Cue ALL the angst at this point, along with a dark moment that stretches for the last third of the book, leaving me in tears multiple times. Neither man recognizes the real bond between them until it’s almost too late. The initial connection between Castor and Kyo is pure lust, followed by a reluctantly developing friendship. The “fated mates” trope is once again in play for the romance arc, but I continue to appreciate Osborn’s take on it. Castor and Kyo, the leads of this book, are vastly different in terms of personality and experience from Galen and Simon. This book has a significantly different vibe from the first in this series, but that’s as it should be. Now that Osborn has introduced us to this fascinating world (and underworld), we’re ready for a deeper dive into what we caught glimpses of before. I look forward to continuing the adventure with these crazy half-angels as they both fall in love and probably save the world along the way. Much of the angels versus demons fantasy element has already been mined to death for plot ideas, but Osborn throws in enough other paranormal elements to flesh out the world rather than clutter it up. For being the first book in an evolving storyline, this novel featured plenty of drama, action, and real concern that everyone might not make it out okay (even for a character I already know has his own book later). The external plot engaged me as much as the romantic arc.

Except Osborn used the lightest touch of the “fated mates” concept to depict an evolving relationship that started as purely physical and evolved into genuine care, friendship, and love. Galen, the embodiment of Wrath, seemed an interesting choice for the debut installment, and I’ll admit that I thought his pairing with nerdy human Simon might be awkward at best and contrived at worst.

But I can tell that this world and these characters are already worth the investment of seven books.įound family is one of my favorite tropes, no matter the genre, and I loved the distinct relationships between each of the Nephilim (half-angel) characters. I tore through the first book and have already started on the second, despite my usual practice of writing up reviews before continuing the storyline. Since a glance at the reviews showed them mostly positive, I figured I would give it a shot. Paranormal romance featuring angels and demons have always been a mixed bag for me, but Amazon kept throwing the first book of the series into my recommendations list.

Galen by Jaclyn Osborn