I read the newer edition that included revisions and bonus material not in the original 2008 edition. Dark future where women have an enforced dress code and even though this is a futuristic story it sometimes feel very Victorian. Theirs corruption and enslavement and plenty of injustice. Angels give up their wings to help the human race, once they complete their mission they return. Adam has his mission but Lilia is a distraction as she seeks to uncover who murdered her husband.
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I have read a lot of Claire Delacroix's medieval fantasy books, but this is the first SciFi story. I enjoyed it and will continue with the series.
Lilia is a Shade Hunter who has come to New Gotham to investigate the death of her husband. Adam Montgomery is a policeman with a secret; he is really an Angel come to earth on a mission to save mankind.
The Earth is a mess. Nuclear detonations in major cities have destroyed the populace. Children in utero at the time of the various blasts are born with mutations and deformities. The government does not regard them as human and calls them 'shades'. Shades are slaves, meant to do the work that no one else wants.
This is a fast paced story that makes you want to keep reading to discover more. Lilia is a strong female lead and Adam is an interesting character also. The plot makes you think about the state of our world and where mankind is headed. Definitely a good read. ( )

Amazon preorder,Amazon received

My friend Amy sent me this book a while back and I finally took the time to pick it up. I’d been putting it off for a while since I wasn’t thrilled by the cover but I’m glad that I’ve read it now.

Set in a dystopic world in the future, the country is ruled by the Republic, which is a very Big Brother-esque organization. There’s a decency code that dictates women’s behaviour and dress and anyone who doesn’t mean strict guidelines is deemed a Shade, which is an acronym for something I can’t remember right now but it basically means that you’re subhuman.

Lilia Desjardins works for a scientific organization she despises, capturing shades. Any shades she captures go to the circus, where they can find employment and have an identity. She comes to Gotham for a conference for this organization, and also to find out who killed her husband. Adam Montgomery is an angel who gave up his wings to perform a mission on Earth. He runs into trouble when his contact, another descended angel, is murdered, forcing him to work with Lilia to solve both of their problems.

Fallen is billed as a paranormal romance by the publisher and it definitely has those elements, in addition to a great storyline. There’s a lot of world building and development throughout the novel so that you feel like you’re constantly discovering things. Claire Delacroix has also built a lot of metaphor into the novel’s premise, which is neat and makes you think. Lilia and Adam are protagonists with a lot of depth who connect on many levels, not just the physical. It’s refreshing to see characters who are attracted to one another but who really click personality-wise.

There are two other books in the series so far and I look forward to reading them both.

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I don't like giving bad reviews, but this book is just not what it appeared. I expected something hot or romantic, suspenseful or magical, and instead I got a science fiction piece that read more like a historical then a futuristic.

Montgomery is an angel sent on an earthly mission, under the guise of working for the police. Lilia is a woman trying to solve the mystery of her husband's murder. Both have information that the other wants, and share a mutual and growing attraction.

It's obvious the author put a lot of time and imagination into this book. She does a fair job of creating an interesting world and developing interesting plot lines.

As said above this book is not what it seems. Because of the futuristic setting, you expect some technical information and world-building. But instead we are inundated with repetitive passages describing the state of this future world--the laws, government, society, technology, science, all sort of half explained over and over again. It's confused, vague, ridiculous, and boring.

And weirdly enough it actually seems more historical then futuristic at times. Women are severely oppressed in the name of their own protection. Prejudice is a legally protected concept--the 'shades' a group of people with birth defects, are not even allowed the courtesy of names. This is not what I wanted to read about.

If you like futuristic science-fiction, this is the book for you. But do not pick it up expecting a nice hot paranormal romance--it falls short. ( )