Customer Reviews

Fallen (Seven Deadly Sins, Book 2)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sucked into the morass of human emotions and temptation, Gabriel was cast down from his status as angel, and is now one of the Fallen, a demon. For many years he let himself wallow in addiction and remorse, a situation only worsened by the murder of his mistress while he was in an absinthe-induced stupor in an 1880s brothel. Could the potent liquor have propelled him into a temporary madness that caused him to kill the beautiful young woman in the room with him, or did someone else perform the heinous deed while he himself was comatose? Thanks to his more than inebriated state, he cannot remember, and so suffers from the maddening uncertainty on top of his assumed guilt.

Cut to the present day: Gabriel now has his addictions reigned in, although he still struggles with them. But he is obsessed with the terrible night he still can't recall, and determining the truth of what happened to the lovely Anne.

Now another woman has been killed, and it is almost identical to Anne's murder over a hundred years earlier. Coincidence? Gabriel is determined to find out, and who better to help him research it than the new victim's own daughter.

Still reeling from her mother's violent death and the subsequent trial that left the case still unsolved, Sara descended into her own addiction. Frail and uncertain, she can think of no better way to get on with her life than to help true crime novelist Gabriel St. John unravel the mystery of a century-old murder. He doesn't need to know that the victim involved his her very own great-great-great-grandmother, nor does she plan on telling him the same cycle of violence has been perpetrated on almost every female descendent since. Sara will do anything it takes to prevent the same fate from befalling herself.

On the heels of her most intriguing beginning to the SEVEN DEADLY SINS series, MY IMMORTAL, Erin McCarthy releases a sequel that is equally as dark and compelling as the first book. FALLEN is everything you would expect if you read the first story, but is filled with plenty of its own surprises.

While the story is undoubtedly romantic, and the attraction between Sara and Gabriel pretty intense, the mystery is as important a part of this story as the romance. I, for one, was immensely pleased with the twists Ms. McCarthy delivered in FALLEN, and would like to state for the record that I didn't quite deduce them all before the big reveal happened. I grew up reading mysteries, and developed quite a knack for figuring the `whodunit' ahead of time, so when a book is able to surprise me, I am quite delighted.

One thing I wasn't quite as fond of was the numerous news stories and reports. Both of the SEVEN DEADLY SIN books tell stories that began centuries ago, and understanding what happened in the past is a vital part of what is happening to the heroes in the current day. In MY IMMORTAL, the author tells the back history with flashbacks that involve other characters, which I loved. With FALLEN, the back story is told through the articles and reports that Gabriel is using to research the murders, and I found them to be somewhat impersonal, and caused those sections to drag for me a little. The articles contained important information for the story, but it was just a little more difficult for me to read them.

One of my closest friends has also read FALLEN, however, and the news stories never bothered her a bit. So, I think this is not so much a fault with the writing or the story, but a matter of the reader's personal tastes. We each bring our own preferences and experiences to every story we read, and as such we perceive each book a bit differently that the next person.

All that said, I wouldn't have missed this book for the world. FALLEN is a great story of love and redemption in what is becoming for me an addictive series. Erin McCarthy has proven once again that she has what it takes to draw realistic characters with whom readers can easily empathize amidst the backdrop of a wonderfully rich paranormal world. Combine those elements with a poignant love story and this book is a keeper!

*Courtesy of Wild on Books*

Series Order:
My Immortal (Seven Deadly Sins, Book 1)
Fallen (Seven Deadly Sins, Book 2)

This book was fairly well written, and the twists were unexpected and convincing. The plot of the story was good. Breaking up the story with news articles and interviews from the murders were a interesting literary device that I appreciated. I was compelled up until about half-way through the book, despite how slowly the story was moving.

By the end, it just dragged on and on. The sexual tension between Gabriel and Sara ended anti-climatically, with pages and pages of flowery nuances about their love, adoration, acceptance, devotion, etc etc etc, to the point where I was skipping paragraphs just to get to the next scene.

The intensity of their love is not particularly believable, in the magnitude that the author speaks of it, which was frustrating to have to read over and over. The heady desire that is expected sort of dwindles as even during sexual scenes, they are expressing their love for each other constantly, over and over.

The characters themselves were interesting, especially Sara, who was fleshed out very well. Gabriel was never really fully formed. We get who he was, but don't feel much for him, and his physical characteristics were never described very well, so we're forced to pretend to know what we're seeing. The apartment they spend hours upon hours in was never set up very well either, while the Dauphine street house was explained very clearly.

I still think this book is worth reading, but if you're looking for excitement and sensual scenes, this isn't the book for you.

I am a fan of Erin McCarthy's work but I felt this book was way too long. I was shocked how slow the pace was in this book compared to her others. I wish she would have explained why Gabriel was banished from Heaven (then again I could have missed it because I started skipping parts and quickly scanning others). I did like the tention/relationship between the main charaters.

I was highly disappointed with the previous novel in this series, but after reading a few high reviews of this one I decided to pick it up from the library "just in case" there was some improvement on the second novel. I found it even worse than the first. I couldn't even finish this one I was so bored out of my mind.

I found the plot childishly easy to figure out. After reading only half of the story I already knew what was going to happen and after scanning the novel, discovered I was right and the pages in-between were only filler with no action to speak of. Needless to say I won't be reading any more from this author.

In 1849 New Orleans Anne Donovan loves John Thiroux and would do anything for him even die. John is actually the fallen angel Gabriel St. John sent to earth to help humans, but failed to cope with mortal suffering and turned to absinthe to drown his woes. When Anne violently dies, Gabriel is unsure whether he killed her as he was intoxicated at the time. He pledged to his heavenly boss to remain sober even as he is acquitted by a jury of his not peers of the homicide.

In present day New Orleans, true-crime author Gabriel is stunned by the parallels between the murder of Jessie Michaels and that of his Annie. Once again the accused Dr. Rafe Marino in this case is exonerated after a trial. Jesse's daughter Sara Michaels has left Florida to uncover the truth about her mother's murder; Gabriel plans to write a book on the subject. These two wounded souls collaborate seeking peace from closure, but neither knows how connected the mid nineteenth century murder and the recent one are to one another.

This is an engaging murder mystery investigative fantasy starring two angst laden individuals seeking solace by bringing rest to their beloved dead. The story line is fast-paced as the duo follow clues in trying to solve two homicides. Although the climax seems to have fallen from nowhere, fans will enjoy Erin McCarthy's fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

From the back:
New Orleans, 1840s. Sent to watch over the decadent city, the angel Gabriel loses himself in the liquid pleasure of absinthe. So when his mistress, Anne, is murdered - and all evidence points to him - a foggy Gabriel cannot be sure he didn't do it. His penance: to be forever denied love. Should he seek pleasure with a woman, she'll suffer the depths of despair...

New Orleans, today. Hoping to unlock the unsolved murder mystery, forensic scientist Sara Michaels, Anne's great-great-granddaughter, meets the ageless, tormented Gabriel. To work together will mean suppressing their mutual attraction - he can't allow himself to touch Sara, for her own sake. And for Sara, already familiar with the dangers of addiction, Gabriel poses the ultimate threat to her self control. But will the desire burning between them turn into their salvation - or lead them both to destruction?

Review: Overall a great read - interesting, compelling with a good mystery at the heart. The story is a romance, but the mystery and the characters are the driving force, despite the romance featuring prominently in the foreground.

I expected to read more of the "fallen Angel" but was disappointed, you won't get that until the end and even that was brief! Not much happening or very little action, the storie/plot could have been better. Still I can't bring myself to call it 'a bad book', if you want excitement this isn't it!

I only made it through about 150 pages of this book, then started skimming, then gave up altogether. This book moves very, very slow and I was just plain bored.

In 1849 Gabriel (a fallen angel) was accused of the murder of a prostitute, Anne, who died while he was drunk/high from opium and absinth. Gabriel doesn't know whether he commited the murder or not because the drugs caused him to forget many events. In the modern day, the now sober immortal writes true crime novels and continues to pursue the long cold murder case. He comes across a recent case that parallels Anne's murder, and contacts the victims daughter about investigating and writing a book on the case. Sara is herself a recovering addict, struggling to make peace with life after her mother's death. What Gabriel doesn't realize is that Sara is Anne's decendent, and the women in the family have a long history of being murdered. Sara dives into both investigations in hopes that she won't be next.

The romance aspect of this book had potential. I liked the concept of two former addicts finding strength and understanding in one another. Like everything else in the book, however, the relationship doesn't seem to progress at a natural pace. Gabriel is apparently cursed when it comes to women, so he's afraid to touch Sara. In my opinion this was a pretty lame road block for the author to throw up.

The murder mystery unfolds through newspapers, letters, and documents put in the book. They slowed the plot down even more and were at times repetitive. The murder issue is not complex, and the description of it's solution could have been told in 100 pages if you took out the filler.

SPOILER: The plot point that really broke me was when the heroine decided to try absinthe, to know what it's like. I realize that her addiction was to sleeping pills, not alcohol or the like. Fine. But is it really a good idea for a person with an addictive personality to try something so potentially addictive. Why would she think that was necessary? If she wanted to know what the substance was capable of, couldn't she ask someone who's done it. Bare in mind, Gabriel HAS done absinthe (at this point Sara is unaware that Anne's lover and Gabriel are the same person), so you would assume that he would discourage Sara from trying it. But he gives it all of two seconds thought before he breaks out the bottle.

This book had potential, but in the end my impatience got the better of me. I would only suggest reading this if you are found of slower, milder, uncomplex paranormal stories.

Gabriel St. John was sent to New Orleans as an angel and a watcher. He was supposed to protect the people, but he got caught up in the human suffering and emotions and ended up falling victim to human temptations. Seeking solace in Absinthe, Opium and the waiting arms of a prostitute named Anne, Gabriel was no longer an angel, but one of the fallen immortals known as demons.

In the year 1849 he awakens from a drugged stupor only to discover his beloved Anne has been murdered. All signs point to him, but he can't let himself believe he would do this. Fast forward to the present day, Gabriel is still in New Orleans, sober now and punishing himself in little ways for the man he was, and the death of Anne.

Sara Michaels has lived in fear of a curse that seems to follow and kill every female in her family for generations. When it happens to her mother, that fear multiplies. She leaves her Florida home and heads to New Orleans to work with Gabriel, who is now a true crime writer, to find some much needed answers.

This is the second book in the Seven Deadly Sins series, Erin McCarthy's take on the darker paranormal realm. I was blown away and all consumed from page one. Her darker tales are delicious and the mystery and suspense in this book was amazing. She leads us through twists and turns and just when you think the road has straightened, she throws another curve at you. There are two mysteries, past and present, and Gabriel and Sara are the link.

The book previous to this one, My Immortal (Seven Deadly Sins, Book 1), was much more sexual, but this book is much more sensual. There is a little scene involving some solo sex that was by far one of the most erotic scenes I have ever read; erotic in its innocence and freedom. Fallen is a chilling and sexy tale, a mystery wrapped in sin. I absolutely loved it!

Cherise Everhard, May 2008

Gabriel St. John is a fallen angel. Sent to Earth years ago to watch over and protect humans, Gabriel succumbed to addictions just as humans do, thus changing his status from watcher angel to demon. And just as humans harm themselves and possibly others with those same addictions, Gabriel is afraid that he has done the same thing. For one hundred and fifty years, Gabriel, who was called John Thiroux, has believed that he might be responsible for the horrendous murder of his then mistress, Anne Donovan. Unable to find out who murdered her, he turns to forensic scientist Sara Michaels with whom he shares one thing in common - her mother was also murdered in the same foul way and Gabriel wants to write a book in the hopes of solving both murders.

Sara Michaels wants answers. Selling her childhood home and taking a leave of absence from the job she loves, she heads to New Orleans with the hopes that author Gabriel St. John can help her solve her mother's murder. Gabriel is enigmatic and attractive but at the same time mysterious and anguished. In spite of this, Sara finds herself falling in love with him and craving his touch. But Sara has a secret of her own. She is the great-great-grand-daughter of Anne Donovan and unbeknownst to Gabriel, Sara thinks it is only a matter of time before she is murdered as well.

Gabriel and Sara are attracted to each other but because of Gabriel's curse, he knows he can never touch Sara the way he and she both want. Will they be able to continue their platonic relationship or will they succumb to the passion that is inside both of them?

I am guilty of never having read Erin McCarthy's work. Guilty but oh so remorseful because Fallen was magnificent! From the prologue to the last scene, Fallen kidnapped me and held me spellbound. I ate, breathed, and slept this novel until I could finish and finally put it down. Then when that happened, I picked it back up and began to read again. It was just that outstanding.

Gabriel was tormented and full of regrets. Regrets for Anne's murder, regrets for his angelic status turned demon. Most of all, he regretted not being able to touch and love Sara like he wanted. And he wanted her with every breath of his body. Sara often at times was just as tortured as Gabriel because of her own regrets and addictions. I agonized at their inability to love each other fully but hope prevailed despite everything that seemingly was working against them.

Consider Fallen Joyfully Recommended! The plot, the characters, and the setting of New Orleans all combine to make a fabulous and unforgettable read. Erin McCarthy has a woven a timeless tale of good versus evil and has gained a new fan. Two thumbs up and a dusting of angel wings on this one!

Talia
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed