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A review by readwithmesashamarie
Fallen Angel by David Lamour
5.0
***I received an ecopy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review***
Initial Thoughts:
When David Lamour (author of Fallen Angel) emailed me and asked if I would like to read and review this novel, I was cautiously ecstatic. Debut authors, as with anyone and anything, can be a hit or a miss. The premise of the novel was intriguing, and I knew if done correctly it would be right up my alley. I read the summary and reread the email, all the while checking for grammatical errors, and decided to give this one a shot. To say the least, I was excited yet skeptical, going into this novel.
Spoilers!
A few chapters into this book and I was in utter disbelief. The writing style, grammar, plot layout, all the technical elements I look for when determining the caliber of an author’s writing, far exceeded my expectations. I kept waiting for there to be a slip up, a misstep, or a poorly placed plot device. When I found none chapter after chapter, my excitement for this novel grew until I became a raving, giddy little reading reviewer. I began telling my friends what I was reading, how much I was enjoying myself, and how blindsided I felt by the quality of the craftsmanship used to create this novel.
Now for the nitty gritty: This novel follows a girl named Evelynn (Eve for short) as she deals with the instantaneous deaths of both her mother and father. She is forced to move to a small town with her aunt and uncle, and quickly catches the eye of the town’s star quarterback (Brandon). Initially, I groaned inwardly at this relationship, until I learned that our star quarterback had some substance and was more than just a pretty package. He had goals and aspirations beyond just tossing an inflated sack of air around (and he hand makes swords with his dad in his spare time)! I’ll be honest, the sword creation and the quality of Brandon’s moral character is what sealed the deal for me. I decided from that point on that he could stay, although I knew he wouldn’t last as our main love interest.
Here we began to form a love triangle. It was reminiscent of Bella, Edward, and Jacob, but not in an unlikable or plagiarizing way. Evelynn acquired a tutor; the smoking hot, mysteriously smart, kind of bad boy, Helel. Helel is playful, powerful, and attempts to show only a surface level of amusement or attraction to Evelynn. That is, until he comes to her rescue and saves her life. This novel did deal with a close encounter rape, so trigger warning for those who may be affected by such a scene.
As the summary of this novel announced, it follows the story of good and evil, Adam and Eve, angels and demons. I loved how this book flipped all the traditional and biblical norms on their heads, while staying true to what is literally written in the bible. Each chapter is headed off with a quote from either the book of Genesis or another related book from the bible. These quotes all tied in perfectly with what was going on in the chapter, and shed a little extra light on our characters’ motivations. I could not get enough of the warped deconstruction of the creation story and was forced, within myself, to create new definitions and subcategories of what it meant to be good or evil.
Conclusion:
My face hurt from smiling so much while reading all the interactions between Helel and Eve. Although some of the actions or revelations in the novel were predictable, others left me in the dust. This novel had action, love, mystery, history, and a new take on morality. I was beyond thrilled while reading it, and was in disbelief at how much I was enjoying myself. I was secretly waiting for the next chapter to disappoint me and it never did! I have decided to commit to this series, and will be anxiously anticipating the arrival of the next books!
Rating:5/5
Initial Thoughts:
When David Lamour (author of Fallen Angel) emailed me and asked if I would like to read and review this novel, I was cautiously ecstatic. Debut authors, as with anyone and anything, can be a hit or a miss. The premise of the novel was intriguing, and I knew if done correctly it would be right up my alley. I read the summary and reread the email, all the while checking for grammatical errors, and decided to give this one a shot. To say the least, I was excited yet skeptical, going into this novel.
Spoilers!
A few chapters into this book and I was in utter disbelief. The writing style, grammar, plot layout, all the technical elements I look for when determining the caliber of an author’s writing, far exceeded my expectations. I kept waiting for there to be a slip up, a misstep, or a poorly placed plot device. When I found none chapter after chapter, my excitement for this novel grew until I became a raving, giddy little reading reviewer. I began telling my friends what I was reading, how much I was enjoying myself, and how blindsided I felt by the quality of the craftsmanship used to create this novel.
Now for the nitty gritty: This novel follows a girl named Evelynn (Eve for short) as she deals with the instantaneous deaths of both her mother and father. She is forced to move to a small town with her aunt and uncle, and quickly catches the eye of the town’s star quarterback (Brandon). Initially, I groaned inwardly at this relationship, until I learned that our star quarterback had some substance and was more than just a pretty package. He had goals and aspirations beyond just tossing an inflated sack of air around (and he hand makes swords with his dad in his spare time)! I’ll be honest, the sword creation and the quality of Brandon’s moral character is what sealed the deal for me. I decided from that point on that he could stay, although I knew he wouldn’t last as our main love interest.
Here we began to form a love triangle. It was reminiscent of Bella, Edward, and Jacob, but not in an unlikable or plagiarizing way. Evelynn acquired a tutor; the smoking hot, mysteriously smart, kind of bad boy, Helel. Helel is playful, powerful, and attempts to show only a surface level of amusement or attraction to Evelynn. That is, until he comes to her rescue and saves her life. This novel did deal with a close encounter rape, so trigger warning for those who may be affected by such a scene.
As the summary of this novel announced, it follows the story of good and evil, Adam and Eve, angels and demons. I loved how this book flipped all the traditional and biblical norms on their heads, while staying true to what is literally written in the bible. Each chapter is headed off with a quote from either the book of Genesis or another related book from the bible. These quotes all tied in perfectly with what was going on in the chapter, and shed a little extra light on our characters’ motivations. I could not get enough of the warped deconstruction of the creation story and was forced, within myself, to create new definitions and subcategories of what it meant to be good or evil.
Conclusion:
My face hurt from smiling so much while reading all the interactions between Helel and Eve. Although some of the actions or revelations in the novel were predictable, others left me in the dust. This novel had action, love, mystery, history, and a new take on morality. I was beyond thrilled while reading it, and was in disbelief at how much I was enjoying myself. I was secretly waiting for the next chapter to disappoint me and it never did! I have decided to commit to this series, and will be anxiously anticipating the arrival of the next books!
Rating:5/5