Kristina Douglas, The Fallen: Raziel

The Fallen: Raziel

Kristina Douglas

Pocket, Jan 25 2011, $7.99

ISBN 9781439191927

Allegra "Allie" Watson wrote sassy biblical murder mysteries. However her career as a novelist ends when she dies in a bus accident.

Because of her saucy biblical tales, Allegra is slated for hellfire. However, Raziel, one of the twenty-Fallen that Enoch with bias mentioned, violates the afterlife operating procedures. Instead of guiding her soul to her final destination, although unsure why he reacted like he did as he has ferried countless lost souls, Raziel changes her destination saving her from eternal damnation. He is injured in the process. Sparks fly between this blood drinking Fallen and the damned he temporarily rescued. His peers take the pair to safety in Sheol. However by doing what he did and what the other Fallen did for the condemned duet, they enable God's last remaining archangel Uriel the "unfallen" to break the millennia old armistice sending the flesh eating Nephilim swarm to attack Raziel and the other Fallen.

Although the opening acts take a bit of adjustment to understand who's who and what is going on in the Kristina Douglas pantheon, fans will believe it is worth the time as the story line turns into a fast-paced angelic war with an intelligent obvious jab at the hypocrisy of organized religions. Cleverly designed so that heavenly decree is deigned by bureaucrats, fans will enjoy Raziel's (and Allie) tale as the Nephilim led by one who takes pride that he never fell attacks the Fallen using the rescue of a condemned as the excuse for open war.

Harriet Klausner