Angel's Fury by Bryony Pearce

Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781405251538
(15+) Nightmares are an ordeal everyone has endured but the heroine of Angel's Fury, Cassie Farrier, has suffered with this recurring night time terror for as long as she can remember. Tormented sleep is making her a physical wreck and when she goes on a school trip to Germany and discovers places from her nightmares really do exist, she begins to question her sanity. Cassie is admitted to a clinic specialising in the treatment of patients who claim past life experiences. She is desperate for relief but the clinic does not bring the respite she is longing for. Instead Cassie finds herself plunged into a supernatural world dominated by historical acts of evil and a fallen Angel bent on destroying mankind.
The story is enriched by the inclusion of several complex characters and romantic tension between Cassie and another clinic patient named Seth. The main focus however, remains firmly on themes of struggle between good and evil, self preservation and altruism, personal weakness and acts of courage. This is obviously a well researched book with a sophisticated plot. The Fallen Angel is based on an interpretation of a legend from the Jewish Torah and the historical events in the book are authentic.
Appealing to both sexes, this debut novel with its complex plot is probably better enjoyed by the experienced reader. It is fast moving and hard to put down after the first chapter. Paranormal stories for young adults are commonplace but this combination of fantasy and fact sets the book apart in a class of its own.
Tina Cain