Review: Danann Frost Falls From Grace by Joanne Valiukas

Title: Dannan Frost Falls From Grace

Publisher: Createspace

Sypnosis: Danann Frost is thousands of years old, yet young for her kind. She is a creature of the Light, an Angel, one of the Seraphim; a race of beings that live beyond our world. She has been cast out of paradise
and Fallen from Grace, all for the love of a Dark One – a vampire. The only problem is, Seth did not want her and told her to go and not come back. Danann has made a life for herself amongst the vampires of this
world and they protect her fragile nature. She and the vampire Asher live on the fringes of the human world; love and loyalty cannot separate them but trouble and vengeance are on their way. After two
hundred years of enduring the crippling punishments of her Fall, Seth walks back into her life but he is bitter and angry and out for revenge. Thank God he is after someone else…or is he? Can Danann escape the dark intentions of her once-beloved for whom she Fell from Grace, or has she put all those that she holds dear in danger? Journey with Danann as she takes the path to taking back her Light and ascending to be Angel once more. Will the Archangel Uriel surrender her Light or will Danann be doomed to walk in darkness forever?

Please join me tomorrow as I interview Joanne Valiukas about Danann Frost Falls From Grace. I will also have one signed print book to giveaway!

My Thoughts:

In this sweeping paranormal romance, Joanne Valiukas combines myth and legend to craft the the love story of Danann and Seth. Danann Frost is an angel who falls in love with Seth, a vampire prince. When forced to choose, Danann falls from grace to follow her heart, only for a cruel misunderstanding to separate her from her love. Two hundred years later, Danann and Seth are reunited. Can they forgive each other, or will Danann give up on love and win back her wings?

Danann Frost Falls From Grace is character driven, and the love story between Danann and Seth is the focus. The opening chapters where they meet and fall in love, are richly developed and will satisfy any romantic. I felt this beginning was a real strength of the book, and drew me into the saga.Valiukas has given a lot of thought to her mythology. She has developed her own lore for her vampires which is both familiar and original. I particularly like the combination of an angel and vampire falling in love.

Valiukas has developed distinct characters that are interesting and believable. After the separation we follow Danann to Australia where , because of the curse laid upon her by Archangel Uriel when she fell, she has made a life for herself within the vampire community. One of the more unique aspects to Danann is her inability to exist in the light, she shatters when exposed to sunlight and this adds interesting possibilities and complications. She struggles with the loss of her angelic abilities, even after 200 years and we learn that she has periodically sought to have her ‘light’ returned. Danann has a companion in Asher but has never really embraced the life she has, still yearning for Seth and feeling as if she doesn’t belong. This vulnerability makes her a sympathetic character.

Seth is an unknown quantity when he reappears in Danann’s life. His intentions are initially unclear, Seth never understood why Danann left him and he is bitter. I liked Seth as a hero – he is loyal and honourable and when he learns the truth behind their separation grieves for what may have been. His strength and obvious love for Danann make him an appealing protagonist.

Trust is understandably an issue for the pair when they are reunited and Valiukas uses that to sustain the conflict. Given that it is a romance it is inevitable that love will win out, however the ending has a suprising twist that doesn’t neccessarily provide a traditional happy ever after ending. The conclusion is a set up for the continuation in the sequel.

While the story is compelling, I think in places the flow and pace could have benefited from some trimming where the detail extends the story, without moving it forward. There are ideas that are unique to the book, such as Danann’s light sensitivity and her effect on humans that could have been better explored to provide additional conflict and interest. I also found I was distracted by the italics used for emphasis, and in the latter half of the book the phrasing and dialogue could be awkward and stilted at times.

Joanne Valiukas has created an imaginative, sweeping romance with characters that you can care about. It’s a timely publication given the current popularity of paranormal romance and urban fantasy, and offers something original and interesting.

You can read part of Danann Frost Falls From Grace at Joanne’s website by clicking HERE (.pdf)

Please join me tomorrow as I interview Joanne Valiukas about Danann Frost Falls from Grace and her writing. She has generously provided one signed print copy of the book to give away to one lucky reader. Make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to enter. (Subscribe to my blog or follow me on Twitter for convenient notifications)

Danann Falls From Grace is available to buy:

For Australian readers (Print) at Readings.com.au

At Amazon (Print)
At Book Depository (Print)

Danann Frost Falls from Grace is now available for the Kindle, as well as Adobe Digital Editions ePub from Lulu, Kobo Books, Borders Australia, Angus & Robertson and undoubtedly many other places that have branded ebookshops provided by Kobo. Also iTunes/iBooks for the iPhone and iPad and iPod Touch.

For the latest information from Joanne Valiukas visit her blog.

@Goodreads