Fallen Angels, Book 1
Synopsis: Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about—his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option. Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he’s good with that — until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart—and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.
Review: I really enjoyed The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, that’s why I was so curious to discover this J.R. Ward’s other series: Fallen Angels. The Black Dagger Brotherhood was for me so good that I was a little afraid to read this one and to dislike it, not to mention some mixed reviews I read before starting the book. Finally I must say that personally, it was a great discovery and I would like to thank Aurian for having recommended it to me: Thank you so much! The action takes place in Caldwell, so in the same city as BDB but this time it is not about vampire warriors but angels and demons. I really liked this world which is parallel to the vampire and Human’s world. It’s another facet of Caldwell as this city is full of surprises.
In the prologue the tone is given, it explains the “rules of the game” because it is indeed a game that Heaven and Hell are delivering for ages. A game whose outcome will determine the fate of humanity. One man can tip the balance to one side or the other: Jim Heron. He is a former soldier with a dark past, a man capable of the best as the worst. To ensure that Good prevails over Evil, Jim must save the soul of seven people including his employer, Vin DiPietro, a building contractor. So this first installment of the series is his first mission. Jim will have to choose which side he is on especially as the demon he will face will do anything to push him to fail his mission.
I had some difficulties to get into the book at the beginning. I found that the first few chapters were a bit long but they are essential as they present all the characters and we can understand the issue that Jim faces and the heavy burden on his shoulders. But once you read the first five chapters, the story becomes very exciting and the book is very hard to put down until you have read the last page.
We recognize here the style of the author: a dark atmosphere and a multitude of characters well described and complex on a psychological point of view. I immediately liked Jim, Vin and Marie-Terese. We learn so much about each of them. Moreover, we find that they have all three in common a heavy past and they have experienced terrible things during their lives. As for Adrian and Eddie, I just loved them and I can’t wait to see them again in book 2 and learn more about them.
I also enjoyed the fact that the romance between Marie-Terese and Vin does not occupy a central place in the story – as it is often the case in paranormal romances – because the plot is really interesting. I have to say that so much happens in this book and all that in just three days! In summary, we have an ex-soldier who is assigned to the role of a redeemer, a prostitute who wants to retire, an unscrupulous businessman, a psychopath, angels, demons, mediums, black magic and full of other things … An explosive cocktail! We do not really have time to get bored!
J.R. Ward also often refers to the characters of BDB. Indeed Revhenge is mentioned several times and we even see the warrior Phury and Trez, the owner of the Iron Mask! It was really great to see them through Marie-Terese’s eyes.
To conclude I loved the first book of the Fallen Angels series despite the beginning was a little bit slow. I can’t wait to read book 2 to see how this series will evolve. BDB fans can only enjoy it.
