A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies

When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.
Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.

You know, I didn’t like the first, but I knew it had potential, and I was curious to see if it harnessed some of it. It didn’t. Nothing really happened in the novel….I mean…it just sort of trudged on through the snow and just sort of..existed. it never really gave into what is was getting at. The end was a little different. And of course Skye really irritates me…she has like… three guys trailing around her, and she never does anything about them. She just goes from one to the other to the other. I suppose what I should say is that the series just lacks development and logic. I don’t feel attachment to any of the characters, and that just sucks the fun out of it all. 

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I really didn’t like this book. I don’t really have much to say about the composition itself… I felt like it had true potential when I received it (BEA 2012!) but the more I read, the more it let me down. It lacked a certain…direction. I mean, they each had a goal, but it just seemed like it was filling this hole. Like it was a little lost and so it just decided to say ‘How about this general direction?’

I was willing to give it a chance but what really ticked me off was smack in the middle of the action, Raffe just decides to blurt out ‘Oh, no, I’m agnostic.’

Listen, I know agnostics aren’t atheists. Agnostics don’t confirm or deny God’s existence. I just couldn’t take it seriously after that. He’s a freaking angel who’s not sure of God’s existence. Seriously? I don’t mind when the angels are Fallen, or something similar…but an angel that’s just not sure?!  I finished the book quickly after that. There are loads of other Angel/Fallen Angel stories out there, just don’t get this one…its just sort of…lukewarm.  I have other issues with some of the…..implied things about God/angels/human kind. But It’s far too detailed to go through here. Perhaps on my blog page I roll out my arsenal.  ;)

8/22/12