Feminista

Rating: 5 out of 5.While this is my first book in the Fallen series, starting on the third book did not deter me from understanding what was happening. In this book, Azrael, the ex-head-angel of Death has fallen. Why he has fallen, I would have to read Angel Betrayed to understand, but the reason for his fall wasn’t too important. At least I don’t think it was. Anyway, so the book starts off with Azrael being present in an alleyway where Jade Pierce was being corned by a couple of shifters. He steps in to save her because he thinks if he does good, he’ll be one step closer to going back to heaven. Jade, on the other hand, stays with him because she thinks he might finally be the one person (Angel) strong enough to stand against her ex-shifter boyfriend who is obsessively crazy about her. But she doesn’t know that he is an Angel straightaway. There were many things I loved about this book. First it was Azrael and Jade. Paranormal Romances have this clichéd character setting: the alpha and the girl next door. But this book had original characters. Azrael for starters was not an overbearing, possessive alpha (that role was reserved for the ex), but he had other alpha like characteristics, in that he had the strength of an alpha, but also a surprisingly sweet innocent side that came out when he interacted with Jade. He wasn’t used to the feelings and emotions that attacked him once he fell, especially the feelings Jade arose in him. And ladies and gentlemen, he was a virgin. I have a weakness for virgin heroes. I thought it made his devotion to Jade more rich. Jade on the other hand is a strong female character. She has had a very dark past, and a continuing nightmare, both of which are the product of her ex’s ingenuity. Nevertheless, she doesn’t curl up and wish the world away, but she keeps on fighting. There is strength in her character that is enviable. She finds it hard to trust, given her history, but she finds it in herself to open up her heart to Azrael.Finally, I loved how the villain/ex – Brandt - wasn’t entirely evil, well maybe he was, but he was also pretty devoted to Jade in a sick, twisted way. He was obsessively in love with her. And there are several instances in this story where I wished that things had been different for him, before Az came, so that he could have lived a happy life with Jade. If his father wasn’t the sick man that he was, whose treatment had affected Brandt to the point where Brandt almost became like him. I say almost because his father never loved anyone, but Brandt loved Jade and would have given her everything, but he asked too much of her and he didn’t care for anyone else other than Jade.This book was a beautiful surprise. I didn’t expect to become so invested with the characters. Now I am off to read Angel Betrayed. Sammael’s and Selina’s story has me intrigued. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Kensington Books.