Lauren Kate: THE FALLEN SERIES

THE FALLEN SERIES is one of the most popular Young Adult series. Written by American author, Lauren Kate, The Fallen series captured hearts and souls of many readers around the world.

"A beautifully gripping love story." BLISS

"These books are going to bury vampires six feet under." Abbigale

"Adrenaline fulled.. Five stars." THE BOOKBAG

These are only a handful of many praises which this series and her author received. I have already reviewed FALLEN in November, but over Christmas I have decided to finish off this series and love story. 

As mentioned before, I have been introduced to these books by my sister, who became an instant fan after reading only first couple of pages. I, myself, have been a little bit more skeptical thanks to Goodreads and its reviews I found. But luckily, I have decided to find out for myself what are these books about. 

Four books. One amazing love story. 

FALLEN

TORMENT

PASSION

RAPTURE

I fell under a spell of this story. I have fallen for the story of fallen angels, past lives and meeting your soulmate. My cup of tea. 

The Fallen series follows Lucinda and Daniel - the most unusual couple of all the time. Luce is a normal girl. who gets into a trouble and is shipped off to school for delinquents. There she meets a mysterious Daniel, who does everything in his power to stay away from her, even when it's completely clear that there is something magical going on between them. And then the massive secret is uncovered. Daniel is one of fallen angels and is cursed to fall in love with Luce in every single of her lifetimes. You see, Luce and Daniel, were in love, but then something terrible happened. Luce can live but dies at the age of 17 and then she is re-born. And every 17 years she meets Daniel, they fall in love, but then she dies. And Daniel hurts. But regardless, how much he tries to stay away to spare her life, he can't. And this lifetime, something has changed. Luce passed the age of seventeen. She knows that Daniel is an angel. And she still lives…

Captured in four books, this story is dark. Mystical. Gripping. Beautiful. It's a love story with a twist. I couldn't help but fall for this story. It got under my skin. As soon as I start reading I knew I am in for couple of sleepless nights due to never-wanting-to-stop reading. I wasn't able to put this book down. 

I found very refreshing that there aren't any sparkling vampires or muscular tattooed werewolves. Although this book is filled with mystical creatures, it's tasteful and different. Entertaining. There are so many twits and turns which you never see coming. Not to mentioned that there is plenty of funny dialogues and secrets to uncover.

I have enjoyed reading all of sequels, but my least favourite one was the TORMENT. Possibly because there wasn't much happening until the last three chapters. Luce and Daniel were always arguing. He was withholding things from her. She was winey and frustrated. But after this disaster I have been blown away by PASSION where we travelled through Luce's and Daniel's past lives and learned more about their love. And the story wonderfully concluded in the epic final - RAPTURE. This book came up with so many spilled secrets and history that my head was hurting. But it's was a gripping, always-scared-if-they-survive journey.

But my favourite book from this series remains FALLEN as I found that the interaction between characters, not only Luce and Daniel, was the most entertaining. It was filled with funny exchanges between each of them. Not to mentioned, the star of the story Arianne, who is one of my favourite characters of all time.

I must make a confession. I have loved these books more that the Twilight series. Maybe due to the fact that the main two protagonists, had to make a lot of sacrifices to get their happy ending, which was never guaranteed. What would you do if even the God was against your love? How would you behave if you had to survive 7000 years of re-births and deaths? Also, Luce was not as boring and awkward as Bella. Yes, I found her sometime annoying, especially in the second book when she reminded me Tris from Divergent so much, but otherwise she has grown so much all the way throughout the series. And Daniel was always there. He never gave up on their true love. Even when he was hurting to the point when he wanted to die, because he kept loosing her, but he always believed that they will get to be together at the end forever. Another great thought I am going to take from this story is that your first love, doesn't been that you met your soulmate. True love, your true soulmate, doesn't try to change you. He/She doesn't try to persuade you to be someone else or use for they own purpose. The right person will accept you for you, the human you are with your faults and virtues, and he/she will love you and fight for you no matter what. Love is the only thing worth fighting for. Daniel wasn't Luce one and only love. He even wasn't her first love. But he was her true love. Her Soulmate. 

The only thing I found a little bit not tied up was the story of Cam, Arianne and Ronald. I wish there would be more from their stories. At the end of the story I have grown to love these three characters so much and would wish for them their own happy ending... I hoped we would find out more from their lives after the end.. but otherwise the ending was spot on.

I cannot forget to express how much I love the covers of these books. They are breathtaking. Absolutely beautiful. Apart from the cover for Passion, which I find a little bit uglier and it feels like it doesn't belong to the series, I wish that the person who designed the covers, would decided differently and sticked with the previous colour scheme. 

But all in all, I love getting lost in this story. It was mesmerisingly wonderful. Captivating. Beautiful. A love story which stays with you for a long time.  So very well done, Lauren Kate! You got yourself a new fan!

Good news. The rights to Fallen has been sold and a film is in the pre-production. I am very happy with the choice of actor to play Daniel (Jeremy Irvine), but I am disappointed with the selection for Luce. I don't think that the actress chosen for this role is good enough. But only time will tell. I will keep you posted with the news about the film. 

Here is a collection of quotes from these four books: 

“The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment.” 

“You know everyone loves to hate a happy pair of lovebirds.”

“She took comfort in the soft occasional sound of turning pages.”

“We meet. We always meet, somehow we're always thrown together, no matter where I go, no matter how I try to distance myself from you. It never matters. You always find me.” 

“People who are chronically tardy never understand the many ways in which they screw up the schedules of people who are punctual and 'normal'…” 

"Not so long that I forgot that you're worth everything. Every sacrifice. Every pain.”

“People are here because they've got baggage. I'm talking curbside-check-in, pay-the-fine-'cause-it's-over-fifty-pounds kind of baggage. Get it?” 

“Sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can't always understand them, but we have to trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith.” 

“Love never dies.”

“Loneliness in a crowd of people was the worst kind of loneliness, but she couldn't help it.” 

“Because love and hate were supposed to stand cleanly on opposite sides of the spectrum. The division seemed as clear as...well, angels and demons would once have seemed to her. Not anymore.”

“End times aren't supposed to be very pretty.”

“I'll always choose you." Yes that was the word. "Every single lifetime, I'll choose you. Just as you have always chosen me. Forever.” 

“What if you find your soul mate... at the wrong time?”

“Love is the only thing worth fighting for.” 

“Suicide was a mortal luxury not afforded to angels.” 

“I cannot be other than what I am, and I am the choices of all my days.”

“Heartbreak is its own form of amnesia.” 

“Mortality is the most romantic story ever told. Just one chance to do everything you should. Then, magically, you move on.” 

“Inspiration is an excuse for doing something you already want to do.” 

“You must remember how to dream what you already know.”

“The past is important for all the information and wisdom it holds. But you can get lost in it. You've got to learn to keep the knowledge of the past with you as you pursue the present.”

“I can't wait to make you the love of my mortal life.”

“You said a curse is only a curse if I allowed myself to me cursed by it. You said... I had it in my power to free myself of any curse - that curses were preludes to blessings…” 

“What you call love does not sound very beautiful. Think of the way we adore the Throne. That adoration makes us the best version of ourselves. We feel encouraged to go further with or instincts, not to change ourselves for love. If I were yours and you were mine, I would want you to be exactly as you are. I would never eclipse you with my desires.” 

“Do you ever feel like 'nothing' has happened to you? Like you know you have a destiny, but all you've seen of life so far is unexceptional? I want my life to be different. I want to feel that it's begun. I'm waiting for 'that' kiss.”