Angel Gabriel has known for many years that he will be the next Archangel and that he must go to the oracle to discover who Jovah has chosen to be his Angelica or human bride. In Samaria, Archangels are a sort of divine chosen ruler over the land, changing every fifteen years. They lead Samaria in the Gloria (a sort of sung mass) each year, reminding the people of their dependence and love for Jovah. Gabriel has put off the task of finding his bride until he only has six months until his inaugural Gloria - so when he discovers his Angelica Rachel is a young woman from a family of peasant farmers he is shocked and more than a little surprised. Rachel herself has not led an easy life and is not too happy when Gabriel shows up declaring that he will be her husband. All her life her choices have been taken from her and she is not about to let Gabriel take them away from her again.Let me start off by saying what in the heck is going on with this cover? Is Rachel cringing? Singing? Sighing? None really match her personality so I can't really figure it out. Not to mention the odd little ball - is it supposed to be the Kiss which not only allows Jovah to track you but tells you when you've found your one and only? I thought that was supposed to be embedded in your skin? Weird. Too weird. Other than the oddness of the art, I really enjoyed this unusual story of religion mixed with politics set in a brand new world. And once again Shinn does not disappoint with her wonderfully crafted characters. A competely believable hero and heroine and some nasty villains who really are a little larger than life. The narrative switches back and forth between Rachel and Gabriel, which at times seemed a bit redundant since they would cover each situation twice, but overall served to really give a good understand of each's personality. Inventive and very readable, I can't wait to pick up the rest of this fabulous series. ( )

THIS is the something more that I was hoping for in Fallen Angel. Glorious romantic fantasy. Can't wait to spend more time in this universe. ( )

This is an amazing book. I was asked to read this before publication as reviewer and I fell in love with Sharon's writing. The story is rich and clever. I literally sobbed through the last 45 pages because it was so well written. It and the others in the series sit on my bookshelf in pride of place. I re-read each one every year. I cannot get enough of this story line. I believe Sharon has a book of shorts coming out this year that will have another small installment based on this series. I cannot wait to read it. Her characters are full, rich and unforgettable. I cannot recommend this book and the rest in the series highly enough. Enjoy!!! ( )

Aug09: Really wasn't expecting a romance novel, but it was still worth it.

Characters: Pretty much made the book. Only the main couple and the baddy were really fleshed out, but they were solid. Plenty of twists and turns in their mind.
Plot: Really standard actually. Hell, God even did what was expected. But even though, the bickering between the couple was enough to carry it.
Style: She built a really believable and awesome world. I was a mix of fantasy with hints of Science Fiction. The different races were distinct and believable.

Overall, it gets a tilt towards excellent. ( )

http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2009/... ( )