Genre: Urban Fantasy, Thriller
Reviewer: Linda, Paranormal Romance Guild
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About The Book
How do you fight true evil when you have nothing?
A fatal error hurls an angel from Heaven’s grace. Lost and drowning in the modern world, Cassiel struggles to keep her head above water. Everything feels too bright, too loud, too fast. However, survival in an uncaring city is the least of her worries.
When a friend is murdered and a young elven girl is kidnapped, Cassiel must face the dark realities of the world. Supernatural drugs, gangs, and mortal cruelty awaken a sleeping fury in the angel whose duty was standing as a guardian.
Alongside unlikely allies, Cassiel races to uncover the truth of the crimes only to discover the reality is far worse than she could have imagined.
The Review
I am not a huge fan of urban fantasy, especially when the story is based on religion, but I am a huge fan of the characters in this book.
Cassiel (Cass) is an angel who made a mistake, and it caused her to fall. Her mistake was based on loneliness, and could have been excused, but wasn’t. Cassiel was found injured, and was taken to the hospital for treatment. It was there that she found a friend and protector, Father John, who took her back to the church, provided a place to sleep, gave her food and a purpose. As an angel in Heaven Cass had no gender, but on Earth she is female.
At the church, Cass is given chores – cleaning, helping in the kitchen and anything else she can do. She helps Dust (an Orc, one of the tusks species who manages the kitchen), Jim (a disabled veteran missing both legs below the knee who holds support groups) and Eirlas (an elf who manages the shelter). It doesn’t take long for Cass to realize that saying she was an angel falls on deaf ears and convinces everyone that she’s not playing with a full deck.
Cass stays at the church for a year, acclimating herself to being human and learning how to function. Then Father John is killed, and Cass is the main suspect. She’s heartbroken because Father John was her mentor. Making matters worse, when Father Demoyne replaces Father John, he immediately bans Cass from living at the church. Fortunately Jim insists she stay with him.
Father John cared for all the people around him, and instituted various projects to enhance the area and keep kids from falling prey to gangs and drugs. Father Demoyne could care less about the community, and all that changes, including the breakfast that was offered to the people from the shelter in the morning.
Cass knows that an archdemon is responsible for Father John’s murder, because a minor demon could never have entered hallowed ground. She also knows that the people he cares about are in danger, and she’s the only one with a chance of destroying the demon. Without her full powers she can only do so much, but nothing will stop her, especially when she discovers that a young girl who stayed in the shelter every time her father left her is in danger.
I had a hard time accepting the fact that, when Cass made a mistake, there was no forgiveness, and it was difficult seeing Cass keep getting hurt trying to save those around her, without any Heavenly assistance. That may be why I don’t like religion-based books – I expect miracles, and am disappointed when there aren’t any.
Still, I found this story interesting, filled with surprises and suspense, and I highly recommend it.
Four stars.
The Reviewer
I am an avid reader the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to seven grandchildren. Since retiring I have been doing more reading while volunteering as a CASA worker. CASA is an organization that works with the family court system to ensure that children are in the best living situation. There are way too many children that get overlooked in the foster care system and I visit homes and make visits to the parents. I was born and raised in New York and my husband of 50 years and I live in Upstate New York.
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