Author: L.A. Banks
Publisher: Simon and Schuster/Pocket Books
Celeste Jackson has fought all her life against a fog of hallucination and substance abuse, but it's not until she meets her protector, Azrael, an angel who has left the safety of the Light, that she learns of the evil forces that have been trying to ruin her and why. A fierce battle for control of the mortal realm is brewing, and only Celeste -- with the help of the Remnant, her half-human, half-angel brethren -- can stand in the way. Together, Celeste and Azrael must gather an army of sensitives to defeat the dark powers that have ruled humanity for centuries, but time is running out. If Azrael surrenders to his growing desire for Celeste, he risks being trapped among humanity forever. But the longer he stays, the harder she is to resist. To save the world, Celeste must draw on her own dark experiences with addiction to help Azrael overcome the one temptation that could possibly make him an eternal prisoner -- his obsession with her.
My thoughts: This was my first L.A. Banks book and I really enjoyed it. I didn't think that I was going to at first, but then I found myself really engrossed it in and wanting to know what was going to happen.
Celeste is a very strong female lead, having lived her life abusing drugs and alcohol and being abused. She thought she was crazy as she always saw demons, but come to find out - she really was seeing demons. When she meets Azrael, she feels safe with him, but still has a hard time trusting him. It was sometimes comical as they learned about each other's worlds - especially as Azrael learned how to cope with his human body and all it's nuances.
The book is fast paced, but still gives you lots of back ground information as to why the battle between good and evil, and how angels and demons came to be on earth.
This is the first book in the series, with Conquer the Dark due out in October of this year. She has a couple of other series, Vampire Huntress and Crimson Moon that I think I am going to have to check out in the mean time.
~I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Gallery/Pocket Books in exchange for my review.~
About the author: L.A. Banks is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty-five novels and twelve novellas in a wide range of genres, including her popular Vampire Huntress and Crimson Moon series. In 2008, she received Essence magazine's Storyteller of the Year Award. She lives in Philadelphia.
Publisher/Publication Date: Pocket Books, Mar 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-0778-9
373 pages
