Saturday, August 16, 2014

Descended (Fallen Guardian Saga #1) / Debra Ann Miller


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/ Spirituality

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Debra Ann Miller is a happily married mother of three sons living in Naperville, Illinois. Descended is her debut novel.  To learn more about her check out her website or follow her on Facebook.

Description:

“Destiny has two ways of crushing us…by refusing our wishes…and fulfilling them.

Vie had no idea when she descended into the small town of Newcastle, Wyoming that she’d find herself mesmerized by the mysterious and alluring eyes of one Carter Stone. And Carter believed he knew everyone that lived in his rural town until the day he locked eyes with Vivian Thorne. He couldn't help but wonder what was different about this girl he had known all of his life…  Deeply passionate and extraordinarily suspenseful, Descended captures the struggles between doing what is expected of you and unleashing your destiny, between fulfilling prophecies and desires, between loyalty and love.”

Appraisal:

The Guardians were an elite group of angels who have devoted their entire existence to protecting the Gates of Heaven and the world below. This is a unique story about fate, relationships, and the struggle between good and evil.

I have to admit I had a problem buying into Vivian’s medical condition, it seemed to be a little extreme considering she had brain surgery and managed to keep all of her hair.  I suppose it is possible, I decided to just go with it because there was a higher power at work here and it is fiction.

This is a complicated story with many facets that I did find engrossing. The characters are well developed even though their complete histories are not exposed until later in the story. Ms. Miller has done an excellent job weaving her story together. The plot twists were well thought out and enthralling.

Spiritually takes center stage while religion takes a back seat even though Vivian’s father is a minister at the local church. I loved the relationship between Violet and Gabriel. Well, I have to admit, I loved everything about Gabriel. He was, by far, my favorite character and the one who tied heaven and earth together so seamlessly.

The plot moved at a good pace and had a lot of depth for a debut novel. Ms. Miller didn’t mess around with dipping her toes in, she jumped in with both feet. I can see where some readers may think this story ends in a cliffhanger but it does come around full circle. It will be interesting to see how Violet’s and Carter’s story continues.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found a small number of proofing errors.


Rating: **** Four stars

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