and Falling, Fly (Harrowing #1)

Mar 19, 2010 Tiffany Danner rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, 2010-reads

I wanted to love this book. I really really did. I love the cover (tho there is no sword that I can remember in the story) and I love the idea behind it, unfortunately I found the plot to be a hot mess of confusion.

Olivia is a vampire and in the world of and FALLING, fly vampires are also fallen angels. They feed on blood, but only when a person fears or desires them. I am at a loss at how to truly describe her because I never felt like I knew who her character was, but maybe she didn’t either....more I wanted to love this book. I really really did. I love the cover (tho there is no sword that I can remember in the story) and I love the idea behind it, unfortunately I found the plot to be a hot mess of confusion.

Olivia is a vampire and in the world of and FALLING, fly vampires are also fallen angels. They feed on blood, but only when a person fears or desires them. I am at a loss at how to truly describe her because I never felt like I knew who her character was, but maybe she didn’t either. She has spent her whole life searching for love, hoping for a loophole that will release her from her fate.

Dominic is a doctor, or rather a researcher. He suffers from memories of his past lives, tho he attributes them to a mental disorder and has worked continuously to find a solution. He goes to Ireland on a paid research trip, looking for a cure. He has spent this life alone, avoiding love and the painful memories it brings up within him. Somehow Olivia makes him question all that he has believed and all that is a part of him.

Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we? Skyler White writes beautiful prose. Her sentences flow on the tongue and make you feel like you are reading something truly beautiful. Additionally, the ideas behind the book are good ones! Are these supernatural abilities real or are they caused by some biophysical problem? Is it love that set’s us free?

Unfortunately the beautifully written words were not enough to keep me interested in this story. I wanted to set this book down and give up several times over, even as far as 100 pages away from the end. The paragraphs may be beautiful, but they were also wordy and often lacking in clarity. Many times I felt like I was shoved into a scene, given only an vague outline and expected to make up what actually happened on my own. Far too often I read a paragraph or section two to three times only to still have no idea what just happened. The lack of clarity and wordiness provided me with no imagery and kept the characters and their story from becoming something I could connect to.

I had hope that the plot line would be able to pull me in if the characters could not….and at around 100 pages thought maybe I had finally found something to grab ahold of. Yet I was thrown off the bus with seemingly unnecessary sexual activity between the vampire “sisters” and memories involving stone dildos. I am certainly no prude, but the scenes didn’t make sense to the story and only caused to push me further away. I was further disappointed by the ending, but will leave the details of why and how out as to not spoil anyone… just to say that I predicted it around page 75 but hoped I was wrong.

and FALLING, fly was a difficult and disappointing read. I am a big fan of dark fantasy, but this just didn’t connect with me, tho many other book bloggers have really enjoyed it. You can always try downloading a free sample from Amazon.com and decide for yourself!(less)

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Jan 30, 2010 Jane Litte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Atmospheric and insightful with some gorgeous prose. I am debating what to write in a review because the way in which the story unfolds is part of the beauty.

It's told in alternating POVs, first person from the female's POV and third from the male's POV.

It reminded me a bit of Alice in Wonderland.

Essentially the story is this. Oliva is a fallen angel and, like all fallen angels, feeds off the blood of humans. It is the only way to feel. They have quills in their nails and teeth to allow for bl...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci_fi-fantasy, read-in-2010, steampunk, supernatural-paranormal, series, angels-and-demons, review-copy-accepted

Olivia is Damned; a vampiric fallen angel of desire, she feeds off the living seeing herself only as they see her in their lust, longing to know what she really looks like and who she really is. Dominic is Cursed, a brilliant neuroscientist working to discover a way to erase memories so that he can rid himself of his deep, dark secret: memories of centuries of past lives and loves that he shouldn't have, shouldn't be able to remember.
When both find themselves drawn to Ireland, to the underground...more Olivia is Damned; a vampiric fallen angel of desire, she feeds off the living seeing herself only as they see her in their lust, longing to know what she really looks like and who she really is. Dominic is Cursed, a brilliant neuroscientist working to discover a way to erase memories so that he can rid himself of his deep, dark secret: memories of centuries of past lives and loves that he shouldn't have, shouldn't be able to remember.
When both find themselves drawn to Ireland, to the underground L'Otel Matthilide, the Hotel of the Damned, their worlds collide. Will these two desperately lonely, searching beings complete each others worlds, or tear them apart?

I know what you're thinking: there is a glut of vampire books out there, and fallen angels are closing in fast. And you're right. There certainly are. But and Falling, Fly is a different take; it really is its own thing. With a touch of the eroticism that marks the adult vamp books, a basis in mythology and religion, a whiff of steampunk, and a heavy smattering of literary allusions, AFF stands apart as a bit of a thinking-persons vampire book. But let's be honest: you'd still read it even if it weren't. We as a culture are obsessed with the vampire mythos. And with the angel mythos, for that matter (and we especially like our angels fallen).
So let's just get to it, shall we?

There were things I loved and things I didn't, but the good outweighed the bad.
Characters: Dominic and Olivia are fascinating, completely able to carry the story. They both live on the fringes of their worlds. Unlike her sisters, Olivia is tired of being what she is. She wants more from life* and she's taking steps to get it. But it's one of those situations where you can't force it, but you can't help but force it, and that is interesting and relatable to read. She's so strong, but so desperately lonely, and even though she feeds off people and is sort of dark, you can't help but feel for her. It is lovely watching her come awake to the world and begin shedding her hard shell. All she wants is a new beginning. Dominic is brilliant and haunted, and capable of such amazing love, but he's terrified to let it in because he has memories of lifetimes worth of love dying and dying and dying. His position is heartbreaking, and all he wants is an end. When these two come together, it's lovely to see, and Skyler White wisely doesn't make it easy. I don't want to give anything away, but she uses cosmic irony to great effect in this story, of which I am a fan.

The side characters are interesting, too, and flesh out the story nicely. As a reader, you can see things that the characters don't, and you can watch the pieces fall into place, for good or ill, while the characters blithely play their parts. It adds a nice layer of tension, and the characters don't seem obtuse to not see what's coming.**

World: Another thing I really liked was the world building. White did extensive research, and it shows. The world is believable even when unbelievable, if that makes sense. Even within L'Otel Matthilide, where all the things that shouldn't exist but do come for a holiday, everything is grounded in reality enough that it rings true. The hotel itself is a fascinating mix of old-world Europe and new-world punkishness, trimmed in steampunk and steeped in all Ireland has to offer. I could visualize it just enough that it was present and fascinating but still enough of a mystery that I wanted to see it for myself.

Romance: It's there. Olivia is a fallen angel of desire, after all, and Dominic is a brainy beefcake. There's a good balance of chemistry and passion, and reluctance and leeriness. The two are combustible in a very nice way. There's a nice edgy eroticism to the story, too, that adds a nice element.

Language: White's writing is often very lyrical and poetic, and sprinkled with allusions, as I said. Here is where the bad(ish) comes in. Though I did like this for the most part, there is some trouble in having a very poetical style in a prose piece. Some things just don't work outside of stanzas, and that was occasionally the case here. Sometimes the poetic style was lovely and visual and striking. But there were times, too, when the poetic phrasing just felt off or confusing or clunky. Sometimes, when trying to turn a beautiful phrase, the meaning was lost and I had to read a few passages over a few times before I got the heart of it. I think some of this might just be the result of this being White's debut. But for the most part, this wasn't much of an issue, and it became less so as the story went on, but I anticipate some readers have trouble with it, especially as some struggle with poetry and poetic phrasing in general. Same goes with the allusions. Though I caught a ton of them and didn't have much trouble, I am sure there are going to be people (those who hate with a fiery passion the game Trivial Pursuit) who just don't get the references and perhaps get a little lost. This isn't necessarily an issue; if you're not the type to like poetry and/or allusions, you probably wouldn't read this one. I just thought it bore mentioning, as people want to know these things going in. (<-- and I suppose while I'm on the topic of advanced warning, if you don't like sexually charged stories***, you may want to skip this one.)

* I use the term loosely, of course.
** Not that all readers will, either. White does make you work for some things, and I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.
*** Quick test: how do you feel about the word 'cock'? If you just cringed, skip this. If you sat up straighter and said 'where?' go out and grab a copy.(less)

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Mar 05, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ooh-pretty-wordses

(4.5 stars) When I finished and Falling, Fly, the first words out of my mouth were, "Wow, what a mindf*ck." The cover art, while a beautiful example of its kind, seems to imply a fairly standard urban fantasy. and Falling, Fly is anything but.

Skyler White unfolds this story through the eyes of two main characters, Olivia and Dominic. Olivia lives in a world of sensual depravity; she believes she is a fallen angel and a vampire, doomed to spend eternity as a lonely predator unless she finds a loo...more

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May 04, 2012 Krissie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi

Today, I shall write for you a simple review consisting entirely of bullet points. Kind of.

Good:
~A vampire dogma I haven't encountered before. I've read entirely too many vampire books, so I would know.
~A vision of Hell that isn't typical/fire and brimstone. Not my favorite version of Hell, but at least it wasn't a stereotype.
~Dominic's viewpoint. He didn't believe in the crazy stuff, but he eventually worked with it anyway to achieve the goal.
~Hell's ball-bearing energy-harvesting system. Imag...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars

Plot: 3.5 Stars
I loved the idea of angels and vampires being on in the same. In a genre bogged down by a lot of vampires and angels (and other supernatural creatures), White managed to bring a whole new idea of vampirism. I enjoyed that Olivia and her sisters could feed from a human with their quills without notice. I also really enjoyed the neuroscience aspect of the story. You could definitely tell White did an abundance of research, but she wove the story in a way so that it didn't feel like...more

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May 26, 2011 Cynthia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cynthia by: Sam Chupp

Sam Chupp has been after me to read this book for weeks, so as soon as I finished All Clear, I started it. This book is different from anything else I've read in years. I hesitate to say it's more literary than most fantasy, because I don't like "literary" books - they're usually stuffy, dry, and presumptuous.

After the first few chapters, there's no slowing down, because you're as caught up in what's happening as the characters are. I was transfixed by White's descriptions, which can make even u...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Sharon rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: meh, paranormal-fantasy

I take my hat off to anybody who writes a book, but this just did not gel for me. The style of alternating of writing between first & third person confusing. I found it hard to differ between some of the voices of characters, the characters voices where not individual enough, it was like reading through a haze in the first third of the book, you didn't quite get the whole picture before the plot twisted into another direction.

Domininc a scientist, who goes to a hell hotel to prove that bein...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Lady Rogue rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Olivia was a fallen angel of desire. She was forced to feed on the blood, fear, and desires of others, but was never able to experience it for herself. After giving up hope of finding love or a loophole back into heaven, she returned home to the hotel of the damned, L'Otel Matillide. I have to say, I really liked this character. Her need to feel love, was very basic need. I felt it was easy to engage and sympathize with her. I couldn't help but wonder, what the hell she did to deserve such a cur...more Olivia was a fallen angel of desire. She was forced to feed on the blood, fear, and desires of others, but was never able to experience it for herself. After giving up hope of finding love or a loophole back into heaven, she returned home to the hotel of the damned, L'Otel Matillide. I have to say, I really liked this character. Her need to feel love, was very basic need. I felt it was easy to engage and sympathize with her. I couldn't help but wonder, what the hell she did to deserve such a curse. I mean seriously, where was the love?

Dominic was a nueroscientist and a Reborn. He was cursed to live and die, while remembering his past lives, loves, and loss. He returned to the hotel, believing he could find a scientific cure for his past memories. At first, I felt this character was a bit confusing. He didn't believe, yet he knew he was a part of it all. He just refused to except that there was anything other than a scientific explanation. Talk about Denial!

It was almost poetic watching these lost souls unit and explore thier attraction. The chemistry was very sensual and sweet. The fact that they had different beliefs and searched for different things, yet thier individual paths led to the same road was very interesting. The biggest problem I had with the story, was the character backstories. Why were they in hell? Why did Hell seem more like a resort than fire and brimstone? In truth, this hotel of the damned didn't feel like Hell on Earth, if anything, it felt more like a resort in Purgatory. I would also be interested in knowing who or what Gaehod was. Some of the things he did, gave the impression he could be the devil, but, other times, it seemed like he was guiding Olivia and Dominic to the path of redemption...or at least giving the the choices that possibly led there.

Overall, I wasn't sure how I was going to write a review for this book. It was a thinker! It was very complexed, compelling and oh yeah...very confusing. The author merges philosophical, mythical, spiritual, and metaphysical elements and weaves it into a powerfully dark and thought provoking tale of sacrifice, love, and faith. While the characters lacked a backstory, they were still rich in substance. Along with a unique plot, the author and filled the story with some very interesting ideas and a few surprising twist. But most of all, it was a love story that tested the boundries of faith and time. Skyler White's unigue and artistic style of writing, not only enthralls the reader, but compels them to ponder some very thought provoking questions.

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Sep 25, 2010 Heather Tisdale rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. This is an interesting book about a fallen angel/vampire female and a reborn male. Reborn meaning that as he gets older all of the memories from his past lives come back to him. He must relive all of the pain of his past and the loss of the one's he's loved. The vampire is looking for salvation, a way to feel again and break her curse, while the reborn looks to science to try and invent a way to forget his past. The concept works, but there's something in the execution that doesn't wo...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, book-club, paranormal-romance

Probably more like 2.5 stars for the story, but it's obvious that this author has mad writing talent. I don't know that I would call this a romance, though. There is a main love story, and some long scenes with stream of consciousness-style conversations that are gripping, but the whole book is so heavy and almost depressing that this was a tough read.

The heroine Olivia is a vampire fallen angel who is basically searching for purpose and meaning in her existence. She literally morphs into whate...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Eunmi rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great surprise this book was! I began the book expecting it would be the usual paranormal UF. But this is another case of do not judge the book by its cover. Anyways as I read more of the book, I soon realized that this is definitely not a your standard UF with the usual butt-kicking demon-slaying heroines.( I appreciated the joke about those slayers in the book) Then I fell in love with the book. It is written so intelligently and so poetically you cannot "get it" in one reading. It is s...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Melissa Hayden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy-romance

The story of and Falling, Fly seemed to me to be a love story set in an urban fantasy world. I loved the created connection of fallen angels to vampires. There is a lot of mythology used in creating the story, along with scientific study of the current day. These are two different beliefs that seem to contradict each other, and with two different people put to the test to be seen through each others eyes.

I found myself in the end enjoying all the characters. I found myself pulling toward Dominic...more The story of and Falling, Fly seemed to me to be a love story set in an urban fantasy world. I loved the created connection of fallen angels to vampires. There is a lot of mythology used in creating the story, along with scientific study of the current day. These are two different beliefs that seem to contradict each other, and with two different people put to the test to be seen through each others eyes.

I found myself in the end enjoying all the characters. I found myself pulling toward Dominic more in the story from the beginning. I think, for me, I found the science easier to believe than the mythology. I felt I could understand Dominic easier in the world based on todays. Shortly after meeting Dominic I started to learn there is something special about him as well. I loved this little secret Dominic has and is trying to run from.

There where passages in the beginning from Olivia's view point in which I felt confused. There was a lot of legendary information given to help understand Olivia and where she comes from in her ways and thinking. There where times I did not understanding why she was doing what she was doing or the reasons behind things. For instance, Olivia made a point of mentioning she didn't work as she didn't need to, she had all the money she needed. I was curious as to where she got this money (which by the end of the book you will find out). But, this part of being confused was cleared up as the book went on. I just had to learn the way of the laws and legends of the fallen/vampires. After we got to Ireland the story really started to grip me.

I also liked the secretive magic Gaehod, the innkeeper, held in the story. Just enough to enjoy but not over do it.

The story telling was nicely done. You do get to see things from two point of views, Dominic and Olivia. This helped to better understand their opposing beliefs. I found myself wondering: Which way of thinking is correct in this world? What do I believe. As what I believed in the beginning started to change the more I read. I could feel the love growing between the characters as well. The paths that are needed to be taken in order to find what you need, or even desire. What happens if you get what you want? Is the grass always greener on the other side? What do you want and what do you think you want? Great questions to think on.

In all I enjoyed the journey I took in this book with love, mythological beliefs, and scientific beliefs. A wonderful love story to add to the urban fantasy world. If you are looking for a lot of action this is not the book for you, but if you want to read of an endless love blooming I would read this book.(less)

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Feb 22, 2010 Pixie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Skyler White’s first book, and Falling, Fly, is genuinely a work of art. She brings both allure and fragility to the gritty, night-time world of clubs and tattoo parlors, absinthe and intoxication. Her dark, steampunk world, peopled by both man and fallen-angel-turned-vampire, comes to life through the elegance of her lyrical prose, a prose which draws the reader in and pierces her to the core with its beauty.
But it’s not the prose that makes this book. This is really a modern myth, a retelli...more

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Mar 28, 2010 Kristi Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars

Olivia is damned. She’s a fallen angel of desire, never experiencing emotions but through the blood of others Olivia has searched since the fall of Eden for the loophole that would return her to the heights of heaven. All she wants is love, except what she is given is desire. She needs to find the loophole love would bring, but is beginning to think it is a lost cause. Olivia is beautifully broken and so aching in her heart and soul, ends up returning to the Hotel of the Damn.

Dominic O'Shaughnes...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Tynga rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dominic is a Reborn. A being resurrecting life after life, with their memory of past lives crushing into them at teenage-hood. Down to earth and brilliant neuroscientist, Dominic convinced himself all these memory are hallucinations and is trying to find a cure.
Olivia, Fallen Angel, feeds on desire and fear through her victims blood. She's been trying to find a way to get back to heaven for millennia but is ready to give up.

and Falling, Fly is a dark story of Despair, Damnation and Curses and...more Dominic is a Reborn. A being resurrecting life after life, with their memory of past lives crushing into them at teenage-hood. Down to earth and brilliant neuroscientist, Dominic convinced himself all these memory are hallucinations and is trying to find a cure.
Olivia, Fallen Angel, feeds on desire and fear through her victims blood. She's been trying to find a way to get back to heaven for millennia but is ready to give up.

and Falling, Fly is a dark story of Despair, Damnation and Curses and could have easily been depressing, but Skyler also made it a brilliant story of Love, Hope and Faith. In a world where none of the rules you know applies, modern science and old beliefs will collide to try discover the ultimate Truth.

You live this story through both Dominic and Olivia alternatively, which could have been confusing, but was greatly handled by White. I think this narration adds an additional depth to the story, allowing the reader to connect with both main characters.

I have to admit I had a hard time reading the book at some point because of language barrier. Being French and all, the level of English was much higher than what I am used to and I felt like I was missing information from time to time, which proved frustrating, but the story was so great I had to keep reading anyway.

I loved the characters, and I'd like to throw in a special shout-out for Alyx. Fallen rock star, cursed some-how but I don't really know what his damnation is. He was corky and very unique, I really liked the guy!

I'd finish this review by saying this book is nothing like something else you've read before. It's unique, smart and provocative.

Here's a quote of my favorite moment:
"I take no pleasure in food, but I still eat," I tell him. "I have no joy in life, but I live. Does that sound like an ordinary woman? I am the Undead. The Hollow. I am numb. I am the sacred, stuffed into the profane. My body, made like yours of vile mud and ash, cannot contain all of who I am, and yet I am nothing at all. I am timeless, spaceless, crammed into time and space. I am the unspeakable made into a single word. I am a true violation of Truth." p.115
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Feb 20, 2010 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Olivia is not just a pretty face with a rocking body. Olivia is both a vampire and angel. It makes sense as vampires are all really just fallen angels. Olivia thirsts for blood and sex and not always in this exact order. The one thing Olivia really desires…love is the one thing she can’t obtain.

Dominic O’Shaughnessy is a brilliant neuroscientist. Unfortunately, Dominic suffers from disturbing visions. Dominic can’t make sense of this visions, so he travels to the one man who he hopes can help g...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Tara SG rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

* * *

--This book in 6 words:

extremely poetic examination of deep desire

--Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?

When Alexia won a book of her choice in my 100 Google Friends giveaway she chose And Falling, Fly. I hadn’t heard of it before, but it sounded interesting and I was able to get it from the library. I’m glad I read this, but it wasn’t what I expected. It was VERY poetic to the point where I sometimes got confused (especially at the end). I don’t want to scare you away from this book....more

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Mar 20, 2010 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun little trashy novel... can't give it more than 3 stars, though. It definitely had its moments, and there were some great little quips and turns of phrase, but overall, the characters were flat and the story ... well, I want to say it was too convenient, with its happy little ending. I think there was a lot of potential for a really dark psychological story that maintained elements of the supernatural -- I thought it was really going use vampires and self-medicating scientists to w...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Alisha (Black Nailed Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anne rice fans, paranormal and romance addicts

Shelves: read-in-2011, borrowed-library

Plot: I do love me a good fallen angel book. This one is definitely a different take on fallen angels. I was confused with how Olivia was a fallen angel as well as a vampire. I didn't understand how both affected each other. They also never really went into deep details into the angels fell. They give just a little insight throughout the book, but nothing very deep. Along with the lack of detail or why some things were the way they were, the romance was very....gradual. And, no, not gradual as i...more Plot: I do love me a good fallen angel book. This one is definitely a different take on fallen angels. I was confused with how Olivia was a fallen angel as well as a vampire. I didn't understand how both affected each other. They also never really went into deep details into the angels fell. They give just a little insight throughout the book, but nothing very deep. Along with the lack of detail or why some things were the way they were, the romance was very....gradual. And, no, not gradual as in, they kissed on the fifth date. Gradual as in they didn't even meet until around page 100. To me, that's too long for a romance to beign, let alone the two main characters meet! I had to drag myself to keep on reading. I

swear, if they didn't mention that there was any romance in here, I would have closed the book at page 50. The writing was written elegantly and I loved how White described everything, but I didn't like how things were described for two pages.

Characters: Olivia-She was a very strong and brave character. She was used to the life she had, but she wanted more. I loved how she was able to adapt to her growing love for Dominic. Olivia was definitely a character I would like to see more of.
Dominic-I loved reading Dominic's parts actually. He was so determined to believe everything wasn't true, including who he really was. He was very intelligent and I loved his growing feelings for Olivia as well.

Cover: The cover is nicely done. I'm glad they made the girl actually look like Olivia. The dark hair and they even had one of the outfits she wore in the book. However, I don't understand the sword. There wasn't really any sword or even that much fighting in the book, so I was a little confused.

Overall Rating: I will give this book a three out of four. The book was very well written and the characters developed throughout the book, but sometimes I would have to reread some passages because of the writing. I will say that if you are a fan of Anne Rice, read this book. It has much more than just romance and gives a new take on fallen angels.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha(less)

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Jul 07, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it explored some interesting things about mental health and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. On the other hand, it is very pretentious. There's even a garden of Eden scene between the snake and the lead male character with platitudes like, "But I have seen people chewing different fruit from the same damn branch fly planes into buildings secure in what they ingested here." Oh, puleeeze! Another strike against it is that i...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Terra rated it 4 of 5 stars

and Falling, fly by Skyler White is quite the unusual story of what true love can be if you can determine weather or not you are living in a world of reality or ill insanity. A world of perceptions that will actually drive you as mad as the Mad Hatter if you ponder on them too long.

Olivia is a vampire or so she thinks she is. She is also a fallen angel cast out by God for what she is. She claims she is one of the damned. She is a lethal beauty who has no hope and finds her way back to Hell to at...more and Falling, fly by Skyler White is quite the unusual story of what true love can be if you can determine weather or not you are living in a world of reality or ill insanity. A world of perceptions that will actually drive you as mad as the Mad Hatter if you ponder on them too long.

Olivia is a vampire or so she thinks she is. She is also a fallen angel cast out by God for what she is. She claims she is one of the damned. She is a lethal beauty who has no hope and finds her way back to Hell to at least find peace. A peace that cannot be found in the mortal world.

Dominic is a neuroscientiest. He is also one of the reincarnated. He lives his mortal life only to die and be reborn. He remembers all previous lives upon the age of maturity. But how does one really deal with such a prospect? To be born, live, love, experience life for all it's good and bad then die only to be reborn again with the knowledge of love and loss time and again would be enough to drive anyone mad. He makes his journey to Hell out of duty. A duty to help an innocent in the mortal world and possibly help the poor souls of a damned cursed world.

This story takes science into the realm of impossibility. A realm of questioning, pondering, longing, love, anger and betrayal. You say, "But these are all the things of the real world". Yes they are, but these are the things being felt by those who are supposedly cursed, damned and reincarnated.

The author has given us a really intriguing look into a world of paranormal subjects pondering the reality of their situations and lives. We take a trek into Hell which is not at all what we might perceive it to be and to find that a step through a doorway takes us into the Garden of Eden is even more fantastic.

The story runs at an even pace but will have you questioning your own reality. I've had to stop here and there just to let my mind encompass the and's, if's and what if's that could quite possibly have some reality to them. It's been an interesting trek that I have enjoyed. My only problem was encompassing the difference between the first person and third person dialogue. It was a wee bit rough going in the beginning but does sort itself out some after that. Overall the storyline was a wonderful read and one well worth checking out.
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Jun 13, 2010 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-demons, pnr, vampires

This has to be one of the strangest books I have read in a long time. It was confusing and yet something about seemed poetic. At times I scratched my head and thought wait so are these people really delusional or are they really fallen angels turned vampires? Can a person really remember many past lifetimes of love lost? Or is this just neurosis?

This book is filled with bits or mythology and philosophy which questions what it means to be truly want vs a perceived want. Because the book switches...more

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Mar 12, 2011 WillowBe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-heroines, weird-but-likable

tHis was a really confusing book. What I could understand was really great. But when ever she made these abrupt truncations- dark gothic to fantastatical apocolyptic to romance beyond the grave to thinly veiled allegory ab out women not owining their own lives. You can see why it was confusing! The hero was hot, but revealing his imperfections near the end, was really jarring and almost capsized the whole endeavor. I think if she had just focused on just two of these approaches it would have bee...more

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Jun 28, 2010 Tem rated it 1 of 5 stars

The story tried so hard to be stand apart from the rest. The heroine is tired of eternity and seeks to escape though some loophole in some mythical lore. As a fallen angel she and her sisters are now Vampires on earth, beautiful, deadly and hard to kill they survive by living off desire. They often referred to themselves as goddess of desire. Her saviour...is a scientist who is trying to find the cure to his "episodes", what he doesn't realise is that he's one of natures mysteries, where he reme...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Minsma rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would probably give this one 3.5 stars. This is a different kind of paranormal romance, lushly written and densely plotted, with a distinct literary bent. The story and worldbuilding are quite compelling—they drew me in and kept me reading. The characters, on the other hand, seemed rather flat through much of the first half of the book: representations of types rather than rounded people. But they found their feet about halfway through and grew some dimension. The ultra-lush prose got in the w...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, 2010-read

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 driv...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don’t want to say a lot about the story, because part of the fun reading this book is having no idea where Skyler White is going to take you. She gives you two characters at the end of their rope. Olivia, the immortal vampire and fallen angel is tired of being desired. Her body conforms to any mans desire, yet she has never desired herself. She can only feed when a man desires or fears her, and with her body’s betrayal, she has no problems feeding. She believes if she can find someone to love...more I don’t want to say a lot about the story, because part of the fun reading this book is having no idea where Skyler White is going to take you. She gives you two characters at the end of their rope. Olivia, the immortal vampire and fallen angel is tired of being desired. Her body conforms to any mans desire, yet she has never desired herself. She can only feed when a man desires or fears her, and with her body’s betrayal, she has no problems feeding. She believes if she can find someone to love all of her, she can get her wings and go back to heaven. But time and time again, men get too close, and get scared away.

If I could turn in his arms and tell him every poisoned thing I am, and still smell desire, not rank fear – if he could see and love me – could I slip through him, out of human flesh and time, back to angelic wings and freedom? This is my threadbare hope.

Dominic is a neuroscientist and his job rules his life. He battles visions of past lives and loves, and is determined and obsessed with finding a scientific cure to his “illness.” Others in the immortal realm call him a “reborn” one that lives life after life, and is able to bring forth the memories over and over again of past loves and losts around puberty. He is embarrassed that he can not control these “delusions” as he calls them.

Dominic gets offered a hefty sum of grant money in exchange for researching a vampire coven in Ireland. Dominic goes with the expectation of using science to break the facade of those who think they are vampires. Olivia is ready to return home, sick of the real world, and ready to go back to hell, with her people. Where she is returning to is the same place Dominic is to work, a hotel they refer to as Hell. The two of them meet and go on quite an amazing journey.

and, Falling Fly is such a unique book although at times difficult to read. There were times I was totally absorbed in the story, and many times in the middle of the book where the pace became quite slow and I had to push myself to continue. Skyler White writes with amazing description as she alternates between first person Olivia and third person Dominic. At some points I couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful way Skyler White writes, and at some points I was frustrated and just wanted a more straight forward book.

Although Olivia and Dominic have two different mind sets about the world they live in, they have something in common – love and fear.

“So what exactly do you fear?” I ask him. I already know the answer.
I wait for him.
He smiles grimely. “Love, I guess.”
And it’s true. He fears it because he has already suffered it – the entire pattern of birth, and love, and death. The endless agony of losing those he has loved. The grief his deaths have caused those who loved him. A terrible and primal love drives him to protect himself, his family, and his lovers from that pain. I have never wanted anything as ferociously. And I am the angel of desire.

and Falling, Fly gives you a story of hope, love, fear and desire. It offers something different in the paranormal genre, and I look forward to more from Skyler White.

Rating: 3.5/5(less)

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May 09, 2011 Natalie Dearaugo added it

Well I don't often never finish a book but I did with this one........I don't know if the author was trying to show how smart they were or what the point was. The book would have been good if there wasn't so many technical terms used. I would class myself as an average, maybe a bit above average intelligent person but I found it really hard to understand all the technical jargon used in this book. As there was a person that was dealing in neuroscience the author tended to use words that seemed r...more

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Mar 03, 2010 VampFanGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, urban-fantasy

AND FALLING, FLY is not an easy read. Its a twisted, layered plot that has you continually questioning the sanity of its characters. Are they really fallen angels turned vampires? Does the hero truly recall dozens of lost lifetimes and lost loves? Or are they all as delusional as they claim to be? Am I delusional for believing them? Am I being tricked? All these are questions I asked myself repeatedly from page one to the very last sentence. And one question still lingers: Was any of it even rea...more AND FALLING, FLY is not an easy read. Its a twisted, layered plot that has you continually questioning the sanity of its characters. Are they really fallen angels turned vampires? Does the hero truly recall dozens of lost lifetimes and lost loves? Or are they all as delusional as they claim to be? Am I delusional for believing them? Am I being tricked? All these are questions I asked myself repeatedly from page one to the very last sentence. And one question still lingers: Was any of it even real?

Also, this book takes commitment with a capital C. On numerous occasions I dropped the book, willing to give up and walk away from this supposed "novel". I couldn't connect to the characters. I couldn't even figure out what the hell was going on! But I stuck with it, determined to figure out the confusing mystery laid out in this complex pattern of words and phrases. The author wanted to convey something to me. And while I don't claim to be smart enough to know for a fact that I took away from AND FALLING, FLY exactly what the Ms. White intended, I do believe that I took at least one thing from her incredible imagination and that is that love can, and does set us free.

Olivia Wright is a vampire, cast from heaven to be the angel of desire - desire in corporeal form for others to covet but never desire for herself. Molded and shaped into a being to satisfy other's appetites, Olivia is sickened by their lust-fulled gaze that forever keeps her from seeing her true native face. All she sees it what they want and while their cravings allow her to momentarily fill the void of her everlasting numbness with their blood, it does not provide for her the love that she seeks and that of which would ultimately set her free. Now, filled with self-loathing and damned for eternity, Olivia has given up on her one and only hope: The loophole that would return her wings so that she may be able to once again fly. That dream is now lost and all that remains is Hell. But Hell is home - an inverted hotel deep beneath the mystery-seeped soil of Ireland. There her sisters reside. There she can wallow in her numbness and escape the cloying eyes of the surface and the mortals that inhabit it.

However, Hell is the last place Dominic O'Shaughnessy ever hoped to see again. A neuroscientist searching for for the means to block memories from the remembrance capabilities of the human mind, Dominic's struggle has him checking back into the dreaded L'Otel Matillide - Hell and the hotel of the damned. There he hopes to acquire research subjects that are consumed by delusion for that's what he believes the guests of Hell to be - delusional. With combined brain scans and an experimental drug, Dominic hopes to cure them of their illnesses while simultaneously curing his own.

Dominic, a man of strict science-based logic, is plagued by memories - memories that he's rationally convinced himself to believe as simply being an illness that needs a cure. Since he turned eighteen he's had these strange memories that weren't made in his lifetime. He's loved, lost, had children, been white and black, has died and been reborn time and again. Nine years ago he came to Hell to understand his infliction and was told by the owner that he's cursed - cursed as the Reborn: a mortal forever to be reincarnated. But Dominic cannot - will not - believe that he's cursed. He doesn't believe in curses, he believes in science and science is telling him that he has a disease, one that needs to be cured so that he can finally be sane. Hopefully the inhabitants of Hell can give him the data he needs to find his desperately needed cure.

Within minutes of Dominic's arrival in Hell, his entire being lights up when one particularly beautiful woman arrives soon after. Ushered immediately from the lobby by the irritatingly enlightened owner, the beauty first makes eye contact with Dominic and little does he know that this moment starts him on a irreversible path towards a surprising outcome. One that the present Dominic would never believe.

Olivia is just as intrigued by the man in the lobby as he is with her. She's even more intrigued when he visibly restrains his desire for her. No human, male of female, has been desirous of Olivia and not acted upon it in some way. Even more intriguing is that his desire does not change her body to conform to his appetites. He finds her natural form beautiful and that in and of itself deserves her attention. But there's a distinctly different situation in Dominic's case that impacts his reaction to Olivia and that is that he knows she's a vampire, an angel of desire, and he's not afraid of a woman that to him is clearly delusional. He simply can't fear what he doesn't believe for his scientific mind will rationalize the anomalies as just that, anomalies. But Dominic can't rationalize his feelings for Olivia.

Woman have always been a mystery to Dominic and one better left unsolved. But a part of Dominic also fears falling in love because his disease, his delusions, have shown him the pain of heartache and he does not wish to live it again in this reality. Olivia, however, is not easily avoided and while Dominic has distinctly told her that he can't use her in his research because of her emotional affect on him, she's quite persistent. And really, Dominic can't stay away from her either. She fascinates him on a level beyond even his beloved research and against his better judgement, Dominic falls in love with Olivia.

In the moment that Olivia is given up all hope that she'll find salvation, Dominic gifts her with his. For the first time Olivia feels sensation, emotionally and especially physically. Dominic's kiss, his touch is felt by her and Olivia finds herself consumed by her own desire. She desires Dominic. But this desire eclipses the physical and while that is surely a part of it, beyond that they each desire the hearts of the other, their passion, their souls. But it all comes at a price and that price is sacrifice. Will it be too much? Now that they've each finally unburdened themselves with their delusions and embraced each other in love, can they let go?

This is a difficult review and I just know I'm not doing the book justice. There is so much going on, so many concepts tested and destroyed that its almost impossible to describe it sufficiently. Instead, I've focused on the romance which is what I loved most the about the novel. The romance is passionate and while its not one's typical romance by any means, in fact its the most different of any I've previously read, its still the romance that's the pulsing heart of the novel.

Again, AND FALLING, FLY is not an easy read but if you can commit yourself to the novel and push through the initial confusion, the end is worth it. The novel makes you question who we are, what we're capable of and that delusional or not, we're all deserving of love and the strength to fall with the hope of flying.
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