“How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?”
Book Description:
In Fallen (book 1), Luce found Daniel – a cursed angel and her true love. Luce knows that she and Daniel’s destinies are intertwined; that he has loved her over and over again in her previous lives, but they’ve never managed to be together. Each and every time, she died. It’s the way it’s always been. That’s the nature of the curse. This time, so far, things are different. Luce has survived their often-fatal first kiss. But that doesn’t mean she’s safe.
As Luce and Daniel’s story continues, she has been relocated to an exclusive school on the west coast called Shoreline. There are normal kids there, but there is also a very large population of Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.
Daniel promises she will be safe in Shoreline, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future…and that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. Making her question if Daniel really is the one for her?
Personal Thoughts:
I anticipated much of this book after reading the sneak peak a month ago. The sneak peak contains only the prologue part which tells more on Daniel and Cam secret alliance – the truce between good and bad angels. I thought I will get to see more about that from this book but I failed. Daniel and Cam got a lesser appearance this time around. There are so much new in here. New setting, new characters, new adventure and a new Lucinda Pierce.
I appreciate the new scenery, it’s more appealing to me, a totally new world to discover for Luce. I can now connect more on the story as the settings is more vivid compare to the first book. Luce’s new school’s Shoreline is pretty interesting. I love being transported to beautiful places in books. I could actually imagine myself in this warm sunny place near a beautiful ocean. Something warming and loving about the place.
The new characters are also interesting. There are new teachers in the form of Francesca and Simon. Two fallen angels from opposing sides who are also an item. Having an angel and demon teaching the same class is fascinating. There are also new classmates for Luce. The addition of Nephilim are a bonus but I missed a lot of the characters from the first book. Like Daniel, Cam, Ronald and Ariane. They do still exist in here but with a lesser part.
The development of Luce character is a good attempt. She is a bit stronger and begins questioning everything, which I liked because at least she’s trying to make her own decisions. But at the same time I also grew frustrated with her. She’s quite stubborn and unreasonable. I found it hard to sympathize with her, specially when she started aiming on his new classmate Miles who she just knew for few days. Obviously, I’m not a fan of love triangles. They are typical and simply irritating. Though I don’t mind Miles in this part, but Luce is really annoying. There is a lot of misunderstanding between her and Daniel. They keep having the same exact fight over and over again. I get and understand both sides, but it got a little repetitive for me. She also complains a lot about no one telling her the truth but several of the other angels (including Daniel) reveal quite a bit to her – if she would just listen and focus really hard. And besides the whole story happens in 18 days while Daniel is busy protecting her outside her school. Can’t she give Daniel enough time to explain things? Or at least try to obey her teachers? She spends a lot of time trying to figure out why Daniel is in love with her, and I spent a lot of time wondering that myself. The two books is still lacking the details behind those things.
As for Daniel, he needs to trust Luce more, that she can handle more than he thinks she can. He is too overprotective. He needs to lighten up a bit and clue Luce in on a few things.
What I like in this book is the writing, it get better compare to Fallen. The cover is also lovely like the first book. And I also liked the development of the “Shadows”. That thing that haunted Luce since the beginning of this story in Fallen. They are now called “The Announcers”. It’s nice to know more about them, their abilities and the history they carry. They played a major role in discovering Luce’ past which this book tackles more.
The questions from Fallen which I expect to be answered in Torment are still there and worst new questions are added. The mystery surrounding Luce and her timeless relationship with Daniel has only deepened. It gets more confusing and intriguing. Luce purpose is still vague and the lines between good and evil are blurred even further. It makes it more hard to distinguish who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, and what role Luce has to play in all of these? With all this hunger to know the answers and what’s next to come, I realized how clever Lauren Kate is — she makes the reader coming back for more.
blackplume 