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Raziel by Kristina Douglas
Series: The Fallen #1
Publication date: January 25th, 2011
Pages: 355
Synopsis:
Kristina Douglas's sexy new series introduces a realm of fallen angels and ruthless demons, where an eternal rebellion is brewing... and one unsuspecting woman can change the fate of the Fallen forever.
She was just an ordinary mortal...
"You're dead" is so not what Allie Watson wants to hear. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like the dark, angelically handsome man who ferried her to this strange, hidden land. The last thing she remembers is stepping off a curb in front of a crosstown bus. Now she's surrounded by gorgeous fallen angels with an unsettling taste for blood--and they really don't want her around. Not exactly how she pictured heaven.
... until death catapulted her into a seductive world she never imagined.
Raziel is unsure why he rescued Allie from hellfire against Uriel's orders, but she stirs in him a longing he hasn't felt in centuries. Now the Fallen are bracing for the divine wrath brought by his disobedience, and they blame Allie for the ferocious Nephilim clawing at the kingdom's shrouded gates. Facing impossible odds at every turn, the two must work together to survive. Raziel will do anything to defend his spirited lover against the forces of darkness--because Allie may be the Fallen's only salvation.
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Review:
It has happened again. And with a book, I picked up at the library simply on cover value alone (I mean, look at that... yum, right?) I had my first book binge in a while. I sat down with the book expecting to read a few chapters and ended up devouring every last detail, word, and imagery painted by the masterful Kristina Douglas in a matter of hours. Why was I so intrigued?
Raziel is unlike many of the angel books out there today, most of which are young adults. This is completely an ADULT read. This story is weaved from biblical studies and turned into this complete fantasy world that doesn't come off too preachy (hard to do with most biblical based books). In Douglas's world, the Fallen are not the demons that most religions deem them as, instead they are merely angels who fell in love with human women and fell from grace because they followed their heart. Instead of heaven being ruled by a mighty but forgiving God, God has handed the reins down to a patsy named Uriel, who has twisted all the lessons and teachings of the mighty ruler into a corruption. Everyone, even those with meager sins, are hell bound for their grievances. The tale as old as time of power corrupting even the seemingly incorruptible.
Enter Allie. Allie an Old Testament murder mystery writer is killed and then sentenced to hell. Raziel is the Fallen angel presented with the task to transport her to her eternal resting place, so to speak. Upon realizing that Allie was to be sent to hell and not heaven, Raziel risks his own life to save her. This is the catalyst that starts the whole downward spiral of the Fallen.
Allie is brought back to the Fallen's compound to await judgment on what to do with her and in her time there she must face the realization that all the things she wrote in her fictional writings was more true than she would have thought. Also, she struggles to fight a confusing and intense connection with the dark and brooding Raziel. In many instances, Raziel was almost too harsh with Allie. Instances where Allie rallied behind anger and stubbornness, I would have curled up in a ball sobbing and asking "why are you being so mean to me?!" I actually found myself crying at certain things Raziel said to Allie in his resistance of her.
The tug-and-pull of their relationship coupled with the impending Nephilim attacks and the evil Uriel biding his time and spinning his wheels to bring an end to the Fallen, Raziel was a whirl wind of action, romance, wit, and even some comedy. It was a surprise to me, how elegantly written it was and how well the biblical facts flowed with the fantasy world. I could not put this book down and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel even though I have a feeling it will be a love story of a different Fallen (as so many paranormal romance series are) instead of a continuation of Allie and Raziel's complicated relationship. Either way, I have my coffee poured, the pillows of my reading area fluffed, and I am ready to dive into the fantastical world of the Fallen once more!
Raziel is unlike many of the angel books out there today, most of which are young adults. This is completely an ADULT read. This story is weaved from biblical studies and turned into this complete fantasy world that doesn't come off too preachy (hard to do with most biblical based books). In Douglas's world, the Fallen are not the demons that most religions deem them as, instead they are merely angels who fell in love with human women and fell from grace because they followed their heart. Instead of heaven being ruled by a mighty but forgiving God, God has handed the reins down to a patsy named Uriel, who has twisted all the lessons and teachings of the mighty ruler into a corruption. Everyone, even those with meager sins, are hell bound for their grievances. The tale as old as time of power corrupting even the seemingly incorruptible.
Enter Allie. Allie an Old Testament murder mystery writer is killed and then sentenced to hell. Raziel is the Fallen angel presented with the task to transport her to her eternal resting place, so to speak. Upon realizing that Allie was to be sent to hell and not heaven, Raziel risks his own life to save her. This is the catalyst that starts the whole downward spiral of the Fallen.
Allie is brought back to the Fallen's compound to await judgment on what to do with her and in her time there she must face the realization that all the things she wrote in her fictional writings was more true than she would have thought. Also, she struggles to fight a confusing and intense connection with the dark and brooding Raziel. In many instances, Raziel was almost too harsh with Allie. Instances where Allie rallied behind anger and stubbornness, I would have curled up in a ball sobbing and asking "why are you being so mean to me?!" I actually found myself crying at certain things Raziel said to Allie in his resistance of her.
The tug-and-pull of their relationship coupled with the impending Nephilim attacks and the evil Uriel biding his time and spinning his wheels to bring an end to the Fallen, Raziel was a whirl wind of action, romance, wit, and even some comedy. It was a surprise to me, how elegantly written it was and how well the biblical facts flowed with the fantasy world. I could not put this book down and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel even though I have a feeling it will be a love story of a different Fallen (as so many paranormal romance series are) instead of a continuation of Allie and Raziel's complicated relationship. Either way, I have my coffee poured, the pillows of my reading area fluffed, and I am ready to dive into the fantastical world of the Fallen once more!
