Review: Fallen in Love

'Fallen in Love' by Lauren Kate 

Series: Fallen (#3.5)

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Fantasy

Published:  January 2012

Pages: 201

My rating: 

The Blurb: Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.

And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories intersect over the course of a romantic Valentine’s Day in medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding and losing love. Arriane pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first-and last-time, Daniel and Luce spend a night together like none other.

Lauren Kate’s ‘Fallen in Love’ is filled with stories… the ones everyone has been waiting for.

Despite the dissension surrounding the ‘Fallen’ series by Lauren Kate, I’ll gladly admit I enjoy the series. I’ll also gladly admit I had some trouble finishing the first book. However, the concept of 2 lovers who are destined  to meet, fall in love, yet never survive their love (until now!) is heart breaking.  Yes, haters, it is. Even though Daniel Grigori is a drag, I get why Lucinda Price loves and chooses him every single lifetime, despite the collision course she’s headed on.

*Love where you least expect it. The Valentine of Shelby and Miles.

I loved ‘Passion’ with all its peeks into Luce’s former lives, because I love reading about the past. There are many eras that still could be explored in Luce and Daniel’s history, and hopefully will be.  Which is why the tale of Shelby and Miles was –besides being a good point to start- right up my alley. However short and sweet it was, it developed very natural, credible and slow-paced. Maybe the magical setting of the Valentine’s Faire in medieval England contributed to Shelby and Miles’ change in perception of one another and the shifting of their feelings, who knows. Despite the harshness, or maybe because of the simplicity in those days, I felt the happiness Shelby must have felt just being around Miles. I guess you could conclude that Shelby and Miles found love when they least expected it, not where. 

At first Shelby feared for a dreadful outcome though: 

‘Thrilling. Twenty-four hours of feeling especially single and pathetic…medieval-style.’

Especially when she was reminded several times that her lack of knowledge of the past was eclipsed greatly by Miles’ scholarly mode. 

‘Traveling with him was like carrying around an encyclopaedia.’

*Love Lessons. The Valentine of Roland.

Once Roland’s story began I was pleasantly surprised Lauren Kate wove these 4 stories together the way she did: each one is sort of a follow-up of the next, set in the same time and place, only seen through someone else’s eyes, dealing with someone else’s love life.

A quote that best describes the way Roland felt about his former love Rosaline is this one:

‘He might have been experienced at war, at rebellion against the divine, but when it came to romance, Roland’s heart had been the heart of a child.’

Next, add the advice of someone who didn’t have any luck with his own relationship (Cam) and you’ll understand what happened to Roland. Or rather, what Roland made happen to Rosaline. That it took him several centuries to finally come to peace with his past, was –despite my lack of affection for / interest in the guy-nothing short of heart breaking.

*Burning Love. The Valentine of Arriane.

Arriane’s story has two sides, like good and evil, day and night, darkness and light. I should have expected a lover like Tess I guess, but I still found myself pleasantly surprised. The sugariness was too much sometimes, but the daring proposition and consequences of the offer Arriane’s lover did, made up for that big time! This story had all the ingredients that lacked in the other stories. More spunk, more action, more epic-ness. And a devastating ending…

'As far as possible, Arriane realized, each soul had to be content alone before plunging into love, because one never knew when the other would move out of that love. It was the greatest paradox: Souls need each other, but they also need to not need each other.’

*Endless Love. The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda.

This story actually takes place during ‘Passion’ (‘Fallen’ #3) which is a fun bonus in its own way. The soul-clefting with Luce’s own old selves stays amazing. Of course, the readers already know about Bill’s intentions by now, which makes it feel like an inside joke.

Other than the fact this Valentine has been the only one Lucinda and Daniel ever shared (and Cam’s cameo), nothing interesting happens. No new realizations for Luce, simply more Luce and Daniel in their own sappy way…

Yes, our medieval Luce was a broken-hearted but wise girl. 

‘The idea that a stroke of chance could decide my heart’s destiny does not appeal to me.’

*My overall impression of ‘Fallen In Love’.*

Sugary sweet ‘n easy: as in easy to read, but also easily written.

Honestly? Most side characters never interested me that much. Besides Cam, obviously. Who happens to be left out of this novel, much to my regret. Then again, given the high doses of sweetness presented in this novel (yes, I’m aware it’s about Valentine, but still…) Cam’s absence is probably a good thing.

At times it feels like Lauren Kate knows her characters too well and they’re not exciting to her anymore. (Enter the ‘easy’ part!) Which is why my favourite, most surprising and most epic story from this novel, has to be Arriane’s story. Because despite the fact this Valentine was the only Valentine ever Luce and Daniel got to share, the story wasn’t refreshing and shared no new insights. Same old Luce and Daniel.

Even though I enjoyed the setting (the medieval Valentine’s Faire in England), it felt easy too. Some parts were described vividly, but the entire setting felt shallow and functioned like a backdrop rather than a well-described, detailed society.

Also, it struck me that some sentences that could have been beautiful, life-altering and epic, failed to deliver their message because it was like Lauren Kate couldn’t find the right words to express her feelings. She simply told the stories she felt the need to tell, but neglected to use the prose it should have been accompanied with.

Enjoyable but slightly disappointing, fluently but shallowly written, a nice bonus but abundant in some ways, extremely sweet… but average. I'm giving it 3 stars because I like the series as a whole and this book adds some background.

To my regret… I haven’t ‘Fallen in Love’ with this book.

In My Mailbox (9)

'In My Mailbox' 
is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 
Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 
and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 
sharing our own mail!
~

Hey there!

So, it's that time again, to share the contents of my mailbox! It's very modest this time and didn't even come through the mail... Technically this should be known as 'In My Saddlebag'. (In Holland it's very normal to own a bicycle and have bags hanging over the rear luggage rack from it. Whereas the trouble I'm having now in finding the right translation for the words 'fietstas' and 'bagagedrager' leads me to believe it's not as common elsewhere!)

Anyway, here's my loot for the week (and now first on my TBR list!):

Fallen in Love ('Fallen' #3.5) by Lauren Kate

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Care to share with me?

Have a nice day! :)

Cover Reveal: Rapture & Fallen in Love

Greetings my fellow Lauren Kate fans!

While surfing, I accidentally I stumbled accross the covers for Lauren Kate's 2 upcoming books! Which is kinda funny because I already stumbled accross Lauren Kate's 'Fallen in Love' by accident as well. But from what I gather, everybody was taken by surprise by this unexpected publication from Lauren Kate!
'Fallen in Love' is going to be a collection of romantic stories starring some of the characters from the 'Fallen' series, not just limited to Lucinda and Daniel. Could be romantic, could be cheesy, could be very funny too. It'll hit the stores January 24th! (I pre-ordered mine already. Since it has to travel to The Netherlands I hope to receive it around the 31st of January...)

Cleverly created to keep the fans happy no doubt, I'm sure 'Fallen in Love' will be a lovely read, but I am ofcourse still anxiously awaiting 'Rapture', the 4th and final instalment in the 'Fallen' series. Which is gonna be released June 12th next year!


The cover of 'Rapture' fits the other ones perfectly. (I actually disliked 'Passion's cover for some reason, there were too many colours in it and Lucinda's dress was too 'simple' in comparison.)



One detail that immediately stands out when you see the cover of 'Rapture' is the colour of Lucinda's dress. It's actually white, instead of the usual black... What does it mean? Will Lucinda and Daniel get married, perhaps?

What are your thoughts on the subject? Drop me a line! Oh...and have a nice day while you're at it ;)

Review: Passion

'Passion' by Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, book 3 of 4
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-fi
Published: June 2011
Pages: 420
My Rating: 

The best book so far in the 'Fallen' series!

Again I could not wait until 'Passion' was available! The way things ended in 'Torment' led me to believe that Lucinda would embark on a journey through her past lives. Oh how I love to read about past lives and history! Luckily Lauren Kate didn't let me down,
I loved peeking into Lucinda's past lives also!

Some of those past lives did seem too good to be true though. I mean, what were the odds of being wealthy in the past? The odds of encountering someone royal? The odds you actually played an important part in history? (Besides Lucinda's link to Daniel, which I know will prove to be of great importance somehow.)
But I had a blast going through her past anyway. It was like reading all sorts of interesting and appealing books about different subjects I liked, without having to change books ;)

Russian Lucinda touched me much for example, as did the bratty Houston-based one. Every life had its charm, but of course it always had its downside: ending abruptly because of some interaction with Daniel. Somehow I had a hard time believing WHY Daniel would still fall for Luce in some life, because her behavior/character weren't that inviting or endearing. I mean, Daniel may have been attracted to the same soul over and over, but when that soul seems different in a bad way, why still the attraction?

About the whole soul thing: I get that through time, especially in different parts of the world, Lucinda's and Daniels appearances were different. That's how things go with reincarnation: the soul remains the same, it just travels from body to body. So why didn't their appearances change throughout their most recent past lives? Simply because there was no need for them to change because they still would have fitted in with their current habitat? That defies all logic...
And another thing Lauren Kate should have explained, which, apparently, isn't common knowledge to everyone, is that angels don't actually have an appearance. They are a sort of glowing energy shapes. However, does that apply to fallen angels as well? I don't know. Assuming it does, Daniel just shaped himself into something Lucinda would understand; a human shape. A manly human shape. Because angels don't have genders, either. So basically there was hardly any need for Daniel to change his appearance throughout his past lives. (Or rather, LIFE.) Unless geography required it.
Anyway, I sort of read over these aspects, not torturing myself about the 'why's' too much, maybe because I already knew some things about angels. Even if there will be a explanation in the next book, it'll be too late. Readers got lost in this installment already. I got lost in the story in a good way, but now the plot-holes are sort of gnawing on me.

As to Lucinda's little sidekick through the shadows: I had my suspicions... And I was right... I'm very curious what's going to happen next and whether 'Rapture' will prove to be an even better read, because the books improve with every sequel. Lauren Kate finds her voice more and more, the writing improves, the characters develop more.

Plot-wise there wasn't actually happening that much in this book, a much heard point of critique. I think of this book as sort of a break in the series as well, a breathing pause where more background info is given. Although I feel I didn't learn anything new from this book (we already knew Lucinda's still alive in this lifetime because of her non-baptism, we already knew Daniel would still choose to fall in love with her, over and over again) I enjoyed the read anyway. It wasn't until the end the set-up for the final battle was made, leaving us readers begging for more.

How is she gonna set things straight this time, on such an epic scale, with such high-ranked players involved? I'm going to have to wait until this Summer, unfortunately. Until then she leaves us (surprise!) with a kind of add-on novel in the series: 'Fallen in Love'. It features some love stories including several of 'Fallen's characters. I already pre-ordered mine, yay!

Have a nice day! :)

Review: Torment

Torment, by Lauren Kate.

Series: Fallen, book 2 of 4

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-fi, Romance

Published: September 2010

Pages: 452

My Rating:

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting for the sequel to 'Fallen' ('Torment') to get published, I finally got to know what would happen next to Lucinda and Daniel.
What I liked about this sequel was the different setting from the first book. Even though I could totally sympathize with Luce in the dreary environment of 'Fallen', 'Torment's' setting was refreshing. The sunny school for Nephilim felt lighter somehow.

I liked reading how Luce discovered her 'powers' (don't want to give too much away) and made new friends, who didn't appear to be all that friendly at first. On one side she was pining and aching for Daniel, she still took matters in her own hands. Even if she didn't know how. Which may have been stupid, but I can relate to those kinds of actions ;)

Most of all I liked where the ending was going (again the epic battle here... amongst her poor, unsuspecting family and friends), it made me very curious for 'Passion'!

Have a good day :)

Review: Fallen

Fallen, by Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, book 1 of 4
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Published: December 2009
Pages: 452
My Rating: 

In all honesty I have to admit I'm writing this review whereas I've read the book quite some time ago. (About 2 years ago even!) That's not my usual style, but 'Fallen' deserves a review, so here I go.

The original (movie-worthy!) setting of this book set the tone immediately to a dark read: the reform school 'Swords and Cross' Lucinda is being sent to is a grim, gruesome place. It wasn't even her fault she got sent there in the first place. It's not like she meant to set her boyfriend on fire, it just happened. But maybe it was for the best Lucinda was sent away, it gave her the chance to live her life without being judged by all her fellow students.
Whether the academy is the best place to have a fresh, new start is debatable. It's not very inviting with all its grey buildings, the cemetery on school grounds and the old church now harboring an Olympic size swimming pool. Most of the students seem to have adapted to their surroundings and fate and seem like they actually belong in a place like that. The mandatory all BLACK dress code doesn't do anything to add to the cheeriness. However, Luce quickly finds herself a new friend in Penn, whose father used to be the janitor. Even Arianne who seems very strange at first turns out to be a loyal friend.
And of course, then there is Daniel. Daniel who doesn't seem interested in Luce and treats her with her disrespect. That is, when he acknowledges her at all. But Luce can't stop herself from feeling attracted to him. (Although why I can't figure out: I don't like his looks and he's the wrong kind of tormented. He's a drag, actually!)
Anyhow, Luce pines for Daniel and tries to get in touch with him. This goes on for the major part of the book, nothing else of importance happens. There were times I wondered why I kept reading even, it felt rather boring to read about this seemingly unrequited love.
Luckily, we have Cam to keep things interesting, with his black hair and cat-like green eyes. And even though you can sense from a mile away he's BAD news (yes, with a capital B, A and D!) he's smoking hot. Now there's an attraction I understand!
When it comes to Cam, you can sense Daniel is jealous, or rather protective of Luce, in other ways, deeper ways. Like he knows about Cams badness. And finally things start to make sense, the romance takes off (a little, in a goody-two-shoes-way) and we find out why Daniel kept Luce away but didn't want Cam near her either. At that point there hadn't been any 'fantasy' aspect to the book, so although I knew what the book was about, I was still surprised when Daniel showed his true self. Like his angelic-ness didn't belong in the book. But I got used to it quickly. One things that kept being annoying though, was that Daniel couldn't tell Luce what the deal was about. No, she has to find out herself.

The semi-epic ending of the book was harsh in ways I did not see coming. Well written, realistic when it comes to feelings, detailed when it comes to he angels' appearances.

All in all a book with an original concept, a promising story with epic battles lurking around the corner, an endangered romance without knowing how to make sure it will last this lifetime. The writing is okay, not too hard, but detailed enough. The characters aren't that well-written and I can't really feel the chemistry beyond the fate-link Luce and Daniel share. A bit of a mediocre book perhaps, with a little extra though. It certainly  kept me engaged enough to read the sequels!

Also, I dare say it's right up there with the 'Twilight' Saga. If you liked those, you'll like these as well. I hope the movie they're planning on doing about this one will go through, because I know these books will translate beautifully onto the silver screen!

Have a nice day! :)