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Storystream Shorts #9
The Fall of the Angel Nathalie
There’s a war going on...
…a war for human souls, and the only weapons allowed are whispers and nudges.
Do you believe in angels and daemons? It doesn’t really matter, because they believe in you.
From innocuous suburban homes where madness festers like rotten meat, to the Gardens of Avalon where the grass is green and the sun always shines; from the corrupt back-alleys of London, to any small American town…they are there.
And they’re fighting over you...
Nathalie is an angel: beautiful, powerful beyond belief and in charge of stopping people from doing anything too evil…as long as she plays by the rules, that is. Free will is considered of upmost importance by the powers that be, and Intervention is frowned upon severely with a plunge to the fires below as punishment.
And the daemons? Well, they’re in charge of the tempting, of course. When Jason, a fallen angel with flawless looks and an even more flawless tailored suit, sets his sights on tempting someone with more to lose than any human, will Nathalie have the strength of will to resist Intervention? And if she does fall, what will become of her?
There are things even angels and daemons fear...
Nathalie’s journey through sin, temptation, and free will explores how far you are prepared to go to stop good people doing bad things. If you stop someone pulling the trigger, does that mean that in their heart they didn’t commit murder?
Sometimes...the best things are done by the worst people.
"I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who has even the most tenuous affection for Fantasy. For those of us that love fantasy with a true and unrelenting passion, then this will not disappoint. In fact it may even reaffirm those who may have become jaded and
somewhat disillusioned with fantasy and horror in this post-Twilight sparkly world that we inhabit."
— UK Horror Scene
…a war for human souls, and the only weapons allowed are whispers and nudges.
Do you believe in angels and daemons? It doesn’t really matter, because they believe in you.
From innocuous suburban homes where madness festers like rotten meat, to the Gardens of Avalon where the grass is green and the sun always shines; from the corrupt back-alleys of London, to any small American town…they are there.
And they’re fighting over you...
Nathalie is an angel: beautiful, powerful beyond belief and in charge of stopping people from doing anything too evil…as long as she plays by the rules, that is. Free will is considered of upmost importance by the powers that be, and Intervention is frowned upon severely with a plunge to the fires below as punishment.
And the daemons? Well, they’re in charge of the tempting, of course. When Jason, a fallen angel with flawless looks and an even more flawless tailored suit, sets his sights on tempting someone with more to lose than any human, will Nathalie have the strength of will to resist Intervention? And if she does fall, what will become of her?
There are things even angels and daemons fear...
Nathalie’s journey through sin, temptation, and free will explores how far you are prepared to go to stop good people doing bad things. If you stop someone pulling the trigger, does that mean that in their heart they didn’t commit murder?
Sometimes...the best things are done by the worst people.
"I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who has even the most tenuous affection for Fantasy. For those of us that love fantasy with a true and unrelenting passion, then this will not disappoint. In fact it may even reaffirm those who may have become jaded and
somewhat disillusioned with fantasy and horror in this post-Twilight sparkly world that we inhabit."
— UK Horror Scene
- GenresFantasyParanormal
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2013
7 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Brindle
64 books29 followersJamie Brindle has been writing stories for almost as long as he can remember. Occasionally they are even published.
Sometimes, he wonders if this has had any lasting deleterious effect on him, such as perhaps being responsible for the habit he has of writing about himself in the third person. At other time this seems not to matter.
He was raised by ex-hippies in an apple orchard, and had to chase around a hedge maze for pocket money. When he grew older, he was deemed to have passed the "maze" level, and so graduated to selling boomerangs at Covent Garden Market.
He was home educated until the age of fourteen, then went to Bedford College, where he essentially didn't speak for two years. Near the end of this time he was questioned by a careers advisor, and revealed his desire to be a writer. Once she had stopped laughing, she suggested that a career which was more "financially viable" might be advisable. This resulted in him taking science A-levels, and then going on to study Biochemistry at the University of Sussex in 1998.
On graduating, Jamie realised the main problem with this was that he found biochemistry rather boring. Around this time he found out that a handful of universities offered graduate-entry medicine courses. Unfortunately, he did not have much relevant experience, a problem which he sought to rectify by doing various forms of work experience.
Amongst the work experience he undertook, Jamie was grateful to be offered the chance to spend some time in a school for deaf children. He went for two weeks and ended up staying for three and a half years. This was a good thing, as it gave him a chance to get over his home-educated prejudices about the school system, as he really liked the school and began, more generally, to feel that perhaps school wasn't such a bad thing, after all.
This period came to an end, however, when he was offered a place at the University of Warwick to study Medicine in 2006. He enjoyed medicine greatly, and met lots of nice people on the course. He now works as a GP trainee, and finds that writing is a wonderful way to ground himself after long shifts working in the bizarre fantasy world of the NHS. He is currently writing a thinly-veiled autobiographical book about his experiences as a junior doctor. He is still wondering about whether or not to put dragons in.
During this time he has written a fair few short stories which have appeared online and in various anthologies. His first novel, "The Fall of the Angel Nathalie" was published in 2013 by Necro Press, and can be found here or at amazon here.
Sometimes, he wonders if this has had any lasting deleterious effect on him, such as perhaps being responsible for the habit he has of writing about himself in the third person. At other time this seems not to matter.
He was raised by ex-hippies in an apple orchard, and had to chase around a hedge maze for pocket money. When he grew older, he was deemed to have passed the "maze" level, and so graduated to selling boomerangs at Covent Garden Market.
He was home educated until the age of fourteen, then went to Bedford College, where he essentially didn't speak for two years. Near the end of this time he was questioned by a careers advisor, and revealed his desire to be a writer. Once she had stopped laughing, she suggested that a career which was more "financially viable" might be advisable. This resulted in him taking science A-levels, and then going on to study Biochemistry at the University of Sussex in 1998.
On graduating, Jamie realised the main problem with this was that he found biochemistry rather boring. Around this time he found out that a handful of universities offered graduate-entry medicine courses. Unfortunately, he did not have much relevant experience, a problem which he sought to rectify by doing various forms of work experience.
Amongst the work experience he undertook, Jamie was grateful to be offered the chance to spend some time in a school for deaf children. He went for two weeks and ended up staying for three and a half years. This was a good thing, as it gave him a chance to get over his home-educated prejudices about the school system, as he really liked the school and began, more generally, to feel that perhaps school wasn't such a bad thing, after all.
This period came to an end, however, when he was offered a place at the University of Warwick to study Medicine in 2006. He enjoyed medicine greatly, and met lots of nice people on the course. He now works as a GP trainee, and finds that writing is a wonderful way to ground himself after long shifts working in the bizarre fantasy world of the NHS. He is currently writing a thinly-veiled autobiographical book about his experiences as a junior doctor. He is still wondering about whether or not to put dragons in.
During this time he has written a fair few short stories which have appeared online and in various anthologies. His first novel, "The Fall of the Angel Nathalie" was published in 2013 by Necro Press, and can be found here or at amazon here.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 14, 2020
I am sure that the most dangerous people in the world are not the hypocrites, the amoral, the ignorant, the criminal and the greedy … but the people who know that they are right. Those that have an unshakeable belief in their own ideas about what is wrong with the world – and how to fix it. It is not the ideas themselves, as often they are concepts that many sane, rational people could sign up to – it is just, when taken to their extremes, where no dissention or doubt is permitted, that a simple idea becomes an abhorrence.
Nathalie is an angel – by definition, she knows what is right and what is wrong. Her job is to nudge humans into good behaviour, to suggest, to encourage. It is not to intervene. Humans have free will to sin, to atone, to redeem themselves. But, for Nathalie, experiencing all the depravity that humans can dredge up, a simple tap on the shoulder as an admonishment, is not enough. She needs to do more, to make things RIGHT. So, she intervenes – and is cast wingless from heaven. Nathalie is fallen, and technically has become a daemon. She will not accept that designation, she still has an angelic job to do:
Nathalie was always trying to save people who would not save themselves. She teams up with failed suicide, Laura, and Blake, who loves Laura. She teaches Laura how to manipulate people’s minds. But, when Laura baulks at what she is being asked to do:
Nathalie has to find other acolytes.
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but even Hell wants Nathalie stopped, and the daemon, Jason, is given the job. Unfortunately for both Heaven and Hell, Jason loves Nathalie. Can he ever bring himself to cause Nathalie’s destruction, when the universe depends upon it?
I really enjoyed this book. It has touches of “Good Omens” and the TV series Supernatural, which I love. And it makes you think about what would constitute “The Greater Good”.
I welcome having my ideals challenged. I reserve the right to rant about ignorance, and I would appreciate a lot more people voting and thinking the way I do. But, I do NOT want everyone being a Mini-me. It would be infinitely boring, and utterly ghastly. And – much as I hate to admit it – I am not always right. Nathalie’s vision of a glorious future is – for me – worse than any concept of Hell could ever be.
Vive la difference.
I received a copy of this book at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review
Nathalie is an angel – by definition, she knows what is right and what is wrong. Her job is to nudge humans into good behaviour, to suggest, to encourage. It is not to intervene. Humans have free will to sin, to atone, to redeem themselves. But, for Nathalie, experiencing all the depravity that humans can dredge up, a simple tap on the shoulder as an admonishment, is not enough. She needs to do more, to make things RIGHT. So, she intervenes – and is cast wingless from heaven. Nathalie is fallen, and technically has become a daemon. She will not accept that designation, she still has an angelic job to do:
““I don't like the term 'fallen angel',” said Nathalie, … “I prefer to think of myself as an angel who no longer works for the Establishment.””
Nathalie was always trying to save people who would not save themselves. She teams up with failed suicide, Laura, and Blake, who loves Laura. She teaches Laura how to manipulate people’s minds. But, when Laura baulks at what she is being asked to do:
“How dare you?” Laura hissed at her. “If you take these things from us, then what's left? Happy little puppets of flesh with wide smiles and broken minds?”
Nathalie has to find other acolytes.
“The poor girl had been happy, and productive, and good, in her own way...but the things Nathalie was fighting for were higher, the victories she would gain would push the darkness back forever. The ends justified the means.”
“It was so much better to find a pupil when they were young. That was what she had decided. Before they had built their walls very high. Before they thought to question what was best for them.”
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but even Hell wants Nathalie stopped, and the daemon, Jason, is given the job. Unfortunately for both Heaven and Hell, Jason loves Nathalie. Can he ever bring himself to cause Nathalie’s destruction, when the universe depends upon it?
I really enjoyed this book. It has touches of “Good Omens” and the TV series Supernatural, which I love. And it makes you think about what would constitute “The Greater Good”.
I welcome having my ideals challenged. I reserve the right to rant about ignorance, and I would appreciate a lot more people voting and thinking the way I do. But, I do NOT want everyone being a Mini-me. It would be infinitely boring, and utterly ghastly. And – much as I hate to admit it – I am not always right. Nathalie’s vision of a glorious future is – for me – worse than any concept of Hell could ever be.
Vive la difference.
I received a copy of this book at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review
November 16, 2014
Interesting point of view of Angels and demons, made all the more interesting because of the character Jason, which I have been told by the author as being based on me, I'm not too sure though as I don't think my handsomeness comes across fully in the book. I think what the story needs is to be made into a graphic novel.
All in all a very good story, just wished Mr brindle would write a full length so we get to experience his imagination in full.
All in all a very good story, just wished Mr brindle would write a full length so we get to experience his imagination in full.
April 2, 2020
If Douglas Adams had been at the table when the Pratchett/Gaiman collaboration Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was conceived, a story a little like this could have been born. I don't think the blurb or cover really sells the story for what it is. Take your angels and d(a)emons mythology without the modern paranormal/urban fantasy style tropes and throw in a story of morality and betrayal that isn't all black and white. It's a tiny bit unbalanced in places where the pacing and tone don't quite sync up, but the more I read the more I was certain I'd have to reach the end.
We mainly follow the fate of the angel Nathalie as she bends the rules. Her mission is to prevent evil deeds, but those rules state that she cannot directly intervene in human affairs. She can nudge, cajole, maybe even put the fear of God into people with the old hallucination, but the force someone's actions even in the name of doing good... Nope. But after a little nudge from Jason, a fallen angel turned daemon, she too loses her wings. That won't stop her though. She decides to work for the greater good, and to (maybe literal) hell with the rules. She's no angel, nor is she a daemon; she's something else. With the help of some specially picked humans she intends to rid the world of darkness. Yet not everything is as straightforward as that, and even the supposedly evil Jason and his daemonic boss start to get worried. Nathalie's something else indeed, and she's taking things too far...
The tone of the story is very strange. It oscillates from quirky irreverence to something much more creepy and dark with undertones of an acidic dark humour. I'll admit I found this and the fast pace of events at the beginning a bit discombobulating and wasn't sure if I should continue; I've read some of the author's later books and they've all had a much more refined writing style. It evens out later on, and I especially liked the flashes of less dark humour (a character's asked to drink someone's soul and when they refuse get asked if they're vegetarian.)
The first half of the book is mostly about Nathalie, with a few diversions into POVs affected by her actions. The second half delves more into the perspective of her opposite, Jason, and he suddenly becomes a much more interesting character as we learn more about him. It is a bit Crowley, the slightly-maybe conflicted ex-angel who doesn't mind all that temptation malarkey per se, but wonders if maybe things could be a little different if the Higher Powers pulled their finger out on occasion. Nathalie however is no Aziraphael, having taken those good intentions and gone full-on frightening. The about-face in her character is so well done it's really quite creepy.
It is one that, while not as polished narrative-wise as it could be, makes you think about morality. What it means to be good and do good. What it means to love and lose and have those good things twisted. It is fast-paced, but it's not exactly a paranormal thriller or urban fantasy in the Amazon chart sense. It's a different, meandering, quirky sort of beast that doesn't fit nicely into any category. It's certainly enjoyable if you want something odd and surreal and not quite like anything you've read before when angels and demons are concerned.
-I received a free copy of this e-book from the author. This does not influence my review-
We mainly follow the fate of the angel Nathalie as she bends the rules. Her mission is to prevent evil deeds, but those rules state that she cannot directly intervene in human affairs. She can nudge, cajole, maybe even put the fear of God into people with the old hallucination, but the force someone's actions even in the name of doing good... Nope. But after a little nudge from Jason, a fallen angel turned daemon, she too loses her wings. That won't stop her though. She decides to work for the greater good, and to (maybe literal) hell with the rules. She's no angel, nor is she a daemon; she's something else. With the help of some specially picked humans she intends to rid the world of darkness. Yet not everything is as straightforward as that, and even the supposedly evil Jason and his daemonic boss start to get worried. Nathalie's something else indeed, and she's taking things too far...
The tone of the story is very strange. It oscillates from quirky irreverence to something much more creepy and dark with undertones of an acidic dark humour. I'll admit I found this and the fast pace of events at the beginning a bit discombobulating and wasn't sure if I should continue; I've read some of the author's later books and they've all had a much more refined writing style. It evens out later on, and I especially liked the flashes of less dark humour (a character's asked to drink someone's soul and when they refuse get asked if they're vegetarian.)
The first half of the book is mostly about Nathalie, with a few diversions into POVs affected by her actions. The second half delves more into the perspective of her opposite, Jason, and he suddenly becomes a much more interesting character as we learn more about him. It is a bit Crowley, the slightly-maybe conflicted ex-angel who doesn't mind all that temptation malarkey per se, but wonders if maybe things could be a little different if the Higher Powers pulled their finger out on occasion. Nathalie however is no Aziraphael, having taken those good intentions and gone full-on frightening. The about-face in her character is so well done it's really quite creepy.
It is one that, while not as polished narrative-wise as it could be, makes you think about morality. What it means to be good and do good. What it means to love and lose and have those good things twisted. It is fast-paced, but it's not exactly a paranormal thriller or urban fantasy in the Amazon chart sense. It's a different, meandering, quirky sort of beast that doesn't fit nicely into any category. It's certainly enjoyable if you want something odd and surreal and not quite like anything you've read before when angels and demons are concerned.
-I received a free copy of this e-book from the author. This does not influence my review-
June 30, 2020
The Fall of the Angel Nathalie - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Jamie Brindle's 9th book in The Storystream series is a mind-blowing modern version of the Apocalyptic fight between Good and Evil, with a soupçon of the supernatural, that you might have learned in church or school from the Bible as a child.
The scale of Nathalie's downfall (dismissal) from the Heavenly Kingdom down to Earth and a flawed search for revenge, as a Daemon with no wings, let alone ruby ones, as before, is epically extraordinary in its entirety.
From the cause and effect of said downfall, via the momentary-seeming suffering and remorse for her actions, to her incredible activities as she seeks to bring down those responsible and throughout. Jamie Brindle's The Fall of the Angel Nathalie will absorb you completely into a weird and wonderful adventure like nothing else you may have read or put on your wishlist all year.
Guaranteed to take you completely and utterly away from the fears and tears of Covid-19 and your Lockdown Blues, it's definitely not to be missed. Get your copy soon!
Jamie Brindle's 9th book in The Storystream series is a mind-blowing modern version of the Apocalyptic fight between Good and Evil, with a soupçon of the supernatural, that you might have learned in church or school from the Bible as a child.
The scale of Nathalie's downfall (dismissal) from the Heavenly Kingdom down to Earth and a flawed search for revenge, as a Daemon with no wings, let alone ruby ones, as before, is epically extraordinary in its entirety.
From the cause and effect of said downfall, via the momentary-seeming suffering and remorse for her actions, to her incredible activities as she seeks to bring down those responsible and throughout. Jamie Brindle's The Fall of the Angel Nathalie will absorb you completely into a weird and wonderful adventure like nothing else you may have read or put on your wishlist all year.
Guaranteed to take you completely and utterly away from the fears and tears of Covid-19 and your Lockdown Blues, it's definitely not to be missed. Get your copy soon!
June 3, 2017
Can't tell if it's kindle unlimited or not, it won't show the kindle version just the paperback.
There’s a war for human souls, with the only weapons are whispers and nudges, and whether you believe in angels and demons they believe in you. They are everywhere, and fighting over you.
Nathalie, a maverick beautiful fallen angel with ruby red wings and an ex-partner turned daemon trying to tempt her to his side. Is people's free will enough to help stop good people from doing bad wthout forbidden intervention.There are things even angels and daemons fear, and sometimes the best things are done by the worst people. Humans, angels, and daemons...the line is never clear cut between 'good' and 'evil'.
IMO this is more sci-fi/fantasy than horror.
All Quiet In The Western Fold (Tales From The Storystream Book 0) A Treatise on Blood and Iron A Treatise On Blood And Iron (Tales From The Storystream Book 1) and there is Tales From The Storystream 2??
There’s a war for human souls, with the only weapons are whispers and nudges, and whether you believe in angels and demons they believe in you. They are everywhere, and fighting over you.
Nathalie, a maverick beautiful fallen angel with ruby red wings and an ex-partner turned daemon trying to tempt her to his side. Is people's free will enough to help stop good people from doing bad wthout forbidden intervention.There are things even angels and daemons fear, and sometimes the best things are done by the worst people. Humans, angels, and daemons...the line is never clear cut between 'good' and 'evil'.
IMO this is more sci-fi/fantasy than horror.
All Quiet In The Western Fold (Tales From The Storystream Book 0) A Treatise on Blood and Iron A Treatise On Blood And Iron (Tales From The Storystream Book 1) and there is Tales From The Storystream 2??
August 12, 2017
This book really makes you think about what makes good and evil, and who would be the judge of that. It's the story of an angel called Nathalie who we see helping to protect people in part 1, but who ends up being stripped of her wings and 'falling' because she Intervenes in a situation instead of just watching - even though she feels she did it to protect the girl. Over the course of the rest of the book we see what happens to Nathalie after she falls to earth, as she tries to work on her own to improve the world.
I love this author's work and haven't been disappointed with this book, which I really enjoyed as it was excellently written, had great characters to drive the action, and was very original and engaging. I'd definitely recommend it to other people (and have already done so!), though probably adult age up as it has a couple of slightly graphic scenes.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
I love this author's work and haven't been disappointed with this book, which I really enjoyed as it was excellently written, had great characters to drive the action, and was very original and engaging. I'd definitely recommend it to other people (and have already done so!), though probably adult age up as it has a couple of slightly graphic scenes.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
June 14, 2017
What a different take on Angels and Demons. The basic theory is the same as Angels are good and protect us while Demons (fallen Angels) tempt us to get our souls. This is the story of Nathalie and how she becomes a fallen angel, a really scary one. I thought the story well written and full of a few twists that made me go what. It was relatively clean and more on the side of a psychological story and a bit scary. That being said, I loved it. It made me think and was a bit addicting to see how far Nathalie would go. My honest review is - if you like some paranormal mixed in with a clean psychological story, check this one out.
October 23, 2019
If you read the title and became intrigued, believe me, this book pulls you in and holds on to you, even when you finish. I found it well written. The content reminded me a bit of Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. Other than that, if i say more, I'd give it all away, and I'd rather the next reader be transported as i was. Great book!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 24, 2019
I received a free review copy of this book. First off let me just say, this was an interesting concept of angels and demons. Nathalie starts off being good and gradually worsens. Jason always knew where he stood and even after his many mistakes, he tries helping her. She begins to accumulate a bunch of people to her side. At the end, I feel sorry for Jason and Nathalie, Blake too. In a way, the dynamics of this book are complex, intertwined, and twisted. It makes for an interesting read.
November 24, 2019
That was a twisted and dark book. But it was GOOD! Everything that happened was completely unexpected. A rogue fallen angel is a terrible and terrifying thing. I loved reading this book!
January 23, 2014
I won this book from a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.
What a genuine little gem this book turned out to be!
Such a surprise that this book was as brilliant as it was, I really was not expecting it in the slightest but this is a classic case of how you must NEVER judge a book on it's cover and I know it's all something we have all done on occasion and we miss out on potentially great reads by doing so.
When I chose this book I didn't choose it based on the cover (as initially I found the cover sightly weird but on visiting the Bedlam Press/Necro Publications website I found that it is their thing to put these slightly odd and sometimes disturbing covers on their publications and I actually find that I really like that, plus after reading the book I found that the cover actually suits the book quite well) but on the description of the book that you can find above, from the back of the book. Angels? Daemons? Sold to Thea Wilson! I find books about daemons and angels fascinating especially when it revolves around the fall of angels (as you can imagine I am a huge fan of the Supernatural tv show!) so this book was a no-brainer for me to put my name into the hat for and I was thrilled to be chosen to receive it.
What we have is basically the tale of Nathalie, an angel with ruby-red wings, beautiful but a bit of a maverick, and the decision of her ex-partner Jason (a fallen angel become daemon, the typical naughty bad boy complete with sunglasses) to try and tempt her to his side. A decision that turns out to be a very fateful decision for both of the leads. To tell you anymore about it would give away spoilers and I really don't want to that, I want you guys to read this for yourselves and to make your own decision on it.
This book is very original in more ways than one, it's beautifully written and Jamie Brindle does have a style of writing all of his own which may not be to all tastes but I thoroughly enjoyed reading his work and would definitely read more of it if there were any more novels to come in the future. The idea is an original idea to me and I can honestly say I haven't read anything quite like this before as usually books on this kind of subject are written by women and focus more on the sugary sweet side of things, the romantic side, where this is a much more gritty take on the subject. It's violent and much more realistic and I loved it!
The only flaw with the book it that I really wish it had been twice as big as it was as at only just over 200 pages long it's very slim and that does limit how much time can be spent on character development throughout the book, meaning that some of the lesser characters aren't as fully formed as I would have liked them to be. Large periods of time are skipped over and I did find myself wanting to know what had happened within these time gaps. I really do wish that this book would get extended and re-leased as it has the potential to be a stunning tale of the pitfalls of temptation.
In conclusion I loved reading this book, its a gritty an realistic tale of temptation and the ongoing battle of good versus evil. Totally enjoyable to read and very hard to put down, the only flaw is its being far too short. Would I recommend it to readers? Most definitely YES but not if you're expecting anything too pretty or full of romance as it is not that at all!
What a genuine little gem this book turned out to be!
Such a surprise that this book was as brilliant as it was, I really was not expecting it in the slightest but this is a classic case of how you must NEVER judge a book on it's cover and I know it's all something we have all done on occasion and we miss out on potentially great reads by doing so.
When I chose this book I didn't choose it based on the cover (as initially I found the cover sightly weird but on visiting the Bedlam Press/Necro Publications website I found that it is their thing to put these slightly odd and sometimes disturbing covers on their publications and I actually find that I really like that, plus after reading the book I found that the cover actually suits the book quite well) but on the description of the book that you can find above, from the back of the book. Angels? Daemons? Sold to Thea Wilson! I find books about daemons and angels fascinating especially when it revolves around the fall of angels (as you can imagine I am a huge fan of the Supernatural tv show!) so this book was a no-brainer for me to put my name into the hat for and I was thrilled to be chosen to receive it.
What we have is basically the tale of Nathalie, an angel with ruby-red wings, beautiful but a bit of a maverick, and the decision of her ex-partner Jason (a fallen angel become daemon, the typical naughty bad boy complete with sunglasses) to try and tempt her to his side. A decision that turns out to be a very fateful decision for both of the leads. To tell you anymore about it would give away spoilers and I really don't want to that, I want you guys to read this for yourselves and to make your own decision on it.
This book is very original in more ways than one, it's beautifully written and Jamie Brindle does have a style of writing all of his own which may not be to all tastes but I thoroughly enjoyed reading his work and would definitely read more of it if there were any more novels to come in the future. The idea is an original idea to me and I can honestly say I haven't read anything quite like this before as usually books on this kind of subject are written by women and focus more on the sugary sweet side of things, the romantic side, where this is a much more gritty take on the subject. It's violent and much more realistic and I loved it!
The only flaw with the book it that I really wish it had been twice as big as it was as at only just over 200 pages long it's very slim and that does limit how much time can be spent on character development throughout the book, meaning that some of the lesser characters aren't as fully formed as I would have liked them to be. Large periods of time are skipped over and I did find myself wanting to know what had happened within these time gaps. I really do wish that this book would get extended and re-leased as it has the potential to be a stunning tale of the pitfalls of temptation.
In conclusion I loved reading this book, its a gritty an realistic tale of temptation and the ongoing battle of good versus evil. Totally enjoyable to read and very hard to put down, the only flaw is its being far too short. Would I recommend it to readers? Most definitely YES but not if you're expecting anything too pretty or full of romance as it is not that at all!
December 5, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Parts of this book made me think of the film Minority Report. I think both have a similar feel to them.
I could relate really well to Nathalie. It was easy to see how her character evolved after what happened to her. Her logic at times was also fairly interesting - the thoughts of sacrificing some to save the lives of many.
The other characters in the book were well-written and interesting, even though I'm not sure I could say I really liked many of them. It worked quite well - even if it was a bit surprising - to have the 'bad' side be responsible for Nathalie.
I felt that the fact that neither side could Intervene directly worked really well, though having their wings cut off as punishment seemed really harsh - and kind of counter-productive.
I really did feel for Laura, but I thought her actions showed her to be quite weak - which may have been the point. Ben was almost the complete opposite to Laura - and I did like him as a character.
I'm not sure how I felt about Jason and Blake. Jason did grow on me... but the changes in Blake's character seemed a little rushed. I did notice that long periods of time were skimmed over - I thought it would have been good to see the characters develop over the time periods.
Parts of the book were kind of violent, but they were written well enough that I could see the events happening in my mind. There were only a couple of errors that I noticed, but one of them was 'vile' instead of 'vial', which was a bit distracting.
I thought that the ending of the book worked, even if I wasn't particularly fond of it. And I especially liked the final scene and the link there was to the start of the book.
I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author in the near future. This one was really easy to read and I found it quite enjoyable with an interesting, well-written world and characters I did care about.
(This review may contain spoilers).
Parts of this book made me think of the film Minority Report. I think both have a similar feel to them.
I could relate really well to Nathalie. It was easy to see how her character evolved after what happened to her. Her logic at times was also fairly interesting - the thoughts of sacrificing some to save the lives of many.
The other characters in the book were well-written and interesting, even though I'm not sure I could say I really liked many of them. It worked quite well - even if it was a bit surprising - to have the 'bad' side be responsible for Nathalie.
I felt that the fact that neither side could Intervene directly worked really well, though having their wings cut off as punishment seemed really harsh - and kind of counter-productive.
I really did feel for Laura, but I thought her actions showed her to be quite weak - which may have been the point. Ben was almost the complete opposite to Laura - and I did like him as a character.
I'm not sure how I felt about Jason and Blake. Jason did grow on me... but the changes in Blake's character seemed a little rushed. I did notice that long periods of time were skimmed over - I thought it would have been good to see the characters develop over the time periods.
Parts of the book were kind of violent, but they were written well enough that I could see the events happening in my mind. There were only a couple of errors that I noticed, but one of them was 'vile' instead of 'vial', which was a bit distracting.
I thought that the ending of the book worked, even if I wasn't particularly fond of it. And I especially liked the final scene and the link there was to the start of the book.
I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author in the near future. This one was really easy to read and I found it quite enjoyable with an interesting, well-written world and characters I did care about.
December 6, 2013
*I received this book free as part of a Goodreads give away.*
The Fall of the Angel Nathalie is about what happens when an angel gets frustrated with the rules and decides to make her own. Watching Nathalie spiral farther and farther out of control as she decides that the rules don't allow angels (or daemons) to intervene is like looking at a train wreck. You know that it's terrible and you should look away, but there's something so fascinating that you can't.
The plot was intriguing and it was easy to get caught up in Nathalie's "cause." It was a fairly quick read and I enjoyed the twist on the recent angel/demon story line. My only complaint it that there were so many scenes that started with the audience not knowing the characters. No names were assigned or physical descriptions given, just a generic "the boy did..." or "the woman reached..." This was a very effective tool the first couple of times, but got in the way of the story later. Since most of the scenes were not introducing new characters, I was a little confused and frustrated when it took me a few paragraphs (or in some cases pages) to find out I was reading about a character I already knew.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in paranormal stories.
The Fall of the Angel Nathalie is about what happens when an angel gets frustrated with the rules and decides to make her own. Watching Nathalie spiral farther and farther out of control as she decides that the rules don't allow angels (or daemons) to intervene is like looking at a train wreck. You know that it's terrible and you should look away, but there's something so fascinating that you can't.
The plot was intriguing and it was easy to get caught up in Nathalie's "cause." It was a fairly quick read and I enjoyed the twist on the recent angel/demon story line. My only complaint it that there were so many scenes that started with the audience not knowing the characters. No names were assigned or physical descriptions given, just a generic "the boy did..." or "the woman reached..." This was a very effective tool the first couple of times, but got in the way of the story later. Since most of the scenes were not introducing new characters, I was a little confused and frustrated when it took me a few paragraphs (or in some cases pages) to find out I was reading about a character I already knew.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in paranormal stories.
November 11, 2013
The story of Nathalie an angel that is tempted into falling from grace by her one time friend and partner, Jason. After falling, Nathalie continues on her self designed path to try to 'help' the humans with her now skewed sense of what is acceptable, getting her into further trouble with the Establishment.
The story line is an interesting perspective on the interactions of angel, daemon, and human.
The graphic nature and language of the starting sections of the book were enough to cause me to not want to read further. The commitment to reading the book and writing this review drove me on. While I did enjoy the overall story, I believe the same could have been accomplished with not as explicit and graphic details.
The story line is an interesting perspective on the interactions of angel, daemon, and human.
The graphic nature and language of the starting sections of the book were enough to cause me to not want to read further. The commitment to reading the book and writing this review drove me on. While I did enjoy the overall story, I believe the same could have been accomplished with not as explicit and graphic details.
December 8, 2013
Worthwhile Read. Originally I was slightly put off by the title. I mean it doesn't exactly give you that thrill of not knowing what the book is about, or where the title comes from. But it's a ridiculously good book. It's like the loss of goodness in someone inherently good. I feel like at the beginning of the novel I could really identify with Nathalie and as the story progressed I kinda got scared. With some of the side characters I guess the thing that sticks is that just because you Fell, doesn't mean you've fallen. Great read. Think there was a print issue though, there's a line of no ink on every second page.
December 28, 2013
An angel and a daemon are fighting for your souls, which one is the good one and which one the bad?
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and found it hard to put down.
I am so glad I received a copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway, and I look forward to reading more from Jamie Brindle.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and found it hard to put down.
I am so glad I received a copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway, and I look forward to reading more from Jamie Brindle.
August 8, 2014
I won this from a giveaway by Goodreads.
Stories about angles and daemons have always intrigued me. Jamie Brindle's book is a highly addictive read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in action and adventure. It's quite a page turner!
Stories about angles and daemons have always intrigued me. Jamie Brindle's book is a highly addictive read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in action and adventure. It's quite a page turner!
August 10, 2016
I received The Fall of the Angel Nathalie for free in a first-reads giveaway. Many thanks to the author/publisher for the chance to read this novel. It was a very entertaining read, with thought-provoking characters who linger long after you've put the book aside.
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