The Fallen (Mass Market Paperback)

by Thomas E Sniegoski (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-After suffering a splitting headache on his 18th birthday, Aaron Corbet discovers that he can not only understand different languages, but also speak them. He can even talk to his dog. So begins this fast-paced fantasy. He learns that he is a Nephilim, an offspring of an angel and an Earth woman. Long ago, several angels decided to give up their wings to live among the humans. "The Powers" were sent to destroy all the fallen angels and their offspring. Legend has it that one Nephilim will be born and he will have the power to bridge the gap between the fallen angels and heaven, and Aaron is that one. The author spends some time explaining how the angels fell and why they are being hunted, but the action will keep readers interested. The climax of the book comes when Aaron faces Verchiel, the head of "The Powers." In the ensuing battle, his foster parents are killed and his autistic foster brother is taken as a slave. The book ends with Aaron beginning his search for Stevie, leaving the door open for a sequel.
Kim Carlson, Monticello High School, IA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Aaron Corbet isn't a bad kid -- he's just a little different.

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 descend on the battlefield.

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

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141693877X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416938774
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,050 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting a little old to be reading Harry Potter?, February 10, 2004

By	Stephen Cords (Brockton, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ~The Fallen~ There but for the grace..., February 26, 2006

By	M. Cardenas - See all my reviews

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

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!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing read!, November 10, 2003

By	Taylor Corbet "Taylor Corbet" (PA, USA) - See all my reviews

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

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?