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Publisher:
Tor Paranormal Romance
Release Date:
September 30, 2008
Genres:
Futuristic
Romance
Paranormal Romance
ISBN:
Print
9780765359490
Bookmark Rating:
Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray
Review Posted:
May 2008
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Lilia
Desjardins is a shade hunter, and will employ every skill in her considerable
arsenal in pursuit of her husband’s murderer. The authorities deemed it an
accident, but Lilia knows better. Unfortunately, her penchant for getting into
trouble rears its head almost as soon as she arrives in New Gotham, where her
husband lost his life. Upon reaching her rendezvous point with the mystery
informant who claims to have imperative information for her, she finds a vicious
murder instead.
The murder brings Lilia to the attention of the intriguing and maddening
Detective Adam Montgomery, who has his own secrets. Montgomery forfeited his
wings and ethereal existence as an angel in order to come to the aid of
mankind. Once he successfully completes his mission, he’ll earn his wings
again.
The attraction between Lilia and Adam is both instant and unexpected – for both
of them. Their feelings threaten to distract each from their respective
missions. But soon they find their imperatives are more
aligned than they anticipated, and working together becomes necessary when it
becomes evident that someone very powerful is working hard to frame Lilia for
the murders – someone who will do anything for the information her husband left
for her to find.
Claire Delacroix embarks on a whole new branch of her career with the first
novel in her new futuristic trilogy, FALLEN.
Ms. Delacroix builds an intricate, multi-layered world only minutely reminiscent
of present day Earth. In the year 2099, Earth still suffers the after-effects
of nuclear warfare, with radiation ever-present in the old cities targeted by
the bombs that changed the world forever. In this new world, the Republic keeps
a watchful eye on every citizen, with a misogynistic government mandating new
laws that favor the male population and repress the female half.
But worse is the subjugation of the more helpless part of the population – the
shades who were born after the radiation warped their physical development, and
sometimes their mental capacities as well. Under the guise of ‘protection’, the
Republic enslaves the shades for their own nefarious purposes, something with
which neither Lilia nor Adam agree. Each work to effect change in the status
quo, however minute, as they search for the murderer of Lilia’s husband and the
killer of the shades who seem to die as soon as they have contact with Lilia.
In this society where the government sees all, no one enjoys the luxury of
privacy, and everyone seems to have an agenda. Ferreting out the villains of
this story proves daunting, as evil plagues our intrepid couple from all sides.
Yet the future is not without hope, with characters such as Lilia and Adam
fighting for a better life not only for themselves, but their fellow man, norm
and shade alike.
I will admit that this was a slower read for me than usual, due to the complex
world-building involved in setting the stage for FALLEN. Don’t let that intimidate you, however. The author
makes it easy to follow the story, with excerpts from this futuristic world’s
law codes and news reports preceding many chapters, along with inserting subtle
explanations throughout the story in the prose and the dialogue. For instance,
Lilia has this little habit of reciting law code to Montgomery, which serves to
irritate him and subtly educate the reader.
Of course, Lilia’s ability to irritate Montgomery is only rivaled by his own
knack for getting under her skin. That tends to happen when two people attempt
to stifle their burgeoning attraction for each other, providing delightful
entertainment to the reader. Even more entertaining are the sparks when Lilia
and Adam finally come together. Their romance is unconventional, but their love
is undeniable.
Alongside the romance, Ms. Delacroix weaves a story fraught with suspense that
packs a wallop in the surprise department towards the end of the book. The
author deftly wraps up the mysteries pertinent to the conclusion of FALLEN,
but leave other secrets for readers to speculate about until the next story in
this trilogy.
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