Ashes of Angels

Of Angels and Demons #3

by Michele Hauf

Cassandra knows her dark destiny. She is a muse, who will one day be sought by a Fallen angel, to be the mother of his nephilim child - a fate that will destroy her. Samandiriel walks alone amongst his Fallen brethren. He refuses to use mortal females as vessels for his evil offspring. He's determined to protect them. But now he's been summoned to capture a muse, Cassandra, against his will. Together Sam and Cassandra must fight to keep her alive and to prevent the Fallen from achieving their sinister goals. Cassandra trusts Sam, but he can't trust his own compulsion to mate with her. Can they stop the apocalypse before Sam's desire overtakes him?

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Angels, Harlequin, Demons, Romance, Harlequin Nocturne

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Michele has been writing romance, action-adventure and fantasy stories for over twenty years. Her first published novel was DARK RAPTURE.

France, musketeers, vampires and faeries populate her stories. And if she followed the adage 'write what you know', all her stories would have snow in them. Fortunately, she steps beyond her comfort zone and writes about countries she has never visited and of creatures she has never seen.

Michele also writes as Michele Renae, and you can find her erotica, chick lit, and Harlequin Romance titles at your favorite online retailer.

--From the author's website bio

Reviews

[Stephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars


Cassandra Stevens is a muse, a human woman who can be impregnated by a fallen angel and give birth to a heinous creature. She has been taught to defend herself against them at all costs but when her destined Fallen finds her, Cassandra can't stop the desire Samandriel stirs up inside of her. Sam has no intention of harming his muse. Instead plans to protect her against his brethren that are being called to earth by a vampire lord who will do anything to get his hands on a nephilim, offspring of the Fallen and muse. If Cassandra and Sam don't stop him soon it could mean the start of the apocalypse.

Cassandra has always known about the Fallen and what will happen if her's is called to earth. That hasn't stopped her inner romantic from fantasizing what it would be like to have her angel come to her and sweep her off her feet. When she finally meets Sam he is more handsome than Cassandra ever imagined but she doesn't let that distract her from fleeing and arming herself against him. Sam pursues her but will not force himself onto Cassandra. His ultimate goal is to redeem himself and be welcomed back into Above (heaven). As you can guess his meeting Cassandra changes all that.

There were things I liked and didn't like about both characters and their relationship. For Cassandra I liked that she defends herself against Sam, the other Fallen and the vampires and doesn't just sit around and wait to be rescued. What I didn't care for was how back and forth she was on her feelings for Sam. One minute she wanted him and the next she didn't trust him. I also found a few of her decisions questionable. For Sam I liked that he was considered an outlaw by his kind because he wanted to get to know a woman completely instead of forcing himself on her. His fighting skills were also impressive but no matter how many fallen, demons or vampires he defeated, I couldn't help feel like he was more of beta. I know not all male characters can have alpha personalities but when compared to the male leads in previous books, Sam left something to be desired. As for their relationship, it too left me wanting more. It was sweet in that Cassandra finally meets the man she's been dreaming about her entire life and Sam starts to think about giving up heaven for her, but it didn't have much more to it than that.

The Fallen are coming to earth at an alarming rate because a vampire lord is summing them. He plans to force a muse and Fallen together to create a nephilim for his own purpose. By doing this he is also on the verge of bring something more catastrophic upon everyone. Since the first book, the vampire's plan has been escalating and everything comes to a head in Ashes of Angels. The final confrontation with the vampires fell a little flat but I've found the vampire story line interesting since book one because they've made great villains. I hope they'll be making more appearances in future books. The side characters of Coco, Cassandra's sister, and her vampire lover Zane were both great. Their relationship felt solid and they were necessary to the story instead of feeling like they were placed in just to have more characters involved. I'm even tempted to buy their short story in order to find out more about them.

Ashes of Angels wasn't as great as the first book in this series but it was still a good read with a healthy dose of action and a variety of different paranormal creatures. Cassandra and Sam were decent enough but sometimes they were out shined by Coco and Zane. The climatic scene with the vampires was a little disappointing but I was glad to finally see what a nephilim looks like and people have been right to fear its birth. The story and characters had their faults but what I absolutely loved and is my favorite part of this series are the descriptions of the Fallen and Sinistari (demons). Each Fallen is different and looks to be made out of different materials and the Sinistari appear to be hand crafted out of metals. It's a very different take on angels and demons and I love how descriptive Michele Hauf is each time she introduces a new one. This is the 3rd book in the Of Angels and Demons series and if it's something you're interested in reading, go back and read Angel Slayer first. So far it is the best book in this series and an all around amazing read.
-Stephanie

[Wendy *Sebella Blue* Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, the reader gets 2 stories, The Ninja Vampire's Girl, about Coco and Zane, and Ashes of Angels, Sam and Cassandra's story.

The Ninja Vampire's Girl was cute and funny. I liked both characters and wished this had been the main focus. Coco was on a mission for her sister Cassandra, who just happens to be an unfortunate muse. Coco is on a halo hunt and just as she is about to lay her hands on the halo, she is interrupted by Zane, a vampire, who is after the same halo. At first she is put off by the scarred visage of Zane, but as she learns more about him, she becomes wildly attracted. Coco who swears her middle name is danger insists on teaming up with Zane in killing the summoned Fallen. Fun and lust ensues.

Cassandra and Sam's story was not as palatable to me. Sam, while not bad, sometimes came off a little beta to me. Cassandra, hmmm, well, while her heart was in the right place, her head definitely was not. Maybe it was because she was an artist, I don't know , but I was almost to the point of "Oh well, thinning of the herd". It was a decent story but not one I think will be reread.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Of Angels and Demons

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing World, But The Characters...
Note: This book includes the novella The Ninja Vampire's Girl, Book 2.5 of the Of Angels and Demons series.

Cassandra Stevens is a muse, a mortal woman who is marked from birth to be a mate for the Fallen. That may sound romantic; it's anything but. When lust-crazed Fallen find their muse they are mindless and fierce, demonic in their intent on raping and impregnating their female regardless of the muse's wishes. Then, when they impregnate the women, what is birthed is a monster of horrific proportions, a flesh- and blood-hungry nephilim that will consume everything in its path.

Her grandmother had warned her, taught her, prepared her, and Cassandra has spent her life training and learning to protect herself, because one thing Cassandra has always known, her Fallen would find her. And she had no intention of being a homicidal baby's mama.

For all that preparation, Cassandra wasn't ready when she felt the mark on her wrist start to tingle, then glow, as she was dancing in a club with a sexy stranger. To her growing horror, the wait was over. Samandirial has been summoned from Below and has come for her.

He's only been on Earth for a day, and after a quick walkabout, he's in Berlin with an intensity of purpose unlike any other Fallen. He has no intention of raping and impregnating the delectable Cassandra, not that he doesn't desire her, because he does - above all others - but he wants one thing even more than that: Above. When he'd been spit out of Below and called to Earth by the vampires, Samandirial knew they were planning to start the sort of battle that could lead to an apocalypse. If he stops them, he may finally have a chance at redemption and forgiveness. He may finally be able to go home. It is everything that ever mattered to him.

And he needs the help of his muse, the one person guaranteed to distrust him the most.

~*~
It was quite clear from the start of this book that it was a part of a previously established series. That can often be a problem for me, especially in shorter novels, where the dearth of sufficient exposition seems common when making room for character introduction and relationship development. That wasn't a large issue for me with this book. I didn't feel I had any trouble catching on to the world that Hauf created. In fact, I enjoyed that world, though I'm weary of the large upsurge of angels in fiction lately. They're not my favorite paranormal creature. Still, in this book, their history and the mythos surrounding the multiple supernatural races was intriguing. Hauf did a nice job conceptualizing the rolls of the muses, Fallen, vampires, and the rest, weaving together their purposes and motivations into a cohesive whole supported by the story.

My problems lay in the execution of that story.

The characters were wildly inconsistent. Cassandra's initial distrust of Sam made sense given her history, but the too fast, lust-induced about-face, while necessary for the romance, didn't make sense because of that same history. She trained for years in preparation for Sam's arrival, was supposed to be an accomplished fighter and a real hard ass, but came across as a giggling, blushing, tittering twit far too often for my tastes as soon as she stopped fearing Sam. e.g. A nephalim is raging around destroying Berlin and she and her sister take a time out for a slumber party complete with hand holding and lover comparison sex talk. Really??

Oh, and speaking of Sam...

Cupcake? Bunny?? Seriously?!

He's supposed to be an ages-old Fallen who's been spending most of the past few thousand years Below. Have some self respect, man. It's hard to get lusty and appreciative of a male romantic lead who strikes me more like a nerdy puppy with a nipping habit than a warrior Fallen intent on redemption and regaining Above at all costs. He also spends one day on Earth and is suddenly spouting the slang and lingo of an average twelve-year old (when he's not sounding all stiff and proper), knows everything there is to know about the history he's missed, can speak every language, and is up on all the cultural references...right up until it's more convenient for the story if he isn't. Sam's numerous inconsistencies boggled my mind.

So did the apparent and oft-mentioned glass heart of his. Talk about your less-than-sturdy containment. I was not happy with that aspect of his physiology.

Besides the characters, the narrative caused me a few moments of grief, as well. The prose was fairly pedestrian, descriptive scenes and action passages lacked sophistication and variety, and the dialogue had some rough spots that failed in achieving a natural, organic conversational flow. There were brights spots, too, of course, and a few scenes that made me chuckle or things that made me smile. It wasn't all bad.

There was this snippet of conversation between Sam and Cassandra, in fact, that made me grin:

"You need any help, Sam?"
[...] Sam swung the halo across a vampire's throat, reducing his opponent to ash. "Oh, hey, Cassandra. Just making some new friends."
"I can see that."
"I've got everything under control."
"So I should have saved the one you tossed at me for you?"
"Did I toss a vampire at you? That was rude."

I do wish I'd taken the advice of the author given at the beginning and read The Ninja Vampire's Girl first. It was short, but it offered a few nice glimpses of the world that was created for the series. It also reflected some of the same problems I had with the main story. The good news is that you can dive into this book even if you haven't read the preceding books in the series. Less rosy is my lack of desire to go back and find out where this series all began, nor do I have plans to continue with it from here. It was just a bit too lacking in sophistication, maturity, and polish for my personal taste.

Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Harlequin via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance


This is my first time reading a book by Michele Hauf, but it will not be the last! I just finished Ashes of Angels, the third book in her Of Angels and Demons series, and it was an engaging paranormal romance with hot vampires and sexy Fallen Angels. The book is being released tomorrow, July 19, and includes the novella that takes place between the second and third books, The Ninja Vampire’s Girl. In a letter from the author, Ms. Hauf states that the events in the novella take place about 5 months before those in the novel, and suggests that you read the novella first if you want to keep events in order, but that’s not necessary, as both novella and novel can be read as stand-alone works. In fact, I did read the novella first, and now I wish I’d read it last, because the novella was not nearly as good as the novel and I almost didn’t go on to read the novel. That would have been a shame, because the novel is tightly written with appealing characters, and I definitely recommend it!

Artist Cassandra (Caz) Stevens is celebrating finishing a statue of an angel when she meets a stunning looking man in a club. All too quickly she realizes that she’s in terrible danger, because he’s a Fallen Angel, and the glowing mark on her wrist indicates that she’s his muse. Fallen Angels who are summoned to Earth seek out mortal women, their muses, and sexually assault them, impregnating them with Nephilim, monstrous killers. Caz’s grandmother warned her and her sister Coco years ago that they needed to prepare to fight off the Fallen, but Samandiriel (Sam) is different from the others. He regrets the Fallen Angels’ decision to leave Heaven and wants to protect Caz from the others who will seek her out. It seems that a group of Vampires in Germany is summoning the Fallen Angels to Earth, hoping to lead them to their muses and perform tests on the resulting Nephilim. The vampires’ leader believes that the Nephilim blood will allow the vampires to walk in the sun, but the more Fallen Angels he summons, the more danger Caz and her fellow muses are in. Sam offers to help Caz in her fight against the vampires and the other Fallen, and the two agree to work together, fighting an overwhelming attraction that if acted upon could result in Caz’s death.

The world building in this novel is complex but clearly explained and easy to pick up even though I jumped into the series at book three. I appreciated how seamlessly the world was introduced to a new reader. The mix of Angels, demons, and vampires was fascinating, and Ms. Hauf integrated religious elements into her novel while still leaving a lot open to speculation. The background of the Fallen and the demons is explained clearly, but I’m still uncertain about the origins of the vampires in this world. Given the focus on the muse heroine and angel hero, however, the origins of the vampires were not necessary to the story and didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

Sam and Caz were likeable characters, and since Sam had only recently returned to Earth after the vampires summoned him, he’s an interesting mix of innocence and experience that Caz finds irresistible. I like that Ms. Hauf turned the tables on the trope of the “virgin” heroine learning about her sexuality with this one, since Caz has to teach Sam how to kiss! The sexual tension between the two was sizzling and dangerous, since there's the possibility that Sam will assault Caz if he reverts to his stronger angel form. Caz is a sensual, creative woman, and it’s easy to see that Sam’s attraction to her soon becomes more than just the link between a muse and a Fallen Angel.

While most of the novel was action-packed with Caz and Sam fighting demons, Fallen Angels, and vampires, there were also some really funny lines. I laughed out loud several times, especially at the scene where Sam gets a little tipsy and is informed that the feelings he’s describing for Caz are definitely love. When he and Caz first meet, he teases her by calling her hilarious nicknames just to annoy her. Sam may be an Angel, but he’s got a wicked sense of humor! When Caz calls him on the endearments, he asks if she would “prefer sweetie? Perhaps mein little cupcake?” And later he tells her that he’d kill any Fallen who tried to attack her, claiming that he prefers the word “smite over murder.” Who wouldn’t?

I only have two criticisms about the novel. The first is that the epilogue wraps everything up in a neat package, but I’m not sure it’s absolutely necessary. The book ends with a dramatic fight that packs a strong punch, and the epilogue seems a bit quick to resolve everything. I suspect the novel could have ended either without the epilogue or with another chapter and the ending wouldn’t have felt so rushed.

The second complaint is not really related to the novel at all but rather the novella. The Ninja Vampire’s Girl was previously published in an anthology, and feels really short, possibly less than 20,000 words, although that could merely be my perception. Because the novel is so well written with such engaging characters and dialogue the much shorter novella suffers by comparison. It details how Caz’s sister Coco met her vampire boyfriend Zane while searching for a Fallen Angel’s halo. The story is cute, but it’s written in 2 separate first-person points of view, with a lot of jumping from one POV to the next. In the advanced reader copy there was no separation to indicate the jump from one POV to the other, which was a bit confusing, but I’m sure in the published version that is not the case. Ms. Hauf wrote the third-person POV so well in the novel that the first-person POVs of Coco and Zane in the novella come across as underdeveloped.

Despite the novella’s shortcomings, I really enjoyed Ashes of Angels and as soon as I finished it I went online to check out Ms. Hauf’s webpage to look up the other books and novellas in the series. The summaries of the first and second books make it clear that they take place in the same world and focus on different types of heroes and heroines, which further impresses me with Ms. Hauf’s creativity. I’ll definitely be catching up on the rest of the series and look forward to future installments of the series!

I received a copy of this book for review from the Publisher through NetGalley.

[Marcela (BookaholicCat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com

Ashes of Angels is book three in the Of Angels and Demons series by Michele Hauf. This book also contains a bonus novella at the end of the book called The Ninja Vampire’s Girl. At the beginning of the book Mrs. Hauf recommends to read the novella first, and let me tell you I was glad I did it, if I haven’t done it I would have been lost for awhile while reading Ashes of Angels.

Ashes of Angels

Thousands of years ago a group of many horny angels wanted to experience carnal pleasures. They decided to leave above (heaven) and come to the world (fall) to have their new experiences thus becoming Fallen angels. Some of those angels were taken away before touching land and were converted in Sinistari demons, whose only purpose would be to hunt and kill their old friends now Fallen. Hours after the Fallen landed Big Almighty brought in a flooding to take away the remaining ones to another realm called the Ninth Void, there, they will reside until somebody summon them. And there is another key factor, each Fallen has a predetermined mate, called a muse and this woman is the only one with whom they can mate, but sometimes the muses are not amenable partners and let’s say that the Fallen are so lost in lust they don’t care about their muses willingness and end up raping them. And to top the cake, if they get pregnant they will have a beautiful little monster that will tear them apart during birth and most probably will leave them there bleeding to dead, if they are not already dead because 10 cm are not enough to birth these babies called Nephilim. These cuties will walk away from their mothers after birth, you read correctly, the babies walk away, in their two little legs and two little feet. (After this book Renesme’s birth seems like stroll in the park)

Cassandra has the luck to be a muse, she has a sigil in her arm with an intrinsic design that will matches the one her Fallen will have.
She has known all her life that sooner or later her Fallen will come for her. Since she has use of reason she has been preparing for that encounter. She knows martial arts, how to use a weapon, repellent spells and other self defense mechanisms. But when Samandriel (Sam) comes to her life she finds herself with a big dilemma, because Sam is not at all what she was expecting. First, he is not trying to rape her and actually seems to care for her, he even wants to protect her form other evil forces around her.
Sam knew shortly after he had fallen that he had made a mistake. He couldn’t understand how his brethren could behave so despicably with their muses. And since then his only intention has been to find a way to be forgiven and accepted again in Above. Many years later he has been summoned to earth, he sees this as is his opportunity to change things and get his ticket back to Above. But after meeting Cassandra his priorities start to change, maybe there are better things than Above…

I had serious problems liking Cassandra, she was a good heroine in the sense that she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty but for me she overwrite all her training and knowledge about the Fallen to fast. She was also a yo-yo with Sam, she was on top of him one moment, one hour later she was afraid of him, I was like, ok, decided, do you trust him or not and stick to your decision, sadly she didn’t listen to my pleas.

Sam was a little bit too beta for me, I know he wants to be good and protect and all that, also he wins his fights but I think he needed to have more character and being less softy, he is a powerful being and should have behaved like one. I didn’t like at all the endearments he uses for Cassandra like bunny or cupcake, they didn’t felt right, especially coming from a being like him, as I said before, he was too Beta for me.

Their relationship was not believable for the reasons I said before, about Cassandra being on and off with him. It was difficult to picture them with a happy future especially after the way the book ended. Sam’s memory was completely wiped. He doesn’t have any recollection of what or who he was, he just remembers Cassandra and that he has feelings for her, nothing else. After this a HEA is difficult to believe.
I think because of my disconnection with the characters the sex scenes didn’t feel steamy; sadly they felt actually kind of dull.

I really like the secondary characters Coco and Zane, their relationship felt more real. They also felt truer to the story than the main characters.

In some parts the dialogue between the characters didn’t feel fluid but a bit forced, because of this sometimes I felt as if I was seeing a play with really bad actors.
There was small action throughout the book, like fights between Fallen, but for the majority of the story things tended to drag a lot. For example, they are going to attack the enemies, they arrived to the place but they decided to wait. Or they are going somewhere, but they decided to stay in and sleep better. I wanted to rush them to see real action or at least something important happening.

The world Mrs. Hauf created is a very interesting and complex. A world in which angels aren’t good and prey on innocent women; demons are protectors and vampires can walk during the day. The idea of angels ridden by lust is also different, especially with the dire consequences of their actions.
I liked how each angel is different; depending on his mastery his winds are made of that material, like silver, jade, iron… The descriptions were beautiful and well written.
Ashes of Angels is my second book by Mrs. Hauf, sadly I’m not sure I’ll read anything else from her, because I find it difficult to connect with her writing style.

My Verdict: 3 Stars

The Ninja Vampire’s Girl

It’s a short story of less than 40 pages. It is the story of how Cassandra’s sister, Coco meets her vampire boyfriend, Zane when she is trying to steal a halo to give to Cassandra for her defense.
Even though I had some problems with the change of point of view in the narrative I could say I liked this story better than Cassandra and Sam’s.
Coco and Zane’s relationship felt more real and the steamy scenes were really steamy. In my opinion Coco and Zane are also more likeable characters making it easier to connect with them.

My Verdict: 3 ½ Stars

[Sharon Ryder Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say even though i like the book it had me confused, the ending i thought happened to quickly and more could of been added to make the ending more explosive.... Angels are not my thing, but i decided to read this as i have seen them mentioned in other books" so wanted to know more...before i make judgement on the whole Angel series i think i will read them all first.. I do love how the Angels are described, and the feathers with the ash they leave behind is slightly enchanting" as i love the fact that if you see a feather a loved one is watching over you..

[Betty Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Very interesting plot where a muse, Cassandra Stevens had been warned of the fallen angel who'd one day come to impregnate her with a nephilim, an evil offspring. There is a lot more to this tale than coming down to impregnate Cassandra. Lots of action, passion . Held my interest from the first. Recommend.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://acrossthepages.blogspot.com/20...

honestly didn't know it was book#3

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book actually contains two stories: a novella that's about 40 pages, called "The Ninja Vampire's Girl," in addition to the full lengths Ashes of Angels. Both are part of Michelle Hauf's ongoing series Of Angels and Demons. And believe me, it was very apparent that I came into the series late.

I'll talk first about the full length story, featuring Sam, a Fallen Angel, and Cassandra, his muse. The story starts out with too many characters and too much terminology out of the gate. For people who have been reading this series all along, that's unlikely to be a problem. But I, on the other hand, was scrambling to the Club Scarlet online page to see if the glossaries or character description pages the author provided would help me fill in the blanks. They helped a little, and in all honesty I did eventually figure out what was going on, but my utter cluelessness distracted me in the first half of the book.

For those of you unfamiliar with the world-building, I'll save you some trouble. A long time ago, a group of Angels decided to fall from Heaven (or Above as they call it). Their primary motivation was lust; they wanted to experience carnal pleasures with human women. Before their feet hit the ground, a handful of Fallen were snatched away from their brethren... destined to become demons who would hunt the others who fell. After a time, a great flood swept the remaining Fallen into an otherworldly planet, where they have lived ever since. Some have made it back to Earth, though, with their minds set on finding their Muse... the one human woman who is their predestined mate. The thing is, not all the Muses are willing partners, but the Fallen don't care. They just want that carnal pleasure. And physical unions result in pregnancies and, later, births of hideous flesh eating monsters called Nephilim.

Anyway, Cassandra is a Muse who has been preparing for the day she would need to defend herself against her Fallen. But when Sam finds her, she discovers he is nothing like the others of his kind. He wants to stop the other Fallen and protect the Muses, in the hope he may one day return to live Above. He's actually a good guy; and that's very fortunate, because the vampires are summoning the Fallen back to Earth. They want more Nephilim created, because they think the monsters are the key to help them one day walk again in the sun. Cassandra and Sam decide to work together to foil that plan and protect the Muses.

While Sam's motives are pure, he is still fiercly attracted to Cassandra. And with her desire for danger, she finds she wants him too. Now, I understand what's going on with Sam, but frankly Cassandra's thing for flirting with danger was a turn off for me. Her grandmother groomed her since childhood to fear and fight the Fallen. And here she is with her tongue in his mouth in a New York minute. Oh yeah... and other stuff too. That's a lot of trust for your life-long enemy, Caz. No matter how hot he is.

There was just too much for me to take in. And for Cassandra to be this woman who is trained and prepared and smart, she struck me as pretty stupid to let herself be lead by lust. I don't know if I would have loved it, even if I knew what was going on the whole time. (I know I would have never been ok with Sam calling Cassandra "Bunny" in any scenario.) But I am sure I would have at least enjoyed it more than I did.

As for "The Ninja Vampire's Girl," this short story features Cassandra's sister Coco. At the beginning of the book, the author recommends that you read this first. I wish I had. It clearly and consisely lays out the world building that took so long for me to grasp in the full length book. Unlike Cassandra's story, this was told in first person, switching back and forth between Coco and Zane's perspective. Basically, our hero and heroine meet as Coco is trying to steal a halo to give to Cassandra for protection. Zane is hunting the Fallen it belonged to. And as they book work toward their respective goals, their paths cross and a spark is born between them. I liked this novella quite a lot. It was action packed, straightforward and sexy. More than the full length story did, the novella makes me want to check out the backlist in the series.

3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Lisarenee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. Try to read The Ninja Vampire's Girl, which is at the end of the book, before Ashes of Angels. It will flow better.

The Summoning:
A group of Vampires have found a way to summon Fallen Angels from the Ninth Void to earth. The Ninth Void is where the Fallen have been imprisoned for centuries. The vampires believe that a Nephilim's blood is the key to their being able to walk in the sun. They wish to test their theory. Their mission is to unite the Fallen with their Muse so that more Nephilim will be born.

She knew him before she met him......
Cassandra had pictured him in her mind and had even sculpted his image into a silver necklace. She'd been told he would come for her. She sensed he'd find her sooner rather than later.

How can you fight destiny.....
The mating of Fallen Angel and Muse is undesirable. They breed Nephilim which are vicious and will wreak havoc upon the world. Every Fallen Angel only has one Muse of it's own. That Muse is the only human female that the Angel can mate with. For a Muse finding her Fallen Angel spells disaster. The Angel is consumed with lust for its mate, and it's only mission is to impregnate her. Cassandra's mission is to kill her Fallen Angel before it has that chance. When she meets Samandiriel, however, she finds he's nothing like she been told, well, mostly.....

The review:
I've been wanting to try one of Harlequin's Nocturne books for a while and finally got the opportunity. In Ashes of Angels, I enjoyed seeing Samandiriel change Cassandra's opinion of him. He's determined to find a way back into the Above and regrets his fall from grace. He not only has to fight his baser instincts he's also trying to fight the feelings; he's starting to have for his Muse. I would have liked to have seen the The Ninja Vampire's Girl expanded. I truly enjoyed Zane and felt the Novella was a little rushed. Granted, there is only so much space allowed for a short story. The world of demons, vampires, angels, etc was fun. So if you're looking for a light read that has some gorgeous supernatural beings mixed in you may want to pick up this book. I gave both the book and novella 3 out of 5 roses.

Order to read series:

.5 Halo Hunter
1. Angel Slayer (Of Angels and Demons #1)
2. Fallen (Of Angels and Demons #2)
2.5 The Ninja Vampire's Girl
3. Ashes of Angels: Ashes of Angels\The Ninja Vampire's Girl

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/2011/...

This story is a bunch of silly and smexy fun set in Hauf’s Beautiful Creature’s World. You don’t have to read her books in order to understand this one because she does a good job of explaining the rules in the world she has created. This story is about Cassandra, a muse, and Samandriel (Sam), a Fallen Angel, and how they meet, fall in love and help save the world from a vampire willing to bring Hell on earth in his quest to live in the sun.

Cassandra is a great heroine. She is smart, funny and strong. She has spent her whole life being told she must never let her Fallen Angel (every muse has a Fallen Angel that they are bound to) find her, because they are evil and only want to impregnate their muse with a Nephilim monster, which will probably kill her at birth and then feed on the flesh of humans. I know, right? .

Samandriel (take a moment to roll my eyes at his silly, sappy self) is one of the Fallen. They got a bad rep. They weren’t very nice to their Muses when they fell but Sam isn’t like his Fallen Brothers. He respects women and doesn’t want to hurt them. He is completely innocent when it comes to love and sex (you can guess what this means ;). While Sam was smexy, can you say 30 foot wings made of silver with a body that rocks the mortal world? He is over the top with the “I respect women and will never hurt you”. To the point of annoying. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him. It was just the things that came out of his mouth were way too sappy for an alpha . The only time he wasn’t sappy was when he took on his half form and he spent the entire book trying not to. Well, in his defense he did become kind of an ass in that form.

The two made for some funny moments while she poked fun at his naivety, and there was some hot angel sex. If you enjoy cute and light reading with a predictable PNR HEA you will love this story. They won’t make my favorite couple list, but I tend to like things a little darker. The cool thing is while this was their story, the book is set in Hauf’s Beautiful Creature World and this is where this series shines!

My thoughts on the Beautiful Creature World:

Hauf has built a very complex world. She has created an original mythos involving Fallen Angels, Vampires, Muses and Demons that is totally kick ass! I was constantly amazed at her creativity and found my mouth hanging open and thinking “how freaking cool” many times. Even though I didn’t particularly like how Sam acted, I can’t wait to read more about the other creatures in this world!

You must visit Hauf’s website, she is quite the vampire lover ;) There are so many cool things to see there like a database of over 4500 vampire stories, a glossary of all the creatures in her world, a blog and many other little treasures, including trading cards for three of her sxexy heroes (you got to see these guys). Take a look at her bibliography! This is a busy lady. I am positive you will find something that will appeal to you.

*There is a short story at the end of Ashes of Angels that tells the story of how Cassandra’s sister, Coco meets her vampire lover Zane. It was such a cute and funny story, and Zane…the scarred Ninja vampire that thinks he is a monster and not worthy of love, will make you smile and squeee!

I am going to have to do one of my famous split ratings here (okay, I’ve only done it once before, but I have high aspirations)

This story gets 3 Sappy Sheep

The Beautiful Creature World gets 5 Freaking Clever Sheep!

[Tahlia Newland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashes of Angels is another great book by Michele Hauf with her usual blend of action, fantasy, rich characters, romance and, in this book, a touch of humour.
Hauf’s Fallen Angels are a particularly nasty kind. When summoned to earth by one who knows their name and sigil, they have the compulsion to mate with their very own muse, a woman marked with their sigil from birth and the one woman who can give them pleasure. Their one desire is to impregnate their muse so she will produce a nephilim, which in this story are evil monsters supposedly out to destroy the earth, not the sexy demon slayers of other stories.
If the Fallen can’t seduce their muse, they’ll take her by force. Rape by a divine being is still rape and giving birth to a monster that will likely kill you during the birthing process is downright scary. This is the scenario that Cassandra’s granny has trained her to avoid. Enter Samandriel, the raven-haired, silver-winged Fallen one, her Fallen one. She tries to get away but of course that’s impossible when he has the strength of twenty men. She soon discovers that Sam isn’t as Granny would have had her believe. He wants to redeem himself and return Above, also he’s not only downright sexy but also sweet and, yes, innocent - that is so long as he doesn’t have his wings out. Once he’s in that form, the compulsion takes over and he becomes dangerous. Luckily, Caz has some magic up her sleeve to help her get away from him and give her a chance to try to snap him out of it and back to his lovely self.
Fighting brings out his wings and he has to fight to stay alive. Other Fallen are after him, because he’s a renegade. He wants to save the muses from his brothers lust. He believes woman should be respected and not forced into producing monsters. He’s determined not to hurt Cassandra. In fact, he just wants to hold her hand. But the Sinistari demons are after him too. They’re ex-Fallen angels who got scooped up before their feet touched the earth and sent Below. Their task is to kill the Fallen.
Add to this, a dark vampire lord who’s calling more Fallen to earth to make nephilim, so they can drink the monsters blood in an attempt to be able to walk in the sun, and you have a recipe for plenty of action. The Angel’s carry their halos – they’re like a metal ring. Sam wears his at his hip and uses it like a boomerang. If a Fallen angel’s halo ever gets to sit above their head, they get a mortal soul, become mortal and forget their (less than) angelic past.
Despite the dangers, in order to stop the world becoming full of rampaging Nephilim, Cassandra needs Sam by her side, so they get to know each other and love grows. The question becomes – will Sam love her enough to give up his desire to return Above and slip on his mortal soul to stay with her? You’ll have to read it to find out.
How the link with the muse is made at birth - or maybe before - and how the mark appears, I don’t know, but I don’t really care because I was happy to go with the ride as we follow Cassandra’s story. I loved the way Caz had to teach Sam about sex. He isn’t the sexually experienced guy we usually get in romances; he’s the fast-learning innocent, which in this case, is just as good and very endearing. He even calls her Bunny!
I recommend the book for all lovers of paranormal romance and give it 5 stars.

[Books & Vodka Sodas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from Netgalley.com

I now love Michele Hauf! I saw so many mixed reviews on this book, I was so uncertain. However, there are so few good Paranormal Romance series about Angels. They sort of half do the Angel idea, and then run with some other supernatural creature the rest of the way through the series. However, Hauf takes this whole Angel mythology to a new level, and had me totally transfixed the entire way through. I honestly had trouble putting down the book. Not only did the characters suck me into their hearts and made me honestly care and feel for them. But the whole storyline was unique while still holding to the correct mythology on hybrid Angel creatures.

She took the whole inner light, harps and wings, and gave us not just sexually driven Angels, but she gave us one that not just had a huge glass heart, but was a great Alpha male. He wasn’t too over bearing but he didn’t hold back when he wanted something either. Sam was what I see as an Angel when I think of them. Strong, powerful, willing to fight for what he believes in and take risks, he even had moments of pure vulnerability where he begged forgiveness. I need that in a male sometimes. I need a man to be willing to admit that he did wrong, that he couldn’t fully protect the woman, and that he may need the woman’s help to aid the cause.

That then brings us to our heroine Cassandra. I loved her, she was the type of woman I love to read about. She was kick ass, she was unique, and she wasn’t a weeping violet. But she also knew when she was going to lose a fight. She could stop, think and go “Well, I know I can’t kick this Angels ass, so perhaps I should run or use some magic.” Females that are just flat out a perfect killing machine just aren’t real to me. Women that are impulsive, dynamic, and admit when they need a helping hand suck me in and make me want to cry when anything bad happens to them in the book. Cassandra was written in such a way.

I saw so many people review this book as 3 Stars, I’m not sure why. I was totally wrapped into this story and how well it was weaved for me. It was complicated without being to overdone. It was well played, and gave me a great ending that made me want more from this series and will make me go out and buy more of Hauf’s books in the future!

[Scooper Speaks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Favorite Lines: “Angels were…not good. The Fallen ones Granny Stevens had taught her about were downright evil. They were as spiteful, selfish and dangerous as some mortals.” (p. 9 e-galley)

Ashes of Angels is the third book in Michele Hauf’s of Angels and Demons series. There are also three novellas in the series. Hauf has a lengthy backlist and several books currently available, as well as soon to be released.

Hauf is not a new name to me, although I don’t believe I’ve read any of her books. Unfortunately, Ashes of Angels is not a story that makes me want to jump in to her backlist. I’m hoping it’s a fluke, but I just couldn’t connect with the story.

My problem is not with the idea of the story, but with the characters ability to fall in love. Cassandra was taught her whole life to avoid angels, but she manages to find the only good fallen angel in existence. Within chapters she is in like with the one angel who is meant for her, Samandiriel. Sure she tries to escape, but of course she gets into trouble and her angel steps in to save her. I think it’s meant to be a gift from god to both Sam and Cassandra, but it felt contrived.

That disbelief began to color everything I read. Things began to happen a too easily. Little work needed to be done in order to achieve goals for all except poor Sam who cannot shift into his angel form without wanting to rape Cassandra. So no matter who or what he battles, he can’t use his best tools aka his silver wings. Of course with all romances there is a happy ending, but the conclusion of Ashes of Angels felt rushed. Cassandra kept flashing from fear to lust and I got annoyed.

There were plenty of things to like about the story. I enjoyed the twist which turned angelic beings into dangerous rapists and I liked the introduction of vampires to the world. Too bad I got hung up at the beginning of the book and couldn’t let go enough to enjoy the book.

Knowledge Bite: There is a previously e-published novella attached to the end of the book. The Ninja Vampire’s Girl is a short novella about Cassandra’s sister, Coco finding love with a vampire. It’s told in the first person point of view and is a nice introduction to Coco.
Scooper Speaks

[Lenna Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the bonus story first since it takes place 3 months before Ashes of Angels takes place. The story was a quick read, wished it has more in the story but over all it was good. Coco Stevens, Cassandra's sister is hunting halos for her sister but when she has one it starts to glow blue, but before that she has a run in with a vampire Zane and he has to protector her from the Fallen that are falling. She had a moment of stupidity when she actually throw the halo she finds at the angel but instead of acting like a boomerang the thought they do, until Zane told her it only does that for its owner. Eventually everything works out at the end they collect the angel ash for any soon to be born monster angel babies that might be born soon.

As for Ashes, Cassandra Stevens creates a silver angel and its almost a look alike to the Fallen that soon comes to earth to rape her to create a monster baby. But while out clubbing with a neighbor guy, shes dancing at this club and finds a really sexy, GQ type model of a man and she is tempted with sinfully ideas to him. Little did Cassandra realize that she falls for the one being that is there to bring her death. The Fallen, Sam, tracks Cassandra to the night club and is there to try and get her to trust him and get her out of the town before the vampires do harm to her. Little did Sam know what this little mortal female has in store for him. He would never realize that Cassandra knows more things that he does or hopping she wouldn't think about, let along the book that the vamp leader has been wanting since he started to call the Fallen back to earth.

This was a great book to the ending of a great mini series of Angels & Demons, Wished there were more or even in other parts of Michele Haufs books that we can see how the formal angels &/or demons are doing. I would recommend this series and well and other series under Micheles name. I have read most of her books and I have not been disappointed in her writing or stories.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Nocturne
Author’s Website: http://www.michelehauf.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Of Angels and Demons
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy

Cassandra is a Muse -- the one woman on earth with whom a particular Fallen Angel can sire a nephilim, an abomination that can bring about the world's destruction. Having known of her destiny her entire life, she's extensively trained in self defense, determined to be able to protect herself when the evil Fallen angel comes after her.

However, when the day finally comes, she discovers that Samandriel -- the oh-so-sexy Fallen angel whose sigil matches her own -- is nothing like the evil rapist she's been taught to expect, and can't help but feel an immediate connection and attraction.

However, another muse was not so lucky with her Fallen angel, and soon evil incarnate walks the earth -- and it's up to Sam and Cassandra to stop it.

I really wavered hard with this rating. I couldn't decide if it was 2.5 or 3 stars. Looking strictly at all my negative points, I was definitely leaning towards the 2.5, but when I think about how much I enjoyed the mythology behind the narrative, I think I am going to have to settle with a 3/5.

There was also a Nocturne Bites short story at the end that tells Coco and Zane's story. That rated a 1.5/5 for me, mainly because of the first-person narrative that kept switching back and forth between Coco and Zane with no warning. The storyline itself was fine, and the sex was wonderfully hot, just the shifting POV was flat out awful.

[Books to the Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Check out more reviews on Books to the Sky.

(We received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.)

I hate to say it, but I had a really hard time getting into this book.

Fallen angels come after their muses and "attempt" them ("attempt" being another word for sexually assault) and then the muse gets pregnant with a nephilim, an evil baby thing that eats people and generally destroys the world.

The vampires for some reason want the main character and muse, Cassandra, to get impregnated with a nephilim because they wanted it's blood so they could become day walkers (I think).

Cassandra has been spending her life learning to defend herself for when her fallen angel comes to "attempt" her. And then Samandiriel (her fallen angel) shows up, and tells her he doesn't want to rape her and they set out to right the world.

It was a ridiculously large plot shoved into a not so large book.

Because there was SO much going on, the characters weren't well developed in my opinion. Cassandra went from one minute being absolutely terrified of Sam and then the next she was all over him.

And in the beginning of the book, it's mentioned that when a fallen angel arrives to earth, they walk the earth and automatically learn every culture and language and everything there is to know about the world.


So how come he didn't understand slang or sex?

As far as the steamy parts of the book, I was so busy trying to wrap my brain around the plot that I wasn't even interested in the sex.


I kept telling myself the book would get better and unfortunately it didn't. It ended rather predictably.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting:
Berlin

Theme:
Monsters, loving monsters, fallen angels, redemption

Character:
Fallen Angel (doomed to the 9th region after the flood – Fallen because the angels wanted sex with women – the angels are of a metal, taught to humans, then the Flood took them to a deep region where they were imprisoned)

Cassandra Stevens – marked with a sigel, that matches a Fallen Angel; and granny taught her all about it – that the fallen (in his half form) would rape her, impregnate her, and she would give birth to a Nephilim (deformed, demon child); she has trained her life to be able to fight them…

Rococo ‘Coco’ Stevens – her sister, trained with her, but does not have the sigel.

Zane – Coco’s vampire boyfriend. Pretty fun, strong, scarred when fought and angel killer.

Samandiriel “Sam” – Cassandra’s Fallen Angel – but he immediately reformed (called the outlaw by the other Fallen) realizing that human women should have a choice… he wants to return Above.

Ophelia O’Malley – marked, raped by a Fallen, 3 months pregnant – Coco and Zane is watching over her, but she steps leaves when she is ready to deliver.

Archangel Raphael – not too encouraging with Samandiriel.

Antonio del Gado – old vampire, that wants to go out during the day… needs a Nephilim’s blood – he has Cassandra’s book with the sigels and Fallen’s name – and he is calling them (called Sam, etc)

Summary:
Sam finds Cassandra – they fall in love – they fight the vampires and other Fallen – and stay in love… and Sam takes humanity to be with Cassandra for her life.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story! It was so unique and very well written. This is the first book I have read of Michele Hauf's and I know it will not be my last! Cassandra has been told her whole life that Sam is destined to "attempt" her because that is the only reason the angels fell. But this is one muse who was unprepared to actually like her fallen! I loved Sam's innocence. He has only been on earth for two days, and everything is such a new concept for him, aside from what he learned in the few hours he ran around the world. Cassandra's character is tough and totally in love with risks and putting herself in danger. I also liked how this story included a short story about Cassandra's sister, Coco, and her beau, who are present in the main story. I think this is the first book I have ever read that included angels, muses, vampires, and demons that all play important parts and I loved it! Overall, this unique story is one that I would recommend to all the paranormal romance readers out there!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read The Vampire's Girl first. MH says it won't affect your enjoyment of Ashes of Angels but I liked to read the background material presented in the short story first. I'm not normally a paranormal reader so every little bit counts.

Sam, the angel, was innocent but bad, too, in a good kinda way. The middle kinda dragged on in Ashes of Angels with the will he/won't he storyline but the beginning and the ending action parts were good.

You could almost see the story as a movie, I think, but the kissy kissy stuff would have to go. Resolving the conflict with the awful bad creature and the horribly evil vampire was almost too easily done, imho, but like I said, I'm not normally a paranormal reader so this stuff probably happens all the time, right?

As an aside, is there anybody who wants to see an angel become an ordinary man? We already have too many of those. Sam could have shown some ordinary gals some heavenly technique we'd probably all love to read about.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story. I loved the Fallen angel,Samandiriel. He was an outlaw among the Fallen angels. They felt the only reason for them was to find their muse, mate with her, and father a Nephilim. Sam defies this purpose and becomes the protector of the muses.

Cassandra Stevens, silversmith and muse extraordinaire, meets Sam in a nightclub. She comes onto him and things are never the same. You see Caz knows what she is and has been in training to kill any Fallen angel that comes her way.

Sparks really begin to fly when Caz runs away from Sam. She is trapped in an alley with a nest of vampires. The vampires are calling the Fallen to earth from the Ninth Realm to mate with their muses. The vamps want to be able to walk in the day. The legend says the only way this can happen is by drinking the blood of a Nephilim (the product of a Fallen angel and his human muse).

[Cleffairy Cleffairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea
Review date: 22 July 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5754

Ashes of Angel by Michele Hauf is a very tantalizing read. The storyline was highly original and imaginative, and I like how the forbidden love theme being played throughout the entire story.

If you’re a fan of paranormal romance, then this is definitely your thing, but be forewarned, the book is pretty much on the darker side and if you’re the kind do not like badass of a fallen angel, then you should stay away from this book.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I received an ARC of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review for this book.

[Lizzielvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the continuation of the halo hunters vs. the vampires, you meet Sam and Cassandra. I liked Sam & Cassandra, but I didn’t connect to them as much as I would have liked, I was more interested in Coco & Zane from “The Vampire Ninja’s Girl” (which is a bonus story in this edition of the book). The story moves quickly, sexy scenes between the lead couple, a good amount of humor and some really great action scenes.

Demon’s & Angels is one of my favorite series by Michele Hauf. I become absorbed in every new book in the series. The concept of the angels is fascinating, each one is unique, and the demons, although they don’t change, are amazing as well.

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cassandra Stevens was a muse and she had been warned of a Fallen angel who would one day come to impregnate her with a nephilim, an evil offspring. But no one knew that Samandriel, a raven-haired, silver winged Fallen one, would fall heads over heels for her.

Against her will, Sam stirred her suppressed desires, but for her own sake she dared not arouse his carnal ones. Sam had been summoned by a vampire lord, and more Fallen were on their way. Despite everything, Cassandra needed Sam by her side, but because the only way for them to stop the apocalypse was if they worked together.

Interesting story.

[jD · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first arc I was unable to finish. I returned it. I liked the alpha male lead angle but not the heroine. The pace was aggressive for so many variables to play out fully and smoothly. I am sure there is a following for this series but I am not a present or future fan. HOWEVER -- I would read Michele Hauf's other books in a heartbeat.

[Barbi Faye (The Book Fae) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cassandra is a muse, and has been warned against being impregnated with an evil nephilim. What will she do when winged Samandriel, a Fallen one, has easily captured her heart? Not only desirous of each other, they need each other to stem a dangerously deadly impending apocalypse. Supernatural romance ensues!!

[Karen Duvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book and an interesting perspective on fallen angels. I enjoyed the unique mythology Hauf created for the characters. Despite a number inconsistencies, it was still a fun read. I will look for more books by this author.

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to get into this novel, but it just dragged on too much, and Cassandra was too nervous about trusting anyone new that it felt very redundant at times. =0/

Review By: https://fromjesstoyou.com/

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

review coming to I Smell Sheep soon!