BOOK REVIEW: They Who Fell by Kevin Kneupper - JUNE 14, 2015
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
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