Review: Raziel (The Fallen #1) by Kristina Douglas

Synopsis (Goodreads):

She was just an ordinary mortal . . .

“You’re dead” is so not what Allie Watson wants to hear. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like the dark, angelically handsome man who ferried her to this strange, hidden land. The last thing she remembers is stepping off a curb in front of a crosstown bus. Now she’s surrounded by gorgeous fallen angels with an unsettling taste for blood—and they really don’t want her around. Not exactly how she pictured heaven.

. . . until death catapulted her into a seductive world she never imagined.

Raziel is unsure why he rescued Allie from hellfire against Uriel’s orders, but she stirs in him a longing he hasn't felt in centuries. Now the Fallen are bracing for the divine wrath brought by his disobedience, and they blame Allie for the ferocious Nephilim clawing at the kingdom’s shrouded gates. Facing impossible odds at every turn, the two must work together to survive. Raziel will do anything to defend his spirited lover against the forces of darkness—because Allie may be the Fallen’s only salvation.

My Thoughts: I'm going to take a second before I get down to reviewing this one to really gather my thoughts.  Because my thoughts are scattered.  Scattered everywhere.

...

...

I'm still thinking.

...

Okay.  I think I'm ready.  Maybe.

I liked this book.  But I didn't like this entire book.  I don't know if I can pinpoint what it was exactly that didn't work for me over the first 150 pages but I had a tough time liking the characters.  Any of them.  I wanted to like them.  I've been eyeballing this book for a while and I went into it fully expecting to be blown away (which reminds me, once again, why I try to go into new books with no expectations) and, quite frankly, I wasn't.  Or at least I wasn't over those first 150 pages.

Somewhere around the 200 page point I realized that I liked Raziel.  I liked being in his head.  I liked seeing him battle against his need for Allie.  I liked that Allie tried so hard to suppress her desire for Raziel.  I liked that Azazel came across as a big prick until he was alone with Sarah.  I liked that Allie hated all the white she was forced to wear.  I liked that she raided Raziel's closet so she didn't have to wear it.

By golly, all of a sudden I liked everything about the book.  I liked those shifting viewpoints.  I liked that Allie called the Fallen out on being patriarchal dicks.  I liked that Raziel liked to curse.  If the first half of the book had been as awesome as the last half, I would have been crawling all over it begging it to do naughty things to me.  Okay, maybe not that last part.  But it definitely would have hit the 2011-favorites pile without a thought.  Instead, I have to really sit here and think about it.

I liked this book.  I liked the world that was created.  I ended up loving how feral and wild Raziel could be.  I liked Allie.  I just didn't love the beginning.  Will I read more in this series?  Yes.  That's a resounding yes in case you couldn't tell.  Kristina Douglas has given us some wicked, hot angels who fight against their destiny and, despite their fallen status, are trying to save the world from a power mad creature who wants to make them suffer in the worst way.

Did you read the part about wicked, hot angels?  Hell, yeah, I'm going to be reading more in this series.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.