I took one look at the covers of this series by Francine Rivers, and I thought, “Finally! An adult romance that I won’t feel guilty or embarrassed about reading!” XD And I was not disappointed!
     
The Mark of the Lion series follows Hadassah, a Jewish slave girl, for the first two books and then Atretes, a former gladiator, for the last volume. Hadassah’s journey takes her from the fall of Jerusalem to Rome, where she eventually comes to love the son of the family she serves and shares her faith with them in a time of cultural corruption. Atretes’ story travels from Rome to his homeland of Germania as he reclaims his son and discovers Christ along the way. Both are wonderful historical romances, with plenty of (clean!) passion and a strong emphasis on the Christian faith.
           
There was so much I loved about these books! I found myself involved with the characters and their struggles and was constantly looking for more time to read :-D. I loved seeing the invisible hand of God in the choices and actions of others that led Hadassah to where she ended up. I loved seeing the calm acceptance of fate in the believers (Hadassah, Prometheus, Rizpah) versus the anxiety and desperation of nonbelievers. And I especially loved seeing Hadassah through the eyes of the family she served – the sense of peace and joy she emanated was so clear. It made me wonder, “Is that what we look like? Do other people really see us that that way?” The stories were very encouraging and made me want to deepen my own faith so that I would better reflect God’s love and be that light on a hilltop for others to see.
           
I think the one *tiny* detail that bothered me in these books was the author’s dismissive treatment of medicine in the second volume. The way the story is written, it seems as if medical care is useless and the only true healing comes directly from prayer. As a nurse who actively works in the medical field, I understand that while God is in control, and while spiritual healing is just as important (if not more so) that physical healing, there is still a fair amount of physical healing that can and should be done! But that detail was minor and ultimately didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. I felt mollified in knowing that ancient Rome did not have the medicine we have today – prayer may in fact have been the more effective healer in those days – and also by the fact that the effectiveness of medicine wasn’t the point of the story. The point was the power of faith, and what better way to show that then with a scarred healer whose prayers bring miracles not otherwise possible?
           
I have more thoughts on this wonderful series, but I’ll share them next time!
​
What do you think?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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I remember the first time I encountered the story of Inkheart: my father and I had just moved into a new apartment in Dallas, and we rented the DVD (do people still do that anymore?) since we hadn’t unpacked our movies yet. It was a fun movie (thank you, Brendan Fraser) and years later I finally found the time to read the book.
           
Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart trilogy (Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath) follow Mo and his daughter Meggie on their adventures with characters from a book known as “Inkheart,” first in their world, and later in the “Inkworld” itself. The catch? Both father and daughter can “read” books to life!
           
That premise alone is most intriguing part of the story: being able to read aloud, and the words in a book come true. It’s every booklover’s secret wish. Of course, as the story goes on and the twists get darker and darker, you see very clearly that you must be careful what you wish for. A subtle lesson can be found tucked within these lengthy pages: as much as man might desire to try, there’s only one person who can speak words into being without disastrous consequences, and that’s God.

​I will say, I was mildly disappointed in these books. Each book is quite thick (over 500 pages each in paperback), yet the books felt very long compared to the actual plot. I felt like I spent most of the series just waiting for something to happen. And speaking of waiting, the main characters seemed to spend more time being captured or imprisoned than any other heroes I’ve ever met!
           
On the plus side, those same characters (and especially the villains) were very well-fleshed out. There’s also a lot of imagery and scene-building, which probably explains why the story felt slow – maybe not much was happening, but you could picture it really well XD. And something I really enjoyed that was rather unique to these novels were the quotes from other books that the author placed at the beginning of every chapter, setting the tone for what was about to happen. I was especially excited to see lines quoted from books I’d already read ;-).
           
Including quotes from other places isn’t a new concept in books; though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used quite as frequently as here in Inkheart. And with one per chapter and 50 chapters or more per book, that’s a lot of quotes! So far, the lines I include at the start of my novels are actually ones I’ve written myself – and I’m happy to continue that pattern, as long as I have inspiration to do so. However, I have been known to quote other novels within the text of the story itself. Look for superscript numbers (corresponding to the endnotes page) in my books to see what other stories I think are worth quoting!

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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I’m generally not a fan of stories that don’t have a classic sort of happy ending. So, picking up a post-apocalyptic fantasy on a recommendation from a friend was a bit of stretch outside my comfort zone. But I have no regrets!

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd follows the stories of a handful of characters as they make their way through a world where losing your shadow means losing your memories. And once people start losing their memories, the entire world starts to change. The consequences of lost shadows turn out to be just as disastrous as the solution is fantastical – and the journey from one to the other is nothing short of a miracle.

*Spoiler Alert for the next paragraph!*
I think this may be the first time I’ve read a book that didn’t have a traditional “happily ever after” and actually been okay with the ending. You see, you spend most of your time following Ory and Max (a married couple you meet at the very beginning) and hoping that they will be reunited and that Max’s memories will be restored. What you don’t realize right away is that on their separate adventures, they’re actually growing apart. They’re almost becoming new people as they adapt to all the changes in the world around them. And then Ory starts to move on, to begin again with someone new, because it really does seem as if Max is gone. So when Max is supposedly rescued and restored, it seems almost cruel. Ory doesn’t seem to be relieved or excited for his wife’s return :-/. In a way, I’m actually glad it wasn’t the real Max. It was a terrible shock at first – one person’s memories attached to another person’s body – but the ending gave me hope that they would all find a fresh start in this brave new world. Perhaps the initial memories that make things so complicated for “M” (as the hybrid character names herself) will fade, the way early childhood memories often do. Perhaps Ory will get a real chance at a relationship with someone who knows him as the man he has become over the course of the story. Most importantly, that same mistake will not be made twice, and a proper solution for restoring shadows was found. So, not a “happy ending” in the normal use of the term, but definitely a hopeful ending, and I can accept that!

One of my favorite parts of this book was that books were the solution all along! If anything could grant human memories and restore the lost, I’m glad it was books :-D. And in a way, reading this novel encouraged me to stay very true to my personal beliefs and values in my own books. For if fiction became fact and I needed a book to give me a shadow to restore my memories, I’d want it to be one of my own. I’d be hoping that the details and underlying messages I write would restore some sense of my former self. I should write every book as if it were my last – because you never know, it could be ;-).

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Until the next time, keep reading!

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    Last month I started a post on Yona of the Dawn, a fantastic manga by Mizuho Kusanagi. I mentioned that Yona, the heroine princess-turned-vigilante, impressed me with her character growth and Christ-like attributes. But a good hero needs an equally good villain in order to truly shine.
       In the case of this series, that villain is Su-Won, Yona’s childhood friend (and the man she’s fallen in love with). Readers quickly learn to hate him when he murders Yona’s father in cold blood within the first few chapters. Yet, as the series continues and Su-Won becomes king while Yona wanders the countryside with her dragon warriors, that hatred starts to fade.
     We see Su-Won do things that are… good, considering he’s supposed to be the bad guy. He single-handedly helps stimulate the earth tribe’s failing economy. He strengthens their kingdom’s borders and works to defend their lands against invaders. Through the changes he enacts, we start to see the shortcomings of his predecessor, a pacifist king who sought peace above the good of the nation. Su-Won even works with Yona and her friends to end slave-trade in Awa and combat the drug trade that’s affecting the water tribe. He doesn’t reveal that Yona is alive when he finds out, despite the fact that she is technically wanted dead on his orders. He doesn’t worry about taking credit for the work he does (he often participates undercover) and even admits that he doesn’t really care for the throne – it was just a means to achieve his goals of helping the kingdom. In short, he behaves very much like a hero, or at least like a good king.
       And yet Yona and Hak struggle with his betrayal. After all, he did kill her father outright and has no regrets about it. He doesn’t seem to care for individuals – his focus is very much on the big picture and the overall good of the kingdom. He’s not a very emotional individual and doesn’t seem to get attached to others. I got the sense that he didn’t feel the need to specifically pursue Yona to death, despite the fact that her very existence threatens the power he wields, but should she get in his way, I doubt he would hesitate to end her life. Yet he’s a good ruler and does what needs to be done for their nation to survive and prosper. With such a dichotomy, I found myself wondering, is he truly a villain after all?
      Unfortunately, the series is not finished yet, and the library only had 31 of the 36 volumes that have been published so far (thus justifying my reasons for buying books instead ;-P). So I can’t quite say if Su-Won will remain a villain, or if he will ultimately redeem himself in some way. But any series that features such compelling characters – such as a princess with the true heart of a servant, or a man who makes a better king than the one he murdered – is well worth the time to read. And I can only hope that I am able to create characters with such depth for my own books!
        What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
        Until the next time, keep reading!
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     Within the past year I did something that I never do, not since elementary school: I read through a series of books that I checked out from the library rather than purchasing them outright.
    There are several reasons why I never do this. One, I want to read on my timetable without worrying about return dates. Two, I want to have the complete series of anything at my fingertips, and not be limited to what’s checked in or what the library has available. And three, I like to be able to re-read things whenever I want. But at the time I was going through books like water (reading while you nurse a baby has that effect), and this particular series came highly recommended from a friend.
     As it was, I was not disappointed. Yona of the Dawn is a wonderful fantasy manga by Mizuho Kusanagi. Yona starts off as a spoiled princess – until the night she witnesses the murder of her father, at the hands of Su-Won, the childhood friend whom she’s fallen in love with. After being driven from the palace with no one but her loyal bodyguard Hak, Yona ends up seeking out the legendary dragon warriors in her quest to defend the people she cares about.
      One of the best parts of this manga is the character of Yona herself. In the first volume, she’s just a pretty little princess whose concerns involve her unruly hair and fine clothes. After losing everything, she becomes almost a lifeless doll – and after watching Hak defend her, risking his life for hers over and over, she finally decides to do something about it. Thus, she begins to learn how to use weapons (primarily the bow and arrow, which she becomes quite skilled with) and fight back against the wrongs and oppression in the kingdom around her. Her character development, from the ultimate girly-girl to a female warrior who thinks nothing of giving her own life for her friends, is simply stunning.
    What I love so much about this manga is that even though this is not a Christian story, Yona clearly displays Christian values and a Christ-like attitude. Despite losing everything – her father, her home, her status – she becomes determined to protect those she loves, namely her friends and the people of her country. Just as God calls us to care for our neighbor and put other’s needs before our own, Yona exemplifies what it means to truly serve. Not only does she fight for her people, but there are many points in the story where she’s willing to give up her life for others – just as Christ gave up His life for ours.
      There’s more in this series that fascinates me, but I’ll save it for the next post! Until the next time, keep reading!
       What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
       Until the next time, keep reading!
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     It’s funny. The one book in Lauren Kate’s Fallen universe that I was convinced I wouldn’t like – Cam’s story, titled Unforgiven – turned out to be my favorite. The story here obviously isn’t as complex as the original series (only 1 volume compared to 4), and the plot itself is fairly straightforward. There’s no real twists or surprises, yet the simplicity of the storyline is still gripping: can Cam redeem his lost love and win bet against the devil, or not?
       I had a myriad of complaints against the other Fallen novels (see previous posts). Not so here. There weren’t any stupid miscommunication issues going on in this story – in fact, Lilith doesn’t even trust Cam, so he’s forced to open up and be honest, which I like. There also weren’t any lines of thought or dialogue that bothered me. Case in point: the devil, known to lie and deceive, actually has a fantastic line of truth in Chapter 4. He says, “If you refuse to do things that are beneath you, you’ll never get much accomplished in this world.” Even Christ, the son of God, came to serve and not to be served.
       One of the surprising features of this book (one that actually made it more special to me as a story) were the “interludes” that give glimpses of Cam’s original relationship with Lilith, circa 1000 BC in Jerusalem. They give a wonderful picture of Lilith’s personality and why Cam fell for her. Life back then was obviously simple compared to today, but Lilith as a person was not. She comes across as vibrant and confident. It’s often hard to relate or connect with anyone so far back in history; to me, it usually feels like we don’t have anything in common. That’s not the case with Lilith.
      But perhaps my greatest recommendation for this book was how the love plot was built and resolved. Unlike the rest of Fallen, where the love between Daniel and Lucinda led them away from God, Cam’s love in Unforgiven not only redeems Lilith but also himself, as evidenced by the return of his snow-white wings – indicating that his allegiance has shifted away from the devil and towards the purity of love (and presumably, to God). You see, my favorite part of love stories is not when the story gets sexy or romantic (though I admit, I really do enjoy watching the relationship grow and seeing the emotional drama). My favorite part of love stories is how “love conquers all.” Love defies all opposition, overcomes all obstacles, and even defeats evil. That’s what I want to see in a love story – not only because it gives hope for what love can do in our own lives, but it reflects and reminds us of the ultimate love story: how God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to redeem His lost children. And this book perfectly captures the sacrificial nature of love as Cam offers himself in Lilith’s place. To quote Cam’s thoughts in Chapter 14, “In his heart, there was no question that he had to save Lilith. It wasn’t a choice. It was a measure of his love for her.” And that’s the kind of love I want to write about in my own novels.
       Overall, I’d say I learned an important lesson about myself from reading all the Fallen books. I can safely say that I don’t think angel stories are my thing, for two reasons. One: I think I expect too much from fictional angels. They are close to God, and therefore they should know better! >< Two: I find that I prefer the really broken characters. Monsters, demons, the unredeemable (such as Cam) – those are the ones I want to save. Not only does that better reflect our stories as humans, but it really showcases the glory and miracle of God’s grace. If He can save them, then He can do anything ;-). And those are the stories that I’m aiming to write!
         What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
         Until the next time, keep reading!
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        I know I’ve said before that my interest in contemporary romance has waned, but I just had to try these books for two reasons. One, I actually know the author personally! Melanie Macek and I both attend the same local writer’s group, and I was excited to be able to support an author I actually know (Melanie writes romance both historical and contemporary, and you can learn more about her and her books at https://featherpenstartandreams.wordpress.com/). Two, the story concept of this particular series intrigued me. Six love stories, all interwoven over the same period of a single week? How fascinating! Plus, the covers were adorable… therefore, I couldn’t resist :-D.
      In the Rosewood Falls series, six friends are gathered together to celebrate a wedding. Each woman has her own unique hang-up when it comes to falling in love; from a single mom to divorcee to being left at the altar, they all struggle when it comes to finding a happily-ever-after. Even the bride faces her own challenge, and she’s about to get married! It’s not easy, but one by one, each lady finds her match and is able to overcome the barriers keeping them from love, and by the end of the series, it’s clear there will be more weddings in the future ;-).
     Despite the fact that all six stories take place simultaneously, there is hardly any overlap between books. All the same dinners and events take place, but each time the perspective is unique to the couple featured in that book, so instead of repeating things over and over, each story adds layers and depth to what’s going on. And the love stories are realistic; these aren’t fairy tale endings, but real couples facing real problems that must be overcome to make their relationships work. Plus, the level of romance is more “sweet” and innocent (you know me, I’m not interested in couples that just jump into bed together ><).
        The only downside (if you can call it that) is that these are novellas, not full-length novels. So the stories are shorter than typical romance books. I actually very much enjoyed the fact that they were short – they were wonderful for fun summer reading! I will admit that once or twice, the end of the story felt rushed (particularly Aster’s story, but honestly, she has so much going on that hers could have really been a full-length novel had the author desired to do so). If you’re looking for something long and in-depth, this isn’t it. But for light, quick reading (say, over a weekend or on vacation) these books are perfect :-).
       As much as I enjoyed taking a break from the novels I typically read and treating myself to stories that I could devour within an hour or so, I don’t think it’s a form of storytelling that I myself will really engage in. For my own books, I just want to add so much to the story that I don’t think I could ever be satisfied with writing a novella. Or, if I were to write something so short, it would probably be more of a “bonus” story that follows characters from an established novel. But it was still fun to branch out and try something new!
         What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
         Until the next time, keep reading!
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     ​I’ve long been a Rick Riordan fan, and I’ve done a couple posts already on his works: first on the Percy Jackson series, and then again on the Heroes of Olympus books. This time around, The Trials of Apollo books come after the events of the Heroes of Olympus, and specifically follow the god Apollo as he is banished to earth in the mortal form of Lester Papadopoulos. Apollo finds himself bound in service to the young demigod Meg and must restore the various oracles that have been lost or dominated by dark forces, while at the same time battling an evil triumvirate of former Roman emperors.
    Unfortunately, there were several things I didn’t care for about these books, which is unusual, considering how much I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous works. In particular, there were the references to Apollo having lovers of both genders. Such references are accurate to the original Greek myths, but at the same time, it’s kind of awkward to read about relationships that I personally don’t believe are acceptable. Especially when it includes details about a pair of guys feeding each other grapes and staring deeply into each other’s eyes, etc.
     Another aspect I didn’t care much for was Apollo himself ><. Once a god but now reduced to a mere mortal, Apollo is pretty pathetic. He spends most of the series not being able to accomplish very much. Sadly, today’s culture seems to be filled with the acceptance and promotion of “mediocre heroes.” This is something I simply don’t understand. Heroes aren’t supposed to be mediocre; why write stories about them if they are? It’s one thing to be scared and inexperienced but then come through in the end. But Apollo is scared and inexperienced and mostly just embarrasses himself ><.
    One benefit to Apollo starting off pathetic and incompetent is that is gives him room to grow. Some of his god-like powers return in random bursts during his quests, but where we really see progress is in his development of a human conscience. As he laments in book 4 (pg. 300), reflecting on actions that he took as a god that didn’t bother him at the time: “‘I’m holding the last breath of a god I bullied… in the jar of a Sibyl I cursed, who was protected by birds I turned into killing machines after they tattled about my cheating girlfriend, who I subsequently had assassinated.’” One of his friends, Reyna, replies, “‘All true… But the thing is, you recognize it now.’” It takes five volumes, but by the end, Apollo does come to understand the value of what it means to be human.
      Another benefit of Apollo’s weaknesses is that is gives the opportunity for his demigod friends to shine around him. This isn’t too far off from what we see in the Bible: God uses weak characters all the time to showcase His power and strength (such as lepers, prostitutes, tax-collectors; even a teenage nobody to give birth to His Son). And in Rick Riordan’s world of myths and mayhem, there’s nothing like a fallen god to help you see what true power really looks like ;-). Of course, I’m all about the value of being human – even if we’re weak – and seeing God’s power shine through that human weakness. Don’t be surprised to find concepts like that woven into what I write! :-D
        What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
        Until the next time, keep reading!
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         My last (no really, I swear!) concern with the Fallen series by Lauren Kate has to do with the development of the love between Daniel and Luce. Despite their long history together and their mutual heavenly origins, their relationship never seems to be based on anything more than a nebulous “feeling.” Even after they become something of a couple at the end of book 1, the second book is just one long struggle to communicate. Luce claims she’s devoted to Daniel, yet she doesn’t listen to what he tells her to do. They argue constantly and she allows herself to kiss someone else. There’s a lot of emotion between them, but no real trust. And I have issues with relationships that go in circles. Rather than ask the questions that are on her mind, Luce mostly just whines and complains about being in the dark (though, this may be more of an issue with her personality). Then it takes Luce time-traveling for all of book 3 before she realizes she really does love Daniel, and he loves her. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the time-traveling part, I resented the implication that the key to fixing their relationship lay in the past, instead of building and fixing the relationship they had in the present ><. Even when all of their past lives are revealed, we never really get a good explanation for why Daniel and Luce love each other so much; all we ever see is that he happened to be a shoulder to cry on when Lucifer was breaking her heart. There’s a line in book 2 that pretty much sums up their love story: “What he had with Luce was unshakable. There was never any need even to work on trust. Their love just was.”
          And that, right there, is what I hate about many of the modern romance novels on the market today. True love is not like that. It is not merely a “feeling,” it is choice that you must make over and over again, every day, and work to make it real. This concept that love can just appear out of nowhere is destructive. If you’re young and inexperienced in love, it gives you false hope for something that doesn’t exist. If you’re older and wiser, it pisses you off: either because you’re single and it makes you feel worthless because you can’t find “the one,” or because you’re married and these stories describe as effortless what you’ve had to work hard to maintain. No matter how you slice it, it’s not fair.
      Not only was their love described as automatic, but “Theirs was a love that made it inconceivable to choose Lucifer or the Throne” (book 4). That sounds lovely, but what it really does is idolize romantic love, and as a Christian, I struggle with that. Maybe some people can enjoy a vicarious, magical romance. Me, with my overactive imagination, I’m experiencing the story alongside the characters as I go, and having to step back into reality from something so perfectly fictitious once the book ends is highly disappointing. As much as I like the magical escape of a fictional world, I guess I need just enough truth and reality mixed in for me to really enjoy it! And that’s what I’ll be putting in my own books ;-).
          So, I guess you could say I learned just as much about my personal preferences as I did about the books themselves XD. Hopefully this series of posts hasn’t utterly poisoned against these books if you’re inclined to read them; as I mentioned in the first post, they are very well-written and engaging… but as I’ve discovered over the other three posts, they aren’t really for me ><.
            What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
            Until the next time, keep reading!
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​     Despite my complaints the past two posts about the use of angels and not-Biblically-sound Christian themes, there were actually several moments in the Fallen series where I actually really appreciated what the author Lauren Kate had written.
       I know I complained heavily about the portrayal of God in these books, but the author did nail the truth on the head in one particular scene at the end of book 4. She may not have written the “Throne” as the Almighty God I believe in, but it is God who speaks “Enough!” and ends the second fall (the one that Lucifer had started in an effort to erase most of human history). It is not Luce or the other angels or even Lucifer himself that ceases the dilemma that dominates the final volume – it is God, pure and simple, who does nothing more than speak, and the evil efforts that have been made vanish completely ;-). And even though I also complained about the angels and demons not behaving as true angels or demons (especially the fact that they behave similar to each other – you almost can’t tell them apart!), the charm that Cam displays in the first book does a fantastic and accurate job of revealing the seductiveness of evil.
      Then there were several lines in the books that really caught my attention. One of Luce’s past incarnations says in book 3, “The only thing we can control is the work we do… the rest is out of our hands.” We see this theme come out again, just a few pages later, “For Daniel, an existence without scars was just another indication that his destiny was out of his hands. Nothing he ever did made a dent.” Of course, the whole point of the series is geared towards changing that destiny, for both him and Luce, but it was nice to see the truth revealed, even in a small way. Then there’s the line in the first book, where Daniel reminds Luce, “In the Bible, you know how God makes a big deal about how everyone should love him with all their soul? How it has to be unconditional, and unrivaled?” (Definitely a true fact.) And the line in the last book, “The Throne invented forgiveness, you know.” And perhaps my favorite line of the entire series, actually spoken by the demon Cam in book 4: “Mortality is the most romantic story ever told. Just one chance to do everything you should. Then, magically, you move on.” It’s a beautiful sentiment on the brevity of human life, and one that I hope I can capture in every book I write.
       However, it was the climax of the series – where Luce’s twisted triangle backstory with Lucifer and Daniel is finally revealed – that really caught my attention. Luce, as an angel, finds love with Lucifer when God leaves heaven to create the earth (a fallacy that God would need to leave His throne in order to do anything, but we’ll accept it for the sake of the story). It is this love that eventually leads to Lucifer’s ambition and revolt as well as the fall of so many of the angelic host, and it is Lucifer’s abuse of that love which sends Luce straight into Daniel’s arms, therefore making it a critical plot point for the series. But what I loved so much about that scene was how we see a tragic reflection of what humans do when they feel God is “absent,” and how they seek to fill the “hole” in their lives and souls with something other than His love. It was touching to see such a simple truth come so vividly to life, and to realize the huge consequences that can come from such a choice (ie, the first 3 books).
        Unfortunately, this revelation didn’t come until the very end of book 4. I did love and appreciate the backstory; I’d been mad at Daniel for most of the series, thinking that as angel he should know better than to love a mortal, and somehow, having Luce turn out to be an angel and therefore their sin is mutual, kind of made things better for me. But at the same time, I spent 3 books feeling frustrated with the story just to get to that point. It was a powerful moment of truth – still, I’m not sure it was worth wading through 3 other volumes to reach it.
       Next time will be the last post on the Fallen series, I promise! What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
         Until the next time, keep reading!
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