Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy)
Date Published: May 31, 2017
Publisher: Self
If only humans knew the invisible danger lurking around them...
In the aftermath of an explosion and Homecoming battle, Julia tries to form some semblance of a routine: work, study, and visit her brother who remains hospitalized. Unable to confide in anyone about her double life of being both human and angel, and fearful she'll bring more death and destruction to those she loves, she pulls away from her family and best friend.
When demons once again start to show up at every turn, seemingly bringing about her brother's deepening depression, she demands her sword from Nicholas. Ever the stern Guardian Angel, he forbids her from using it. Isolated, she takes protecting her brother into her own hands. But when demons show they have evils hidden within their weapons in addition to their ability to siphon souls from the living, Julia's not sure she knows the best way to handle saving him any longer. Especially when ash-colored lines begin to appear on humans, lines of demonic poison that travel through their veins toward their hearts and alter their moods.
Thrust into a dark world of conspiring demons, Julia is in more danger than she ever imagined possible. To stop evil from spreading and overtaking those she loves, she'll have to seek out the one person she mistrusts most--especially when a line appears on her own arm, and her apathy toward doing much of anything, including saving anyone, grows.
Enter a complex world where humans, demons, and angels collide, all battling to rule the Earth. For readers who enjoy young adult paranormal romance and dark fantasy. Fans of City of Bones, Hush Hush, Unearthly, Halo, and Hidden Wings will be captivated by this unique take on angels and demons.
When Smoke Rains Down is Book Two in the Kingdom Come series. Book Three, When Fire Rains Down, the final installment, will be out late 2017.
When Smoke Rains Down is the second book in the Kingdom Come series by Cecelia Earl. There is some intense spiritual warfare going on, and now it's gotten more personal for Julia as it's affecting her family and friends even worse than before. It was a little slow to start, but once it got going, it was hard to put down. There was a lot of building this time around... character building, plot building, world building, relationship building, and more. So much is going on within and around Julia, and she's still unsure of how to handle everything, even though she thinks she is. She comes such a long way within this book though. I truly enjoyed watching her progress and grow. There is some romance. It's a little tense and quite fragile, but I can see it going in any direction at this point.
I wasn't ready for it to end, but I'm completely pumped for the next book!
When Smoke Rains Down by Cecelia Earl was kindly provided to me by YA Bound for review. The opinions are my own.
Check out my review of the first book in this series!
The smoke clears. A quick scan of the room proves no customers are disturbed, and this disturbs me even more than having to douse flames already this morning. Apparently, they're all so accustomed to Travis's daily mishaps it no longer fazes anyone. It’s like everything’s the same… except the part about me being part-angel.
"Unplug the toaster, Travis," I tell him. "We don't need the place to burn down a second time.”
His eyes fly up to meet mine, and his face reddens. "Oh, yup, got it." He yanks the toaster cord from the wall. He dares to handle the no-longer-inflamed pieces of bread with two fingers, tossing one after another into a trashcan.
I sigh, hand him a pair of tongs, and clap him on the shoulder. "Save us from paying for your employee medical bills for burnt fingers, please."
I hoist a tray up on my shoulder, steadying the mugs and plates, and notice the empty mugs in front of the customers at the counter. I pivot to grab a jug of regular coffee and pour, filling one mug after another.
"Julia, let me do that. You're going to drop your tray."
As if. "I've got it, Trav."
"Really, that's a heavy load on your shoulder."
"Nope. Thanks, though."
And that's when two customers walk in wearing masks. I realize it's Halloween, but at their entrance, my wings threaten to emerge and my nerves go on high-alert. I’m pretty sure they’re not here for the coffee. Then, between their smiles distorting into fang-filled grins, and trying to keep my wings from flying out and knocking down every dish and appliance nearby, I jolt, and the tray and pot of coffee all go crashing down. I've still not figured out the trying-to-stay-a-transparent-human-angel thing, and I don't trust Nicholas's promise that it'll just happen on its own, but now I’ve disturbed the customers.
Customers seated comfortably at our newly remodeled granite counter top upon newly purchased metal-backed swivel chairs jump up, shrieking. Probably burnt by scalding coffee.
The entire place is in disarray.
And the demonic-clad Halloween duo have disappeared. They weren’t wearing masks; they were real demons. To the other non-angel customers, they appeared to be just two men like any other that came in for coffee or a meal. If only humans knew the invisible danger that lurks around them.
"Julia, I told you I'd help." Travis is now shaking his head at me disapprovingly. At me. And not the other way around.
Mom comes rushing in from the kitchen in the back, faster than I'd like to see her move only weeks after her release from the hospital. "What happened? Travis, what did you do?"
He throws his hands up innocently. "Nothing. It wasn't me. It was her." He points at me. "She was trying to handle a full tray and pour coffee at the same time."
"Julia, you're not an island. It's okay to accept help." She looks around at the counter and floor, now covered in coffee and shattered glass. "In fact, you have to start accepting help. Don't try to do everything yourself all the time. It'll only end in disaster. Clearly."
I sigh. There's no use explaining I would’ve handled everything fine had demons not come in to taunt and threaten me.
For weeks, there'd been no sign of any angel or demon drama, but little by little in the past couple of days, I've started getting glimpses of that other world again. And my back pain has been acting up.
It's like it's all starting to happen again.
And Nicholas won't let me have access to my sword.
"Go back and finish making the food, Mom." I grab rags and start mopping up the mess, starting with the customers. "I've got this."
"Let Travis help you, for crying out loud." She tightens her lips, but heads back to her stove.
"Is everyone okay?" I check over the customers waiting to return to their soon-to-be-dry chairs. "Steve? Monica?"
"We're fine. Just got spooked," Monica says. She’s in her thirties and recently moved into town with her kids after being hired by none other than Mr. Luca Star. He's started up some new business and now employs half the town. And that's in addition to the business in which he offered me a job.
And when I turned him down, he showed up at my high school dance looking less like a businessman and more like… the devil .
While I mop up the coffee, Travis collects the glass pieces. It doesn't take long to get the place back in order. Perfectly toasted bread is served and coffee is poured in unbroken mugs.
“On the house, everyone. I’m really sorry about the disturbance.”
All is right with the world again, but I can't stop looking over my shoulder for warped faces and tar-dripping fangs every chance I get.
I know trouble can't be far away, not with my wings twinging and the stone in my necklace blazing with heat.
It's only a matter of time before everything goes awry again.
Only this time, I will be ready.
And nobody but the demons will be hurt.
"Unplug the toaster, Travis," I tell him. "We don't need the place to burn down a second time.”
His eyes fly up to meet mine, and his face reddens. "Oh, yup, got it." He yanks the toaster cord from the wall. He dares to handle the no-longer-inflamed pieces of bread with two fingers, tossing one after another into a trashcan.
I sigh, hand him a pair of tongs, and clap him on the shoulder. "Save us from paying for your employee medical bills for burnt fingers, please."
I hoist a tray up on my shoulder, steadying the mugs and plates, and notice the empty mugs in front of the customers at the counter. I pivot to grab a jug of regular coffee and pour, filling one mug after another.
"Julia, let me do that. You're going to drop your tray."
As if. "I've got it, Trav."
"Really, that's a heavy load on your shoulder."
"Nope. Thanks, though."
And that's when two customers walk in wearing masks. I realize it's Halloween, but at their entrance, my wings threaten to emerge and my nerves go on high-alert. I’m pretty sure they’re not here for the coffee. Then, between their smiles distorting into fang-filled grins, and trying to keep my wings from flying out and knocking down every dish and appliance nearby, I jolt, and the tray and pot of coffee all go crashing down. I've still not figured out the trying-to-stay-a-transparent-human-angel thing, and I don't trust Nicholas's promise that it'll just happen on its own, but now I’ve disturbed the customers.
Customers seated comfortably at our newly remodeled granite counter top upon newly purchased metal-backed swivel chairs jump up, shrieking. Probably burnt by scalding coffee.
The entire place is in disarray.
And the demonic-clad Halloween duo have disappeared. They weren’t wearing masks; they were real demons. To the other non-angel customers, they appeared to be just two men like any other that came in for coffee or a meal. If only humans knew the invisible danger that lurks around them.
"Julia, I told you I'd help." Travis is now shaking his head at me disapprovingly. At me. And not the other way around.
Mom comes rushing in from the kitchen in the back, faster than I'd like to see her move only weeks after her release from the hospital. "What happened? Travis, what did you do?"
He throws his hands up innocently. "Nothing. It wasn't me. It was her." He points at me. "She was trying to handle a full tray and pour coffee at the same time."
"Julia, you're not an island. It's okay to accept help." She looks around at the counter and floor, now covered in coffee and shattered glass. "In fact, you have to start accepting help. Don't try to do everything yourself all the time. It'll only end in disaster. Clearly."
I sigh. There's no use explaining I would’ve handled everything fine had demons not come in to taunt and threaten me.
For weeks, there'd been no sign of any angel or demon drama, but little by little in the past couple of days, I've started getting glimpses of that other world again. And my back pain has been acting up.
It's like it's all starting to happen again.
And Nicholas won't let me have access to my sword.
"Go back and finish making the food, Mom." I grab rags and start mopping up the mess, starting with the customers. "I've got this."
"Let Travis help you, for crying out loud." She tightens her lips, but heads back to her stove.
"Is everyone okay?" I check over the customers waiting to return to their soon-to-be-dry chairs. "Steve? Monica?"
"We're fine. Just got spooked," Monica says. She’s in her thirties and recently moved into town with her kids after being hired by none other than Mr. Luca Star. He's started up some new business and now employs half the town. And that's in addition to the business in which he offered me a job.
And when I turned him down, he showed up at my high school dance looking less like a businessman and more like… the devil .
While I mop up the coffee, Travis collects the glass pieces. It doesn't take long to get the place back in order. Perfectly toasted bread is served and coffee is poured in unbroken mugs.
“On the house, everyone. I’m really sorry about the disturbance.”
All is right with the world again, but I can't stop looking over my shoulder for warped faces and tar-dripping fangs every chance I get.
I know trouble can't be far away, not with my wings twinging and the stone in my necklace blazing with heat.
It's only a matter of time before everything goes awry again.
Only this time, I will be ready.
And nobody but the demons will be hurt.
Check out my review of the first book in this series!
Cecelia Earl graduated with a degree in education and has been teaching ever since. She’s a wife, a mom of three boys, and an owner of a magical laundry pile that never stops growing. She lives near enough to Green Bay, WI that her refrigerator is always stocked with cheese, and the first colors her children learned were green and gold. She’s a teacher by day, a mom always, and a writer in her sleep, but that’s okay because being an author is a dream come true. She writes angel books for young and youngish adults. If you feel young, she writes for you—whether or not you feel particularly angelic.
To learn more about Cecelia Earl and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thank you so much for your review! I appreciate you taking the time to read my books and share your thoughts. Cecelia
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the opportunity and for stopping by! I can't wait until your next one releases! :-)
DeleteAnother great book. I was not disappointed!! Can't wait for number three!!
ReplyDeleteMe too!! :-D Thanks for visiting!
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