It would appear that the Lewis children are fighting on Earth this time around rather than finding themselves on other-worldly planes of existence. They certainly haven't forgotten about their journey in the previous novel, The War in Heaven, but things like school and everyday life keep them quite occupied with the concerns of the normal teenager. At least, that's the case with the twins Holli and Jami. Christopher, on the other hand, is determined to figure out just what he should be doing to help the war that they can't see on Earth.

We don't see a lot of Christopher in this installment of the story, at least not when compared to his previously larger role. Most of his actions take place outside the view of the narrators. We do, however, visit the mind of his Temptress, Melusine, and his sister, Jami. Melusine is not only working in various plots arranged by the newly arrived Lord Balazel but also trying to keep Christopher's life free of other interfering demons lest the Fallen lose his soul. The plots which Melusine did not first understand turn out to involve a couple of other high school students who had been living through a separate line of plot. This eventually merges with the lives of the Lewis children for tragic end.

Overall this story reads a little more like a young adults novel than the last one. But I think this is largely due to Jami's point of view. She, naturally, has to endure things like algebra and sports and getting ready for prom. I found her somewhat annoying for a while, however, because of the speech/writing pattern used in her chapters. But it had a clear purpose - to show her age and the fact that she's a high school girl. I suppose it's my own bias against terms like "whatever" and "like" when she talks and thinks. Even in high school I couldn't bear to listen to people talk like that, but another reader might not be affected. Sometimes she's a little repetitive, stating one thing and going over it again and again. But since I recognize it as a way to define her thoughts (who doesn't think about the same thing over and over?), I don't necessarily consider it a bad thing.

When I changed to other points of view I could definitely tell. Melusine, for instance, had a more "grown up" style of thought. Her storyline was the one I really enjoyed. Her interaction with the other Fallen allowed the reader to see the difference between their ranks and their designs on the mortal population. My favorite scene as I recall was Melusine in the nightclub where she discovers that Lord Balazel isn't who she thought he was. And it was a real surprise to learn the identity of Boghorael. It gave me another reason to wish I had been able to reread parts of The War in Heaven, though most of my knowledge did come back as I was reintroduced to the characters.

Yet Melusine seemed to fall out of the story quickly near the end which was a little disappointing, but at least I know she's still around. I'll be looking forward to the concluding novel to find out what happens to her and to Boghorael, not to mention the main characters of the story. I'll be particularly interested to find out if the Lewis children are placed in a similar time frame (high school) or if they're accelerated years ahead. Especially in regard to Christopher. This character has made a distinctive change since the first novel and I'd like to see where his path leads. I know, at least, that it will cross again with the arch-antagonist, Kaym, and I have to wonder what a final confrontation might accomplish.

I'm curious about something else too. In the first novel the larger issues of the story seemed to be placed upon Christopher. In this novel, they were placed on Jami. Near the end of the novel it is revealed to her that she could have changed the flow of events had she looked beyond herself and, as a result, she has to choose the life or death of a number of people (the trick to which I thought was a rather good element). Things said by her guardian angel Paulus also made me curious as to her future role. But my larger question is, will Holli be the next "main focus"? Will her point of view drive much of the next novel, and will her choices be what affect the outcome of the story? I suppose I'll have to wait and find out.

ISBN: 067102454X
Edition: Trade Paperback