They Who Fell (They Who Fell, #1) by Kevin Kneupper

They Who Fell (They Who Fell, #1) Reviews

• 
  Danielle ❤️ Pretty Mess Reading ❤️

  News in #CockyGate: Attorney (and Indie-Author) Kevin Kneupper filed a Petition to Cancel the COCKY Trademark with the TCO this morning. He knows his stuff and believes that the trademark will be canceled.
  You can view the legal petition here >>
  https://goo.gl/ZUnFg9
  Please consider supporting Kevin's pro bono fight by purchasing one of his novels here (or downloading them on Kindle Unlimited) >>
  amzn.to/2jCetCB
  
  
• 
  ZARIA (Sheldon Cooper lover)

  
  I love reading stories with strong characters. There’s nothing better than a vivid hero or crusty villain who jumps off the page, grabs you by the scruff of the neck, and pulls you into their story. This book has none of it. Can you imagine a soap opera called The Bland and the Boring. The mediocre plot, bland characters, forced romance and tepid tone don't do any favors. Life is too short. Difficult to read? -- go for it. But "boring"? Put it down and find a better read.
• 
  Kirsten McKenzie

  Fallen angels. Humans who serve them. And those who rebel.
  I was sucked in by this book and stayed up far too late finishing it, so now I'm off to buy the next book in the series.
  I enjoyed that there were different parts to this book - the sections within the Perch - the earthly base of the fallen angels, and then there were the human rebels - roaming the countryside. The author did a good job of managing what could be a large cast, and making them characters you cared about following.
  It was refreshing to have a dystopian book, where the internet still existed, and governments still existed (in some form).
  This isn't a genre I would normally read. I purchased it in order to support the author after he took on the TM issue affecting romance authors (and by extension all other authors). But I'm glad I read it, and now the author has a new fan. This is how karma works. Well done Kevin.
• 
  Moon

  When I was young, going to the Catholic church, I thought that angels were real physical beings that could appear at any time, that heaven was just as much of a physical place as was my grandma's house. Over the course of my life, my views have changed a lot.... but what made They Who Fell so interesting is that he took that idea of the angels being real physical beings and ran with it and created an incredibly gripping story!
  
  This book has two stories that merge into one.... one story is a young woman named Jana that lives in a tower for the angels. She is a slave, as are all the other humans who reside there. While she is serving the angels we get to see very different sides of them. And just like humans, there seem to be some of them that are good and some that are evil. But Jana has been trained to do what she is told to do without question, and she has a teeny rebellious streak in her. Her story as she gets to know a couple of the angels was riveting. The first time she saw a garden and the stars was my favorite scene....
  The other story was about a group of humans that are on a mission to kill the angels that have slaughtered and enslaved the human race... fighting their way across the land while they plot to take them all out.
  
  This was a really unique story and really fun to read. The ending was absolutely epic and left you really wanting more. I will be on the look out for more from this author.
  
  I would recommend this book to anyone!
  
  
  
  
• 
  Kariny 'Books of Fandom'

  Thank you to the author for sending me a free copy to review!
  
  When i first started this book, i was comparing to Angelfall. only difference? I like it waaaayyy better!! The plot and setting itself was very unique and realistic. the characters were well developed and all lead to this EPIC finale!
  
  Each chapter seemed like it had it's own theme. the one's with Holt and Thane were full of action and rebellion. The ones with Jana and Cassie were knowledgeable and the ones with Jana and Rhamiel were sweet and romantic.
  
  So it had a perfect balance of themes and at about 90% through the book-i was literally freaking out. i was flipping the pages faster and faster because i wanted to know how it would end FAST!!I just didn't know what to expect. how in the world was this book going to end in a teeny little 10%!!????
  
  Conclusion-EPIC CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  the author did an amazing job for a debut novel because that cliffhanger makes me want that sequel so bad! i just cannot get over that ending, i just want to know what happens next! Is it really the end of the angels? what's going to happen next? what will happen to Jana????
  
  so if you guys like angels and action, this book is definitely for you!
  a well deserved 5 STARS!!
• 
  Leah

  I enjoyed the concept of this book, but that was where the appeal ended. The story line slowly (ever so slowly) builds. When Rhamiel and Jana met in the garden and kissed, I thought, "Well, that came quite abruptly, but okay. That's cool." Then they immediately slept together?! Huh?! And then there were no details whatsoever of any relationship between them other than her pledging herself and a couple of other platonic interactions. I almost gave up right then because it was so far-fetched given her character and the lack of context, but I continued reading thinking that perhaps it would be significant in some way or explained or something. Nope, I read to the end, only to find out she's pregnant. But by that time, I'd completely lost interest. My reaction was, "Oh, please!"
  Also, the writing was difficult at times. I'm a proofreader and an avid reader. There were several times throughout the book where I'd have to read a sentence over and over to figure out how it was supposed to read or what it meant. I've never experienced that before this book.
• 
  Erin Allison

  (ARC provided by the author for honest review.)
  
  The orgy of violence immediately after the Fall had wiped out most anyone who had a desire to resist.
  
  Let's be honest here. If possible, I would have given this book 3.5 stars. Since it's not, four is fitting, too.
  
  In a world where the Maker breaks promises and forgets about the balance, too focused on compassion and healing, the Angels have found a home in The Perch.
  
  There they have servants, slaves like they were for the Maker. Each angel is different: some are downright vicious with a taste for torture, some are paranoid, others are so damaged from their torture they've become delusional. But none are like Rhamiel.
  
  Everyone adores the warrior of an angel, who is too charismatic for words. His armor leaves him looking exceptionally strong. He's the epitome of sex appeal and masculinity in the land of the Angels. Everyone has their eye on him, but he's too busy looking at Jana.
  
  Jana is a lowly servant, forced to live in the lowest area of the entire establishment. Until someone notices her. Nefta, another angel, notices this striking girl and quite literally, takes her under her wing. Now the personal servant of Nefta, Jana finds her world even more turned upside down.
  
  An angel wants to destroy her, one wants to follow her, and a fellow servant has his own delusions about her. None of this could end well, right?
  
  Back on the ground there are four people who want to end the reign of the Angels. On this suicide mission they're willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their stated goals. Holt is the leader, Thane is the anarchist, Faye has a special ability, and Dax is the brains.
  
  Can the four of them succeed in overthrowing the maniacal Angels?
  
  Unable to stay away from each other, Jana and Rhamiel cross paths numerous times, living life with their forbidden love. Events lead them closer together but is that enough to keep the two of them united forever? A must-read if you like forbidden relationships and the subject of Angels.
  
  I admittedly was a little bored with the story of the humans. I can understand it's important because of where the stories intertwine though. Everything with the Angels on the Perch was much more interesting to read. If it weren't for the two stories coming together for the conclusion, I would have preferred more on just the Angels. They were all rambunctious enough to stand-alone in my opinion.
  
  It's the very end where your jaw will drop. Even if you have the slightest inclination, you'll find yourself gasping and so ready for the second book to come out!
• 
  Renee Rearden

  The world isn’t always as it seems…sometimes it’s scarier.
  
  Jana understands just how precarious the world inside the Perch is. As a slave, doing the wrong thing, speaking out of turn or just looking her angel keepers in the eye could all result in a harsh punishment or ultimately death. Living in fear is second nature, but being frightened all the time serves as motivation. She wants to survive.
  
  William Holt lives outside the Perch, fighting daily with others in his cell to destroy the angels and reclaim what’s left of the world for the dwindling human population. Nothing will stop him: not the Vichies, humans that have pledged themselves to the angels but prey on weaker humans, not the unexpected creatures now roaming the Earth, and especially not the debauched angels themselves.
  
  Holy awesome surprise! Mr. Kneupper hooked me with the first chapter and kept me turning pages until I finished the book in one sitting. Excellent writing, great characterization and a phenomenal plot landed They Who Fell at a solid 5 star rating. I wanted to read the next installment immediately. Since I couldn’t (hasn’t been released yet) I spent the next couple of days thinking about the story.
  
  By turning the traditionally ingrained idea of benevolent angles on its head and creating a plausible set of circumstances, I seriously questioned what would happen if a second heavenly fall occurred. Would the angels I’ve viewed as guardians become my worst nightmare? Would God turn his back on all of His creations and let the outcome be determined by the players themselves?
  
  No matter a person’s religious belief, Mr. Kneupper’s world is well-developed and scarier than hell. I would never want to experience that kind of existence firsthand, but I’ll gladly immerse myself in the next story of this trilogy!
  
  *author ecopy provided for honest review
  
• 
  Chris Kersey

  not very good no substance to the people in the book, pretty boring stop reading after page 73. it did not hold me. I was thinking of all the other books waiting and calling to be read. It is a very good story line but no written very well.
• 
  Holly Newhouse

  They Who Fell by Kevin Kneupper
  
  Reviewed by Holly Newhouse for Eternal Book Reviews....5 Stars plus!
  
  The apocalypse humans so love to talk about has happened out of nowhere and without warning when fireballs fall from the sky and no they are not meteors. They are burning fallen angels kicked out of Heaven for rebelling against the creator when he refused to keep his promise to his angelic creations. And now, after millennia of serving humans without any thanks or gratitude, they are learning to live on earth even as they rule it. Author Kneupper has the angels as angry and cruel when it comes to humans, are exceptionally human in their vices, emotions and behaviors which only makes them and the story even more believable and realistic as well as entirely plausible.
  This professional reviewer was hooked and drawn in to this extremely well-developed, thought out and very complex story from page one when I met Jana, a human servant at the bottom of the caste system in place in the Angelic Tower that arose shortly after the fall. She has learned that human servants of the angels, also known as vichies by those who live outside the tower, are raised or trained to understand to keep their mouths shut, eyes downcast and force their facial expression into one of constant neutrality and are never to look an angel in the eyes. They are never to show disgust toward the angels who all but one are severely burned and scarred from the fall. Angel Rhamiel has no burns or scars on his face and next to none on his body or wings and is considered the most beautiful of all of the fallen angels and is at the very top of the caste system.
  On Jana's first night serving meals to the angels she is to serve Angel Nefta and during the meal, shows her rebellious side by staring Rhamiel straight in the eyes, intrigued and fascinated by him and his attentions. But, in the process gains the attention of Nefta as well and is soon pulled from the bottom of the tower to rise to the very top as Nefta's personal servant along with Cassie, Nefta's other servant. There, her romantic relationship with Rhamiel begins.
  The overall story takes place in New York City, a once proud city that has now been reduced to a husk by angel attacks, violence, murder, starvation and disease. None of the angels except for Rhamiel have any love for the humans. Rhamiel on the other hand, falls in love with Jana and tries to protect her at all costs but will it be enough? Furthermore, in a chaotic world ruled by fallen angels, there are still sects of humans who are still fighting to take back their homes by killing every angel they can.
  This reviewer knows for a fact as an author herself and as a professional reviewer, just how much work it takes to develop a realistic and deeply complex world with a multitude of complex characters, each with their own agenda, really is. And I can say Author Kneupper is brilliant for not only succeeding in accomplishing such a great task but excelling in it as well. This is a fresh and unique take on apocalyptic stories and is well-written in such a way as to be engaging, suspenseful, realistic and with a great deal of twists and turns this reviewer never saw coming.
  Of course, being a serious hard core romantic at heart, the romance between Angel Rhamiel and human servant Jana, is what kept this reviewer hooked and engaged in the story until the end. There is something refreshing and timeless about a romance that can stand the test of time amidst chaos, lies, betrayals, violence, jealousy, ridicule, psychological and physical torture as well as outright war.
  The story line and its many faceted plot are very well-written, well-developed and engaging. The multitude of characters, each as complex as you would find in real life with each having separate agendas and quirks was brilliantly done! This story is a fast-paced, action-packed, and romantic thrilling roller coaster ride that has the ability to take the reader's breath away and make them experience a myriad of emotions that are completely off the charts! At the end the reader will be left wanting so much more of the story and will keep trying to get one more page out of the book or e-reader just as this reviewer did. This book has a little bit of everything that will please an audience and very wide range of readers, no matter what their preferred genre.
  
  They who Fell
  Kevin Kneupper
  Self-Published (July 2, 2014)
  344 pp. $3.99 Kindle, $10.79 Paperback
  
  http://www.amazon.com/They-Who-Fell-K...
  
• 
  Marianne

  Do you miss Penryn and Raffe in Angelfall? Well, perhaps They Who Fell can quench your thirst for post-apocalyptic YA novels while you're waiting for the next book by Susan Ee.
  
  The two books are remarkably similar and both feature a young girl, earthbound angels, and a human resistance cell. Each chapter invariably alternates between Jana's POV and that of William Holt; one of the few remaining resistance fighters. This split, and the minimal contact between the two sides, effectively makes this novel a two books in one story. And, well, let's not beat around the bush; I didn't appreciate it much. Mainly because I didn’t care all that much about William's POV. His part of the story lagged, and I found myself impatiently skimming his chapters to get to Jana's POV, which I found much more interesting:
  
  Unlike Susan Ee's Penryn, Jana has been a slave to the angels since childhood, when she was brought to the Angelic stronghold known as the Perch, to serve as a kitchen assistant As a result she is much more docile and subservient than Susan Ee's Penryn. Nevertheless she gets caught in the limelight when two angels take notice of her at her first dinner service. One of them is Nefta, a half crazed, former guardian angel, who takes her on as her personal servant. The other is Rhamiel, who used to be a lowly guardian angel, but has since risen in status, simply because he was the only angel who managed to survive the Fall from heaven nearly unscathed. His betters were all maimed and badly burnt in the Fall. And in the angelic world; a beautiful countenance equals status. It does not sit well with Nefta that Rhamiel now seems to favor the young human girl.
  
  The second Fall has not only left the once beautiful angels badly burnt and maimed, but also paranoid and vengeful. While not openly discussed in human company, they attribute their fall to a broken covenant with God, and this covenant has everything to do with humans. Now, stuck on Earth, God’s outcasts are wallowing in pleasures they have been denied in heaven, and in their mind, it's only right that humans should serve them... or die.
  
  Unlike Jana, William Holt would rather choose death, but as one of the few remaining freedom fighters he is fighting an uphill battle. The angels are nearly indestructible, and he'll need a powerful weapon to make even the smallest dent in their armor. To make matters worse he must also fight corrupt politicians and humans who have aligned themselves with the angels. Things are indeed bleak. But he has a plan that just might change the tide...
  
  Neither Jana or Rhamiel are natural Alphas like their counterparts; Penryn and Raffe. Rather, Jana is forced to thread a thin, dangerous line between angels who want her dead, her boss, Nefta, who both “loves” and loathes her, and the one angel who treats her with respect and genuine curiosity. Rhamiel, on the other hand, has eagerly grabbed the opportunity to rise in power. Once known as Heaven's ugly duckling, Rhamiel now enjoys his newfound power and prestige. And he wants Janna for himself.
  
  Their chemistry is not as explosive or as well developed as that of Raffe and Pendryn, nor is the dialogue as fun, but I believe their relationship has potential, especially after the very intriguing cliffhanger. That particular turn of events was a great way to end the book.
  
  I’m giving this book 3 /3,5 stars. But if I could rate the two stories individually, I would most likely give 2 stars to William's and 4 stars to Jana’s POV.
  
  I will continue the story to see what happens to Jana & Rhamiel. Our ugly duckling is in for some surprising (welcome/unwelcome?) news & I'm dying to know how he will react... Oh, my…
• 
  Sophie "Beware Of The Reader"

  Apocalyptic world full of wicked angels
  
  You’ve got two stories in one.
  
  On the one hand, you’ve the battle of a few desperate humans, trying to avenge themselves and their lost families. They want to inflict as much damage as possible to the fallen angels who’ve destroyed their world and rampaged the earth. They must operate in small groups because it’s too dangerous to congregate in large groups. It’s guerrilla warfare.
  On the other hand, you’ve got a romance between a servant girl and a beautiful angel determined to woo her.
  
  A rebellion occurred in Heaven as the Maker betrayed the angels. The rebels lost the battle and fell to the earth, most of them deeply burnt and scarred. Drunk with their new freedom, the angels rampage the earth, killing humans. Soon after, diseases killed most of the humanity.
  Former God’s warrior or guardian angels pledged to serve humans, the former servants are now masters. They took shelter on top of a New York skyscraper in what look like a gnarled metallic cactus known as The Perch.
  The angels are brutal if not cruel masters: anything could happen when they were bored.
  
  Jana, a pretty girl has been a slave (aka servant) to the angels most of her life. To evade her harsh reality, she dreams of a pink and glorious future. Unfortunately, she’ll catch the eye of Rhamiel, one of the few still beautiful angels. From that moment on, her life will change dramatically and she’ll be either threatened by Ecanus, a sadistic angel; warned by Nefta a jealous female angel or pursued by a very enamored Rhamiel. She’ll be frightened perpetually :How much do they expect me to take? As much as needed to survive. You take, and then you take some more (…) It’s do as they say or die.
  
  Outside the Perch, life is harsh and a rebel group lead by Holt tall, brawny, dark haired former policeman organize the resistance.
  
  In this story, angels are vain and always want to maximize their prestige among the others. The human are either mice in the pawns of angels or either rebelling in a desperate attempt to regain their freedom.
  
  Honestly, I did need some time to really fall in the story. Not because it’s badly written, on the contrary, but because the author took the time to depict this universe with great care and attention to the tiny details. It’s truly well done but also sets a slower pace to the story in the beginning. I’m usually more of an “action and romance” girl and enjoy books with lots of feelings (good or bad). But I must also confess I needed two attempts to finish “The Lord of the Ring” as I was disheartened by the lengthy descriptions put in the beginning.
  
  But here, I did just fine after some time as the pace went faster. The characters and the plot are really interesting. Each chapter alternates between the two stories, each ending on a mini cliffhanger to keep you on your toes and so you go on reading because you-have-to-know-what-will-happen-next. It’s an original writing style and keeps the reader well… reading. So don’t be shy and give it a try! Just be aware it’s no standalone novel but part of a trilogy.
  
• 
  Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews

  They Who Fell is a great twist on the whole PA genre. There has been a second war in heaven, and hell is full. God, or in this book “The Maker”, has thrown the rebellious angels to earth. These fallen angels have caused the apocalypse.
  
  The story follows two main characters, Holt and Jana. Holt is a fighter, working with a small cell to try and free the people from the angel’s tyranny. Jana has been enslaved by the angels since she was a young girl. She has attracted the attention of two angels in particular, and is torn between fear and desire.
  
  I loved how Kneupper has combined the PA with the second war in heaven. It is great to see an author come up with a completely new idea. The fall of society is not caused by swarms of the undead or some virus cooked up in a lab or in the depths of the African jungle. This apocalypse comes from where we least expect it.
  
  Kneupper has created some great characters, they have a well- established background; regular people like you and me, caught in an unusual situation. I think that most people could find someone that they could connect with. The angels themselves, are well developed; some we hate and others we can’t be too sure about.
  
  The story is well paced, with some well-developed action scenes and a believable love story in the most unlikely of situations.
  
• 
  L.M. David

  The idea is interesting. The book, not so much. The characters were not likable, the romance premise, dull, and the war between hot headed angels and their friends who had a "smidgen" of sympathy, gets a "whatever". Uzziel is a box of rage, Rhamiel is a closet sympathizer secretly in love with a human, Jana (a girl who, IMO, is clueless and stupid). The attraction between Rhameil and Jana is a head scratcher beyond the concept the writer wanted that angle to attract readers. On earth, humans are waging war against these angels kicked from of heaven. They come across as military trained warriors wanting to just off something so they would have something to do. As for the angels, same thing -- killing what their maker loved seemed to be the only recourse they had to get back at him. Nothing new there. This book took weeks to read because of lack of interest on my part. Because there has never been a case where I don't finished reading a book once started, it became a matter of just getting through it. Sorry, it did not get better and sorry, the characters never became likable nor did it get to a point where you wanted to root for the angels or the humans. This is volume one of this series. I will not be reading the next.
• 
  Dawn Livingston

  I guess I just couldn't get past the idea of angels acting like the worst of us while looking perfect except for the damage they took during the fall. In my bit of knowledge of angels there are several different kinds with different appearances but some certainly seem to be the way they're described in the book as powerful and having been perfect. But the angels in this book, if they're not of heaven aren't they then considered demons? So they should have been referred to as such. I think that's why I had such a hard time as seeing them as so corrupt. Angels aren't corrupt but demons are. Trying to make them both good and bad like people are? Angels are angels and I can't believe they think quite like we do. Yes, I know Lucifer was vain and arrogant when he fell so did many others so they must have had similar traits to us to some degree, also being one of God's creations but...
  
  I guess I just couldn't get past "angels" acting like us (being both bad and good), and how the Greek and Roman gods are depicted. I don't think that's the author's problem necessarily but then again maybe he should come to a conclusion about that and expressed it in the book.
  
  I thought maybe it was just Peretti I didn't like but now I'm starting to think that I just don't like Christian fiction.
• 
  Rosi Phillips

  Characters: 5/5
  Storyline: 5/5
  Believable situations/can I understand it: 5/5
  Writing: 5/5
  
  This book made me hungry. What I mean by that, is the book was so good I skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner to finish it. I was given this book for an honest review and I can't be more honest then, I loved it! The opening hooked me with young Jana about to go and serve some people, but I kept wondering who thse people were. Then it switched to Holt's perspective and I kept wondering, what about Jana. The author didn't make me wonder long. The book was very well written, the main charcters were fleshed out, the scenes were beilvable and the charcters actions within those scene were also believable. The book had several moments which made me pause and think about humanity, and was both entertaining and introspective. I can't wait for the next boom to come out. I would recommend this story to everyone because it has a little or every genre, suspense, horror, action, to some degree adventure. Overall, great piece of fiction.
• 
  Fabi

  I've been wanting to read this for a while. I finally read it, and the first thing I did when I finished was click to purchase book 2 in the series.
  
  This is a fantastic story very well written. The angels have rebelled. After a short, bloody war, they've been cast out of heaven. During their fall they are burned and heavily scarred. Most of them psychologically damaged as a result. On Earth, they take their vengeance on a humanity they've served for millenia. ---A few of us fight back.
  
  I loved the characters. They are vivid and skillfully drawn. The plot evolves at a fast pace. There's never a dull moment. The end leaves you wanting more in a bit of a cliffhanger.
  
  I highly recommend this to fantasy fans.
  
  The only thing I wanted more of was the romantic subplot. It is essential to the story and I would have loved to see it better developed.
• 
  Maureen Turner

  
  'Wow' is a word often overused in reviews but this book deserves a few 'Wows'. Extremely well written it tells the story of a World ruled by Fallen Angels. This is a concept seen in many novels but rarely portrayed in such an exciting page turning novel. These Angels are cruel and positively evil but sections of the human race don't figure too highly in the kindness department either. The main characters are well drawn and I particularly liked Holt, a human mercenary leading a mixed bag of renegades. Rhamiel, one of the fallen also had his attractive points although a complex character to understand. The book ends on a cliffhanger. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read and I have just purchased the second book in this series. No better accolade than that.
• 
  Karen A. Wyle

  Maybe this book is part of some existing genre I didn't know about, but I found the premise -- a second revolt in Heaven and a second set of fallen angels, with the latest rebels setting up shop on Earth -- original and intriguing. But of course, a good premise is just the starting point, and the author delivers nicely on this one, with well-drawn characters, good world-building, and plenty of suspense. He finishes this Book 1 with an appropriate mix of resolution and uncertainty. I'd be ready to read Book 2 -- if I didn't plan to read the author's latest release,
  Restricted Fantasies, next instead.
• 
  Thomas Cook

  Interesting story idea
• 
  Sheilah

  Kevin Kneupper gained my respect this past year when he used his skills as a former lawyer to take on the Cockygate war for all writers. Even though I am not a writer, I appreciate this as a lover of stories. Essentially, no one should have the right to copyright a word that is common in the English language and used prolifically by all authors. I followed the Twitter war that raged, and then I jumped for joy when Kneupper and fellow word protecting volunteers took on the battle and succeeded in their efforts. I actually became stressed out that a writer would do this to their fellow colleagues. I couldn't believe the arrogance of Faleena Hopkins, the antagonist in this real life tale.
  
  So, as you can see, I bought his first novel to show support to him. As a result, my respect has grown even more. Not only is he a word warrior, but he is also a wordsmith.
  
  They Who Fell was an enchanting tale about an alternate reality where Earth is occupied by fallen angels. The angels in this tale are no where near angelic and can be quite cruel in their mastering and enslavement of the humans who remain post-fall.
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Jana, a slave girl to the angels. We follow her on her path to survival. The plot points that took place in the angel's home were the most intriguing and spellbinding to read. I felt connected to these characters and felt their suffering. I spent much of the book eager to get back to this part of the story-line. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing the various sides and personalities of all the imperfect angels.
  
  The parts of the story that follow the humans that remain on the surface of Earth, were more of struggle for me. There are four main human warriors the story follows in this section, and I never felt quite connected to any particular one. As a result of this, I had trouble seeing their individuality. However, their personas became more prominent as the story unfolded. By the end of the story, I saw their purpose and welcomed them as prominent characters.
  
  Overall, I was quite impressed by this story and look forward to continuing the series.
  
  If you enjoy stories about the good and the bad side to everyone and perceive the world with grey colored glasses, then I think this tale will delight. It has cruel and unfair violence, a pinch of forbidden romance and brave souls who fear more the prospect of being caged over meeting their maker.
  
  
  https://wp.me/p10JKi-O1
• 
  Jack

  A second batch of angels fell from heaven. Or were thrown out of heaven, for the most part. Mankind does not fare well in the ensuing aftermath. Most are killed within days. Some become servants, either by force or by choice (bad shelter being better than no shelter, I suppose). And another group of people is trying to figure out how to destroy the angels. This all had a tone of WWII about it.
  
  The story was decent, at least an intriguing premise (which is what got me to read it in the first place). The characters were okay, enough characterization, etc. I was interested enough to keep going, for sure.
  
  
  When I got the 85% read mark, I realized nothing had happened, really. There were some intrigues among the angels and their servants, and there were some points made by the group trying to kill the angels outright. But I did not see how the story could be resolved satisfactorily in the remaining pages.
  
  And the story was not resolved in the remaining pages by any means. There is a book 2 that continues the story. Book 1 doesn't end at all but just stops. With 344 pages in total for book 1, I expect to have a little better resolution than nothing.
  
  Each book of the Wayward Pines trilogy was able to stand by itself pretty much, regardless of how intermingled the whole story was across the three books. And each had a resolution sufficient to itself, even though the ending was open-ended (and how I want more of that!).
  
  
  
  I really liked the story, and was prepared to give it four stars, perhaps five with a great ending. Alas, the ending drops it to a three.
  
• 
  Julie

  I'm so proud to say that I had the privilege of beta reading this book, although at the very end, when everything was in place and already such a great story. Getting to go back and read the story with the addition of the ending was so much fun.
  
  I've read some of the reviews that mention not enjoying the storyline of Holt's rebel group. I have to say that I really did enjoy that storyline equally as much as Jana's story. I found myself just as frustrated at the end of each chapter, when I would have to go back to the other story. I felt that both stories have very well written creepy and/or evil scenes (not overbearing, though), which were my favorite parts of the book for some reason. I don't read that kind of thing often, so it was different for me and really interesting. I would have liked to see more of the development of Jana and Rhamiel's relationship and hope to get that in the rest of the series, which I hope comes out soon. I can't wait to see how this ends.
• 
  Sam | Queen Hera

  That end... WOW...
• 
  Karen

  I have to say upfront that I don't particularly like post apocalyptic books brought on by fallen angels; however, those that readers that do will like this book. It is a well-written book.
• 
  Tessa

  4.5 stars. A few parts were a little confusing but for the most, excellent and engrossing. My .5 take away was due to the CH ending each chapter.
• 
  Rachel

  I'm so conflicted. At several points in the book, I was like, "Are you fucking kidding me?"
  
  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, despite it not being part of my regular repertoire. The writing was pretty damn good. The concept is super interesting. Sometimes the execution could have been better. But I'm seriously considering purchasing the remaining two novels in this trilogy. Please don't think I hated the book. I've just got some quarrels...
  
  A few of my major "Are you fucking kidding me?" moments:
  
  Dax and Thane both, and their toxic-ass masculinity. I groaned a lot in their early character development and the whole "men don't cry" and "men show emotion as anger." Yeah, that's a serious problem, not a badge of honor like it was portrayed. Especially contrasted against Faye's more feminine character who only really regretted stuff like not becoming a mother. Lame-o.
  Rhamiel sleeping with Jana - um, in the beginning of the book she's described as very young and very naive. So, teenage girl with an immortal ANGEL thousands of years old? For real? Not even getting into the power dynamics, that's fucked up. I would have been so much happier with a healthy mentorship/protection/help the rebels type of situation rather than motherfucking American Beauty.
  She's PREGNANT? HOW? How many chromosomes do angels have? Are they biologically compatible with humans? Do angels reproduce regularly? Some Twilight shit over here. Kevin, explain.
  
  Overall, it was a decent read. It took me a while because, though the premise was interesting, it felt a bit flat. The characters are arguably two-dimensional and their relationships are not flushed out to the extent they should be. A lot of the story-telling relies on the author flat out telling the reader things instead of showing. So, while I kept reading and - if I'm honest - filling in the gaps to be able to enjoy the story fully, it's lucky to receive 3 stars.
  
  But I still find myself wanting to continue reading. So that says something right? Either it's not so bad as I think, or it's an incredible train wreck.