I received a copy of IGNITE BY Erica Crouch for an honest review. As far as Mousehead & Tales , we give it * * * 3 $$$
THE PLAYERS:
1.PEN- FEMALE FALLEN ANGEL (now a demon) twin sister of Azael
2.Azael- Fallen Angel MALE ( now a demon & LOVING EVERY MINUTE OFF IT)
3. Gus- Pen & Azael's connection to Hell and their mentor and person who gives them their assignment's from Lucifer
4. Michael - Archangel (not fallen) expected to fight Lucifer and the demons from Hell (oh btw completely dreamy!)
The basic storyline is a love and drama that we all know Romeo & Juliette but with Angels & Demons falling for eachother instead of Capulets & Montegues (sp)?
I received a copy of Ignite by Erica Crouch for my honest opinion and review. The rating system used on my blog is $$$ signs. This is the first book in the " Ignite" series. It's a YA paranormal romance with quotes from fantastic poets all throughout the book.�I gave the book $ $ $ 3 ,or 3 ***.��This book is definitely �for the younger generation of the young adult readers. The story line follows the romantic themes of Romeo and Juliet. "Pen" ( a fallen angel) works side by side with her twin brother "Azael". They both use to be angels in heaven,Pen was a scribe and Azael was a "soul mate" resercher.��When war started wreaking havoc on heaven any Angel that even doubted their faith in Him just fell straight through the skys and were left to roam endlessly. Lucifer rounded up every fallen angel he could and turned them to his cause.
While all along Pen has known that she didn't agree with Heaven about humans being kept ignorant (she might have had a hand in that little thing we refer to as the "Garden of Eden"
Her love for poetry, books, & reading in general seemed a silly thing to deny humans. In that moment of doubt... She fell! It was only a matter of time because she knew that Azael was even more unhappy with "Him" than Pen was & was agreeing violently with Lucifer's ideas.
So with that , after fighting battles for Heaven she ended up in Hell ( which in this story is FREEZING COLD) just like the black blood and wings that all the demons have. The blacker the wings the more soiled your soul is until you have pitch black, oil slick wings, black blood, and no soul or beating heart.
Or do they?
When Pen and Az are reaping souls at an asylum, Az decides they should go above the call of duty and reap ALL the souls there, not just the one they were sent there for.
Pen and Azael always work together , Pen is unable to reap souls & Az needs her to kill the humans first. Pen enjoys the stability of Azael needing her, she is alone in a world she's not happy about being in. Pen and Azael can speak telepathically so she always knows that if nothing else, she'll always have her brother.
Until that fateful day at the asylum when they picked up a soul contaminated with the "Lilum Virus" that eats away at anything good or decent about the person & turns them into a mindless creature who's only goal is to spread the virus.
Lillith was Adam's love before Eve. Lillith wasn't satisfied in the Garden of Eden so she left. Leaving her somewhat of a halfbreed able to straddle the human world & the Demon's Hell.
In this telling of the battles fought between Heaven and Hell the fallen angels were now fighting and killing angels who use to be their friends. This upsets Pen more than she lets on. If she doesn't fit in in Hell & she's Fallen from Heaven she will have nowhere to belong and she can't imagine life without Azael at her side.
Back to the asylum reaping! Pen doesn't feel the excitement , the rush when she kills. She knows this wasn't what she signed up for when she sided with Lucifer. To be just another pawn in a war that will destroy Heaven, Hell and Earth if she complies with a power hungry Lucifer.
In one of the many battles fought Lucifer killed the archangel Michael , but because Archangel's are basically immortal Lucifer had to bind part of himself to Michael to keep his soul safely tortured in Hell.
Michael's soul escapes and returns him to heaven. At first heaven is thrilled to have one of their best soldiers ( and an archangel who still has his sword) back in the ranks. He came back as a younger version of himself and has no recollection of any of the past. No ears, no enemies, no idea why his own brother Lucifer would have killed him. Michael also no longer is just believing in the ideology that a person is either good, or bad. Michael believe's that one person can be both, what decide's if they are good or evil is what they choose to do with those feelings.
Heaven is VERY unhappy and uncomfortable with this new Michael . They don't include him, they're keeping tabs on him & they have him on a short leash. If they found out what Hell already knows it could mean awful things for Michael.
While Pen gets assigned to Michael , to try to convert him, find out what he knows and essentially seduce him she's nervous. Having never been apart from Azael she doesn't know how she feels about things.
While she's on assignment with Michael ,Azael has been told to go with Lillith and help her spread the "Lilum Virus" amongst the human world to have soldiers on Earth also.
What nobody, including Pen herself, thought was that she would like Michael , the Archangel he was when she knew him in Heaven was arrogant , focused only on war, and had no time for a lowly scribe like Pen. He had a string of lovers but never cared for any beyond that night. Basically someone Pen would avoid if possible.
This new Michael is nothing like that. Their relationship goes from wary, to friendly, to confusing... Then all Hell breaks loose literally and you have a demon and an archangel who want nothing more but to stop fighting.
Pen's choice to stay with Michael may have severed her connection to her brother. Azael has moved up the ranks while Pen and Michael were getting to know one another. Azael has become Lucifer's first in command of the army, Pen was to be his second in command. When Pen declines his offer not only is he offended he is furious!
As mentioned before this book is written at a young adult level. Fans of Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick or Fallen by Lauren Kate will LOVE this story.
If you prefer your stories love scenes steamy, this is not your book. However if you're looking for a romantic and exciting book to read "Ignite" book one in this trilogy than look no further! Erica Crouch will have just what you need!