FALLEN - Claire Delacroix
Tor
ISBN-10: 0-7563-5949-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-7653-5949-0
October 2008
Paranormal Romance

New Gotham and old Gotham in the Republic - 2099

Humans have made a mess of the world with their petty squabbles and dangerous weapons. Nuclear attacks have long since made most of the Republic’s major cities uninhabitable. Of course, the attacks and their aftermath have enabled some citizens (the wealthy ones) to enjoy creature comforts that were quickly going the way of the dinosaur (much like gasoline and cars, the old human way of getting about). What gives them those comforts? Well, their slaves of course -- shades, those unfortunates who were made abnormal either directly through an attack or by being born to someone who survived one. A simple Sub-Human Atomic Deviant Evaluation and humanity is won or lost. With no names, no real purpose in life, the shades are used as test subjects, slaves, or, if they’re very lucky, they get jobs in the circus and some measure of respect and protection by those who run them. Yes, the world is a very different place from what it was less than a hundred years ago. Luckily, there are those who are watching from above, angels who have, and will continue to volunteer to try to help humans regain their humanity and change their evil ways. It just takes a simple fall...and wing removal of course.

Adam Montgomery is a cop in New Gotham; he’s also a fallen angel. He’s determined to complete his mission and regain his wings, but when he meets Lilia Desjardins (a shade hunter for the circus) he finds another reason to exist, and the only one who can help him get his job done.

Lilia Desjardins is determined to discover the truth about her estranged husband, Gid’s, death, and if traveling to New Gotham is the only way to find out what really happened, she’ll do it. However, Lilia isn’t a fool; she realizes the danger she’ll face there, she just didn’t expect one of those dangers to be a cop with two very different sides to his personality. Can anyone who works for the Republic be trusted, or should Lilia run far and fast from Adam?

Dark and gritty, FALLEN introduces a world where trust is foolhardy, humans can be stripped of their right to be considered people, and the government, with their slogan, “The eyes of the Republic are everywhere,” is as dangerous as those who prey on the unwary who visit the pleasure fringe. Into this mix come Adam and Lilia. Adam has little memory of his former life as an angel, but what memory he does retain makes him feel protective of these vulnerable humans, especially Lilia. She makes him feel things no angel should feel, evoking passion, and maybe even love. Strong and smart, he’s a fabulous ally and a determined foe. Lilia is a renegade with noble ideals and the recklessness to get herself killed for them. She’s attracted to Adam, of that there’s no doubt, but when she discovers his true identity and purpose for being in New Gotham, will she accept what has to be and move forward regardless?

There are so many secondary characters in FALLEN that I couldn’t possibly mention them all, but here are a few: Raziel is another fallen angel; she works with Adam and yet she doesn’t give him all of the information at her disposal. Dr. Wilhelmina Olsendatter is Lilia’s old professor from the Institute of Radiation Studies; she’s a determined old bird. Blake Patterson ( a golden boy, he’s running for president of the Society of Nuclear Darwinists) and Mike MacPherson (an Institute researcher) were once Gid’s roommates. Dmitri is one of Adam’s fellow cops and one of the more annoying ones at that. Tupperman is Adam’s supervisor; his thoughts are his own, which makes him better to be around than Dmitri. Dr. Malachy, a mathematician at the Institute, has some interesting theories about the world. And then there’s Micheline, a sweet little girl shade who believes in angels. All of these people, and many more, contribute greatly to FALLEN.

Despite its very dark tone, this is a book that also manages to contain hope and even romance in its storyline. It’s a tale that will scare you with its all too possible future, even as it raises your spirits when, despite all the pain and horror of that world, love survives. Don’t forget; this is just the first book in a new trilogy, so keep an eye out for GUARDIAN, coming in October 2009. If you’re looking for something a bit different this month, look no further; FALLEN is waiting for you.

Lori Ann