"Fallen" from My Good Graces: The Truth Still Shines Through

​     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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