and the tattoos do not fade, unlike other aki. This strange occurrence labels him a legend by his peers and a threat by those in power. When he is called to the royal palace to Eat a sin for the king, after he kills the beast--one of the largest he has ever Eaten-- he is offered a job in the palace. He accepts in order to provide for his family and protect his friends, but ultimately, Taj is lead down the path where he is little more than a pet on the Mages' leash. Later, his job is to train younger aki how to consume sins so they are not killed by the beasts, and as time passes, his body and mind becomes steadily worse. When the realization strikes that he has helped build an army of aki for the Mages to control, he joins a resistance plotting to overthrow the king and change the social rules of Kos. The plan goes awry, though, and in light of recent revelations, Taj is forced to fight for the very future of his city, and everyone in it.