I was eagerly awaiting this sequel to Fallen by Lauren Kate, and was not disappointed. The world of paranormal suspense is fun to get lost in, and I enjoy it all. Vampires, fairies, werewolves, but in particular, I love me some fallen angels. And can you get better than Daniel . . . and Cam?
Both Fallen and Torment are L.O.N.G. books. Torment was 452 pages, yet it didn’t stop me from reading it in a day, just as I did with Fallen.
Right off the bat, to the critics of Fallen who say Ms. Kate took too long to get the story going–in setting up the world and backstory–that is not an issue here. We already fully understand the world Luce is now a part of and are able to dive in from page 1. To lose ourselves in Luce’s struggle–her torment–over her relationship with Daniel, dealing with her past and unsettled future. Who and what is evil? Who or what is good? Who are the bad guys? Who are her friends? What is real love? And can she save her current loved ones from the anguish of losing her or being hurt themselves?
My only disappointment with this sequel was there was not enough Cam. Whenever he did appear, however, the page singed with his sexy charm and bad boy humor. Ms. Kate introduced a new potential love interest/triangle in the form of Miles, a fellow student at the Shoreline school Daniel and Cam send Luce to hide. Miles brings something new to the table that neither Daniel nor Cam can provide Luce–stability and normalcy. With him, she can be a normal teenage girl with normal experiences. She even says that their joking relationship “was exactly the kind of goofy, teasing rapport she would love to have with Daniel. If he weren’t so brooding all the time. If he were actually around.”
The final battle scene in this installment wasn’t nearly as epic as in Fallen, but left you with some very big clues into Luce’s past . . . and future. The story continues in Passion, the next book in the Fallen series, which will be released Summer 2011. I, for one, can’t wait.
Happy Writing . . . and Reading!
