The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
anzuk's review against another edition
3.0
This book started out with an interesting concept: the end of the world, survival of the fittest. Iâm actually fascinated by a humanâs limits of endurance and the idea of people mutating and developing different powers was really well developed. Evolution is something captivating and Traci L. Slatton managed to create an awe-inspiring universe using these elements.
Fallen made me appreciate things on a different level. I sit now and think of how Iâd manage an apocalypse in my life and see how unprepared Iâd be. I guess survival of the fittest will set its toll in the end.
Beside the great story and emotional moments we have a multitude of interesting characters. Iâm not such a big fan of Emma though. Sure sheâs having a tough time coping with disaster and I have to admit that I actually admire the strength she proves but she tends to be bitchy and controlling. Iâm sure anyone in that position would be similar to her or worse so I wonât judge her.
Arthur and Emmaâs relationship is sweet; I like the familiarity of it. I feel like I share their feelings because I was with them on their journey since square one. Arthur is actually my favorite character. I guess I have a soft spot for alphas.
Iâm an action junkie and this book is pretty passive, especially in the beginning. This will explain why I wonât give it a perfect score.
The ending was very good and it greatly intensified my curiosity to know what happens next. Iâm looking forward to the next book in this series.
Fallen made me appreciate things on a different level. I sit now and think of how Iâd manage an apocalypse in my life and see how unprepared Iâd be. I guess survival of the fittest will set its toll in the end.
Beside the great story and emotional moments we have a multitude of interesting characters. Iâm not such a big fan of Emma though. Sure sheâs having a tough time coping with disaster and I have to admit that I actually admire the strength she proves but she tends to be bitchy and controlling. Iâm sure anyone in that position would be similar to her or worse so I wonât judge her.
Arthur and Emmaâs relationship is sweet; I like the familiarity of it. I feel like I share their feelings because I was with them on their journey since square one. Arthur is actually my favorite character. I guess I have a soft spot for alphas.
Iâm an action junkie and this book is pretty passive, especially in the beginning. This will explain why I wonât give it a perfect score.
The ending was very good and it greatly intensified my curiosity to know what happens next. Iâm looking forward to the next book in this series.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
3.0
The world as we all know it is gone - most of the people have died and buildings and infrastructure have disappeared. Murderous bands are roaming and no place seems to be safe. Emma has been accumulating children - trying to protect them and keep them healthy, but she knows they can only make it for so long. When she sees the chance to join an honorable camp of men she jumps at the chance. She doesn't count on falling for the leader - falling hard.
Fallen details the beginning of their relationship and has a ton of world building. I love character and world building so this was a really big plus for me. On the flip side, I don't know how I like Emma or Arthur right now. Both kept very very big secrets from each other - life changing secrets.
The story ends with no resolution (it is a series and I've already started book two) and no HEA (just a warning for those that need to have that at end of every book). I'm anxious to see what these two do next because there's a lot up in the air at the of this book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/#sthash.3oTmbgwL.dpuf
Fallen details the beginning of their relationship and has a ton of world building. I love character and world building so this was a really big plus for me. On the flip side, I don't know how I like Emma or Arthur right now. Both kept very very big secrets from each other - life changing secrets.
The story ends with no resolution (it is a series and I've already started book two) and no HEA (just a warning for those that need to have that at end of every book). I'm anxious to see what these two do next because there's a lot up in the air at the of this book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/#sthash.3oTmbgwL.dpuf
jaywithwhiskey's review against another edition
5.0
At first I was like "Okaaaay..."
Then I was like "Ehhh, not feeling it"
Now I'm like "OH! Oh shit. Oh God."
Then I was like "Ehhh, not feeling it"
Now I'm like "OH! Oh shit. Oh God."
ezichinny's review against another edition
5.0
**Re-Read on 8/14/15***
Imagine the world AFTER an attack decimates most of what we know as our world today. Well, the characters in this book characterize the events of their lives as things happened to them BEFORE or AFTER this apocalyptic event. This book was a really great read. I was glued to my kindle and couldnât put it down.
This story starts AFTER by introducing us to Emma Anderson, her biological daughter, Mandy, and 7 other orphans that she has âadoptedâ while looking for shelter from âthe Mistsâ. The Mists are a nomadic pocket of energy that looks like a white mist. It dissolves people and buildings as it is attracted to specific minerals. It is described as a painful death, so everyone is fearful of breathing when it comes around. Emma has the task of protecting the family from small pockets of rogue survivors as they try to travel to safety in Canada. Apparently there is a place in Canada not affected by the mists according to news reports before communication was completely down.
As Emma inherits these children, she finds that each one has a unique paranormal gift because of the event. One of her children tells her that an approaching convoy comes from a safe camp, so Emma decides to take the children there. After all, it has become increasing difficult for her to take care and provide for 8 children on her own. Emma meets the leader of the group, Arthur, and offers a proposition: shelter and protection in exchange for contributions to his communityâŚincluding the personal kind from Emma.
Arthur agrees to the deal and adds her family to his existing group. Arthur is portrayed as innovative, resourceful, and a great protector because he can sense the Mists and he can control them by making them go away and he can also dissolve. (What? He can dissolve? How does he stay alive then?) For the first time in a long time, Emma and her children have some sort of shelter and collective harmony. The kids are laughing, reading, and eating decent food. Emma and Arthur start getting closer, but it is clear that they are both keeping secrets from each other. We soon learn that Emma has another reason why she is insisting on getting to Canada.
As they travel, Emma helps the camp with healing and hygiene issues (brushing teeth etc), while Arthur leads the camp with protection and rebuilding for the future. As the non-committal relationship grows into something much stronger, each personâs past begin to come to light. Little by little, the hidden secrets start unfolding, The BEFORE life becomes a barrier for the AFTER life, threatening to destroy what Emma and Arthur have built with one another.
The secondary characters in this book were very interesting. They provided a strong backdrop for this new movement. I loved Laurette, the camp herbalist. This sassy and competitive woman initially came on loan from the female camp. She ended up staying and she was as valuable to the camp as anyone. The female camp she came from consisted of women survivors, many who did not trust men due to crimes committed AFTER. They functioned just as well as the male camps and they ended up being a great ally to Arthurâs camp. It is nice to have a story where there are strong women characters. Emma, Tara, and Laurette were examples of the vast expertise that women add to society. There was a lot more to Alexei, the not-quite villain. He was brutal with glimpses of kindness and there was an inevitable confrontation with Arthur that kept me tense with anticipation.
I was completely engrossed in the story because I wanted to see how the relationship between Arthur and Emma would play out. I also wanted to see how Arthur would manage to create this new civilization he was dreaming of forming. I wanted to see Arthur defeat Alexei and I wanted to see Arthur defeat the mists. The ending was bittersweet, I didnât get the resolution that I expected and that is okay because this book is the first one part of a trilogy.
I enjoyed the authorâs storytelling because it was riveting, but the ending left me stunned. Emmaâs last sight out of the plane is what I remember the most and it was not a good feeling for me. I canât wait for the follow up book because my emotions are dangling on a cliff.
***Reviewed for the Paranormal Romance Guild***
Imagine the world AFTER an attack decimates most of what we know as our world today. Well, the characters in this book characterize the events of their lives as things happened to them BEFORE or AFTER this apocalyptic event. This book was a really great read. I was glued to my kindle and couldnât put it down.
This story starts AFTER by introducing us to Emma Anderson, her biological daughter, Mandy, and 7 other orphans that she has âadoptedâ while looking for shelter from âthe Mistsâ. The Mists are a nomadic pocket of energy that looks like a white mist. It dissolves people and buildings as it is attracted to specific minerals. It is described as a painful death, so everyone is fearful of breathing when it comes around. Emma has the task of protecting the family from small pockets of rogue survivors as they try to travel to safety in Canada. Apparently there is a place in Canada not affected by the mists according to news reports before communication was completely down.
As Emma inherits these children, she finds that each one has a unique paranormal gift because of the event. One of her children tells her that an approaching convoy comes from a safe camp, so Emma decides to take the children there. After all, it has become increasing difficult for her to take care and provide for 8 children on her own. Emma meets the leader of the group, Arthur, and offers a proposition: shelter and protection in exchange for contributions to his communityâŚincluding the personal kind from Emma.
Arthur agrees to the deal and adds her family to his existing group. Arthur is portrayed as innovative, resourceful, and a great protector because he can sense the Mists and he can control them by making them go away and he can also dissolve. (What? He can dissolve? How does he stay alive then?) For the first time in a long time, Emma and her children have some sort of shelter and collective harmony. The kids are laughing, reading, and eating decent food. Emma and Arthur start getting closer, but it is clear that they are both keeping secrets from each other. We soon learn that Emma has another reason why she is insisting on getting to Canada.
As they travel, Emma helps the camp with healing and hygiene issues (brushing teeth etc), while Arthur leads the camp with protection and rebuilding for the future. As the non-committal relationship grows into something much stronger, each personâs past begin to come to light. Little by little, the hidden secrets start unfolding, The BEFORE life becomes a barrier for the AFTER life, threatening to destroy what Emma and Arthur have built with one another.
The secondary characters in this book were very interesting. They provided a strong backdrop for this new movement. I loved Laurette, the camp herbalist. This sassy and competitive woman initially came on loan from the female camp. She ended up staying and she was as valuable to the camp as anyone. The female camp she came from consisted of women survivors, many who did not trust men due to crimes committed AFTER. They functioned just as well as the male camps and they ended up being a great ally to Arthurâs camp. It is nice to have a story where there are strong women characters. Emma, Tara, and Laurette were examples of the vast expertise that women add to society. There was a lot more to Alexei, the not-quite villain. He was brutal with glimpses of kindness and there was an inevitable confrontation with Arthur that kept me tense with anticipation.
I was completely engrossed in the story because I wanted to see how the relationship between Arthur and Emma would play out. I also wanted to see how Arthur would manage to create this new civilization he was dreaming of forming. I wanted to see Arthur defeat Alexei and I wanted to see Arthur defeat the mists. The ending was bittersweet, I didnât get the resolution that I expected and that is okay because this book is the first one part of a trilogy.
I enjoyed the authorâs storytelling because it was riveting, but the ending left me stunned. Emmaâs last sight out of the plane is what I remember the most and it was not a good feeling for me. I canât wait for the follow up book because my emotions are dangling on a cliff.
***Reviewed for the Paranormal Romance Guild***
nogenreleftbehind's review against another edition
3.0
The world as we all know it is gone - most of the people have died and buildings and infrastructure have disappeared. Murderous bands are roaming and no place seems to be safe. Emma has been accumulating children - trying to protect them and keep them healthy, but she knows they can only make it for so long. When she sees the chance to join an honorable camp of men she jumps at the chance. She doesn't count on falling for the leader - falling hard.
Fallen details the beginning of their relationship and has a ton of world building. I love character and world building so this was a really big plus for me. On the flip side, I don't know how I like Emma or Arthur right now. Both kept very very big secrets from each other - life changing secrets.
The story ends with no resolution (it is a series and I've already started book two) and no HEA (just a warning for those that need to have that at end of every book). I'm anxious to see what these two do next because there's a lot up in the air at the of this book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/#sthash.3oTmbgwL.dpuf
Fallen details the beginning of their relationship and has a ton of world building. I love character and world building so this was a really big plus for me. On the flip side, I don't know how I like Emma or Arthur right now. Both kept very very big secrets from each other - life changing secrets.
The story ends with no resolution (it is a series and I've already started book two) and no HEA (just a warning for those that need to have that at end of every book). I'm anxious to see what these two do next because there's a lot up in the air at the of this book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/#sthash.3oTmbgwL.dpuf
drey72's review against another edition
4.0
dreyâs thoughts: Fallen starts off with a bang, capturing your attention right awayâŚ
Yikes!! This is so not a world I want to live inâa mysterious mist that kills, rogue bands of survivors who round up women and children for far more nefarious purposes than you could imagine, dwindling food suppliesâŚ
It is in this world that Emma Anderson finds herself in charge of her five-year-old daughter Mandy, and seven other children; trying to survive and keep them safe and alive. When she meets a band of men who are seemingly able to keep the mists away, Emma barters for protection for herself and the children. Before she knows it, sheâs healing the campâs sick and making friends. Well, except for a few of the menâŚ
I like Emma. Sheâs strong, sheâs resolute, and sheâs fearless in standing up for those who canât help themselvesâalmost to the point of getting herself killed. I like that some of the survivors have acquired a new skill, like Emmaâs healing.
The plot is simple (survive), the story is moving. I enjoyed reading Fallen, and the realization at the end makes me antsy to find out what happens in the sequel to this first-in-a-trilogy.
dreyâs rating: Excellent!
Yikes!! This is so not a world I want to live inâa mysterious mist that kills, rogue bands of survivors who round up women and children for far more nefarious purposes than you could imagine, dwindling food suppliesâŚ
It is in this world that Emma Anderson finds herself in charge of her five-year-old daughter Mandy, and seven other children; trying to survive and keep them safe and alive. When she meets a band of men who are seemingly able to keep the mists away, Emma barters for protection for herself and the children. Before she knows it, sheâs healing the campâs sick and making friends. Well, except for a few of the menâŚ
I like Emma. Sheâs strong, sheâs resolute, and sheâs fearless in standing up for those who canât help themselvesâalmost to the point of getting herself killed. I like that some of the survivors have acquired a new skill, like Emmaâs healing.
The plot is simple (survive), the story is moving. I enjoyed reading Fallen, and the realization at the end makes me antsy to find out what happens in the sequel to this first-in-a-trilogy.
dreyâs rating: Excellent!
elephant's review against another edition
5.0
I was given a free copy of this book to review and I was just totally blown away by it! I could not put it down. It is an adult dystopian romance novel with a strong kick-ass woman protagonist who is also a mom. When a mysterious mist begins killing everyone and destroying all things made of metal, Emma, and her 5 year old daughter are in France, while her husband and older daughter are in Canada, one of the few areas of the world that seems to be safe from the mist. Emma is a survivor and as she wanders through the dystopian world, she takes in and cares for several children who she finds. When she runs into a group of men who seem well fed and whom her psychic child tells her have a good camp, she and the children join them and she joins Arthur, their leader. Battling cannibals and other roving insane people, captured by a psychotic Russian man and his camp, Emma proves herself to be a useful survivor due to the healing ability that she acquired after the mists came. With romance, action, surprising plot twists and a fantastic plot, this it a totally captivating story. I have already started the second book in the series and cannot put it down either. I totally recommend this series!
lvlewis's review against another edition
5.0
Let me just throw this out there: I love dystopian books.
A few other things you might want to know about me is 1) I love science fiction, 2) I love the conflict of man against nature gone wrong, and 3) I love a hearty romance thrown in there for good measure. Fallen had all of these ingredients, and more.
In Fallen, author Traci L. Slatton has built a world where noxious mists have killed off a goodly number of the earthâs inhabitants, dissolved much of its commerce, and crippled civilization to the point where humans are forced to live as they had before the industrial revolution. Horses are again the mode of transportation, and those whoâve survived have had to learn to scavenge abandoned communities for food, or to live off the land again.
A New Yorker stranded in Paris, Emma, the bookâs heroine has by default become the caregiver of seven other children besides her own child, Mandy. Through ingenuity and a bit of luck, they have learned to avoid the mists for a little over a year together in the Parisian countryside. The story opens with Emma believing that Mandy is about to breathe in and be consumed by the mist. As this harrowing situation plays out, a miraculous thing happens--a band of men on horseback ride up and drive the mist away.
Since the proliferation of the mists, human beings have acquired abilities they didnât have before. For example, Emma has healing properties in her hands, her daughter Mandy sees shadows of people whoâve been in places before, her charge Newt is psychic and sees the future. Armed with knowledge from Newt that these men are good and not a group of marauders that rape women and kill children like some, Emma decides to proposition their leader, Arthur for food and shelter for her and the children.
Arthur agrees on the condition that she doesnât expect commitment and doesnât nag him. The story unfolds as Emma and her children assimilate into the camp community these men have created. Heretofore, the men kept to themselves out of fear that the mists might make them do unspeakable things to women and children. However, over time Arthur and his men grow to appreciate having a woman and children around and learn to live fairly well in this post-apocalyptic society.
The conflict in the story is caused by nature, by desperate people, by family thought to be dead still alive, and by old grudges borne by another charismatic leader who wants Arthur to suffer as much as he has. As the daily lives of the people in Arthurâs camp unfold, we get to see a relationship grow between Emma and the camp leader that neither of them expected. Word spreads that a woman who can heal is among the people of Arthurâs camp and this gift unwittingly makes Emma a target.
Will Emma be able to avoid being taken by other camps who covet her service? Or will she be lost to Arthur for an entirely different reason?
Full of action, adventure and a very intelligent read, I absolutely loved this story. There were only one or two things I could nitpick about it. The first being: although this is a dystopian trilogy, it is billed as a romance. The love that grows between Emma and Arthur is epic in nature and that should have been shown more. Most of their intimate moments were of the âfade to blackâ variety. As this is an adult dystopian book, I certainly couldâve handled a few more of their sexy times together. The emotion underlying could certainly have been shown more, as well.
The second was the handling of Mandy as Emmaâs child by a husband sheâs certain is still alive, yet there was no treatment of exactly how Emma explained her behavior with Arthur to this child. As time went on, she didnât try to hide the fact that she slept in the tent with Arthur, nor did they hide their PDA from the children. It just would have been nice for that bit of conflict to be handled in some way and not ignored.
Fallen ends in a place where you know there will be a sequel, and this was fine by me, because I wasnât ready to let go of this world Traci L. Slatton had created so beautifully.
I give Fallen 4.5 out of 5 Stars!
A few other things you might want to know about me is 1) I love science fiction, 2) I love the conflict of man against nature gone wrong, and 3) I love a hearty romance thrown in there for good measure. Fallen had all of these ingredients, and more.
In Fallen, author Traci L. Slatton has built a world where noxious mists have killed off a goodly number of the earthâs inhabitants, dissolved much of its commerce, and crippled civilization to the point where humans are forced to live as they had before the industrial revolution. Horses are again the mode of transportation, and those whoâve survived have had to learn to scavenge abandoned communities for food, or to live off the land again.
A New Yorker stranded in Paris, Emma, the bookâs heroine has by default become the caregiver of seven other children besides her own child, Mandy. Through ingenuity and a bit of luck, they have learned to avoid the mists for a little over a year together in the Parisian countryside. The story opens with Emma believing that Mandy is about to breathe in and be consumed by the mist. As this harrowing situation plays out, a miraculous thing happens--a band of men on horseback ride up and drive the mist away.
Since the proliferation of the mists, human beings have acquired abilities they didnât have before. For example, Emma has healing properties in her hands, her daughter Mandy sees shadows of people whoâve been in places before, her charge Newt is psychic and sees the future. Armed with knowledge from Newt that these men are good and not a group of marauders that rape women and kill children like some, Emma decides to proposition their leader, Arthur for food and shelter for her and the children.
Arthur agrees on the condition that she doesnât expect commitment and doesnât nag him. The story unfolds as Emma and her children assimilate into the camp community these men have created. Heretofore, the men kept to themselves out of fear that the mists might make them do unspeakable things to women and children. However, over time Arthur and his men grow to appreciate having a woman and children around and learn to live fairly well in this post-apocalyptic society.
The conflict in the story is caused by nature, by desperate people, by family thought to be dead still alive, and by old grudges borne by another charismatic leader who wants Arthur to suffer as much as he has. As the daily lives of the people in Arthurâs camp unfold, we get to see a relationship grow between Emma and the camp leader that neither of them expected. Word spreads that a woman who can heal is among the people of Arthurâs camp and this gift unwittingly makes Emma a target.
Will Emma be able to avoid being taken by other camps who covet her service? Or will she be lost to Arthur for an entirely different reason?
Full of action, adventure and a very intelligent read, I absolutely loved this story. There were only one or two things I could nitpick about it. The first being: although this is a dystopian trilogy, it is billed as a romance. The love that grows between Emma and Arthur is epic in nature and that should have been shown more. Most of their intimate moments were of the âfade to blackâ variety. As this is an adult dystopian book, I certainly couldâve handled a few more of their sexy times together. The emotion underlying could certainly have been shown more, as well.
The second was the handling of Mandy as Emmaâs child by a husband sheâs certain is still alive, yet there was no treatment of exactly how Emma explained her behavior with Arthur to this child. As time went on, she didnât try to hide the fact that she slept in the tent with Arthur, nor did they hide their PDA from the children. It just would have been nice for that bit of conflict to be handled in some way and not ignored.
Fallen ends in a place where you know there will be a sequel, and this was fine by me, because I wasnât ready to let go of this world Traci L. Slatton had created so beautifully.
I give Fallen 4.5 out of 5 Stars!
abookishaffair's review
3.0
Fallen takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The book is set in France. A toxic mist that instantly kills anyone who comes into contact with it is killing so many people. People are spending their time running from the mists and trying to stay alive in a very chaotic world. I would be terrified to live in this world. The premise of the story was very interesting.
Emma's, the main character, family has been torn apart by the mists. She is with her younger daughter while she's wondering what happened to her husband and her older daughter and if they are even still alive. Meanwhile, she falls in love with Arthur, a man who is hiding a major secret. I really did not like the romance. Even though Emma seems to really fall for him, you almost feel that it's because they are two consenting adults in the middle of a bunch of chaos and not because they really have any sort of connection. I did not like Arthur at all. Even before the secret came out, I thought there was something a little off about him and I just never really warmed up to him so I was kind of happy when his secret was revealed.
I thought the premise of the mists was very interesting. Since it's obviously a big focus of the book, I spent a lot of time wondering about the mists, specifically wondering about things like how the mists were created because no one seems to really wonder in the book. I don't know if that was a product of people just being so terrified that they didn't bother to wonder about this. You finally do find out what happened but not until the very end and then its all at once. I thought it would have been interesting if you found out little by little. It would have kept me in the story a little bit more.
The story line is definitely inventive and very interesting. This is one of the few adult dystopian books that I've read recently and I would love to see more!
Bottom line: An interesting look at a future!
Emma's, the main character, family has been torn apart by the mists. She is with her younger daughter while she's wondering what happened to her husband and her older daughter and if they are even still alive. Meanwhile, she falls in love with Arthur, a man who is hiding a major secret. I really did not like the romance. Even though Emma seems to really fall for him, you almost feel that it's because they are two consenting adults in the middle of a bunch of chaos and not because they really have any sort of connection. I did not like Arthur at all. Even before the secret came out, I thought there was something a little off about him and I just never really warmed up to him so I was kind of happy when his secret was revealed.
I thought the premise of the mists was very interesting. Since it's obviously a big focus of the book, I spent a lot of time wondering about the mists, specifically wondering about things like how the mists were created because no one seems to really wonder in the book. I don't know if that was a product of people just being so terrified that they didn't bother to wonder about this. You finally do find out what happened but not until the very end and then its all at once. I thought it would have been interesting if you found out little by little. It would have kept me in the story a little bit more.
The story line is definitely inventive and very interesting. This is one of the few adult dystopian books that I've read recently and I would love to see more!
Bottom line: An interesting look at a future!
More...