The Fallen Angels (Crowning Mercy) [Kindle Edition]

Bernard Cornwell (Author), Susannah Kells (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation.’ Daily Mail

Product Description

The streets of Paris run bloodred—while in England, the noble Lazenders hide from history's violent storm behind the walls of their opulent “little kingdom.” But Toby Lazender, the family's heir, is hunting the brutal murderers of the woman he loved in revolution-torn France, leaving Lazen Castle vulnerable to secret cabal of assassins conspiring to bring the chaos across the channel. There is an obstacle, however, to the Fallen Angels' dark plan: Toby's sister, Lady Campion Lazender. Drawn by a mysterious horseman into a realm of fascination and desire, she sees treachery everywhere—and her heart could be leading her to destruction . . . by the hand of the only man she dares to trust.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 335 KB
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (October 13, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000MAH6FA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,789 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944 - a 'warbaby' - whose father was a Canadian airman and mother in Britain's Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted by a family in Essex who belonged to a religious sect called the Peculiar People (and they were), but escaped to London University and, after a stint as a teacher, he joined BBC Television where he worked for the next 10 years. He began as a researcher on the Nationwide programme and ended as Head of Current Affairs Television for the BBC in Northern Ireland. It was while working in Belfast that he met Judy, a visiting American, and fell in love. Judy was unable to move to Britain for family reasons so Bernard went to the States where he was refused a Green Card. He decided to earn a living by writing, a job that did not need a permit from the US government - and for some years he had been wanting to write the adventures of a British soldier in the Napoleonic wars - and so the Sharpe series was born. Bernard and Judy married in 1980, are still married, still live in the States and he is still writing Sharpe.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A keeper for your shelf, September 30, 2006

By 

mkupmvn (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fallen Angels (Mass Market Paperback)

This title is a permanent keeper in my at-home library. My Mom bought this book for me in hardcover when it was first printed in the 80's by the author Susannah Kells. It went out of print for a while, so I was so happy to see it come out in paperback. If you like the French Revolution, if you like mystery, if you like a little bit of foxy romance thrown in to spice things up, and also, a tad bit of violence (hey, it's the French Revolution - people were losing their heads left and right!) then this will be a great read for you. There are two big surprises, one midway through the book and one at the very end that you just don't see coming. This is a fun and entertaining read, not nearly as ponderous or detail-driven as a lot of Bernard Cornwell's other books. I reread it at least a couple of times a year, and I never get tired of it. Grab a copy for yourself. I'm sure you'll like it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what you might expect, January 28, 2010

By 

James E. Beckman (Leonardo, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fallen Angels: A Novel (Paperback)

The authors are listed as Bernard Cornwell and his wife, Susannah Kells. I get the feeling that Kells had a lot more to do with the writing, although her name is listed second in much smaller print. I bought this expecting another Bernard Cornwell, and what I got is a lot closer to Barbara Cartland. It's mostly a romance - a bodice-ripper. If this is what you want, go for it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite a Sequel, December 19, 2006

By 

John A Lee III "jal3" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fallen Angels (Mass Market Paperback)

This is not quite a sequel of Cornwells' and Kells' CROWNING MERCY but it is tightly related. Several generations have gone by since the previous book. Instead of turmoil surrounding the English Civil War, the turmoil surrounds the French Revolution. The terror is in full force on the continent and the English are wondering if the chaos is going to jump the channel. The fanatics on the French side have their own worries. They want to know how they are going to continue to finance their excesses. Actually, it is a small group within the leadership that has this worry. There are the Illuminati, who base their actions on a rationalism that has no place in it for mercy or anything else that gets in the way of their goals.

The Illuminati hit upon a scheme. In England there is an heiress who is one of the richest persons in Europe. If someone from within the Illuminati can be maneuvered into marrying her, he can take control of her fortune and funnel that back to the continent. It also provides a bridgehead for exporting the Terror to England.

Standing in the way of this plan is the heiress, Campion Lazender. She is just as bright as her namesake and is in love with a mysterious stranger who may or may not be a part of the plot. She must also watch out for treachery within her own family. Her wealth is lusted after no less than her body.

It is an enjoyable and exciting story.