Reproduced with kind permission of Bloomsbury

It sometimes seems that the trend for paranormal romance will never reach its end… In fact it’s quite easy to get cynical about the narrow range of fiction pushed at a young adult audience. So I was surprised that I enjoyed this new offering to the genre, and now feel that perhaps there’s life in it yet!

This is the story of Ebony, who’s never been beyond the valley in which she lives with her parents. And Jordan, who’s life she is about to save. The concept of guardian angels is given a new twist, as beings from another dimension do battle over Ebony’s soul, and Jordan must compete with an angel called Thane for her heart. The characters are well-depicted and I especially liked Jordan, who is very sympathetic and as the human love interest, ably counterbalances his all-too-perfect angelic rivals. The action-packed plot is constructed with enough surprises to make it stand above the glut of predictable paranormal romances, and leaves the door open for an interesting sequel. It’s refreshing to delve into angel lore as opposed to vampire mythology, and Curley has created a believable universe for her characters to inhabit. Even if you’ve become tired of the genre, this is an enjoyable novel and well worth a read. 13+, rating:***

Bloomsbury, 2013, ISBN 9781408822623

Copy provided by the publisher for review