Reviewed by Angie Fisher for TeensReadToo.com

Throw out any notion you have of the scary, scythe-bearing Grim Reaper and replace it with The Fetch.

A Fetch is a death escort, a comforting guide who waits while the soul chooses whether or not to leave its mortal body. Upon choosing death, and yes, it is often a choice, the soul is led by its Fetch through a door into the afterworld.

Calder was young for a Fetch, only three-hundred-and-thirty. Had he been doing death scenes a bit longer, say a couple hundred years longer, perhaps he would have recognized the warning signs. As it was, Calder was too preoccupied by the attractive woman he'd left behind on earth during a recent death scene to notice the dangerous path he was embarking upon.

When Calder can no longer stand to be apart from the woman he's named Glory, he sets in motion a series of events that upsets a delicate balance and the consequences are felt throughout Heaven and Earth.

Set in the time of the Russian Revolution, the author takes us on a journey literally around the world in search of the one key that can open the door to align the two worlds again. Part historical fiction, part paranormal/fantasy, and part love story, THE FETCH is a beautifully written tale of mistakes made and lessons learned, both in life and in death. ( )

Calder is a fetch, a death angel. When a soul leaves its body it must go with a fetch so that it can enter heaven.

Calder breaks his fetch vows for love, and by doing so causes a terrible rift in the way things are supposed to be. The book takes you on his journey of trying to set everything right once again.

While I enjoyed the story, I'm only giving this book three stars because it was too slow for my taste. I also like books that take me away into another world, and this one just didn’t do that for me. I could never truly get into it.

Some of the elements that I liked about the book are:
*It is a neat fantasy idea, that of a fetch (death angel) loving a mortal. And then truly falling in love with (well, I can't tell you or it would give away part of the book).
*I liked the war time, history theme to the story

Some of the things I didn't like:
*The love story part of the book didn't truly start to bloom until near the end of the book.
*When the story ended I was left saying, "What happens next?", but not knowing. "Was that really the end, or is there another book coming out? ( )

This book grabbed my interest from the start with its Fetch lore, Calder's attraction to 'Glory,' and the way the author weaves the story around the Romanovs. But somewhere along the way I thought the book bogged down in its own mythology and I stopped being quite so interested in Calder's story. I often found the situations confusing--who belonged where and on what spiritual plane, so to speak--and I found the romance unconvincing and thought the ending was a little unsatisfying. ( )

I was alternately confused, engaged and bored by this book and mostly disappointed since it really sounded like something I'd enjoy. If someone is interested in the idea of a soul living in another person's body, they'd be better reading Repossessed by A.J.Jenkins. At least it kept me wanting to find out what happens next. Plus there is very little character development in Fetch, which is my favorite part of a book. ( )

A unique novel featuring a mixture of adventure, romance, historical fiction and the supernatural, "The Fetch" is a tale about Calder, a ghost who escorts spirits from the living world to heaven. When Calder visits earth and falls in love with a woman on the eve of the Russian Revolution, he breaks his vow and enters the world of the living in the body of Rasputin.

Teens captured by the thought of supernatural romance will gravitate to this book, but I'm not sure if they'll be captivated by it. It definitely helps to know the story of the Russian Revolution as well as the background of Rasputin and his connection to the royal family. Without it, you'll only get half the tale. Perhaps teens studying the Russian Revolution in a history class would be most interested in the tale.

Although I enjoyed the book, it lost me at certain points, particularly when it spoke about rules that the Fetches must live by. There are only a few teens to whom I would recommend this book. ( )