Book Review: Dark Halo

Dark Halo by Shannon Dittemore
One halo brought sight to Brielle.  Another offers sweet relief from what she sees.

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My Review of Angel Eyes
My Review of Broken Wings

Amazon Summary:

Brielle can’t help but see the Celestial. Even without the halo, the invisible realm is everywhere she looks. It’s impossibly beautiful—and terrifying, especially now. Because a battle rages above Stratus, Oregon.

The Terrestrial Veil is ripping, and demons walk the streets past unseeing mortals. Dark, sticky fear drips from every face, and nightmares haunt Brielle’s sleep.

Worst of all, Jake is gone. The only boy she’s ever loved has been taken by the demon, Damien. When she receives instructions from the Throne Room leading her to Jake, she unknowingly walks into a diabolical and heartbreaking trap.

 Now she’s stranded in a sulfurous desert with the Prince of Darkness himself, and he’s offering her another halo—a mirrored ring that will destroy her Celestial vision. All she has to do is wear it and she’ll see no more of the invisible world. No more fear. No more nightmares. No more demons. It’s a gift. And best of all: it comes with the promise of a future with Jake, something the Throne Room seems to be taking from her.

Will Brielle trade the beauty of the Celestial and the truth of the world around her just to feel ordinary again?

My Thoughts:

Lovely readers, I think I'm in love with a book.

No, not a character from a book - Jake's pretty amazing and my heart hurts for Marco, but they're not for me.  Not an author or writing style - although Shannon Dittemore is crazy daisy awesome.

I am in love with the book itself.

The story.  The words.  One chapter after another, I just couldn't get enough of the series - and the third book blows the others out of the park!

Brielle's and Jake's gifts, the halo(es), the angels - both fallen and proper, Marco and Olivia, the heartbreaking story that ties everyone together, and the settings were so perfectly and beautifully explained and described.  Where the first book was a wonderful beginning, this book was a satisfying ending.  Where the second book was confusing and astounding, this book was heartfelt and clear as crystal.  Where the second book seemed a bit unrealistic at parts, this third book was heartbreakingly true to life.

The first book's plot draws you in.  The second tangles things up so much, you just need to read the third book, to see what happens and what it all means.  This third book... just, wow.  I don't think anybody could have seen this coming.  Every minute was tightly woven, suspense and danger and romance and loss all carved together to complete the glorious picture that is the Angel Eyes trilogy.  (Not to mention there's always Kaylee to lighten things up with Oreos, crazy slippers, and fearless demon-punching.  Every other sentence out of her mouth had me in fits of giggles, even with everyone's life precariously balanced on the tightrope that was this plot.)

Of course, a review of Dark Halo wouldn't be complete without a word on the Prince.  Yes, the Devil himself makes an appearance in this book - actually, more than one.  I might say Shannon Dittemore knows her characters, her readers, and her subject matter better than any other author I've read.  In her depiction of Satan, both in his Terrestrial and his Celestial forms, she strikes the perfect balance between his revolting, slippery, dark, evil true nature... and the glorious, alluring, seductive, charming angel of light that is his greatest tool since the days of Eve and the Garden.

In my review of the first Angel Eyes book, I compared Shannon Dittemore's writing to that of my favorite author, Cidney Swanson.  Now that I've finished the series, I'd more than reiterate that statement.  I do believe I've found the Christian paranormal parallel to Cidney Swanson's young adult sci-fi.  I absolutely cannot wait for Shannon to start her next project, whatever it may be!  Five stars!

I received this book for free from BookSneeze in exchange for this review.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.