From Heaven to Earth

The Faith of the Fallen #1

by Sherrod Wall

Someone on Earth is sapping God's immortality. Unless action is taken, He will cease to exist.

Drean, God's personal caretaker, follows a lead in a desperate attempt to save his Father and life itself. Drean's descent to Earth spurs legions of demons, angels and generations of their half-breeds to rise up and usurp God once and for all.

In the war to come, angel's wings will be severed, raining blood and ash from Heaven's skies, staining Earth forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal

527 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2013

About the author

Thanks for visiting my page! For more info on me click here : http://www.amazon.com/Sherrod-Wall/e/...

Reviews

[Segilola Salami · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Heaven to Hell

I'm sorry but I do not like cliff hangers. Although my review is not based on that I just want to point out that I think intentionally failing to tie up a story, even if only temporarily, is unfair to readers and very frustrating. As for the book itself I am giving it three stars because it shows tremendous promise as a great paranormal series. The premise is uniquely fascinating and made me spend a lot of time reflecting on faith and omnipotence, the characters were overflowing with creative elements and the author's complex narrative schematics were hands down impressive. I didn't like the shifting sands that were the book's points of view. It was not easy staying in the scene when you thought you were following a character who got switched three paragraphs prior. It was also a task understanding a lot of the world-building blocks. I think the author should go back and publish a prequel or some other story guide to help readers gain their footing. It would have helped me dig in with more ease and confidence. So many important things seemed to just hang in mid-air. Sherrod Wall is clearly on to something great here but unless he slows down and crafts the narrative with precision and patience, many readers will give up before they see the best of what he has to offer - and I do believe the best is yet to come.

[Jarynth ♛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished the book today :) YAYAYAYA! I really like this book, it's really descriptive and i'm just *speechless* great author! each chapter wants to continue on, more on like an action, romance, kind of a mystery book all together! That's why it's always exciting to turn into the next page :DDDD This book is an awesome one! 5 star :) :DDD ummhh. ye.. i would like to thank Liam my bf, for recommending me this awesome book! :) :DDDD :)

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is AWESOME. It has Action, romance and a little mystery all packed in one! The main charcter is astounding and the author (my friend, Sherrod Wall) is creating a sequel and he tells me it will be out soon. This is a bit more for mature teens and up, I am a mature teen at the age of 11 and still Amazing.

[J.B. Trepagnier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read and I could see how it would set the scene for future books, but perhaps there were too many subplots shoved into one novel? We see Satan at the beginning and we know he is plotting something, but we don't hear anything else about that for the rest of the book. We know there is a mole in Heaven, but I wasn't sure what his motivation was for what he ended up doing. The book takes another veer right towards the end and then again at the very end with the introduction of Peter and a war against half breeds then a new plot is introduced at the very last chapter for the next few books.

I did enjoy the book and would be interested in seeing where the plot goes. The characters are well written and while it's based on Christian and other mythology, the concept of religion is toned down. The different creatures introduced in the book are imaginative. Some are from mythology I knew and some are either from a vivid imagination or mythology I'm not aware of. There's a lot of back story in here and several long game plots that should fuel the rest of the series

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently read this story by Mr. Sherrod Wall and I am giving it 3.75 out of 5 stars.

I will make this review easy to read and start with what I enjoyed. I absolutely loved the images of Heaven that Sherrod created. I loved the levels of angels, I loved the buildings and I loved his description of the Christian God. What he created in my head was stunning and I really appreciated Wall's creativity when it came to creating this new world. I also loved the different types of creatures he created on Earth. We have half-breeds, demons, succubae, and even humans who have gained magical abilities. Each species had very specific powers and characteristics that I very much enjoyed reading. What could have come off sounding like a game of World of Warcraft was actually well written and entertaining.

Now let's get to the parts I wasn't feeling as much. While I read the book I kept getting the feeling that I was missing something. I kept thinking that there must have been a book before this one that better explained some characters and I should go back and read it, but this is the first book in this series. It's just a bit disjointed in the beginning and that sometimes made it hard to follow. Some characters were underdeveloped and I feel like more time should have been focused on them, in particular Gerald and Shrazz, I could have even used a little more of the story about Lucifer but maybe that will be in the next book in the series. The most disappointing part of this story is the character Drean. I didn't really enjoy reading anything about him and I wanted to. He is the hope for the Earth but he's just so inept in this first book. I recognize that he is a new angel fresh to Earth but every time he is in a conflict his skills and common sense seem to desert him. Hopefully he gets better in the next book.

I am looking forward to continuing this series and I would recommend it to other people who enjoy this style of writing.

-book provided by the Author through PNR NaUBA group Author/Reader Exchange

[Robert Spake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I liked this book. I really loved the concepts of Heaven and Hell and how the author works in God and angels and demons and all manner of other creatures. I thought the depictions of these mystical beings was well-thought out and very imaginative. I also liked how the nature of Heaven was discussed and how the nature of God interacted with the universe and how it was all inter-connected.

There were a few twists that were very unexpected and shocking, so I loved those bits as well. Most of the characters were pretty interesting, but the main strength of the book is the descriptive voice, the author really does a great job of painting a picture with words and the imagery was great.

However, by the end of the book I was left feeling a little unsatisfied. I know this is part of a series, but my personal preference is that books in series can be read as standalone works, but I think this one almost needs the next one to complement it. A few new characters are introduced towards the end of the book and it's frustrating because you want to read more but...you can't, and I feel that the book may have been better served had it focused on wrapping up the main story of this book rather than setting the scene for the next one.

But then again some people might like that the book leads in to the next one. Overall is a good story with some very interesting concepts and great descriptions.

[Carly Ellen Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until I read Wall's From Heaven to Earth, I hadn't read a paranormal novel that really made me slow down and think. This story forced me to grapple with real (or at least realistic) ideological and religious concepts, including religious taboos - in that sense, this is a five star book! Richly interwoven story lines and complex, well written battle scenes are highlights of this novel.

I must admit, I struggled mightily with the first few chapters, and went back to Chapter 1 more than once. I would have loved a little something before Chapter 1... a bit more foundation laying and context setting... something to help me hold onto what I was trying to absorb from all of the characters and conversations introduced in the first ten percent or so of this novel. It's entirely possible, however, that this perceived need reflects my own deficiencies as a reader more than any possible shortcomings in the writing. I am fairly new to the paranormal genre, and this isn't a rookie's book. ;)

Do I plan to read the sequel? Absolutely! I don't write spoilers into reviews, so all I can safely add here is that I am more than a little bit curious about what happens next. Sherrod Wall is a talented author who challenges me as a reader - a delightful combination!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 52%

I am going to have to shelve this read for a time.

The hand drawn cover I personally do not like and I almost didn't pick up this read. The second cover that I saw is much nicer with vivid blue.

That being said there were some interesting concepts and ideas in this book. I really enjoyed the fascinating descriptions of the world that Mr. Wall has created. There were different types of creatures from Heaven and Hell as well as cross-breeding, transformations, and hidden beings. It was all fascinating and very confusing as the emotions from the standpoint of the characters were hard to understand.

The characters were interesting and varied but the book jumped from character to character with little development and left me feeling confused. I could not get a solid read on any of the characters. I think that so far my favourite character would be Gerald. He is trying so hard to get himself sorted out for his lady.

Overall, not a bad read but it I just can't seem to get into it.

Book provided by the Author through PNR NaUBA group Author/Reader Exchange

[T.L. Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story showed promise. I liked the premise of God dying, but...

There were too many beings introduced without an explanation of what they are. I was left feeling confused as to who was on which side at some points, despite having a fair understanding of these things.

The book is billed as 'east meets west mythology'. It does fulfil this, but I felt it was Greek mythology meeting Christian, but that could be more because of my own knowledge. It was an original take on the workings of heaven, but it didn't sit comfortably for me (no, I'm not a Christian though). It was more the contradictions which made it feel uncomfortable.

God and Satan are supposed to be all-seeing/all-knowing, yet are susceptible to subterfuge by beings who apparently have no free will.

I would have liked more of a hint where the Faithstream was/how it was being syphoned off, causing God's demise. Where would book 2 lead me?

It's slow to start, but better once the action starts.
In fact, despite being a lover not a fighter, the fight scenes are the ones which shone for me.
The writer seems to let their creative juices flow in these, and I would like to see the same energy applied to the rest of the book.

This all sounds quite negative, but once it got going, I still quite enjoyed this book.
I really liked Drean and his...transition. He faces some fun challenges, and meets some interesting beings.

[Gloria Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review-From Heaven to Earth by Sherrod M. Wall

Vividly told, action packed, this story concerns the struggle for power. Wall gives us a different look at supernatural forms. Here, though they travel to and from the physical plane to the inter-dimensional, all are secular, even God.

Confusion accompanied me through several chapters because explanations come late, not until Chapter 8 or even 18. Terms should be explained at first mention. For example, skia, exous, the Falling Curtain. Include a glossary of characters and terminology.

Sometimes a flashback seems indistinguishable from the present. For example, the war in Heaven, or Peter’s battle with Gerald.

I reread chapters before I understood the action occurred in the physical plane or the inter-dimensional. Sometimes a character has a seizure, which happens so abruptly I’m looking for a missing sentence.

Lack of logic bothers me. Such as, if angels have no free will, how can they rebel? If angels have no sex, how can they be male and female, capable of lust? And for the act of one female angel, why should all female angels be banned from Heaven? Why is God a male individual instead of a universal force that contains both male and female principle?

Enough said about my quibbles. This is a complex tale in which new characters continue to emerge and old characters transform.

The first main character we meet is Gerald, a fallen angel. He seeks redemption, so God tells him to help Drean.

Drean is a seraph, a defender of God. Drean has been given free will and sent from Heaven to Earth to learn about humans and love.

Riell is a female half angel who has partnered with Shrazz, a demon. They are commanded to capture Drean and deliver him to Satan. Riell finds Drean attractive and decides to describe Gerald as the angel they are seeking.

Eventually Drean discovers God is dying. Why? Because the Faithstream that empowers Him is being diverted.

Aware of God’s problem, the characters seek the Faithstream, for God or to become God. Battles overflow with supernatural power as fighters transform or diminish. Tension mounts as sympathetic characters seem to win, only to lose. Battle scenes are long and detailed. A bit too much for my taste.

Drean needs to recover the Faithstream. Shrazz wants it for the power it will give him.

Satan wants to divert it.

To recover it, Gerald, Riell, and Drean descend into Hell, leaving us to read the continuing adventure in the next book, From Earth to Hell.

I prefer books that can stand alone, even if they belong in a series.

The story is so complex that if this book were a movie, many characters would not appear onscreen. Generally well written with few errors. Interesting and imaginative.

[Warren Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel opens with a startling premise; God is dying. The faithstream from Earth, which sustains him, is being diverted. Without it, he is losing his ability to control the universe he created.

So he summons his personal guardian, a powerful angel he has kept in captivity for millennia. He gives the guardian a new name, a crucial assignment, and a gift. Newly christened Drean, the angel is sent to Earth to find out what has happened to the faithstream. What he finds on Earth is a bewildering array of power struggles, plots, and assorted megalomaniacs. And that is just among the humans.

Co-existing with the ordinary people on Earth is a spectacular variety of angels, demons, and half-breeds, each with his or her own self-serving agenda.

Initially naive and inept, Drean's development as a character is shaped by his interaction with some of these larger than life beings. During his sojourn he encounters Gerald, a fallen angel who has all but given up on God; Shrazz, a powerful demon who is tempted by the devil (literally); and Riell, who is basically Xena, warrior princess, in demon form.

The story climaxes in a series of epic battles between protagonists of the various angelic and demonic factions. Be warned; the battle scenes are violent, vicious, and vivid, and if that is what you are looking for, you won't be disappointed.

The prose is not without its faults, however, and it would be remiss of me not to mention this. At times the character point of view changes too rapidly, often within the same scene or event, which makes it hard to keep track of who is doing or thinking what. And there is also the occasional odd word selection, such as the use of the word 'drug' in place of 'dragged'. "He drug his feet along and sat back down on the couch."

And what about the gift Drean was given at the beginning? That I won't disclose; it is central to the story and I don't want to give away too much.

(I received a free copy of this story in exchange for a credible review.)

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to do a little bit different kind of review today. When I first read the blurb for this book~the concept intrigued me on so many levels. I love books that explore the nature of Heaven, Earth, Hell, Angels, Demons, and including Halfbreeds as well. To be honest I'm completely floored by this book. The book I thought I was getting is completely different from the one that I read. This book is among the ranks of page/chapter turner.

I find that this book characters were not plastic, stilted, over the top unbelievable. My two favorite characters of the book were Riell and Drean. Riell is bad ass chick that pulls no punches with anyone including Shrazz. Drean, what can I say about him? He's the most childlike person I've ever seen in a written character. He personifies what you hope humanity should be and thensome. For me, Drean's having free will as a Seraph makes him the most human character of the book period.

The story overall was good. Like I said the characters were well written and cleverly thought out too. The author did an excellent job of showing the differences in cult for humans, The Fallen, Angels, and the like. I will definitely be on the look out for the next book in this series.

[Cassandra Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts off with an angel named Drean, who is charged by God to discover what is diverting the Faithstream and thus causing God’s powers to wane. To this end, Drean is given free will and sent to Earth, largely ignorant of its inhabitants and way of life. The first few chapters are a little confusing because it jumps from character to character with little explanation, but as you learn more about the characters and mythology, the story begins to make sense.

The battles were vivid and quite graphic, which I didn’t mind, but others might find it to be a bit too violent. There are also a lot of character jumps, which can become confusing at times, but I found it interesting to see the world from these various perspectives. I love the world this author created, his view on heaven and hell, and was captivated by all the fantastic creatures inhabiting the Earth. These mystical creatures were very imaginative and well thought out.

Overall, it was a pretty good read. It could use some more character development, but I assume the next book will expand upon this. I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy.

I was given a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by the author for an honest review.

As I begin I will say that I am a big fan of paranormal. I absolutely love books that think outside the book and make me really wonder. The characters were well thought of and I really felt that I knew them which is a hard thing to do for me. I am the type of person who reads a book and I have to know who I am reading about to get the story. It takes a great author to make characters of the unknown angels, demons, etc. believable and I think the author did a great job of this. While I loved the book I do feel that the beginning was slow and although I promised to read the book it took me a minute to get into it. I felt that it jumped around from person to person and it was really confusing this however was the only thing that bothered me about the book. After the first few chapters I felt like I was a part of the story. I have to say that I loved Drean. I just wanted him to be developed more. I cannot tell you in which way because I still have not figured that out but, I do have to say that I will definately read the next book in the series.

[Ronesa Aveela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It kept me wondering what was going to happen from the very first page until the last. It is a classic story of good vs. evil, but takes on a new twist, with fallen angels, half breed angels and demons, and other demon types. You never really know who is "good" and who is "evil," the two forces seldom clearly defined in any one character. This is more than a battle between mankind and supernatural forces. The story has a deeper meaning, about faith in God, the price of peace.

The world of the half-breeds and the angels/demons themselves are vividly created for readers. I also truly enjoyed the poetic nature of much of the writing. I always appreciate an author who carefully chooses words with which to convey his/her thoughts, rather than merely telling a story. It is also filled with humor (dry or possibly slapstick, at times).

My only complaint is that the switching POV from time to time breaks the flow of the story, and makes it difficult to always know who is speaking. But this does not detract much from the overall world that this story drew me into. Looking forward to the sequel.

[E.G. Manetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

In From Heaven to Earth, Sherrod Wall has created a vivid and violent universe where Angels, Demons and half-breeds of both species roam freely on earth and between dimensions, mostly causing pain destruction to each other and any nearby hapless humans. The narrative moves quickly from one battle to another, one set of characters to the next as the story explores the nature of good and evil, loyalty and love, and the component of free will in both. The pantheon of characters itself is large and creative, although limited in character development making it difficult to become invested in their fates. The rapid shifts in perspective from one character’s narrative line to the next can be confusing, and require some backtracking. The rapid pace of the narrative flow does keep the novel moving as each dramatic encounter or battle builds in intensity. Fans of fantasy action/thriller games and movies will enjoy this book with its graphic and often gruesome battles and the lush use of color in descriptions

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

God is dying. Angels, half-breeds, fallen angels and demons fight in savage battles. The struggle for dominance is in full-swing. Off we go on a wild ride.

Mr Wall is a good writer. His knowledge and command of language is of a high standard. He builds interesting worlds. The descriptions of these worlds are vivid without being too lengthy. Some of the characters are well fleshed-out.

The pacing, however, was a bit off. I found my attention beginning to wander at around the halfway mark. By 65% I was a little antsy. I think the fight scenes were too long and descriptive, even for a former martial artist like me.

The story moved location and the interest picked up again. Zombies aren’t my thing, but they were interesting in this case.

Near the end of the story, I began to lose track of characters. There are just so many, and with the constant action, it was easy to become confused.

“From Heaven to Earth” is a well-written book for lovers of action-filled fantasy.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest and non-reciprocal review.

3.5 Stars

[Hock Tjoa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is well written fantasy and will amuse if not enthrall many. The author has raised (but not addressed) some serious issues about God and Freewill and Love. He has created characters that illustrate these issues and sent them into a tale of wonder. But the whole lacks coherence.

Creations of the author's imagination abound: half-breeds, demons (bal' dir and bal' duz), enchanters, exous, exous elites, skia, succubus, incubus, and darbas, not to mention a paladin--or were there more? Also Archbishop Erantu and Verrill the Unbreakable, but you get the picture. Enough to demonstrate the fecundity of Wall's mind, but also to show he does not communicate a clear map of what place they each have.

Fights, battles, powers prevail arbitrarily. I enjoyed reading this as I enjoyed Hellboy comics. This story deserves to be more; but it has gotten lost in the telling. What is the answer? What was the question?

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars! Since Goodreads doesn't allow for 1/2, I rounded up based on the books originality. I've never been a big fan of paranormal stories with angels, but From Heaven to Earth is so filled with action and adventure, not to mention incredible locations and creatures. The characters are solid and interesting and each has enough angst to propel the story. Commenting too deeply would certainly spoil this adventure, so suffice it to say, for me, From Heaven to Earth read as a hybrid paranormal fantasy and super-hero adventure. It contains elements of both, particularly in its themes of half-breed prejudice, detailed battles, and supernatural powers.

On the critical side, I found technical issues with the book that held it back. It may have been my copy, since none of the other reviewers mentioned them. Since I can't be sure, I'll leave my comments there.

Overall, a good read.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from LoP in return for an honest review.

Let me start by saying do not give up on this book. The first few chapters were so confusing. I felt like I needed a glossary. However, when things were finally explained I began to enjoy the book more. It is about the struggle between good and evil and battle between Heaven and Earth. Eventually, the lines between good and evil and Heaven and Earth blur. There are so corny parts in the book and unneeded dialogue but overall the story was a great one. I liked the idea of an Angel coming to Earth to try to save us..again. I was confused as to why half-breeds were known to a lot of people and how enchantments were introduced to ordinary humans. I think some back story would have helped but over all it was a creative story and a good read. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Maggie Hasbrouck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: This is a very ambitious book with plenty of interesting world building and thought-provoking ideas about good and evil.

Writing: A mixed bag for me. At times the writing was very strong. Throughout the book the author is very descriptive, bringing the story alive. At the same time, the dialogue was often stiff. The point of view jumped from one character to another without warning, making it tough to follow. In my opinion, we were inside the head of too many characters. The fight scenes, usually not my favorite thing, were very well done.

Plot: We jump right into the plot, which is great, but in this case also confusing. The plot itself is very creative, yet it was hard to follow and full of gaps that left me guessing. Because of this, I was never quite able to just relax into the story. The ending was a bit of a letdown. It takes some work trying to keep things straight and get through the book. I wanted all the threads to be wrapped up and to make sense, instead, we were left hanging.

Characters: The characters were likable, different and very interesting. I would have liked to stick with just one or two of them and really delve deeper into their psyche. There’s an interesting love triangle that kept my attention, but at the same time, I just didn’t believe it. The passionate love between these two very unlikely characters happened way too fast.

Recommendation: If I could, I’d give it a 3.5. For all its shortcomings, I still recommend taking a look at this book if you like a thought-provoking fantasy. The author dives head-on into religion and this booked sparked several dinner time conversations in my house.

[Sandy Wolters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: From Heaven To Earth
Series: The Faith of the Fallen - Book 1
Author: Sherrod M. Wall
Publisher: Ensenada Publishing
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: Adult

FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH by SHERROD M. WALL is a fantasy novel about the ultimate good vs evil - angel vs demon, God vs the devil. The plot in this book is very intricate, so I'm not going to even try to summarize it for fear of giving away too many spoilers.

Mr. Wall was able to create images in my head about heaven and earth that dropped me right into the scene. I was able to visualize the breathtaking worlds his words drew in my mind's eye. He also did not use the standard angel/demon characters. He introduced different levels of entities with varied strengths and weaknesses, which I really enjoyed.

My favorite scenes in this book were the epic battles, and there were several. Mr. Wall has a true gift when writing this type of scene. While reading these battle scenes, I found myself clutching my Kindle, holding my breath and turning pages faster and faster to find out what was going to happen next.

I did have a few problems with this book. It took quite a bit of reading (20% in) until I felt I was finally getting into the story. The beginning of the book seemed a little confusing to me. At times, I became frustrated because the author would jump to another scene without the proper set up. Some dialog between characters, especially at crucial points in the book, seemed to be quickly written and did not ring true that the character would actually speak in such a manner. It came across as almost juvenile at times.

FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH is book 1 in The Faith of the Fallen series, but in actuality, this is more like a serial. There was no conclusion to the original storyline in this book, which disappointed me. My feeling is that if a book is over 500 pages, there should be a resolution to the storyline instead of having to wait to read the next book unless I am aware ahead of time that the book is in serial form. I was expecting a resolution and just did not get one.

My biggest complaint about this book is the character of Drean. He's God's right-hand angel sent to earth to save heaven. His character is so naive, so childlike and innocent, he was overtaken very easily in every battle by lesser entities and needed others to save him. I was looking for the strength of Michael; instead I got the strength of a cherub.

I can't say that I will be reading the next book in this series, but I can say that I found many strengths in Mr. Wall's writing. I am going to add Mr. Wall to my author watch list, and I plan on picking up another story of his to read in the future as long as it is not labeled as part of a series.

Reviewed by Sandy Wolters
Guest Reviewer for the Paranormal Romance Guild

[Judy Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came away from this book with some mixed feelings.

The Good: This book would make a terrific anime cartoon series. There's a lot of flashy color and fight scenes, lots of neat monsters, a bit of sex, and a pretty big cast of characters.

The Bad: What makes for a great anime is different than what makes a great book. As a book, I had a lot of trouble with this.

There were several reasons. I wanted to rearrange the first few chapters to introduce Drean first, since this is really his story, and things didn't get interesting until he was introduced. The point of view was all over the place, which kept me from connecting with anyone and was often confusing. I also had a hard time with flashbacks, which weren't clearly defined all the time. And sometimes these creatures who are supposed to be hundreds if not thousands of years old, sounded like five-year-olds arguing. (Particularly the scene where they're driving.)

In addition to those annoyances, I also felt like the world had no coherent rule system. There were a ton of different types of angels and demons and other things that I couldn't keep track of, and rules about free will and Inner that seemed to change whenever it was convenient. It reminded me of Star Trek and how whenever they get into a bind, they just pull some pseudo-scientific crap out of their behind. (Example--in a society that has sorcery and where the sorcerers are actually studying the half-breeds enough to make sophisticated armor based on their powers, why wouldn't the general public know about the demons and half-breeds? That made no sense to me.)

All this aside, I can see this book appealing to YA readers or readers who love a good fight. As others have said, there are a lot of neat descriptions of the battles and the creatures fighting them. I also think that overall this was a cool concept. I think if I understood the rules of magic/Inner better towards the beginning of the book, then it wouldn't feel like things were haphazardly thrown in. Die hard readers of fantasy will probably have problems with the world building, but readers just looking for a good angel/demon fight book may not care. I would recommend this book for those just wanting a simple action fantasy.

[Franca Pelaccia · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Heaven to Earth is an incredibly imaginative view of the fall of Heaven, God, and angels, everything those of us brought up Catholic would never have imagined or been allowed to imagine. At the root of the fall is passion or love, love turned to hate, the concept or rather absence of free will, and a tyrannical God. It all starts with Lucifer falling in love with a female angel, Annarae. Annarae, along with all the other female angels, are then tossed out of Heaven by God, which then prompts Lucifer to start a revolt. Ultimately, Lucifer and his allies are also kicked out. Lucifer now wants the ultimate revenge. He wants to block the Faithstream from earth to Heaven and destroy God.
The concept was intriguing and exciting, the motivation behind the major characters well thought out, the growth of the major characters of Gerald and Riell well developed, but the telling was problematic. The world of fallen angels, half-demons, succubus, incubus, skia, darbas, etc. was introduced on the fly instead of built up and developed, leaving me wondering what these characters were and their powers and goals. I also found my allegiance going to the wrong character. I much preferred Lucifer who had loved and was wrongly punished over Drean the naïve angel sent to stop Lucifer. Scenes were not properly set up and often jumped from one thing to another to introduce another character or conflict. Flashbacks were also not introduced, leaving me wondering what was happening. Narrative was at a minimal and the dialogue, which was abundant, often included mundane discourse.
From Heaven to Earth gets high marks for creativeness. There was plenty of conflict on all levels and great character twists and surprises. I just wished I could give it the same score for writing.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I was quite intrigued by the blurb of this book. I tend to find books with angels as the main characters in pretty interesting.

I have to say, though, that I found this book more confusing than I was hoping. I'm not sure who the good guys in the book are and although there are a lot of interesting characters, I felt that a lot of the reasoning behind why certain things could happen wasn't really explored as thoroughly as it could have been.

I found a couple of the characters to be really interesting, Gerald and Keep in particular. Unfortunately, the book changed POVs really quickly, which meant that I only learned bits and pieces about those characters throughout the course of the book.

I have a few mixed feelings about Drean. His personality seemed to go through a lot of changes and I would have liked to see more of how his character evolved, instead of it being summarised how he changed and became aware of... carnal pleasures.

The world was quite an intriguing one, with interesting types of creatures, though I got really confused about the differences between the different types of beings. I would have liked some more explanation about that.

I couldn't say for certain if I'd read the next book in this series. I didn't quite feel the emotional connection with the characters that I need to so I can stay focused. The book was mostly well-written, but I think the POV character changed too much for me to truly connect with any of them.

[Char ღ Denae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book as part of the Lovers of Paranormal Goodreads group, in exchange for an honest review. That being said, I will be honest and say that this book confused the heck out of me. I almost gave up because I was totally overwhelmed, at first. I stuck with it as I'm not one to give up easily and, though a lot of my beginning confusion was cleared up, for the most part, as I read, more confusion ensued. I'm hoping, since this is the first book in a series, that my befuddlement is only because the next book is intended to answer all of my questions, as the concept behind this one is totally intriguing.

Angels, demons and half-breeds exist on earth as punishment from God. As a result of their rebellion, God is dying and sends a warrior seraph to earth to fight to save Heaven. The war for His throne is brutal and this is where I started to lose most of my focus. There's so much going on and it's a bit hard to keep track of who's who. There are a lot of characters and, after a while, I kind of stopped trying to keep them straight in my head.

The world that Sherrod Wall has created is spectacular! The imagination that the author writes with creates an amazing picture for the reader. You can become totally immersed in this realm and, if it weren't for my difficulty in organizing the characters, I think this would be a definite 5 star book.

[MollyK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copy given in exchange for a review through the Read it and Reap group.

2.5 Stars

This book was a mixed bag for me. There are some aspects that I truly enjoyed and others that were exceedingly annoying. This is a quite unique story involving Angels, a variety of Demons and God. I have never read anything like the world that the author builds. The plot was very unusual and compelling. The author also adds a unique organization of mixed angel and demon beings; however, I would have liked more explanation and background on them. At times it got quite confusing as to who was what and why they didn’t like each other. Maybe an appendix in the back would have helped. Also this is a long book and I was getting annoyed with the silliness of the three main characters and the triteness of the dialog. Reill devolved from a kickass heroine to a stereotype of what a feisty woman is supposed to be. I almost lost interest but the plot is good enough to want to know what happens next. Also there are a boatload of characters and subplots going on, too many for each one to be flashed out. The Peter character in particular was not working for me. Maybe everything will become more lucid in the next book. Because despite the books many faults, I would still like to find out what happens next.

[Alisha Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind this book is very fresh and exciting, although I had a very hard time following the book to the end. It took me longer than usual to read this book, not because of length, but because there were scenes that didn’t really make sense or fit the flow of the narrative and I had a rough time figuring distinguishing between the flashbacks and the present time in the book.

Another thing that kept me from fully enjoying this story was the dialogue which didn’t necessarily have enough flavor to color the characters it belonged to. At no point during the entire reading process did I feel connected to any of the characters. I did like Lucifer on a surface level, but even he seemed to be holding something back that prevented me from empathizing with him.

I think this book has a lot of potential and the characters’ adventures are definitely worth telling, but the narrative needs a major re-haul before readers will be able to fully enjoy it.

[Maggie Baily · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Heaven to Earth is an ambitious endeavor that is wrought with many elements of fantasy and the supernatural of which I’m a fan. That being said it was difficult for me to get into at the beginning because it was a little confusing and there were several characters to keep up with. However, once I got a clearer picture of what was going on it kept my interest. It didn’t help that the Point of View bounced around quite a bit and I found that jarring at times especially since it is a complex story. I think I also wanted a little more character development but since this is the first in the series I imagine we’ll learn more in the next book. There is a good deal of violence but expected and in context with the nature of the story; creating evil demons fighting against good. The author creates an interesting and fantastical world for his characters which fans of the mystical will appreciate.

[Emma Jaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vivid, and complex world filled with many characters of different types that it was a little tricky to keep tabs on who was what at some points.
The main highlights were the battle scenes for me, well written and ferocious, but a few plot holes were a little irritating, such as the fact that the angels weren’t supposed to have free will, then they revolted, and that they were capable of lust when they had no sex? But that’s just me.
This book makes you work a little, which isn’t always a bad thing, but having to re-read parts to work out where and when events are happening became a little irritating especially with such a substantial book.
4 stars for world building, 3 for the confusing writing style such as unannounced flash back scenes. And I’m not sure if my allegiance should have ended up with Lucifer, rather than the ‘good guys.’