Customer Reviews

The Fallen

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No? Me neither. The Harry Potter series can be read and enjoyed by folks of all ages. However, if your "Young Adults" don't realize this and being seen with the most recent Rowling could put their social status in jeopardy, pick up a few "Fallen" novels. You, and they, will be glad you did.

A long time comic book author and interpreter of other people's properties (Buffy and Angel), Sniegoski launches his own world with the release of "The Fallen", the first in a hopefully extensive library of genre novels.

This book is geared toward the young teen crowd, but there's no Sweet Valley High or Nancy Drew here. The Fallen is a light but very interesting story solidly rooted in a variety of complex theologies. Comic fans may recognize bits of Garth Ennis' Preacher and cinemaphiles will undoubtedly compare this to Christopher Walken's Prophecy films, but the similarities run only on the surface. In Aaron, Sniegoski has created a perfect teenaged everyman. Who among us hasn't felt alone and different even when surrounded by people who love us? When approaching high school graduation didn't everyone feel like we were about to step off a cliff in the dark? It was a great big world we were about to be thrust out into. Why not take the time in everyone's life when they are the most unsure of themselves and add a little psychological drama and supernatural intrigue?

Being a tad older than this book's target audience I really appreciated seeing a very interesting interpretation of what could have been a simple rehashing of a tired plot. Younger folks will undoubtedly come to the experience with a fresher perspective and possibly enjoy it even more than I did. Like the properties Tom has worked on before, the excellence is in the execution. There was nothing new or groundbreaking in Buffy or Angel other than the interesting spins placed on the old stories by a team of very talented writers, directors and actors. Here we get all that innovation in another old story by another very talented individual.

If Sniegoski can continue the high level of creativity in future volumes we will undoubtedly see another great series for the young adult audience.

Angels: beautiful, pure creatures that we all wish someday to become. But these white winged beings aren't all they're cracked up to be. In this historical fiction novel, Aaron Corbet was your everyday teenage boy. That was, until he turned 18. Has if his countless nightmares hadn't been enough, his dog is now talking to him, angels are turning up everywhere he goes, and... he must be prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of an old prophecy foretold long ago. The Fallen takes place in present day Lynn, Massachusetts, where extraordinary things happen behind the backs of us humans. Aaron is unsure and bewildered by these new supernatural talents of his, until he is approached by two men, who tell him of his destiny. He learns that he's a Nephilim, the offspring of a female mortal and an angel, and his whole world turns upside-down. The Powers, a group of battle angels who are out to destroy everything ungodly, seek the Nephilim, Aaron. According to the prophecy, there is a One that becomes the bridge between Heaven and the fallen angels, also known as Grigori. The One that can forgive them, and return the Grigori to their place in Heaven. But Verchiel, the head of the Powers, will NOT let this happen...even if he has to go against the Creator himself.

I think The Fallen is a great book, defiantly a page turner. I recommend this book to people from the grade 7 and up. Anyone who enjoys conflict and battles between good and evil would love this book! I personally liked this book, simply because I found it not to be extremely boring. The whole concept of this book, which was mainly an angelic dispute, amused me. I think the author did an incredible job on the perspectives of both sides. The Powers, mostly Verchiel, thought what they were doing was truly the best thing for Him. I've always loved fiction novels, pretty much because anything from the imagination can happen in them, and this book is no exception. There were a ton of surprises, especially if you think of what the Powers are actually doing. The Powers are angels, but they're killing innocent people and fellow angels for a good that only makes sense to them. What really surprised me though were the angel's intentions and basically all of the wars between them. That defiantly kept things interesting. Oddly enough, the author leaves the readers at a cliff hanger at the end, and I can't wait to read the second one!

I'm not an easy person to please when it comes to books. There are many fantasy books that I have started to read and put down because both the hero and the villain were too cliché and predictable or because the descriptions didn't meet my expectations. When I picked up Fallen for the first time, I didn't expect it to be the series that I'd be counting the days till the next book is published, but it was just that.

The characters are very well developed and evolve in unexpected ways throughout the story. Aaron, the protagonist, grows as he learns to understand and control his angelic nature.My personal favorite, former Powers leader, Camael shows great determination to end the violence and help Aaron on the path of his destiny. Gabriel, the Labrador retriever, is the much-needed comedy relief, but his loyalty is second to none. The villain, Verchiel, differs from the classical "Big Evil" of books because he believes that what he's doing is really the will of God. His determination makes him a very powerful character.

I think Fallen also sends a message of hope. The hope that all of us can be forgiven and can redeem ourselves. After all, don't we all want to forgiveness for something?

Wow, I mean, man, WOW! What a great book. This book is really really good. I read it in 2 hours. So one of a kind. I can't wait for the next one in the series to come out.

In case you want to know what it's about I'm going to write what's on the back of the book.

Aaron Corbert isn't a bad kid-he's just a little different.

archangel

On the eve of his eighteenth birthday, Aaron dreams of a
darkly violent landscape. He can hear the sounds of weapons
clanging, the screams of the stricken, and another sound he
cannot quite decipher. But gazing upward at the sky, he
suddenly understands. It is the sound of great wings, angels'
wings, beating the air unmercifully as hundreds of armored
warriors desend on the battlefield.

Orphaned since birth, Aaron is suddenly discovering
newfound-and sometimes supernatural-talents. But not
untill he is approached by two men does he learn the truth
about his own destiny, and his role as a liaison between
angels, mortals, and Powers both good and evil, some of
whom are hell-bent on his own destruction....

I highly recomand this book. I would have given it 10 or more stars if I could. Well hope you like it as much as I did.

On turning 18 Aaron Corbert, orphaned since birth, realises that he is different, some might even say special. His world is turned upside down over night as his true nature is revealed, along with the destiny he never asked for - that will endanger the ones he loves.

I loved this book. It's 'unputdownable,' a compelling read. It's got fantasy, fighting, romance, humour and horrors, along with a whole lot more.

The Characterisation is awesome - I mean, who would have thought you could characterise a dog? - Yes, I did just say dog.

It's full of suspense and an ending that will have you yearning for more.

A must read! But don't just listen to me, see for yourself.

After seeing the T.V. mini-series that was based on this book, I decided to purchase the books too. I was captivated by each book & finished reading them either the same day or within 2 days. I found the books to be more interesting than the t.v.seris (abeit a little more bloodier). But the plot was well done & kept me interested to see what would happen next.
Unfortunately some religious zealots will find this whole plot offending to their bibles. The books like the t/v. series was meant for pure entertainment purposes (not as a documentary of the fallen angels).
The center character Aaron Corbet, a teenager finds out after reaching puberty that strange things start happening to him. He is told that he's part human and part angel. He struggles to accept the duality of his human and angelic natures within to try to create a working harmony for both. Along his journey he finds that he is able to forgive the sins of the fallen angels who've been banished to earth, he has the ability to return them to heaven. However, he's on the run, from the angelic powers who see him as an abomination in the eyes of God who must be destroyed. The plot thickens as some angels try to help him in his journey.
If you like angels and fantasy, then you'll like these books . . .

Following a bunch of authors, sometimes jewels get lost in the cracks - I found out about The Fallen on the cable when the miniseries was advertised, and I immediately got on Amazon to see the books it was based on. And I was not disappointed. The story deals with children of male angels and human women who are hunted down and killed by The Powers, a misguided group of angels who think they are doing God's will - NOT!
Aaron is your typical teenager, until he turns 18 - he gets a horrible headache and suddenly can speak and understand languages - he can even understand and speak to his dog, Gabriel. Actually Gabriel is a great character. The good angels get to Aaron first and help him finish his transformation and he is a very powerful being - and may be the one prophesized thousands of years before - to be the one who builds the bridge between Heaven and the fallen angels.
It is a wonderful start to Aaron's journey.

About the Book:
What this book is about is fairly simple. Upon his eighteenth birthday, Aaron Corbet starts to experience strange things. He is able to speak and understand all languages, including animals. Soon after, Aaron finds out that he is Nephilim, or an offspring of a fallen angel and a human woman. Not only that but Aaron is also part of a long told prophecy. It is said that he is to be the one to forgive the Fallen of their sins so that they may return to Heaven. However, there is a group of angels known as the Powers that are out to stop him and purge his uncleanliness from the world by death.

Review:
Maybe I just have bad luck with teen novels, but few have swept me off my feet (exceptions are Diana Wynne Jones, who had been placed in both youth and teen, and The Hobbit, which is in both teen and adults). The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski is no exception. However, I would not call this a complete disaster either. Originally, I was quite skeptical about picking this up since I had spotted the 2 in 1 versions, which dons a good looking, young lad on the cover. However, after reading the blurb I decided to give it a chance.

As I said, it wasn't brilliant, but neither was it dreadful. I am happy to say that the plot (for the most part) was fairly original. Granted Sniegoski's writing style let this book fall flat. Although I have no problem with plot driven books, the lack of character development left me with little care for what happened to the characters, especially Aaron (but I have yet to find a main character in novel written strictly for teens that I have liked so far).

Sniegoski also needs to steer clear of the humour. Yes, I realise there is needed comedy relief, but Sniegoski fails at it miserably. The only exception to this was Gabriel, the talking dog, who had me laughing aloud. Now, at twenty-three, maybe I just don't have the same comedic tastes, but I wouldn't think twenty-three would make much difference. Teens, I would appreciate feedback on the humour in this book and what you thought of it.

On a plus note, I found it a great delight that Thomas Sniegoski actually did his homework on the angels. Much of what was in the book could be traced back to angelic lore. I know I, personally, have been turned off by many works of fiction because there was no mythos involved so kudos to Sniegoski.

Juat to let you know, this is no teen romance. In fact, there is plenty of action and violence, and it probably is better geared toward the male variety.

Overall, this is not a bad book, but the author's writing style makes the characters dull. The plot itself is pretty interesting though, and for those that care, plenty of research was done on the angels. The humour is a bit weak, as are the characters, but with the plot, it made for an all right read. Although I won't be recommending it to many people, teens may get quite the enjoyment out of it.

This is the first in a series of four. I have bought this book for all of my friends and family. The story takes place in New England, mostly Massachusetts. The characters are interesting, intelligent, sexy, powerful and funny. This story is packed with suspense, unexpected twists and turns. It is also thought provoking. I have read this series several times and it never gets old. It is a keeper.

Bought this series of 4 novels, autographed by author, after watching the first TV show.
Of course it's better than the TV movie.
3rd one gets a little repetitious -but all-in-all it's an epic tale for those who like fantasy, sci-fi, etc.
(Just don't get bogged down in the religious dogma. It's not a theological treatise.)