Favorite Lines: “Any individual within the geographic boundaries of the Republic, or any individual coming under the geographic boundaries of the Republic by dint of Republican expansion, will be evaluated to be a Sub-Human Atomic Deviant if any of the following criteria manifest in his or her physical person and the individual can be documented to have been exposed to radiation.” (ARC p. 16)
In the year 2099 the world has been decimated by nuclear war. The effects have mutated humans and their lifestyle drastically, creating a world of fanatics desperately trying to avoid mistakes made in the past.
Lilia Desjardins knows that her estranged husband, Gideon, was murdered, and is determined to find out why. Gid was a renowned statistician, who would have never miscalculated the amount of time he was exposed to radiation despite the official finding saying he had. A hic-cup in her plans appears after she has a run in with New Gotham Police Detective, Adam Montgomery.
Adam Montgomery is an angel. Well he was, before he agreed to be part of secret mission to earth that required the removal of his wings. He lives a secretive life on earth, with little memory of his heavenly life, in hopes of making a difference. It isn’t until his contact is murdered and his investigation leads him to the enigmatic Lilia Desjardins that he begins thinking of more than his distant heavenly memories.
Lilia has no way of knowing that she will soon be marked for murder, or that her broken heart will begin to heal, as it takes note of Adam. Adam will learn that earth offers temptation in the form of Lilia that rivals that of heaven. Both will discover that nothing is what it appears as the very still waters of the past are ravaged by the present.
Fallen is book one in Claire Delacroix, aka Deborah Cooke and Claire Cross, “new trilogy of dark fantasy romances, featuring fallen angel heroes, and set in a gritty urban future.” (Claire Delacroix) While it takes a different tone then her books written as Cooke, a huge theme stays the same: the environment.
People do horrible things to the environment. Two of the big questions that summarize the idea for the story (in my mind) are: if humans don’t change the way they treat the earth, what could happen? What would the fall out be?
We see the answer to both questions in Fallen, and the fate of humanity is appalling, yet believable. The path that humanity takes seems plausible, heartbreaking and extreme. It makes me sad (not crying sad), but gives me a quiet, horrible feeling. It makes me want the world I live in to be better, so that not one iota of the fictional world could possibly be valid.
The characters are wrapped in shadows. Even at the end, I didn’t quite know all there was to know about Lilia. Her past still had secrets (which was realistic), but I was satisfied by what Ms. Delacroix gave me.
Fallen introduces a new paranormal romance showcasing good vs. evil and angels vs. demons. It didn’t give me happy feelings, but I am glad to have read it. It’s a keeper for me that I’ll probably read once a year.
Fallen goes on sale Sept. 30, 2008.
Scooper Speaks 
This sounds intriguing, I’m adding it to my wishlist. 🙂
Thanks for the review. I read the first chapter excerpt on the author’s website a few months ago and it did sound intriguing. I understand given the nature of the world in this series that it would not leave you with happy feelings at the end, but is there at least a happily ever after ending for the hero and heroine? Or will their story be ongoing in the series?
Lesley: Good. I hope you like it.
Christine: The hero and heroine do have a HEA, but it felt like they would carry over to the next book, not as main characters, but still important.
Hi everyone –
Thanks for the review, Scooper. Just so everyone knows, there are three books in this series and the trilogy has an arc – that would be dark, darker, better. 🙂 We have October slots each year, so look for GUARDIAN in October 2009 (you already met Rafe) and REBEL in October 2010. I’d hoped to write the books more quickly, but they’re a challenge and take a bit of time.
Lilia and Montgomery are continuing characters, so although the first book focusses just on them (and the world) the subsequent books have bigger casts.
Claire
Claire: Thanks for popping by and clearing up a few questions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.