FALLEN ANGEL

Author: Margaret and Lizz Weis ISBN: 9780060833336 11/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: AVON

He thought he'd never find heaven again . . . until he met her. Matthew Gallow is a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for daring to disbelieve. Furious, frustrated, and empty, he roams the earth, pretending to cast out demons and preserve souls. He doesn't have faith in anything—or anyone—until the night he nearly dies fighting a true fiend. His whole world is shaken. And when he meets Natalia, he isn't sure if he can trust her...or the attraction he feels for her. Natalia works for Cain, a rocker living on the edge, and she invites Matthew to be a part of his wild stage show. It's perfect—an exorcism for a man who says he's sold his soul to the devil. Only Cain really is in league with Lucifer, and all mankind is at risk. Matthew never before cared whether or not the world went to hell. But as his passion for Natalia grows, he'll fight to the death to rescue her from evil's grasp...and realize that love is the one thing that can save a fallen angel.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I am a Margaret Weis fan from way back, so I knew the potential for any book with her name attached to it. I wasn't disappointed. If anything, this book has convinced me I need to make sure I haven't missed any books by this author. And I believe I'll be dusting off some of her older titles and reading them again. And what a treat to read this mother/daughter collaboration! Their storytelling styles mesh beautifully; I couldn't tell where one author's words began or ended. This is definitely a partnership that works well.

FALLEN ANGEL has reminded me why I love this genre. It has so much in it... demons, falls from favor, the play of good and evil and, most importantly, the idea that even the lowest creature can rise from the depths, overcome any agony, and find redemption.

We meet Matthew, a man whose disbelief has him cast out of heaven. His "sentence" is to roam the earth and "save" souls. But Matthew is a fake; he's made a bargain with the ultimate FALLEN ANGEL, Lucifer himself. While he's pretending to do good works he is actually holding hands with the devil. And when an offer comes his way Matthew doesn't resist. He agrees to do something that, as he very well knows, will serve the devil's purposes. Stealing souls for Satan is hardly the way to find the way back to heaven, but Matthew is beyond redemption... or is he?

Dark and thought-provoking, with enough fire, brimstone and fear to shake most readers, FALLEN ANGEL is a story of love and loss, despair and, ultimately, hope. I inhaled this book and will definitely recommend it time and again. FALLEN ANGEL is one for the keeper shelf!

Kay James