Torment [Paperback]

NEPHILIM!!!!!!! *insert girly scream here!* I love NEPHILIM! LIKE JACE!!! (Oh Cassandra Clare, what have you done to me?!?)

Okay, not that it is out of my system...

It has been a few weeks since I last read this book and I am finding it actually easier to write this since I have been able to process everything. Originally when I read the book I thought that it was amazing, better than the first and whatnot, but now that I look back at it I do notice questionable components and whatnot that are making me reconsider whether this book is actually as amazing as I first thought it to be...

Even before reading this book I knew that it was very likely that two boys would be fighting over Luce, and I just assumed that it would be Daniel, her boyfriend, and Cam, another fallen angel. When it wasn't Daniel and Cam fighting over Luce, but Daniel and Miles (a Nephilim), I am not going to lie, I was really quite disappointed. I really wanted to know more about Cam, however in this book he didn't play a big part, I mean, it's not like he didn't play a role at all- he did, but there really wasn't a point in the book that he got 100% of the readers attention, or if he did play a larger role, the reader didn't really learn anything different about him (we just got the same Cam we were introduced to in "Fallen", a charming bad boy). And Miles... What can I say about Miles? I mean, he is a nice guy (maybe too nice?) and all, but he just isn't Daniel or Cam :/ ...

What really bugged me about this story was... Well... Pretty much Luce overall. There was a reason that Daniel left her at Shoreline and it just really irked me that she wouldn't trust that he knew what he was doing. Luce had only just found out about angels, her past with Daniel and whatnot, so obviously he didn't have time to tell her everything AND OF COURSE there was things that she wouldn't be able to comprehend and/or fully accept even if he did tell her everything... So why couldn't she have just left things alone (but then again, I suppose I was warned in "Fallen" that she was not the type of person who could just leave things alone- anyone remember her researching Daniel's family history?)? I don't think that girls need to constantly rely on the boys in their lives all of the time or anything, but seriously, sometimes guys really do know what they are talking about and know what is best for their girlies and I think that this was one of those situations...

On the other hand though (I know, I know, very conflicted), I can kind of understand where she is coming from in different parts of the story... It is kinda selfish of him to be with her all of the time (side note: anyone see "Vampire Diaries" lately? OMG! Elena is being too selfish to her family and their safety to be with Stefan! GASP!). I mean, if he didn't seek her out and if they didn't meet, she could just live a normal life (and actually live! and not just combust at age 17- or around then- as soon as they kiss), she could stay with her family of the time and not devastate them by dying/ disappearing and whatnot. And I guess that I can understand because of all of this why she would want to go back to the past and warn herself about the dangers/ what will come about with being with Daniel... (BUT STILL! IS SHE CRAZY?!? NOT WANTING TO BE WITH DANIEL?!?).

And Callie... Oh, Callie, I didn't like her at all. I wish she wasn't in this book at all. And Shelby? Meh, take her or leave her- well leave her, she was always trying to throw a wrench in Daniel and Luce's relationship (stupid jealous ex)... She just wasn't our darling Penn (RIP).

And the Shadows... They were really cool and all, but there is def. something very fishy with them- what is with the grey-ish/ brown-ish looking sick ones? Hmmmmm... Definitely something to look forward to in the next book!

I did really love Roland in this book (not that he played a major role though), but it was nice to see him develop more so in this book (when I think back to "Fallen" I can't remember him ever saying anything, I just remember him and Arianne being attached at the hip and him being Daniel's shadow).

But you know what? As much as I have torn the book apart in this review, I did like it, just not as much as I was hoping to. Alas... I would recommend it...

Reason for Reading: next in the series.

First I'll mention that this is one of the most stunning covers I've ever seen. I love b/w photography and the design here is breathtaking. Now on to the book.

I can't really give a summary as not much happens in Torment. Luce is sent to an exclusive boarding school which just happens to have a special class for Nephilim and amongst the Nephilim Luce can be hidden from those who seek to destroy her. In the meantime Daniel and Cam have made an 18 day truce between the angels and demons to work together to kill those who seek to kill Luce. Thus the book takes place over those 18 days. There's a lot of Daniel and Cam getting the bad guys, the bad guys trying to get Luce, Luce getting herself into trouble by disregarding the rules she's been given and Luce learning more about the shadows, the Announcers, and how to control and use them.

There is a lot of "Twilight syndrome" going on here in Torment. Daniel has become demanding, giving Luce rules and instructions to follow without reasons, he orders her around and isn't telling her everything. He has become the dominant male species. While Luce, when she is away from and gets close to Daniel feels the overwhelming passion, desire, pull and love for him. Regardless, she is no Bella. Luce starts questioning Daniel's behaviour and doesn't take kindly to being pushed around even though she can't get past the inhuman passionate bond they share. What all this amounts to is a bunch of not much happening, making the book a slow read leading up to an anti-climax that ends in a "to be continued" manner with no resolution.

I did really enjoy the two new characters introduced that befriend Luce, both Nephilim. Shelby her roommate, a no nonsense type of girl who at first resents Luce for her infamous reputation. And then Miles, a watered down Nephilim, with the Angel in his heredity in the distant past. Miles is a friend Luce can count on and one who might become more than just a friend.

My problem, same I had with the couple of Twilight books I read, is that I don't like Daniel. I'm not rooting for Luce and Daniel. I want him to turn out a bad guy and in the end I want Luce and Miles to end up together, just a couple of regular people (well almost) in real love, not some earth shattering, passionate, end of the world, meant to be, for infinity, lust-love. Won't happen though. Just like it was obvious Edward would win in the end, Daniel will also.

I had thought this was going to be a trilogy but they are calling book three "the next book in the Fallen series" which sounds ominously like there are plans for a 4th book and so on. If this does conclude in a trilogy I will read the third book when it comes out to see how it all ends. If more are planned, I'll just wait until the series is done and see if I still feel like reading them when that time comes.

I waited so long for this book to come out. I was absolutely in love with Fallen, and knew that this one would be just as good. I re-read Fallen again, just so I would be able to follow this book with it all fresh in my mind. The love between Daniel and Luce is amazing, and Luce is still trying to figure out why Daniel makes her feel like nothing or anybody else can. Luce tries so hard to find some way of connecting herself to her previous lives in hopes that it will tell her something about her future.

I did feel a little irritated with Luce at some points, I found the little tiffs and fights with Daniel were a little immature at times but it did not take away from the story at all. Daniel is still the same secretive, romantic and unbelievable guy who loves Luce above and beyond everything else in the world. She has so many friends that love her, and want to protect her and its so confusing considering they all are not on the same side of good and evil. There is still so much to learn about in the next two books as not all of the pieces were put together in this one. Torment leaves off on a huge cliff-hanger and I can't wait to find out what happens.