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Book Reviews of And Falling, Fly (Harrowing, Bk 1)

And Falling, Fly (Harrowing, Bk 1)
And Falling Fly - Harrowing, Bk 1
Author: Skyler White
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ISBN-13: 9780425232347
ISBN-10: 0425232344
Publication Date: 3/2/2010
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 2.9/5 Stars.
 24

2.9 stars, based on 24 ratings
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

3 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

FantasyDreamer avatar reviewed And Falling, Fly (Harrowing, Bk 1) on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
and Falling, Fly is told from both Olivia and Dominic's perspective, and their story is a tragic one while at the same time inspiring feelings of hope. Olivia has searched since the fall of Eden for the loophole that would return her to the heights of heaven, out of the ranks of the damned, but she ends up returning to the Hotel of the Damn, hopeless. Hopeless in that for eternity she will be a fallen angel of desire, never experiencing emotions but through the blood of others. Dominic is a driven neuroscientist, who is trying to find a treatment to his painful memories of past lives that he believes are hallucinations, unwilling to believe in anything outside of science. He reluctantly goes to the Hotel of the Damned, where he meets Olivia and believes the remedy lies in helping her.

While reading and Falling, Fly I had an ambivalent relationship with this book. It required my full attention, and it wasn't one I could blaze through, that at times left me feeling frustrated. The lyrical writing demanded that I read every line thoroughly because the words weren't straightforward in their meaning; I had to find their meaning. But the mystery behind the release to Olivia and Dominic's eternal damnation kept making me want to blaze through the story to find its conclusion. Then I would find myself stopping and thinking about what I just read, then rethinking about what I had read in the previous the pages, reforming my ideas of what might lay ahead. Throughout reading I keep thinking which is the truth, science or myth, which one should I believe is the reality in this book?

and Falling, Fly is a dark and lush, uniquely told love story that isn't to be taken lightly. A definite reading requirement for those who like a book that makes them think and remain in their thoughts long after it's put down.
readermuse avatar reviewed And Falling, Fly (Harrowing, Bk 1) on + 96 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This book is a wonderful philosophical trip through the lives of the cursed and damned. This is also not your typical vampire book. In this one, vampires who must feed on the desires and fear through their victim's blood are actually angels of desire fallen from grace. If they do not feed, they suffer want that cannot be satisfied and fade from sight. Also, in this group of the damned and cursed are those taken from different mythologies who are now decedents of those cursed for their misdeeds. Their children share in a portion of their curse even if they have no idea why. All of these eventually seek knowledge, understanding or comfort in a hotel they are all drawn to called hell by it's inhabitants.

I have to say I enjoyed this book a lot. I do enjoy it when an author puts a different twist on stories in which we are familiar. Greek mythology, angel mythology, the garden of Eden are all stories she used to twist into a interesting work of fiction. She also takes scientific philosophy to use as a counterpoint and basis for discussion. Within all this discussion blooms a love story made to redeem the two main characters. Redemption not born of their curses, but born from what they feared and avoided.

I recommend this book for those who love a dark story with a lot of philosophy. I recommend it for those looking for a different vampire story. I also recommend it to those who are wordsmiths. This book is also great for those as well. I gave this story 4 stars.
donkeycheese avatar reviewed And Falling, Fly (Harrowing, Bk 1) on + 1255 more book reviews
A neuroscientist who does not believe in what he cannot see or touch. A fallen angel who is looking for a way back to the Heavens. When the two of them collide, sparks fly.

Dominic O'Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist. Wonderfully gifted with intelligence and good looks, Dominic has been plagued with visions since he was twelve. Believed to be "Reborn", reincarnated over and over again, Dominic lives memories of the past through his uncontrollable visions. They are not memories of his own past, but memories of others before him. Dominic does not believe in reincarnation and believes himself to have a mental illness. He pops pills to try and keep the visions under control, but he is determined to find a scientific solution to his problem.

Olivia is an Angel of Desire, fallen and damned for all eternity. She is just a shell, unable to feel hate, love, or pain. She is a vampire, feeding off other's desire for her, and she spends her immortal life seeking a loophole. She wants her curse reversed, she wants to love, she wants to fly. But after many years, she is discouraged and her despair rises within her that she seeks shelter in an underground labrynth in Ireland. She is ready to stop her search for the loophole and commit to becoming fully damned.

Dominic's research leads him to Ireland, and he revisits the underground hotel. He wants to test the vampires, see if he can find the neurons to reverse or eliminate memories of what darkness overtakes them. But on his first day there, a beautiful woman appears and when their eyes meet, the pull is too much for them to ignore.

Olivia would love to be set free by love and be returned to heaven, and she wants Dominic to use her in his research. But, Dominic refuses because Olivia is a vampire, and if his mind accepts that, then he will have to accept his own delusions. However, Dominic and Olivia's desires won't be quenched, and as they find love, they realize that they will have to sacrifice something, or they will have to let one another go.

AND FALLING, FLY is a dark and mysterious tunnel that beckons from the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is a challenge to get to it's goal, as the journey is long and dark, and the path is full of twists and turns. Dominic and Olivia are two unique characters that are diverse, dark and compelling. The world Ms. White has built is haunting, yet personified. Fantasy and Paranormal lovers will enjoy this, but it is not light reading or the faint of heart. The story Ms. White tells is unique in it's presentation and will stay with you for days to come.