Torment

September 6, 2010
In Kate's sequel to Fallen, fallen angel Daniel has negotiated an 18-day truce with demonic Cam, during which time they will keep his one true love, 17-year-old Luce, safe from the Outcasts, "spineless, waffling angels, shunned by both Heaven and Hell," who are after her. Daniel sends Luce to Shoreline, a Northern California prep school for angel-descended Nephilim. The change is stressful for her because she is there alone and because she is seen as a "legendary freak" by some students for her famous doomed relationship with Daniel, which has unfolded tragically over several lifetimes. Uncovering details from her past lives and meeting charmingly normal Miles, Luce begins to have doubts about Daniel. Equal parts romance and thriller, this sequel can be both schmaltzy ("There was no darkness, no more cold, just the lovely sensation of being bathed in his violet glow. Even the rush of the ocean was canceled out by a soft hum, the energy Daniel carried in his body") and frequently suspenseful. The open-ended finale paves the way for a third book. Ages 12–up.

September 1, 2010

After the disaster that was her short-lived career at Sword and Cross School, Lucinda's physically flawless, fallen-angel boyfriend Daniel has transported her to Shoreline, on the California coast, while he hunts for the Outcasts, who want to kill Luce. Shoreline hosts both regular kids, like Luce, and Nephilim, angel-human hybrids. Luce hones some of her own supernatural skills and learns to travel into her previous lives with the help of her Nephilim friends, Shelby and Miles. As they work together, Luce begins to fall for Miles. Now she wonders if she's truly destined to be with Daniel forever. Luce's personality finally begins to bud in this book, but she's still bland, existing primarily for Daniel. Daniel, who Lucinda learns is the one who will tip the scales of power in the fallen-angel war, is just as oblique and drippy as he was in Fallen (2009). Miles, however, comes through in a moment of crisis, setting up an intriguing love triangle that will continue into the third in the series with, perhaps, a character strong enough to carry it. (Paranormal romance. YA)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010

Gr 9 Up-This sequel to Fallen (Delacorte, 2009) continues they complex tale as Luce tries to uncover the truth and break the cycle of falling in love, dying young, and being reincarnated. Daniel, her lover through the ages and a fallen angel, institutes a truce with Demons to protect her from the Outcasts, who would do her harm. For her safety, Daniel hides her at a boarding school for the Nephilim, children of human and fallen angels, and cautions her to remain on campus and learn all she can. Unfortunately a little knowledge can be dangerous and Luce's naive attempts to manipulate her powers constantly put her and others in danger. Some of the rescues employ a deus ex machina as is the case when Arriane inexplicably arrives in Vegas and saves the day. At times the story plods along, with a full chapter devoted to a fencing lesson. Daniel regularly returns to check on Luce and there's lots of swooning, passionate kissing, and playing at being in love, though it often ends with bickering. Interest is piqued with the hint of a love triangle, and the suspense is ratcheted up in the heart-pounding final battle scene. In the end, readers won't be much closer to unraveling Luce's mystery and will need to stay tuned for the next installment. It's unlikely this title will garner new fans for the series, but those already hooked on the epic romance won't want to miss it.-Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.