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The Fallen #1
Angel of Darkness
As an angel of death, Keenan’s job is to collect the souls on his list. He’s carried out his duty for two thousand years and never faltered once. Until he meets Nicole St. James. When the moment of death comes, Keenan hesitates, and instead of taking Nicole, Keenan touches the vampire who’s attacking her.
Cast out of heaven for disobedience, Keenan plummets to earth. Six months later, he finally manages to track Nicole to a bar in Mexico. He’s stunned to discover that the woman he remembers has undergone a dramatic change—she’s become a vampire. And when he realizes that she’s the target of all manner of enemies—other vampires, demons, even shifters—he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if all hell breaks loose…
Cast out of heaven for disobedience, Keenan plummets to earth. Six months later, he finally manages to track Nicole to a bar in Mexico. He’s stunned to discover that the woman he remembers has undergone a dramatic change—she’s become a vampire. And when he realizes that she’s the target of all manner of enemies—other vampires, demons, even shifters—he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if all hell breaks loose…
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
446 people are currently reading
6221 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Eden
310 books6,802 followersAward-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.
Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.
Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
March 25, 2015
A fallen angel who swears and kills...
A vampire who actually drinks human blood instead of animal like the fashion is these days...
This isn't sweet.
There is killing here, and the MCs actually do some of it.
Not one character here is miserable and suffering their poor misfortune.
They all deal with it the best they can.
AND I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
I have to say I really love the writing style of this author, and I'm definitely going to read all her other series.
I like it that she doesn't sugar-coat everything, there are no brooding heroes like in some PNR, everyone is tough and they fight for what they want.
They get hurt in battles, they suffer sometimes, they have hot sex and fall in love (well this is romance, let's not forget that).
There are bad guys in this one who will somehow redeem themselves, and I am dying to see how it happens!
Sam
Off to the next one :)))
September 4, 2013
A fallen angel and the woman he fell for... this started out with a bang and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately it all devolved into repetition -- constant cycles of bad guys coming after them and Nicole whining about how she didn't mean to kill anybody and Nicole and Keenan having sex. In between, there are endless conversations that go nowhere.
January 16, 2012
Despite popular belief, angels were not the favored ones. They did not have choices like the humans. Angels only had duty.
Well hello, Cynthia Eden. I see I’ve been missing out by putting off giving your books a try. I can’t remember where I got the impression, but for some reason I always assumed that Eden wrote light, fluffy PNR. I’m relieved to be mistaken. I liked the way she kept me guessing through the story. I wasn’t sure who was good and who was bad and how everything would resolve. The uncertainty of it added a nice tension to the read.
Keenan was a very interesting character. He was an Angel of Death for years and had no life beyond his duty. He didn’t experience emotion the same way humans did so he never had a problem fulfilling his task. Until Nicole. For some reason she got to him in a way that no other person had. He was drawn to her goodness and found that when the time came, he couldn’t help but intervene. Of course, it still didn’t turn out perfectly, but he was cast down for stepping outside his role and daring to take a life that he wasn’t ordered to take. He lost wings and powers and found himself bombarded with human emotions and sensations that he previously lacked.
When Keenan finds Nicole he’s shocked to find how much she’s changed. She’s done some bad things since becoming a vampire and he has a hard time reconciling her with the woman he spared. I liked this aspect of their relationship. Nicole talked a good game, but she didn’t always like the person she had become. She was worried about what Keenan would think of her because even she didn’t approve of what she had done. Keenan and Nicole both had to learn to love the woman she had become, vampire baggage and all.
I really liked the way this book was setup. It had a bit of a ”City of Angels” vibe to it, except without the depressing ending. Speaking of "City of Angels"--Why? Why would you do that to me at the end??? That was so upsetting. I’ll hate you for it foreva, I swear! *ahem* I'm back from my little tangent now. Keenan falls and gets to discover the wonder of life and emotion with Nicole. He’s never loved, never touched—hear that virgin hero lovers?--before her. But I didn’t quite understand why this girl, out of all the girls through time, was the one to reach through and cause him to let her live. It was a small niggle, but I would have appreciated a little stronger of a foundation. Once they were together it was smooth sailing for me. I loved watching them learn to trust and rely on one another and then eventually fall in love.
The uncertainty of who to trust was very well done. Keenan was walking in unfamiliar territory and had no clue of what to expect, let alone who was telling the truth. I found myself bouncing back and forth between believing Sam and believing Az. It helped that they both seemed to have a thread of truth running through whatever they said. I enjoyed being confused about who to believe, right alongside the characters and I’m very curious to see where the next book will take us in this world.
I’ve heard that this series is lightly tied into the author’s Night Watch series, but seeing as how I’m new to this author, I can say that this reads just fine with no outside knowledge of the other series. The only time I felt that I might have been missing something was when Nicole spoke about her past torment at the hands of another vampire. I have no idea if that tied into something else, but I felt that there was more to that story that I was already supposed to know.
Favorite Quote:
"Some things in this world were more important than duty, and some things were even stronger than death."
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*
October 13, 2019
Review posted on Got Fiction?
Originally posted on Demon Lover's Books & More
which is now Got Fiction? Book Blog
I have been looking forward to this book for about a month now, and the wait was totally worth it.
Keenan is an Angel of Death, and one of his charges is a lovely, innocent, and nice school teacher named Nicole. When it comes down to the moment where Nicole is meeting her death by vampire in a dark alley, she fights. Nicole fights until she has nothing left in her. Keenan is an unfeeling angel who has seen it all. They don't lust, or hate, or love, or anything (yep, virgin hero-yay!). And yet now, he feels, he wants, he breaks the rules.
By killing the vampire instead of Nicole, Keenan is cast from heaven by Azrael, and is now Fallen. First item on his list? Find out if Nicole survived. He was cast out of heaven for saving her, she damn well better be alive.
Six months later, when he finds her, he can't believe that his sweet little school teacher is the same woman as this seductive vamp trolling for victims. Frankly, neither can Nicole. But she's been on every demon-hunter's wish list for a while now, and every bounty hunter at Night Watch knows all about her, she thinks she just has really bad luck. She's not wrong.
But to Keenan, she's his key. Key to what? You'll have to read to find out. ;)
There is one thing that I wish I'd had more insight into-Connor. It seemed he would have a bigger role, than what he had. I mean, he was the ex-boyfriend/a-hole who deserved a fiery and painful death...kinda wish we'd seen more of him. Or more of what he'd done to Nicole.
I like how with Sam, you never know if he's your friend, or frenemy. I hope we see much more of him. I also totally had the bad guys backwards in this one. Sam really isn't a bad guy, Fallen Angel, sure, but bad guy? Nah.
Sam and Keenan made a pretty impressive team, one Azrael won't forget...and I don't think he's gone, either.
With fast-paced action, and great characters, this was such an intense book that I got sucked into it and could hardly put it down. So into it, in fact, that I burnt dinner. It's a really good thing my husband doesn't read my blog, or I think he'd be mad at the real reason we didn't have twice baked potatoes last night.
***thank you to Kensington for the review copy
Originally posted on Demon Lover's Books & More
which is now Got Fiction? Book Blog
I have been looking forward to this book for about a month now, and the wait was totally worth it.
Keenan is an Angel of Death, and one of his charges is a lovely, innocent, and nice school teacher named Nicole. When it comes down to the moment where Nicole is meeting her death by vampire in a dark alley, she fights. Nicole fights until she has nothing left in her. Keenan is an unfeeling angel who has seen it all. They don't lust, or hate, or love, or anything (yep, virgin hero-yay!). And yet now, he feels, he wants, he breaks the rules.
By killing the vampire instead of Nicole, Keenan is cast from heaven by Azrael, and is now Fallen. First item on his list? Find out if Nicole survived. He was cast out of heaven for saving her, she damn well better be alive.
Six months later, when he finds her, he can't believe that his sweet little school teacher is the same woman as this seductive vamp trolling for victims. Frankly, neither can Nicole. But she's been on every demon-hunter's wish list for a while now, and every bounty hunter at Night Watch knows all about her, she thinks she just has really bad luck. She's not wrong.
But to Keenan, she's his key. Key to what? You'll have to read to find out. ;)
There is one thing that I wish I'd had more insight into-Connor. It seemed he would have a bigger role, than what he had. I mean, he was the ex-boyfriend/a-hole who deserved a fiery and painful death...kinda wish we'd seen more of him. Or more of what he'd done to Nicole.
I like how with Sam, you never know if he's your friend, or frenemy. I hope we see much more of him. I also totally had the bad guys backwards in this one. Sam really isn't a bad guy, Fallen Angel, sure, but bad guy? Nah.
Sam and Keenan made a pretty impressive team, one Azrael won't forget...and I don't think he's gone, either.
With fast-paced action, and great characters, this was such an intense book that I got sucked into it and could hardly put it down. So into it, in fact, that I burnt dinner. It's a really good thing my husband doesn't read my blog, or I think he'd be mad at the real reason we didn't have twice baked potatoes last night.
***thank you to Kensington for the review copy
December 21, 2011
I really enjoyed this, our hero the perfect Angel of Death instead of killing his prey the heroine, interferes and kills the vampire attacking her and falls, his wings burnt. He tracks her down six months later and finds a different woman, no longer the school-teacher instead someone who is being hunted.
Nicole never wanted what she got but she wants to live, she had done bad things because of her blood-lust and doesn't understand who Keenan is at first. Keenan meanwhile is experiencing emotions for the first time and Nicole is someone he will do anything for.
I enjoyed seeing Sam and Az as well and man Keenan was an awesome virgin, protective hero.
Nicole never wanted what she got but she wants to live, she had done bad things because of her blood-lust and doesn't understand who Keenan is at first. Keenan meanwhile is experiencing emotions for the first time and Nicole is someone he will do anything for.
I enjoyed seeing Sam and Az as well and man Keenan was an awesome virgin, protective hero.
May 7, 2012
2.25 Stars
This books definitely straddles the line between o-k and good. Even writing this I'm sighing because I really wish I enjoyed it more than I did. I could see people really enjoy this, as it is an easy read, and some of the characters are good. But, that being said, overall for me, I found I didn't care for the lead characters Keenan and Nicole, and the story left a lot to be desired. When there are such good paranormal romance books/series' out there, this one really missed the mark.
In this one, Keenan is an angel of death. He's there to take the soul -with a single touch- when someone's life is ending. When he is unable to essentially end Nicole's life, he is cast out and down to earth as a fallen angel. After six months of searching he finally locates Nicole in Mexico, where he discovers that not only is she now a vampire but she is also being hunted by Carlos, a shifter, among others. A good portion of this book is Keenan and Nicole on-the-run, and it is as they are trying to avoid the bad guys that they learn one another including their mutual lust-filled attraction.
Beyond just the the two of them and Carlos, we also meet Sam. He is a fellow fallen angel who never seems to be quite good or evil (he's one of the better more intriguing characters). There is also Az the (mysterious)head Angel of Death who wants Nicole to die since she never should have been alive this long to begin with (and with her death may restore Keenan's angel status). While there are other minor side characters, to be quite honest, they simply weren't that memorable or really worth mentioning.
I think some of the reasons I couldn't love this was because I was very unsatisfied with various developments - story and character-driven - throughout. When Keenan becomes fallen, he learns emotions for the very first time, and this is including but not limited to anger, jealousy, and let's not forget lust (therefore it's safe to say the angel's a virgin). So when he demonstrates the skills of man with a lot experience with Nicole when they first hook up, and its explained that its because he's seen a lot, sex included, from watching people as an angel of death, I was like "puhh-lease". I understand that PNR's have accelerate timelines and are generally unrealistic on many many fronts, but sometimes it's simply too much and way over the top. In my opinion this book had a lot of cop-outs like that to explain various situations and holes, and this is simply one of the most memorable examples I can think of right now.
With regards to the "villains/enemies", Az and Carlos were the two predominant ones in the book. I preferred Az because he had that devoid of humanity attitude but cracks-were-showing air to him, and as a reader you were curious yet disliked him for the right reasons. I can see the author potentially making him a lead in a future book as it seems these fallen angels are described as anti-heros. And then there was Carlos. Carlos had to have been one of the most annoying worst villains I've ever read. Even though he already hated and hunted vamps, he was extra pissed because Nicole killed his brother (there is a small backstory for this) and now wanted revenge. His scenes were so redundant, where the same things were said and done over and over and over every time he hit the page. It's the one time I will say that with a villain like this, this book could have been condensed into a novella because if you take many elements into consideration, he never should have lived as long as he did. Although, to be fair, Nicole was a big reason why that idiot Carlos lasted as long as he did. She was an ok heroine, but there are much much better female leads out there. And to be frank, without Keenan she could and would have bit the biscuit in pretty much every fighting scene.
I'm not big on talking poorly about a book, and I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed. I just get the impression that this is a bit of a lazy-man's PNR: not enough effort to properly develop the overall story, its plot, subplots, and characters. But as mentioned, it is an easy read, it's not complex in the least, and some characters did peak my interest (Sam and Az). It's also the first book of a series, and I usually find them to be the weakest of the series.
Sam's book is up next. As mentioned, I didn't mind him as a character. He's been a fallen angel for a while now, was also an angel of death, and he is mysterious and does flirt between good and evil, so maybe it will be better than its predecessor. I don't know if i'll read the next one. Time will tell.
This books definitely straddles the line between o-k and good. Even writing this I'm sighing because I really wish I enjoyed it more than I did. I could see people really enjoy this, as it is an easy read, and some of the characters are good. But, that being said, overall for me, I found I didn't care for the lead characters Keenan and Nicole, and the story left a lot to be desired. When there are such good paranormal romance books/series' out there, this one really missed the mark.
In this one, Keenan is an angel of death. He's there to take the soul -with a single touch- when someone's life is ending. When he is unable to essentially end Nicole's life, he is cast out and down to earth as a fallen angel. After six months of searching he finally locates Nicole in Mexico, where he discovers that not only is she now a vampire but she is also being hunted by Carlos, a shifter, among others. A good portion of this book is Keenan and Nicole on-the-run, and it is as they are trying to avoid the bad guys that they learn one another including their mutual lust-filled attraction.
Beyond just the the two of them and Carlos, we also meet Sam. He is a fellow fallen angel who never seems to be quite good or evil (he's one of the better more intriguing characters). There is also Az the (mysterious)head Angel of Death who wants Nicole to die since she never should have been alive this long to begin with (and with her death may restore Keenan's angel status). While there are other minor side characters, to be quite honest, they simply weren't that memorable or really worth mentioning.
I think some of the reasons I couldn't love this was because I was very unsatisfied with various developments - story and character-driven - throughout. When Keenan becomes fallen, he learns emotions for the very first time, and this is including but not limited to anger, jealousy, and let's not forget lust (therefore it's safe to say the angel's a virgin). So when he demonstrates the skills of man with a lot experience with Nicole when they first hook up, and its explained that its because he's seen a lot, sex included, from watching people as an angel of death, I was like "puhh-lease". I understand that PNR's have accelerate timelines and are generally unrealistic on many many fronts, but sometimes it's simply too much and way over the top. In my opinion this book had a lot of cop-outs like that to explain various situations and holes, and this is simply one of the most memorable examples I can think of right now.
With regards to the "villains/enemies", Az and Carlos were the two predominant ones in the book. I preferred Az because he had that devoid of humanity attitude but cracks-were-showing air to him, and as a reader you were curious yet disliked him for the right reasons. I can see the author potentially making him a lead in a future book as it seems these fallen angels are described as anti-heros. And then there was Carlos. Carlos had to have been one of the most annoying worst villains I've ever read. Even though he already hated and hunted vamps, he was extra pissed because Nicole killed his brother (there is a small backstory for this) and now wanted revenge. His scenes were so redundant, where the same things were said and done over and over and over every time he hit the page. It's the one time I will say that with a villain like this, this book could have been condensed into a novella because if you take many elements into consideration, he never should have lived as long as he did. Although, to be fair, Nicole was a big reason why that idiot Carlos lasted as long as he did. She was an ok heroine, but there are much much better female leads out there. And to be frank, without Keenan she could and would have bit the biscuit in pretty much every fighting scene.
I'm not big on talking poorly about a book, and I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed. I just get the impression that this is a bit of a lazy-man's PNR: not enough effort to properly develop the overall story, its plot, subplots, and characters. But as mentioned, it is an easy read, it's not complex in the least, and some characters did peak my interest (Sam and Az). It's also the first book of a series, and I usually find them to be the weakest of the series.
Sam's book is up next. As mentioned, I didn't mind him as a character. He's been a fallen angel for a while now, was also an angel of death, and he is mysterious and does flirt between good and evil, so maybe it will be better than its predecessor. I don't know if i'll read the next one. Time will tell.
October 17, 2019
3,5 stars ⭐️
This story was ... interesting... but it didn’t captivated me as I thought it would. Was one of “I liked it but didn’t loved it”.
I liked the idea Cynthia Eden had of making angles so human, them swearing , lusting and full of emotions.
The story was action packed and full of suspense which works for me because I usually get bored very fast if not much is happening .
Keenan is one possessive ex angel 😇 ➡️ 😈 and I loved that about him a lottt.
Nicole is a wanna be strong independent woman but every time she wants to prove this , obviously she fails and H has to rescue her 🙄🙄 over and over and over and overrrr again. Just stop already being naive and stupid Nicole!!!!
At times I was more interested in what Sam (bad fallen angel) has to say or do that our main characters, so that’s why I ll go for Sam story straight away ✌🏻. I heard he is a really bad guy, not changed at all from what we learned in this book about him. Yayyy I love my dark H!!
This story was ... interesting... but it didn’t captivated me as I thought it would. Was one of “I liked it but didn’t loved it”.
I liked the idea Cynthia Eden had of making angles so human, them swearing , lusting and full of emotions.
The story was action packed and full of suspense which works for me because I usually get bored very fast if not much is happening .
Keenan is one possessive ex angel 😇 ➡️ 😈 and I loved that about him a lottt.
Nicole is a wanna be strong independent woman but every time she wants to prove this , obviously she fails and H has to rescue her 🙄🙄 over and over and over and overrrr again. Just stop already being naive and stupid Nicole!!!!
At times I was more interested in what Sam (bad fallen angel) has to say or do that our main characters, so that’s why I ll go for Sam story straight away ✌🏻. I heard he is a really bad guy, not changed at all from what we learned in this book about him. Yayyy I love my dark H!!
November 13, 2019
I enjoyed it! A different mix of characters that you wouldn't expect together - vampire and angel!
February 9, 2017
Cynthia Eden is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors but this book didn't do it for me.. Which is totally fine! Since this book came out in 2011, I can see how much her writing has grown. The hero was amazing but I couldn't finish the book because the heroine was a total block-head. She yells "I'm an independent woman!!!!" and then runs right into danger at least 3 separate times. Use the brain that god gave you, you "strong independent woman."
October 7, 2018
3.5 stars..
Virgin Hero
Do I need to say more?
You want to know if it’s safe??..........
Yes it is! 100% safe.
Virgin Hero
Do I need to say more?
You want to know if it’s safe??..........
Yes it is! 100% safe.
August 14, 2013
W-O-W. Just wow!
A dark and sexy story set in a gritty world of fallen angels, honest-to-goodness blood-drinking vampires, savage shifters and evil demons with vices. Honestly, I was blown away by just how much I enjoyed 'Angel of Darkness' - needless to say the rest of 'The Fallen' series just topped my to-be-read list!
A dark and sexy story set in a gritty world of fallen angels, honest-to-goodness blood-drinking vampires, savage shifters and evil demons with vices. Honestly, I was blown away by just how much I enjoyed 'Angel of Darkness' - needless to say the rest of 'The Fallen' series just topped my to-be-read list!
July 23, 2024
This is a top tier romance, no doubt, and so much more. There are so many layers to it and each one was a new surprise. I loved the way this author drew me into both Keenan’s and Nicole’s stories. It’s exquisite in its character development of not just this couple but the secondary characters as well. And this villain was intense.
Keenan’s background was fascinating. I felt his struggle each step of the way. Nicole’s story was just as enthralling. As the storyline pushed and pulled them, I could not guess where they were going to end up or what was going to precipitate a happy ever after ending for them.
I loved every second of this book. With its combination of drama, action and steam that scorches the page, this is definitely one that I highly recommend for the paranormal romance group. Dig in and enjoy!
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
Keenan’s background was fascinating. I felt his struggle each step of the way. Nicole’s story was just as enthralling. As the storyline pushed and pulled them, I could not guess where they were going to end up or what was going to precipitate a happy ever after ending for them.
I loved every second of this book. With its combination of drama, action and steam that scorches the page, this is definitely one that I highly recommend for the paranormal romance group. Dig in and enjoy!
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
October 17, 2012
BOOK: Angel of Darkness
AUTHOR: Cynthia Eden
LENGTH: 305 PAGES
RATING: 3 STARS
REVIEW:
I'm not much into PNR, but I couldn't help myself when I saw this series. This is my first Cynthia Eden book. There were things I liked and some I just... Ugh get it over with it. For starts this feels REAL long. I thought it was 605 instead of 305 pages only.
Keenan is a angel of death, he carries the soulf of those who dies to another plane. Nicole is one of his charges, and he must carry her soul. Only he hesitates and she lives - or dies - to become a vampire. Now he's fell from the heavens and he wants her.
At first it was weird why Keenan was after Nicole. It seemed he was angry with her because he was now a fallen, when she had nothing to do with that.
Nicole... This girl really knows how to collect enemies. I lost count of how many people wanted her dead throughout this book. I mean what's so special about her? And then when the end came I was just.... Uh... Nothing. Figures.
The story starts in New Orleans, a place I LOVE to read about. Unfortunately there weren't much details regarding the city, beyond the French Quarter, and a small mention to Katrina. Since this is New Orleans we're talking about, there are a lot of magical beings that I'd like to know more, however they're just thew in it and I had to cope to follow the storyline. And for last but not least... Love... I think somethings were just way too fast for my tastes. For this reason some stuff just makes no sense for me.
Random thoughts:
*Keenan calling Nicole, 'sweet' really bothered me. Lol.
*Nicole was suposed to be a kickass female vamp - Sometimes she just came off as stupid. IMO.
*Sam, I loved him! Can't wait for his book.
*Az, WTF was wrong with Az? I can't believe he's getting a book (I Can't also believe his cover is hotter than Keenan's)
*The Epilogue was really... nothing
AUTHOR: Cynthia Eden
LENGTH: 305 PAGES
RATING: 3 STARS
REVIEW:
I'm not much into PNR, but I couldn't help myself when I saw this series. This is my first Cynthia Eden book. There were things I liked and some I just... Ugh get it over with it. For starts this feels REAL long. I thought it was 605 instead of 305 pages only.
Keenan is a angel of death, he carries the soulf of those who dies to another plane. Nicole is one of his charges, and he must carry her soul. Only he hesitates and she lives - or dies - to become a vampire. Now he's fell from the heavens and he wants her.
At first it was weird why Keenan was after Nicole. It seemed he was angry with her because he was now a fallen, when she had nothing to do with that.
Nicole... This girl really knows how to collect enemies. I lost count of how many people wanted her dead throughout this book. I mean what's so special about her? And then when the end came I was just.... Uh... Nothing. Figures.
The story starts in New Orleans, a place I LOVE to read about. Unfortunately there weren't much details regarding the city, beyond the French Quarter, and a small mention to Katrina. Since this is New Orleans we're talking about, there are a lot of magical beings that I'd like to know more, however they're just thew in it and I had to cope to follow the storyline. And for last but not least... Love... I think somethings were just way too fast for my tastes. For this reason some stuff just makes no sense for me.
Random thoughts:
*Keenan calling Nicole, 'sweet' really bothered me. Lol.
*Nicole was suposed to be a kickass female vamp - Sometimes she just came off as stupid. IMO.
*Sam, I loved him! Can't wait for his book.
*Az, WTF was wrong with Az? I can't believe he's getting a book (I Can't also believe his cover is hotter than Keenan's)
*The Epilogue was really... nothing
August 31, 2013
Review from www.mybooksnthings.com
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read any Cynthia Eden books before but I really liked the look of this one and boy am I glad I read it because now I have lots more books to add to my ever growing TBR list.
I really liked the idea of this book. The storyline sounded a little different to what I've been reading recently. I haven't read any Angel books for a while so was particularly looking forward to this for that reason alone.
We start with Nichole being viciously attacked in an alleyway by a vampire. Keenan, an angel of death, is watching from the shadows as he prepares to take Nichole's soul to the afterlife. But when it comes to it, he hesitates, he can't seem to take her life and instead touches the vampire who is trying to kill her. By breaking the rules, Keenan falls and it's not a pleasant experience.
"I've heard it's the fire that makes you scream the loudest."
6 months on, when he eventually finds Nichole again, he is sad to realise that due to his actions in the alley all those months ago, Nichole didn't die but transformed into a vampire. Because of her unfortunate new life, she has made some enemies who are determined to kill her. Of course Keenan isn't about to let that happen an while he's not used to experiencing emotions, he can't seem to stay away from 'his' vampire. He couldn't let her die in that alleyway and is certainly not about to let her die now.
Angel of Darkness is an action packed story with something happening on every page. The storyline is fast paced and easy to read. I liked the character development in this book. Nichole isn't happy with her new life style and has done some things she's not proud of due to bloodlust, but she gets on with it. It seems everyone wants a peace of her and all she wants is to stay alive and to be left alone. Keenan has fallen but he's still got powers and eventually realises this. As the story progresses, and his feelings for Nichole start to become quite clear, he becomes stronger and is determined to fight the bad guys to the death if it means keeping Nichole safe.
The romance is enjoyable, it's not too sickly sweet and is, at times, enjoyably hot.
All in all, I enjoyed this first book of The Fallen series and will definitely be checking out Cyntha Eden's other work.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read any Cynthia Eden books before but I really liked the look of this one and boy am I glad I read it because now I have lots more books to add to my ever growing TBR list.
I really liked the idea of this book. The storyline sounded a little different to what I've been reading recently. I haven't read any Angel books for a while so was particularly looking forward to this for that reason alone.
We start with Nichole being viciously attacked in an alleyway by a vampire. Keenan, an angel of death, is watching from the shadows as he prepares to take Nichole's soul to the afterlife. But when it comes to it, he hesitates, he can't seem to take her life and instead touches the vampire who is trying to kill her. By breaking the rules, Keenan falls and it's not a pleasant experience.
"I've heard it's the fire that makes you scream the loudest."
6 months on, when he eventually finds Nichole again, he is sad to realise that due to his actions in the alley all those months ago, Nichole didn't die but transformed into a vampire. Because of her unfortunate new life, she has made some enemies who are determined to kill her. Of course Keenan isn't about to let that happen an while he's not used to experiencing emotions, he can't seem to stay away from 'his' vampire. He couldn't let her die in that alleyway and is certainly not about to let her die now.
Angel of Darkness is an action packed story with something happening on every page. The storyline is fast paced and easy to read. I liked the character development in this book. Nichole isn't happy with her new life style and has done some things she's not proud of due to bloodlust, but she gets on with it. It seems everyone wants a peace of her and all she wants is to stay alive and to be left alone. Keenan has fallen but he's still got powers and eventually realises this. As the story progresses, and his feelings for Nichole start to become quite clear, he becomes stronger and is determined to fight the bad guys to the death if it means keeping Nichole safe.
The romance is enjoyable, it's not too sickly sweet and is, at times, enjoyably hot.
All in all, I enjoyed this first book of The Fallen series and will definitely be checking out Cyntha Eden's other work.
June 20, 2012
3.5 stars
My experience with Cynthia Eden's paranormal books is limited to her "Bound" novellas. This is the first time I read a lengthier story of her in that genre (my experience with her on novels is with her romantic suspence, "Deadly" series).
Keenan used to be an angel of death -- he fell because he failed in taking one life of Nicole St. James. That fateful night, Nicole looked at him, begging for help, he hesitated, and ended up taking life that is not supposed to be his job. Then, after he roams to Earth to find Nicole, turns out she is 'technically' died anyway, since she is turned into vampire -- and she has been having death threats on her trail.
I find this plot interesting because of the unique prologue. Nicole begged Keenan for help, but because of his duty, Keenan only watched. Definitely not a good way to start a relationship, huh? With a Fallen, that just stands there while you were dying :).
I like how Keenan discovered the emotional part of being human, like pain, pleasure, rage, love ... He spends his two thousand years of being an angel not familiar with those. I also like how Keenan rediscovers his power, even after he fells.
Nicole as heroine is not as interesting, though. She's either running away or trying to justify that she kills because she is being controlled. She doesn't impress me much.
Although it is quite fast-paced, some of the scenes are repetitive -- the running, the encounter with either human or shifters who want to kill Nicole, the fight seems easy and quick to end only to start again with similar threat.
HOWEVER, the secondary characters of Sammael and Azrael help moving the story along. Especially because they seem to be walking on gray area but at the same time they are plotted to be the hero on the sequels. Azrael, especially, he seems to be a villain here, with his determination to kill Nicole in order to give Keenan redemption. But I discover he will be getting his own book in November. That makes me curious.
Definitely tune in for the sequel in July. It will be Sam's story.
My experience with Cynthia Eden's paranormal books is limited to her "Bound" novellas. This is the first time I read a lengthier story of her in that genre (my experience with her on novels is with her romantic suspence, "Deadly" series).
Keenan used to be an angel of death -- he fell because he failed in taking one life of Nicole St. James. That fateful night, Nicole looked at him, begging for help, he hesitated, and ended up taking life that is not supposed to be his job. Then, after he roams to Earth to find Nicole, turns out she is 'technically' died anyway, since she is turned into vampire -- and she has been having death threats on her trail.
I find this plot interesting because of the unique prologue. Nicole begged Keenan for help, but because of his duty, Keenan only watched. Definitely not a good way to start a relationship, huh? With a Fallen, that just stands there while you were dying :).
I like how Keenan discovered the emotional part of being human, like pain, pleasure, rage, love ... He spends his two thousand years of being an angel not familiar with those. I also like how Keenan rediscovers his power, even after he fells.
Nicole as heroine is not as interesting, though. She's either running away or trying to justify that she kills because she is being controlled. She doesn't impress me much.
Although it is quite fast-paced, some of the scenes are repetitive -- the running, the encounter with either human or shifters who want to kill Nicole, the fight seems easy and quick to end only to start again with similar threat.
HOWEVER, the secondary characters of Sammael and Azrael help moving the story along. Especially because they seem to be walking on gray area but at the same time they are plotted to be the hero on the sequels. Azrael, especially, he seems to be a villain here, with his determination to kill Nicole in order to give Keenan redemption. But I discover he will be getting his own book in November. That makes me curious.
Definitely tune in for the sequel in July. It will be Sam's story.
February 2, 2012
Disclaimer: This is a signed ARC from a blog contest. I was not requested by the author to review this book.
This is a new series by Cynthia Eden. She introduces us to her Dark Angels or The Fallen. This story is about Keenan, an angel who goes against the rules because he was tempted, loses his wings, get tossed out of heaven while enduring excruciating pain. “I’ve heard it’s the fire that makes you scream the loudest.” I was hooked by Chapter 2. If you are a Cynthia Eden fan like I am, you will recognize some elements from her Night Watch Series in this book.
Keenan is a blue-eyed fallen angel who is obsessed with an ex-kindergarten teacher turned vampire. His number one goal is to protect her and make her his-NOT get his wings back. Being a former angel of death he has no experience with feelings. All he knows is he will not lose his vampire. After all, he fell for her.
Nicole the heroine was very likeable. Cynthia Eden writes this character in such a way that you experience all of her emotions. When she was attacked by a vampire-you could feel the fear-hear the screams. At this time Keenan was an Angel of Death who was sent to collect Nicole’s soul when she died. He stood back hiding in the shadows watching the attack. Nicole could sense his presence and literally begged for him to help. The emotions in this scene were so vivid.
You are introduced to several characters. All of who are either after Nicole or Keenan and you don’t know why. The one burning question that you will ask yourself throughout the books is: WHO IS THE BAD GUY? WHO IS THE GOOD GUY? You WILL find out by the end of the book. However, the journey to get the answers is so worth it.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
This is a new series by Cynthia Eden. She introduces us to her Dark Angels or The Fallen. This story is about Keenan, an angel who goes against the rules because he was tempted, loses his wings, get tossed out of heaven while enduring excruciating pain. “I’ve heard it’s the fire that makes you scream the loudest.” I was hooked by Chapter 2. If you are a Cynthia Eden fan like I am, you will recognize some elements from her Night Watch Series in this book.
Keenan is a blue-eyed fallen angel who is obsessed with an ex-kindergarten teacher turned vampire. His number one goal is to protect her and make her his-NOT get his wings back. Being a former angel of death he has no experience with feelings. All he knows is he will not lose his vampire. After all, he fell for her.
Nicole the heroine was very likeable. Cynthia Eden writes this character in such a way that you experience all of her emotions. When she was attacked by a vampire-you could feel the fear-hear the screams. At this time Keenan was an Angel of Death who was sent to collect Nicole’s soul when she died. He stood back hiding in the shadows watching the attack. Nicole could sense his presence and literally begged for him to help. The emotions in this scene were so vivid.
You are introduced to several characters. All of who are either after Nicole or Keenan and you don’t know why. The one burning question that you will ask yourself throughout the books is: WHO IS THE BAD GUY? WHO IS THE GOOD GUY? You WILL find out by the end of the book. However, the journey to get the answers is so worth it.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
August 18, 2013
Loved this book. I will admit I did loose interest at one point, but not enough to give up and I still really enjoyed it :)
I liked the fact there wasn't many facts to remember about the PRN world within this book. As I have a short attention span and would give up or loose my place.
I will definitely read book 2 as Sam sounds like the sort of Dark Angel I wouldn't mind jumping into bed with bwhahahahaha
Thanks B for the rec :) mwaaahhhh
I liked the fact there wasn't many facts to remember about the PRN world within this book. As I have a short attention span and would give up or loose my place.
I will definitely read book 2 as Sam sounds like the sort of Dark Angel I wouldn't mind jumping into bed with bwhahahahaha
Thanks B for the rec :) mwaaahhhh
December 6, 2013
I struggled with this. Was really loving the first few chapters and then both of the MCs started really getting on my nerves. I felt that the "world" was easy, but the plot got really repetitive...like the same thing over and over and over again. The "bad guy" was kinda ridiculous and had dumb intentions for being the bad guy. My favorite character was Sam; will probably, eventually, read his story. Hope his book is the next in the series.
July 28, 2024
A fast paced romance with badass obsessed fallen angel hero and innocent, newly turned vampire, badass heroine.
It had everything I love in a Cynthia Eden romance l- action packed, steamy scenes, intrigue, mystery, unexpected twists and suspicious secondary characters. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I read this series in order which unfortunately I didn’t. Because of that many unexpected elements weren’t that impactful for me.
But overall a well written and enjoyable story.
Safe, KU, first in standalone series and currently free in all platforms.
-Fallen angel x Vamp
-He is obsessed.
-He falls first and hard.
-Touch her and die.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
It had everything I love in a Cynthia Eden romance l- action packed, steamy scenes, intrigue, mystery, unexpected twists and suspicious secondary characters. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I read this series in order which unfortunately I didn’t. Because of that many unexpected elements weren’t that impactful for me.
But overall a well written and enjoyable story.
Safe, KU, first in standalone series and currently free in all platforms.
-Fallen angel x Vamp
-He is obsessed.
-He falls first and hard.
-Touch her and die.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
October 25, 2015
I like the para & romance plot lines! I like the characters. I like the way the suspense is unfolding as to wtf everyone wants, needs from each other and how all this shit is interconnected; that part is well written AT FIRST. But there are just so, so, so many elements that take the umph out of this read as it goes on.
POV From Hell
The mfing POV is a hot mess out of the gate! I could seriously rip my effing hair out.
1. The author is constantly switching back and from between the male and female MC's power of voice, often within the same fucking paragraph.
2. The book pings back and forth from first to third person.
3. Inner thoughts are just thrown out there, and more often than not there's no point of reference whatsoever to know who's thought it is.
4. Secondary characters get a POV. Multiple times, I'm reading along and discover a couple paragraphs later that I've been reading a secondary character's inner thoughts and had no fucking clue!!!
5. Italics are often used to show inner thoughts. Great. But, again, if both characters with POVS are having a convo and saying similar thoughts, then how are readers to know which character is having the inner thought?
6. Paragraphs are all messed up in spacing, which only is adding to the mass confusion.
It's really a shame because this is a creative storyline full of para creatures, and it clearly has multi-layers to this "big picture" plot.
It's fine to have all these POVS when you have such a huge cast, but delegate chapters to the secondary POVS so that they are clearly distinguished. If your MC's are going to alternate POVS within chapters and paragraphs, then their INNER voices must BE DISTINGUISHED from one another, else you have a hot mess of confusion!!!! ... There really wasn't even any need for a POV from most of these secondary characters anyway.
Mass confusion?
Take this excerpt as example, and I've included exact spacing:
You can see see how we go from the POV of some random secondary character demon straight back to the POV of Nicole, a main character, with nothing more than a paragraph break in the middle of a chapter. It makes the story choppy and confusing! His POV wasn't even needed!
The Author Loses Me Completely
Imagine having the perfect form, technique, and power behind a baseball swing, but having the most shitty timing/delivery ever. Point? Well, it doesn't matter how great and creative the storyline is if it's executed for shit .... just as, if you ain't got decent delivery in a powerful swing, then you still ain't hitting the ball no matter the power behind the swing. You feeling me?
This author missed the fucking ball! Not because she didn't have the 'power' but rather because she didn't have the delivery.
Let's take the 'one touch kills' thing as an example. This is a powerful plot element that could've been angsty and suspenseful. It could've put a whole doomed lovers twist on things, but no. The element is told and presented in such a shitty delivery that there's just no impact whatsoever to the plot nor romance.
Repetition Is The Mother Of All Evils
Same old, same old... With too little new elements...
At first, the plot is just awesome. Death turned fallen angel. Vamp obsession. Shady demons. Angels coming to correct f ups. Powers being thrown about.
But, then this shit just starts getting monotonous. Motel.... Fight.. Screw...Talk... Motel... Fight... Screw... Angel shows up... Fight some more... Talk some more... Screw some more... It just gets to repetitive for the amount of new info being dolled out in small doses. All the human vengeance plots just grow tiresome:/
Uhm, Was That The End?
Then, there's the end. Sure I get the whole who's in favor and who wasn't shell game, but really??? Where's the why, how, and other details? It's like saying the shark ate the whale, but then forgetting to say how the fuck he did it. The story felt unfulfilled!
Final Say
I can't say it enough that it was the delivery and not the actual story or characters that detracted from the enjoyment of this book.
This was a huge story and needed writing that could pound a point across with minimal effort. It was a story with a lot of players and that needed to be clear and concise. The author failed on those elements.
I give it a 21/2 _3 stars for premise and a 1 for execution.
POV From Hell
The mfing POV is a hot mess out of the gate! I could seriously rip my effing hair out.
1. The author is constantly switching back and from between the male and female MC's power of voice, often within the same fucking paragraph.
2. The book pings back and forth from first to third person.
3. Inner thoughts are just thrown out there, and more often than not there's no point of reference whatsoever to know who's thought it is.
4. Secondary characters get a POV. Multiple times, I'm reading along and discover a couple paragraphs later that I've been reading a secondary character's inner thoughts and had no fucking clue!!!
5. Italics are often used to show inner thoughts. Great. But, again, if both characters with POVS are having a convo and saying similar thoughts, then how are readers to know which character is having the inner thought?
6. Paragraphs are all messed up in spacing, which only is adding to the mass confusion.
It's really a shame because this is a creative storyline full of para creatures, and it clearly has multi-layers to this "big picture" plot.
It's fine to have all these POVS when you have such a huge cast, but delegate chapters to the secondary POVS so that they are clearly distinguished. If your MC's are going to alternate POVS within chapters and paragraphs, then their INNER voices must BE DISTINGUISHED from one another, else you have a hot mess of confusion!!!! ... There really wasn't even any need for a POV from most of these secondary characters anyway.
Mass confusion?
Take this excerpt as example, and I've included exact spacing:
"Elijah spun away from the crowd. He just needed his drugs. Once he had those, he'd be in control. He'd pick the prey he wanted- screw the voices. They couldn't tell him who needed to die.
He needed drugs. The drugs shut up the fucking voices.
Drugs.
He just had to find the right dealer. Someone willing to trade with a demon.
Nicole didn't stay in the hotel room- she wasn't some well-trained dog to do what she was told.
She grabbed the gun she'd taken...."
You can see see how we go from the POV of some random secondary character demon straight back to the POV of Nicole, a main character, with nothing more than a paragraph break in the middle of a chapter. It makes the story choppy and confusing! His POV wasn't even needed!
The Author Loses Me Completely
Imagine having the perfect form, technique, and power behind a baseball swing, but having the most shitty timing/delivery ever. Point? Well, it doesn't matter how great and creative the storyline is if it's executed for shit .... just as, if you ain't got decent delivery in a powerful swing, then you still ain't hitting the ball no matter the power behind the swing. You feeling me?
This author missed the fucking ball! Not because she didn't have the 'power' but rather because she didn't have the delivery.
Let's take the 'one touch kills' thing as an example. This is a powerful plot element that could've been angsty and suspenseful. It could've put a whole doomed lovers twist on things, but no. The element is told and presented in such a shitty delivery that there's just no impact whatsoever to the plot nor romance.
Repetition Is The Mother Of All Evils
Same old, same old... With too little new elements...
At first, the plot is just awesome. Death turned fallen angel. Vamp obsession. Shady demons. Angels coming to correct f ups. Powers being thrown about.
But, then this shit just starts getting monotonous. Motel.... Fight.. Screw...Talk... Motel... Fight... Screw... Angel shows up... Fight some more... Talk some more... Screw some more... It just gets to repetitive for the amount of new info being dolled out in small doses. All the human vengeance plots just grow tiresome:/
Uhm, Was That The End?
Then, there's the end. Sure I get the whole who's in favor and who wasn't shell game, but really??? Where's the why, how, and other details? It's like saying the shark ate the whale, but then forgetting to say how the fuck he did it. The story felt unfulfilled!
Final Say
I can't say it enough that it was the delivery and not the actual story or characters that detracted from the enjoyment of this book.
This was a huge story and needed writing that could pound a point across with minimal effort. It was a story with a lot of players and that needed to be clear and concise. The author failed on those elements.
I give it a 21/2 _3 stars for premise and a 1 for execution.
December 31, 2011
4.5 Stars
With a distinctive blend of darkness and light, Angel of Darkness is a thrilling new paranormal romance to lose yourself in!
As an Angel of Death, it is Keenan’s responsibility to bring death to those humans’ assigned to him and ferry their soul on with just the touch of his hand. Unaffected by emotions, Keenan has never wavered in his duty until Nicole St. James. But that one second of hesitation cost him everything, including his wings and Nicole’s mortal life. Cast from Heaven, Keenan tracks down Nicole’s whereabouts, for she is the key, but the woman he finds is vastly different than the one he fell for...
A new vampire on her own, Nicole quickly learns the golden rule of the Otherworld - trust no one. It seems every creature of the Otherworld wants her dead, on the run for her life Nicole winds up in Mexico when a handsome stranger all in black saves her from a group of hunters. Unwilling to trust this champion, Nicole seeks to lose him at every turn, but Keenan quickly catches up. Giving in to his protection, together they seek out why Nicole is being hunted and by whom. But will this Fallen be her savior or her downfall? Nicole will soon learn, there is no escaping Death’s touch…
The first in Cynthia Eden’s newest series, The Fallen, Angel of Darkness was another delightful read from this talented author. Keenan was an amazing character that I loved right away, everything in the human realm is new to him but especially emotions. Watching him learn to control the most volatile ones was intriguing, and never having touched another before…Well let’s just say that the emotions in this story ran high. Full of passion and life, and all for Nicole. *le sigh* Capable, determined and caring, Keenan would go through the fires of Hell again to save Nicole and he will not let anyone take her life, even if that means pitting himself against the most powerful of the Death Angels. Nicole herself was beyond strong, violently thrown into this new dark world she fights for her life with sheer determination – she’s not ready to die yet. She and Keenan were paired perfectly and right away Keenan and Nicole’s chemistry burst from the pages with a sexy sizzle. A heap of sexual tension will keep readers squirming in their seats and when these two get together, well the heat of Hell ain’t got nothing on this pair. Keenan might be inexperienced but he has been watching human’s sexual exploits for centuries and has gathered a lot of knowledge in that field. ;-)
A captivating and smooth read, Cynthia Eden’s flawless writing style will wow you for sure! Each character was given a thorough background without being long winded, giving the world around the characters real dimension. The secondary characters kept me guessing and the suspense and possibilities for the h/h had me glued to the pages. I also liked how Cynthia Eden tied in a few aspects from her Night Watch series, nothing major that would make new readers feel lost, but it was a nice touch for old readers. I cannot wait to read more about these characters introduced here and am looking forward to the next installment, Angel Betrayed (July 2012) which features a secondary character as the main, Sam.
Angel of Darkness makes a fabulous introduction to The Fallen, where good may be bad and bad is oh so good!
With a distinctive blend of darkness and light, Angel of Darkness is a thrilling new paranormal romance to lose yourself in!
As an Angel of Death, it is Keenan’s responsibility to bring death to those humans’ assigned to him and ferry their soul on with just the touch of his hand. Unaffected by emotions, Keenan has never wavered in his duty until Nicole St. James. But that one second of hesitation cost him everything, including his wings and Nicole’s mortal life. Cast from Heaven, Keenan tracks down Nicole’s whereabouts, for she is the key, but the woman he finds is vastly different than the one he fell for...
A new vampire on her own, Nicole quickly learns the golden rule of the Otherworld - trust no one. It seems every creature of the Otherworld wants her dead, on the run for her life Nicole winds up in Mexico when a handsome stranger all in black saves her from a group of hunters. Unwilling to trust this champion, Nicole seeks to lose him at every turn, but Keenan quickly catches up. Giving in to his protection, together they seek out why Nicole is being hunted and by whom. But will this Fallen be her savior or her downfall? Nicole will soon learn, there is no escaping Death’s touch…
The first in Cynthia Eden’s newest series, The Fallen, Angel of Darkness was another delightful read from this talented author. Keenan was an amazing character that I loved right away, everything in the human realm is new to him but especially emotions. Watching him learn to control the most volatile ones was intriguing, and never having touched another before…Well let’s just say that the emotions in this story ran high. Full of passion and life, and all for Nicole. *le sigh* Capable, determined and caring, Keenan would go through the fires of Hell again to save Nicole and he will not let anyone take her life, even if that means pitting himself against the most powerful of the Death Angels. Nicole herself was beyond strong, violently thrown into this new dark world she fights for her life with sheer determination – she’s not ready to die yet. She and Keenan were paired perfectly and right away Keenan and Nicole’s chemistry burst from the pages with a sexy sizzle. A heap of sexual tension will keep readers squirming in their seats and when these two get together, well the heat of Hell ain’t got nothing on this pair. Keenan might be inexperienced but he has been watching human’s sexual exploits for centuries and has gathered a lot of knowledge in that field. ;-)
A captivating and smooth read, Cynthia Eden’s flawless writing style will wow you for sure! Each character was given a thorough background without being long winded, giving the world around the characters real dimension. The secondary characters kept me guessing and the suspense and possibilities for the h/h had me glued to the pages. I also liked how Cynthia Eden tied in a few aspects from her Night Watch series, nothing major that would make new readers feel lost, but it was a nice touch for old readers. I cannot wait to read more about these characters introduced here and am looking forward to the next installment, Angel Betrayed (July 2012) which features a secondary character as the main, Sam.
Angel of Darkness makes a fabulous introduction to The Fallen, where good may be bad and bad is oh so good!
Read
April 26, 2016 Just can't finish this one. Love so many of CE other bks, this one just not for me.
November 25, 2011
3.5/5 - Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
It seems like angels have taken over the paranormal world at the moment, but guys with wings can be so sexy! In the case of ANGEL OF DARKNESS, we have Keenan, a fallen angel who’s lost his wings because he didn’t take the soul he was supposed to. Nicole was set to die and Keenan was tasked with bringing her soul into the afterlife, but after watching her live prior to an attack by a vampire that was supposed to kill her, Keenan can’t stand to end her life when she cries out that she wants to live. Keenan instead lands his death touch on the vampire who is attacking her, ending his life and changing the course of his own existence forever. He’s pulled away from Nicole, and faces the consequences of his actions: his wings are burned off and he’s basically tossed back down to earth as one of the fallen.
Fast forward 6 months, Keenan is living on earth and when he finally locates Nicole, he finds her not at all the same woman he knew just a few short months ago. She’s been turned and is trying to survive as a vampire – only a lot of people seem to want her dead. It’s up to Keenan to figure out why and to help protect Nicole through all these attacks by other vampires, demons, shifters and even another angel, who causes all kinds of problems for both Nicole and Keenan.
The story has constant action as Nicole and Keenan are trying to avoid being captured or killed, first by shifters who want revenge for a killing Nicole made as she struggled to not only survive her change into a vampire, but born vampires can control those vampires who were changed over, and the born vampire that she was connected through compelled her to kill, when it was the last thing she wanted to do. Now, she’s dealing with the fallout and having shifters and vampire-killing humans on her tail has pretty much run her ragged. Keenan, while having no wings, is slowly remembering all the powers he used to have as an angel, and those did not disappear with his wings – he’s able to help keep Nicole safe and ultimately bring them to a final fight between an angel, a shifter, and another fallen angel who might be good…or might be bad, but he ended up being the character I was most drawn to. Love those strong supporting characters! But while Nicole starts out being the hunted, Keenan quickly takes over that role, when the shifters find out an angel is on Earth, one who has a weakness, in Nicole, that they can exploit. They’re out for Keenan’s blood literally, as his blood is the only way a high level demon can be destroyed. Having access to angel’s blood means having a lot of power in this world, and everyone wants it.
With the action being pretty much non-stop from the start of the book, it took a little bit away from the romance between Keenan and Nicole. Don’t get me wrong, they have hot chemistry together, but it was either at one end of the spectrum or the other. Their relationship is pretty intense at all times and Keenan having always been an angel of darkness has never known emotions, at all. Being with Nicole is 100% new to him, in every single way and those emotions get the best of him at times and he struggles with controlling everything he’s feeling, which includes a lot of jealousy when Sam, the other fallen angel, comes more into the story during the second half.
For Nicole, it was nice to see her be able to have someone to trust. She went from being a human, school teacher, who was clueless about all the beings out there in the world, to a vampire who has a hard time controlling her blood lust. I do wish a little more detail would have been given on the 6 months Nicole was a vampire before Keenan found her. We get a few details about the killings she was forced to make, but not much else. Keenan’s the only person who’s been on her side in a long time, he isn’t afraid of her and what she’s done in the past and she needs him more than ever to be able to survive all the hits that keep on coming.
A quick note on Sam, another fallen angel that ends up helping Keenan, somewhat, but still can’t be fully trusted. I guess I just have a soft spot for naughty fallen angels (really, who doesn’t?), because I couldn't wait for Sam to come back on page and see what he was up to. Hopefully he’ll not only have a book, but it’ll the next book and perhaps we may have already met his heroine in this story. There’s a woman who certainly intrigues him and I have a feeling he’ll stop at nothing to get to know her a lot better.
This was a nice start to a new series by Cynthia Eden. The action was not only interesting but intense from the start and I like the world that’s been introduced. Keenan and Nicole are good together and good for each other, but I found myself getting more into the action that was surrounding them, and not as much their relationship. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes next, and hopefully it’ll be bad boy Sam that takes us on the next journey.
“I was just in the mood to kick some ass.”
She shook her head. “You know, you just don’t sound like an angel.”
It seems like angels have taken over the paranormal world at the moment, but guys with wings can be so sexy! In the case of ANGEL OF DARKNESS, we have Keenan, a fallen angel who’s lost his wings because he didn’t take the soul he was supposed to. Nicole was set to die and Keenan was tasked with bringing her soul into the afterlife, but after watching her live prior to an attack by a vampire that was supposed to kill her, Keenan can’t stand to end her life when she cries out that she wants to live. Keenan instead lands his death touch on the vampire who is attacking her, ending his life and changing the course of his own existence forever. He’s pulled away from Nicole, and faces the consequences of his actions: his wings are burned off and he’s basically tossed back down to earth as one of the fallen.
Fast forward 6 months, Keenan is living on earth and when he finally locates Nicole, he finds her not at all the same woman he knew just a few short months ago. She’s been turned and is trying to survive as a vampire – only a lot of people seem to want her dead. It’s up to Keenan to figure out why and to help protect Nicole through all these attacks by other vampires, demons, shifters and even another angel, who causes all kinds of problems for both Nicole and Keenan.
The story has constant action as Nicole and Keenan are trying to avoid being captured or killed, first by shifters who want revenge for a killing Nicole made as she struggled to not only survive her change into a vampire, but born vampires can control those vampires who were changed over, and the born vampire that she was connected through compelled her to kill, when it was the last thing she wanted to do. Now, she’s dealing with the fallout and having shifters and vampire-killing humans on her tail has pretty much run her ragged. Keenan, while having no wings, is slowly remembering all the powers he used to have as an angel, and those did not disappear with his wings – he’s able to help keep Nicole safe and ultimately bring them to a final fight between an angel, a shifter, and another fallen angel who might be good…or might be bad, but he ended up being the character I was most drawn to. Love those strong supporting characters! But while Nicole starts out being the hunted, Keenan quickly takes over that role, when the shifters find out an angel is on Earth, one who has a weakness, in Nicole, that they can exploit. They’re out for Keenan’s blood literally, as his blood is the only way a high level demon can be destroyed. Having access to angel’s blood means having a lot of power in this world, and everyone wants it.
With the action being pretty much non-stop from the start of the book, it took a little bit away from the romance between Keenan and Nicole. Don’t get me wrong, they have hot chemistry together, but it was either at one end of the spectrum or the other. Their relationship is pretty intense at all times and Keenan having always been an angel of darkness has never known emotions, at all. Being with Nicole is 100% new to him, in every single way and those emotions get the best of him at times and he struggles with controlling everything he’s feeling, which includes a lot of jealousy when Sam, the other fallen angel, comes more into the story during the second half.
And in all his time, Keenan had never wanted anyone the way he wanted her.
So this is a kiss. The thought floated through his mind. Hot. Wet. Wild. He liked it. A lot.
She wrenched her head away from him. Nicole was breathing hard, her breath rasping.
“What the hell was that?”
He blinked, then let his eyes narrow. His cheeks seemed to burn as he stared down at her. “I bled for you. I thought a kiss was the least I deserved as payment.”
For Nicole, it was nice to see her be able to have someone to trust. She went from being a human, school teacher, who was clueless about all the beings out there in the world, to a vampire who has a hard time controlling her blood lust. I do wish a little more detail would have been given on the 6 months Nicole was a vampire before Keenan found her. We get a few details about the killings she was forced to make, but not much else. Keenan’s the only person who’s been on her side in a long time, he isn’t afraid of her and what she’s done in the past and she needs him more than ever to be able to survive all the hits that keep on coming.
“Try living with nothing for two thousand years, and then see just how hungry you are for everything.”
His mouth took hers in a hot, hard, kiss that she met head-on. She knew about hunger, not just for blood, but for someone to hold you, to kiss you, to want you, no matter what.
Was she just a body for Keenan? Just a temptation? Maybe, but for her, he was becoming so much more.
A quick note on Sam, another fallen angel that ends up helping Keenan, somewhat, but still can’t be fully trusted. I guess I just have a soft spot for naughty fallen angels (really, who doesn’t?), because I couldn't wait for Sam to come back on page and see what he was up to. Hopefully he’ll not only have a book, but it’ll the next book and perhaps we may have already met his heroine in this story. There’s a woman who certainly intrigues him and I have a feeling he’ll stop at nothing to get to know her a lot better.
This was a nice start to a new series by Cynthia Eden. The action was not only interesting but intense from the start and I like the world that’s been introduced. Keenan and Nicole are good together and good for each other, but I found myself getting more into the action that was surrounding them, and not as much their relationship. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes next, and hopefully it’ll be bad boy Sam that takes us on the next journey.
March 4, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A dark, sexy paranormal romance that will make you wish you had an angel of your own.
Opening Sentence: He’d been created for one purpose—death.
The Review:
Keenan is an angel of death. His touch is deadly. He touches people at the time of their deaths and collects their souls for the afterlife. Angels do not feel emotion and Keenan is beginning to feel emotion. He has had his eye on Nicole ever since her name appeared on his death list. He is unaware of his feelings towards her until he watches her fight to live and he realizes he can’t let her die. His touch kills Nicole’s attacker and allows her a second chance at life. Keenan is at once thrown into the pits of hell where his wings are burned off and then left on the earthly plain to regain his memories and strength.
Nicole is a schoolteacher until the unfortunate night she is attacked by a vampire. She sees Keenan watching her and asks for his help but he does nothing to stop her attacker. She fights for her life and wounds the vampire whom collapses on top of her as she succumbs to her wounds. She wakes up fully healed with a huge thirst for blood.
Cut to six months later, Keenan finds Nicole in Mexico. He does not realize right away that she has been changed but it doesn’t take him long to figure it out. Keenan lusts after Nicole and wants to protect her but Nicole is not the helpless woman she once was. They must fight off one bad guy after another. Their journey includes running from a powerful angel, a fallen angel, demons, coyotes and vampire hunters. Keenan and Nicole’s heat for each other is evident once they both stop and take a breather from all the running.
Keenan is one sexy angel. He has no qualms about doing whatever he has to do in order to keep Nicole alive. He’ll even make a deal with another, equally sexy, fallen angel even though it is hard to tell where his loyalties lie. Nicole is a tough, smart woman. She has easily adapted to her situation and she makes no excuses for what she is. She doesn’t want Keenan to fight her fights for her, she stands up for herself and doesn’t hide behind Keenan.
Angel of Darkness is packed with action. The world building is satisfactory, explaining the different realms and how the different Other creatures interact with one another. There is potential for so much more to this series. There was no huge info dump to explain everything, it was told in pieces at a time. I did feel there were a few plot holes to the story, the major one being how easily Keenan could find Nicole in Mexico and Texas whenever she runs away from him but later in the story he can’t find her. I also felt like I was kind of jipped out of certain story elements. Nicole had so many things happen to her in the six months that were simply bypassed. Delving deeper into these events would have made the overall story richer. Some things are mentioned in passing but they really weighed heavily on the person she is now. The story is told from multiple points of view from Keenan and Nicole to several of the bad guys that are after them.
I absolutely cannot wait for the second installment, Angel Betrayed. The characters in that book are introduced in this book and I really want to know their stories. Angel of Darkness is a hot book with some dark issues but Keenan and Nicole do eventually find their HEA. If angels and vampires are your thing, then I recommend this book.
Notable Scene:
He ran at her with the stake up. His buddies took Keenan, swarming him. Her teeth burned, her claws lengthened, and when Mike lunged at her with that stake –
She just ripped it out of his hands, broke it, and tossed the pieces behind her.
That didn’t stop Mike. No, he swung at her and slammed his fist right into her face.
Definitely remember that.
The bloodlust rose but she stumbled back.
“That’s right, run, get ready to bleed.”
Um, no. She wouldn’t be bleeding for him. His fist came at her again. She caught it in her left hand. Then her fist went at him, plowing into his cheek. Not the light hit of her prevamp days. Nicole swung with a blow strong enough to break Mike’s jaw. When the bone crunched, she knew the punch had broken his jaw.
He kicked out, his booted heel aiming for her stomach, but she twisted and he missed her, and he fell to the ground.
“I’m sorry about your brother,” she said the words between pants. “If I had to do it all again . . .” But there’d been no choice at the end. He’d fought her and if she hadn’t killed him . . . he would have taken her head.
“Fuckin’ bitch . . .” Mike shoved up and yanked a knife out of his boot. “He should’ve killed you.” He shot off the ground and sliced with his knife.
The blade never touched h0er skin. Keenan grabbed Mike’s hand, twisted, broke the guy’s wrist, and the knife clattered to the ground.
“I said you’d lose this hand,” Keenan reminded him.
The Fallen Series:
1. Angel of Darkness
2. Angel Betrayed
3. Angel in Chains
FTC Advisory: Kensington Brava provided me with a copy of Angel of Darkness. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A dark, sexy paranormal romance that will make you wish you had an angel of your own.
Opening Sentence: He’d been created for one purpose—death.
The Review:
Keenan is an angel of death. His touch is deadly. He touches people at the time of their deaths and collects their souls for the afterlife. Angels do not feel emotion and Keenan is beginning to feel emotion. He has had his eye on Nicole ever since her name appeared on his death list. He is unaware of his feelings towards her until he watches her fight to live and he realizes he can’t let her die. His touch kills Nicole’s attacker and allows her a second chance at life. Keenan is at once thrown into the pits of hell where his wings are burned off and then left on the earthly plain to regain his memories and strength.
Nicole is a schoolteacher until the unfortunate night she is attacked by a vampire. She sees Keenan watching her and asks for his help but he does nothing to stop her attacker. She fights for her life and wounds the vampire whom collapses on top of her as she succumbs to her wounds. She wakes up fully healed with a huge thirst for blood.
Cut to six months later, Keenan finds Nicole in Mexico. He does not realize right away that she has been changed but it doesn’t take him long to figure it out. Keenan lusts after Nicole and wants to protect her but Nicole is not the helpless woman she once was. They must fight off one bad guy after another. Their journey includes running from a powerful angel, a fallen angel, demons, coyotes and vampire hunters. Keenan and Nicole’s heat for each other is evident once they both stop and take a breather from all the running.
Keenan is one sexy angel. He has no qualms about doing whatever he has to do in order to keep Nicole alive. He’ll even make a deal with another, equally sexy, fallen angel even though it is hard to tell where his loyalties lie. Nicole is a tough, smart woman. She has easily adapted to her situation and she makes no excuses for what she is. She doesn’t want Keenan to fight her fights for her, she stands up for herself and doesn’t hide behind Keenan.
Angel of Darkness is packed with action. The world building is satisfactory, explaining the different realms and how the different Other creatures interact with one another. There is potential for so much more to this series. There was no huge info dump to explain everything, it was told in pieces at a time. I did feel there were a few plot holes to the story, the major one being how easily Keenan could find Nicole in Mexico and Texas whenever she runs away from him but later in the story he can’t find her. I also felt like I was kind of jipped out of certain story elements. Nicole had so many things happen to her in the six months that were simply bypassed. Delving deeper into these events would have made the overall story richer. Some things are mentioned in passing but they really weighed heavily on the person she is now. The story is told from multiple points of view from Keenan and Nicole to several of the bad guys that are after them.
I absolutely cannot wait for the second installment, Angel Betrayed. The characters in that book are introduced in this book and I really want to know their stories. Angel of Darkness is a hot book with some dark issues but Keenan and Nicole do eventually find their HEA. If angels and vampires are your thing, then I recommend this book.
Notable Scene:
He ran at her with the stake up. His buddies took Keenan, swarming him. Her teeth burned, her claws lengthened, and when Mike lunged at her with that stake –
She just ripped it out of his hands, broke it, and tossed the pieces behind her.
That didn’t stop Mike. No, he swung at her and slammed his fist right into her face.
Definitely remember that.
The bloodlust rose but she stumbled back.
“That’s right, run, get ready to bleed.”
Um, no. She wouldn’t be bleeding for him. His fist came at her again. She caught it in her left hand. Then her fist went at him, plowing into his cheek. Not the light hit of her prevamp days. Nicole swung with a blow strong enough to break Mike’s jaw. When the bone crunched, she knew the punch had broken his jaw.
He kicked out, his booted heel aiming for her stomach, but she twisted and he missed her, and he fell to the ground.
“I’m sorry about your brother,” she said the words between pants. “If I had to do it all again . . .” But there’d been no choice at the end. He’d fought her and if she hadn’t killed him . . . he would have taken her head.
“Fuckin’ bitch . . .” Mike shoved up and yanked a knife out of his boot. “He should’ve killed you.” He shot off the ground and sliced with his knife.
The blade never touched h0er skin. Keenan grabbed Mike’s hand, twisted, broke the guy’s wrist, and the knife clattered to the ground.
“I said you’d lose this hand,” Keenan reminded him.
The Fallen Series:
1. Angel of Darkness
2. Angel Betrayed
3. Angel in Chains
FTC Advisory: Kensington Brava provided me with a copy of Angel of Darkness. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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November 7, 2024dnf @ 54%
January 15, 2012
Angel of Darkness, The Fallen #1, by Cynthia Eden
Grade: C-
“He’d always thought humans got the better end of the deal. Pleasure, passion. Sure, pain was thrown into the mix, too. But you could live through the pain.”
As an angel of death Keenan spent centuries watching humans and collecting their souls and he never had a problem with his job until he is sent to collect the soul of Nicole St. James. Keenan spends days watching Nicole and when it comes time to collect her soul he hesitates and it changes both of their lives forever. By failing to do his job and changing fate, Keenan falls from heaven and sets out to find the woman who changed his whole world.
Six months ago Nicole St. James was an twenty nine year old school teacher in New Orleans until one night she was attacked by a vampire in a dark alley. As she was being attacked the vampire suddenly dies and Nicole is turned into the monster that almost killed her. Now on the run from vampire hunters, Nicole meets Keenan, a man claiming to be a fallen angel and her guardian. Keenan and Nicole are now on the run from hunters and the head angel of death who still wants to collect Nicole’s soul. Keenan now has ten days to keep alive the woman who has come to mean his entire world and worth giving up his wings.
I was very excited to read this book and I love the idea of an angel falling from heaven for a woman and having the woman turn into a “monster” but sadly the story, characters and romance fell very short for me. Nicole’s transformation from human to vampire and Keenan’s fall from heaven are very fast paced and well written but then we meet Nicole as a vampire and Keenan as a Fallen and the books starts to go downhill.
I really wanted to know more about Nicole like where she grew up, her family, etc. and because I didn’t know anything about her other then she was a school teacher and she was supposed to die made it impossible to connect with her. I had a lot of issues with Nicole especially with her relationship with Keenan. One second she doesn’t trust him and is running from him and the next they’re partners and in bed together. They went from enemies to lovers so fast I almost got whiplash. That’s where I lost a lot of interest in the story and just read to finish the book. I don’t have a lot to say about Keenan because I wasn’t a big fan of his from the beginning and found he kind of fell into the background and was just there.
The one thing and/or person that I loved was Sam. He is a true bad boy and he saved the book from being horrible. Sam was a breath of fresh air that kept the story alive and exciting. I like how his story was built up and I’m hoping that he gets his own book next because that’s the only way I will continue to read this series. I wish that I had enjoyed this book more but sadly I didn’t and it was a very hard three hundred pages to get through.
Grade: C-
“He’d always thought humans got the better end of the deal. Pleasure, passion. Sure, pain was thrown into the mix, too. But you could live through the pain.”
As an angel of death Keenan spent centuries watching humans and collecting their souls and he never had a problem with his job until he is sent to collect the soul of Nicole St. James. Keenan spends days watching Nicole and when it comes time to collect her soul he hesitates and it changes both of their lives forever. By failing to do his job and changing fate, Keenan falls from heaven and sets out to find the woman who changed his whole world.
Six months ago Nicole St. James was an twenty nine year old school teacher in New Orleans until one night she was attacked by a vampire in a dark alley. As she was being attacked the vampire suddenly dies and Nicole is turned into the monster that almost killed her. Now on the run from vampire hunters, Nicole meets Keenan, a man claiming to be a fallen angel and her guardian. Keenan and Nicole are now on the run from hunters and the head angel of death who still wants to collect Nicole’s soul. Keenan now has ten days to keep alive the woman who has come to mean his entire world and worth giving up his wings.
I was very excited to read this book and I love the idea of an angel falling from heaven for a woman and having the woman turn into a “monster” but sadly the story, characters and romance fell very short for me. Nicole’s transformation from human to vampire and Keenan’s fall from heaven are very fast paced and well written but then we meet Nicole as a vampire and Keenan as a Fallen and the books starts to go downhill.
I really wanted to know more about Nicole like where she grew up, her family, etc. and because I didn’t know anything about her other then she was a school teacher and she was supposed to die made it impossible to connect with her. I had a lot of issues with Nicole especially with her relationship with Keenan. One second she doesn’t trust him and is running from him and the next they’re partners and in bed together. They went from enemies to lovers so fast I almost got whiplash. That’s where I lost a lot of interest in the story and just read to finish the book. I don’t have a lot to say about Keenan because I wasn’t a big fan of his from the beginning and found he kind of fell into the background and was just there.
The one thing and/or person that I loved was Sam. He is a true bad boy and he saved the book from being horrible. Sam was a breath of fresh air that kept the story alive and exciting. I like how his story was built up and I’m hoping that he gets his own book next because that’s the only way I will continue to read this series. I wish that I had enjoyed this book more but sadly I didn’t and it was a very hard three hundred pages to get through.
November 4, 2012
Nicole St James is about to have her life turned upside down and all she is trying to do is go to a church to pray. This meek school teacher is brutally attacked by a vampire while some unknown being watches and doesn’t help. Crying, screaming, and begging get her nowhere. Nicole fights a creature she had no clue even existed to no avail. She may not die permanently in that dark lonely alley, but the changes in her life are definitely unwanted. She becomes the monster that changed her life forever, a vampire.
Keenan an Angel of Death has a strict set of rules to live by. Take the life of the next person on the list. His touch is death. As an angel he has never experienced emotions, never known the touch of a lover, and he has never gone against the orders of his peers. Until Nicole, now he wants to help this woman he was sent to take. He wants to change fate for her. He wants things that he does not understand. Keenan went against his orders. He keeps Nicole from dying in that alley.
Keenan falls for Nicole, in more ways than one. Keenan’s fall leaves him without the abilities that he had as an angel. The fall also leaves him with emotions, something he has never experienced before. His emotions leave him wanting to find Nicole, immediately. He has to make sure she is alive, after all that is why he was punished. Nicole is struggling with her new life. She has this unnatural thirst and people are hunting her for mistakes that she made as an untrained newbie vamp.
Nicole and Keenan never get any breaks. As soon as they evade one hunter another finds them. Keenan is trying to help Nicole. It seems like every faction of Other is after her. Some of the Other soon figure out that there is an even better reason to hunt Nicole. They had just been hoping to put a vamp to death. The potential to gain power is an even bigger reward so the pursuers up the ante and chase them with ever more vigor than ever before.
Eden has included a couple of my favorite type of characters. The hero that when first introduced seems like he may just be a bad seed. As the story carries on I started to wonder if perhaps they just had their own agenda. I just love the guys that you have to question their motives and weather they are in fact playing for team evil or are they really fighting for team good. I’m eager to see where the next books in the series take these two.
Keenan an Angel of Death has a strict set of rules to live by. Take the life of the next person on the list. His touch is death. As an angel he has never experienced emotions, never known the touch of a lover, and he has never gone against the orders of his peers. Until Nicole, now he wants to help this woman he was sent to take. He wants to change fate for her. He wants things that he does not understand. Keenan went against his orders. He keeps Nicole from dying in that alley.
Keenan falls for Nicole, in more ways than one. Keenan’s fall leaves him without the abilities that he had as an angel. The fall also leaves him with emotions, something he has never experienced before. His emotions leave him wanting to find Nicole, immediately. He has to make sure she is alive, after all that is why he was punished. Nicole is struggling with her new life. She has this unnatural thirst and people are hunting her for mistakes that she made as an untrained newbie vamp.
Nicole and Keenan never get any breaks. As soon as they evade one hunter another finds them. Keenan is trying to help Nicole. It seems like every faction of Other is after her. Some of the Other soon figure out that there is an even better reason to hunt Nicole. They had just been hoping to put a vamp to death. The potential to gain power is an even bigger reward so the pursuers up the ante and chase them with ever more vigor than ever before.
Eden has included a couple of my favorite type of characters. The hero that when first introduced seems like he may just be a bad seed. As the story carries on I started to wonder if perhaps they just had their own agenda. I just love the guys that you have to question their motives and weather they are in fact playing for team evil or are they really fighting for team good. I’m eager to see where the next books in the series take these two.
October 17, 2012
Rating: B-
Fallen Angels - sometimes they work for me, sometimes they don't. To believe that a being moves from angelic good to total badass overnight is quite a leap of faith. In the case of Keenan, I got the feeling this was a long time coming. He's been suppressing his needs by focusing on his duty until one night it all comes to a head.
Nicole St. James is a devoted teacher, good friend and an upstanding citizen. Then one night she's attacked and turned into a vampire. Everything she has worked for is gone and she must go into the darkness to survive. It turns out our angel Keenan isn't the only one who undergoes a radical transformation. Nicole learns how to fight and how to take a life. I liked how we see Nicole come to grips with who and what she's lost to what she must become if she's to live the new world of monsters.
Keenan has been a death angel for thousands of years. Work that long at the same job and something has to give. Keenan really struggled with his decision to save Nicole's life or take it as he was ordered to. It took him so long I thought she might just die while he continued to ponder what to do! But once Keenan decides there's no turning back. He's not a great hero, the secondary male character left a greater impression on me than Keenan did. But Keenan does have his good points, even if they were few.
The romance is one of those on-the-run types which only works sometimes. This time Nicole and Keenan let there libidos take charge a few too many times. Keenan was more fixated on Nicole because she was the reason, the catalyst, for his downfall. She thankfully, doesn't trust him right off the bat and really makes him earn that trust. Still, I wasn't feeling the romance.
The secondary characters really helped move the story along. I'm looking forward to the next book about Sammael, "call me Sam". He has badass down to an art form. Even with the issues I had with not being all that thrilled with the romance I do like what I'm seeing of the world and the fallen angels.
Fallen Angels - sometimes they work for me, sometimes they don't. To believe that a being moves from angelic good to total badass overnight is quite a leap of faith. In the case of Keenan, I got the feeling this was a long time coming. He's been suppressing his needs by focusing on his duty until one night it all comes to a head.
Nicole St. James is a devoted teacher, good friend and an upstanding citizen. Then one night she's attacked and turned into a vampire. Everything she has worked for is gone and she must go into the darkness to survive. It turns out our angel Keenan isn't the only one who undergoes a radical transformation. Nicole learns how to fight and how to take a life. I liked how we see Nicole come to grips with who and what she's lost to what she must become if she's to live the new world of monsters.
Keenan has been a death angel for thousands of years. Work that long at the same job and something has to give. Keenan really struggled with his decision to save Nicole's life or take it as he was ordered to. It took him so long I thought she might just die while he continued to ponder what to do! But once Keenan decides there's no turning back. He's not a great hero, the secondary male character left a greater impression on me than Keenan did. But Keenan does have his good points, even if they were few.
The romance is one of those on-the-run types which only works sometimes. This time Nicole and Keenan let there libidos take charge a few too many times. Keenan was more fixated on Nicole because she was the reason, the catalyst, for his downfall. She thankfully, doesn't trust him right off the bat and really makes him earn that trust. Still, I wasn't feeling the romance.
The secondary characters really helped move the story along. I'm looking forward to the next book about Sammael, "call me Sam". He has badass down to an art form. Even with the issues I had with not being all that thrilled with the romance I do like what I'm seeing of the world and the fallen angels.
February 20, 2015
2.5 stars - pretty good. I liked the idea behind Eden's Fallen series – with several former 'angels of death' at the center - and of the romance between the fallen angel, Keenan, and Nicole, the woman who caused him to fall. But at a little over the halfway point Angel of Darkness (The Fallen ) still hadn't grabbed me. I normally like Cynthia Eden's books but when all was said and done I ended up just little underwhelmed and I am not exactly sure why.
It might have been that I just never connected with the characters. I am extremely hero-centric and there was some real potential for some extreme steaminess in the set up, since Keenan is having to deal with feelings for the first time in his long existence. But the power that could have been in his awaking to emotion wasn't capitalized on at all. Instead the fact that Keenan was incredibly uncommunicative and angry and that Nicole's focus kept on slipping back to her issues about the side effects of being a vamp got in the way of establishing a real romance connection between them. As a consequence, I ended up far more intrigued by the secondary 'bad' fallen angel Sam – and his machinations - than I was with the leading pair.
As a result Angel of Darkness ended up being more on the okay in the romance department and on the side of pretty good for the overall story but even though I wasn't wowed by this series starter, first books are often tough and my interest in Sam – and Eden's past successes - was enough to sell me on the next book.
It might have been that I just never connected with the characters. I am extremely hero-centric and there was some real potential for some extreme steaminess in the set up, since Keenan is having to deal with feelings for the first time in his long existence. But the power that could have been in his awaking to emotion wasn't capitalized on at all. Instead the fact that Keenan was incredibly uncommunicative and angry and that Nicole's focus kept on slipping back to her issues about the side effects of being a vamp got in the way of establishing a real romance connection between them. As a consequence, I ended up far more intrigued by the secondary 'bad' fallen angel Sam – and his machinations - than I was with the leading pair.
As a result Angel of Darkness ended up being more on the okay in the romance department and on the side of pretty good for the overall story but even though I wasn't wowed by this series starter, first books are often tough and my interest in Sam – and Eden's past successes - was enough to sell me on the next book.
September 22, 2011
Angel of Darkness is the first book in Cynthia Eden's new series, The Fallen. It introduces you to new characters, but inside of the same world from her previous books. Somehow they all connect.
Keenan is the Angel of Death. He collects souls and has been doing it for thousands of years. Never once has he had any problems or has he gotten attached to any of the souls on his list. That is until he meets Nicole. Who, for whatever reason, brings everything inside of him to life and he can't help but feel when she's around. This is all very new to Keenan. He has never known what it's like to have emotions. Things quickly get out of hand and Keenan becomes one of The Fallen. Even with everything that has happened to Keenan, he still can’t help his feelings for Nicole. He searches for her for six months and when he finally finds Nicole, the story just gets even crazier from there. You don’t know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. If you are familiar with Eden’s books, then you know what type of rollercoaster ride she can take you on.
Angel of Darkness is a great start to another great series. I don’t doubt the following books in this series will be amazing! I was hooked from page one to the very end. I love Eden’s books and love how lost I can get inside of her worlds. She is a great writer with one wild imagination. I recommend Angel of Darkness and any book she has ever written. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
5 out of 5 Stars!
Keenan is the Angel of Death. He collects souls and has been doing it for thousands of years. Never once has he had any problems or has he gotten attached to any of the souls on his list. That is until he meets Nicole. Who, for whatever reason, brings everything inside of him to life and he can't help but feel when she's around. This is all very new to Keenan. He has never known what it's like to have emotions. Things quickly get out of hand and Keenan becomes one of The Fallen. Even with everything that has happened to Keenan, he still can’t help his feelings for Nicole. He searches for her for six months and when he finally finds Nicole, the story just gets even crazier from there. You don’t know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. If you are familiar with Eden’s books, then you know what type of rollercoaster ride she can take you on.
Angel of Darkness is a great start to another great series. I don’t doubt the following books in this series will be amazing! I was hooked from page one to the very end. I love Eden’s books and love how lost I can get inside of her worlds. She is a great writer with one wild imagination. I recommend Angel of Darkness and any book she has ever written. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
5 out of 5 Stars!
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