Fallen Angels & Destined Love? More PLEASE!

My first delve into the world of Fallen Angels came in the guise of Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush. After reading her sequel, I decided this was a genre I was interested in exploring in YA. I stumbled upon Lauren Kate's Fallen because of its cover - it just spoke to me. Then I learned it too was a series (YEAH), and I love series books. So, I purchased both Fallen and Torment at the same time. Who knew I would become so addicted to Luce and Daniel?!

What Lauren Kate has given me as a reader is a solid plot, full of heart-pounding (and at times frustrating) moments. I rooted for these two star-crossed lovers and was hoping I would get a glimpse into who or what Luce is. Instead, I read a story of a teenager looking to find herself - without the love of her life, without her current family, without her friends.  Who is Luce? Where did she come from? How did she and Daniel fall in love? And why does she burst into flames every seventeen years after Daniel's kiss?

In the first of the series, Fallen, we are introduced to the character of Luce, a teen with a troublesome past, or at least she is trouble according to the police. Very quickly she becomes attracted to Daniel, but it is the character of Cam who tries to snatch her time and attentions; however, true love trumps all else, and soon Daniel allows himself to be pulled back into Luce's life, anxiously awaiting her "death." This time, something is different. She doesn't burst into flames when Daniel kisses her, and now we have a mystery on our hands. What does this mean for Luce & Daniel, but more importantly, the rest of the world? Is the end near?

Then there is the sequel, Torment. Kate brings out another side of Luce, dropping her out of her element in California. Luce is not there but a mere day and already she is different, more independent, and trying to figure out why she is being placed in hiding. What does all of this mean? What truth is Daniel hiding from her, something that could keep her from ever wanting to be in his arms again? Is she really destined to be with him?

While this series is a love story, its true heart lies in self-discovery. This is an issue with Luce because she has been reincarnated every seventeen years for...well, I'm not too sure for how many years, but it is A LOT! (That is a question I hope Kate answers in Passion). Luce is lost - the world she lives in is becoming too much. She is whisked away to California, has to lie to her parents and best friend, and try to stay alive. After all, she isn't the typical seventeen-year-old gal. She is a part of something bigger, something that could bring End of Days if it isn't stopped. What that something is Kate has yet to reveal to the reader, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she is going to WOW readers with it in her follow-up novel.

And thrown into the mix of this novel is, of course, a love triangle - or is it really a triangle? By the end of Torment you might want to pick a side: Team Daniel or Team Miles. For me, it isn't even close, DANIEL ALL THE WAY! After all, he is her destiny - or is he?

Many sequels sometimes leave something to be desired, but Kate does not disappoint. This novel is packed full of tension & suspense, heart-pounding action, and the beginnings of self-discovery. I will find myself awaiting anxiously, wanting to finish this coming-of-age story with Luce until the final page.