Emma’s small group is rescued by Arthur, a strong man in command of a camp of men. Emma offers herself to Arthur in exchange for the safety of his camp and the protection of the children she has come to love. Little does she know that while protecting her, Arthur will steal her heart.
It seems that the murderous mists brought more than just death – some people went insane, while others developed gifts. Emma’s gift is healing hands, while Arthur’s is the odd ability to control the mists, which explains his safe camp. Arthur has a dream to drive away the mists and rebuild the human race, but not everything is as it seems. Together with a team of scientists who seem to work in unison using what Arthur refers to as a biomind, the group seeks to recreate Tesla’s power source as part of their grand plan. But there are others who have different plans, including Alexei, a Russian with a checkered past tangled with Arthur's, who runs his own camp. There is also a women’s camp and a camp of rogue cannibals who enslave survivors only to later eat them. Perils abound in this frightening new world.
As Emma finds herself falling for Arthur, she struggles with the hope that her husband, Haywood, and older daughter, Beth, could still be alive in Canada, one part of the world left untouched by the mists. But as Arthur pushes her to be with him, in spite of deadly battles that rage around them and betrayals that seem to occur all too frequently, can Emma retain her sanity and survive?
Fallen is a thrilling read. I really enjoyed the fact that Slatton’s characters obtained their powers as a strange result of the deadly mists, rather than possessing them prior to the world-changing event, as in the Life After War series. Slatton’s characters are varied, believable, relatable and interesting. Since the book takes place in France, I must admit that I wasn’t too crazy about all of the French foodstuffs mentioned, mostly because they weren’t always explained as to what they were. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Fallen’s story and can’t wait to dive into the sequel, Cold Light. If you enjoy stories that take place in a post-apocalyptic setting, do yourself a favor and check out Fallen. Highly recommended.
