From Goodreads: Mare Knotting discovers the beings that gave raise to myth, but what astounds her more than their reality is the fact that they are the children of angels.

A single, working mother and college student, Mare works hard to provide for her three-and-a-half year-old daughter, Clarissa – and she does it alone; Christian, Clarissa’s abandoning father and Mare’s ex-boyfriend, has never had anything to do with his daughter. Trying to make a good life for them, Mare enrolls – despite warning by fellow-classmate Daniel Stotts – in a financial-aid program, but when she turns in her results, inhuman beings pursue her. Daniel rescues Mare, but it doesn’t escape her notice that Daniel moves just as inhumanly as the things chasing her.

Once he has her to safety, Daniel explains the truth of the world to Mare; Ethereals – fallen angels and their descendents – exist… and they are where vampire and werewolf legends derive. But when Daniel alleges that he believes the corporation is truly working for Lucifer, Mare is more shocked to find that her research helped to create an army that Satan will use to try to defeat God with on Judgment Day and take over the world. Already enough to deal with, Mare then learns that Clarissa is the most powerful witch any Ethereal has ever seen – she takes to the Casting Language as if it were her native tongue.

All too much, Mare blacks out – and wakes to the realization of whom and what she truly is.

_______________________________________________________

Adamson has created a compelling story with great character building and enticing paranormal elements.  Different from the many fallen angel novels making their way to bookshelves across the world, Adamson gears her novel towards adults, focusing on the battle between good and evil through genetic mutations, creating an intense read as Mare learns the truth behind the myths and her own family background. 

I really enjoyed this novel, especially as Adamson creates such vivid characters that nearly jump off the pages.  Mare is a level-headed young woman struggling to do right by her child, born out of wedlock, and I truly enjoyed reading about this strong female lead.  Her priorities are in the right place, and though it’s a difficult endeavor to put herself through college and raise a child, she does a phenomenal job, and is believable—Adamson has created a strong woman that every reader can look up to.  I really enjoyed her as the lead character, and watching her struggle to decipher and understand the events happening around her was a lot of fun; I felt like I was there with her, figuring it out as the story progressed.

Daniel and Christian were also well-developed characters that I enjoyed, though I can’t say that I like one more than the other.  Like Mare, I am torn as both men offer such wonderful possibilities, and yet, Clarissa truly needs her father… Adamson’s ability to add a love story amongst the turmoil of war is amazing, and I was captivated as I read.  Overall, this is a great novel with superb explanations concerning witches, fallen angels and their abilities, as well as how and why Satan is attempting to create an army to take over the world.  I highly recommend it.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.