Review: Raziel by Kristina Douglas

Raziel by Kristina Douglas (The Fallen, #1)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Received: ebook from Tara
Read: 7/6/2011 — 7/8/2011
In six words: In iridescent wings shimmers imperfect love.

Links
Kristina Douglas — Website | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Book Depository — Paperback
Add it to Goodreads

Book Order

1. Raziel
2. Demon

Summary

She was just an ordinary mortal . . .

“You’re dead” is so not what Allie Watson wants to hear. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like the dark, angelically handsome man who ferried her to this strange, hidden land. The last thing she remembers is stepping off a curb in front of a crosstown bus. Now she’s surrounded by gorgeous fallen angels with an unsettling taste for blood—and they really don’t want her around. Not exactly how she pictured heaven.

. . . until death catapulted her into a seductive world she never imagined.

Raziel is unsure why he rescued Allie from hellfire against Uriel’s orders, but she stirs in him a longing he hasn’t felt in centuries. Now the Fallen are bracing for the divine wrath brought by his disobedience, and they blame Allie for the ferocious Nephilim clawing at the kingdom’s shrouded gates. Facing impossible odds at every turn, the two must work together to survive. Raziel will do anything to defend his spirited lover against the forces of darkness—because Allie may be the Fallen’s only salvation.
-from Goodreads

Why I Read This Book and General Thoughts

Felicia @ Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog, Christi @ Smitten with Reading, Ash @ Smash Attack Reads! AND Tara @ 25 Hour Books have all read and enjoyed Raziel.  Naturally, it went on my TBR list (especially after Tara specifically recommended it to me).  Raziel gripped me and had me glued to my Kindle.

A More In-Depth Look

Felicia and Tara both talked about a specific scene that was slightly bothersome.  Perhaps being prepared for it helped, but I did not share the same hesitations.  It worked for Raziel and Allie’s story.  Theirs was not a perfect love story, but I liked it that way.  It was perfect in its imperfection.  I love the struggle, the denial, the inevitable moment when the last bit of resistance comes crashing down, and even after that, when they still want to deny it, the characters are helpless to do anything but love each other.  These stories grip me in their emotional roller coaster, and that is the way I prefer it.

That said, Raziel did start out slow and bumpy.  When Allie dies, she experiences memory loss for a short time, and the constant references about not remembering anything were repetitive and annoying, even if they did emphasize Allie’s loss of memory.  Once we got beyond that, the story settled into a steady pace that ended far too soon for my liking — partly because I simply wanted more of Raziel and Allie, and partly because certain aspects of the plot felt as though they were wrapped up too quickly (either that, or I read too fast because I wanted — no, needed – to finish the story).  Nearing the end of Raziel, I was almost frantic in my reading, pissed off at anyone who dared to interrupt me, pressing the button for the next page like a madwoman, chest constricted with the need to know what happens.

Raziel, as the first book in the series, does a lot of world building.  Even as we are provided with the necessary information, there are enough gaps in our knowledge to make picking up the second book seem like a necessary action.  There are not cliffhangers, but our instincts tell us that the story of the Fallen is far from over.  Raziel is told from the point of view of both Raziel and Allie.  Knowing Raziel is important, because without that insight into him, we would have been as lost and confused as Allie.  Raziel’s point of view added a vital depth to the story, and it is likely that without it, the story would have failed.  Although Raziel and Allie both narrated using the first person, the shifts between them were relatively smooth and worked, even if they weren’t always welcome.

Between reading previous reviews and the beginning of the story, I was skeptical that I would enjoy Raziel, but it is always nice to be proven wrong.

You Might Like This Book If…

Paranormal romance fans who like their romance dark and their humor sharp might enjoy Raziel.

Other Reviews
 Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog — 3.75
25 Hour Books — 4
Smash Attack Reads! — 4
Smitten with Reading — B+