Introduction

Hey my nugs, welcome to another Myers Fiction Review. Today’s review will look at the sexy and nail-biting sci-fi story Fallen Angels by Anna Mocikat. Anna is a writer of the darker sides of human nature with many books in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genres. Most of her stories fall under the CyberPunk genre, and this one is no exception. Fallen Angels is the sequel to Behind Blue Eyes and you can read my review of book one here.

Before you go on, there are possible spoilers to book one ahead. If you haven’t read it, you’ve been warned.

This review is unique because I listened to it versus reading the hard-copy. There’s something amazing and unique about experiencing a book through audio. I wanted to thank a quick moment to thank Anna for the opportunity to experience her story this way, and I hope that you’ll try it as well. Without further ado, let’s dive into this review.

Summary

When a mysterious string of murders occurs and all of them are close to home, it drives a fresh fear into the supposedly immortal Guardian Angels. In “Fallen Angels,” Nephilim, a Guardian Angel in Olympia City, deals with memory loss caused by a malfunction. While facing the day-to-day duties of a Guardian Angel, enforcing Olympia’s laws, and facing the powerful enemies of their organization, past issues and acquaintances resurface. Nephilim finds herself stuck between who she thought she was and who she’d actually been recently. “Fallen Angels” is all about rediscovery, finding the flaws in the system, and staying true to who you are.

Olympias City is the main city used in Fallen Angels, but you do get to travel to a few other places that add a nice variety. For those new to this series, Olympias City is owned by one of the three main megacorporations that run what remains of the world. What are their controlling powers? Sex, satisfaction, and entertainment. Even though it sounds like there are no limits to the actions in this city, there are plenty of ways to be put on the naughty list and to have the angels sent your way. And you do not want the Guardian Angels looking for you.

This book probably isn’t for all ages or persons, but it’s another amazing addition to the cyberpunk genre.

Analysis and Evaluation

One reason Anna Mocikat is a talented author to read and study is the rawness of her tone, characters, and stories. Anna doesn’t shy away from sensitive topics and puts you with the character to experience crucial moments. Fallen Angels is no different. There were many scenes where the emotions and sensations were so real that you couldn’t help but read on.

The character development in Fallen Angels explored the idea of whether you would still be the same person today if you forgot who you were yesterday. Nephilim has lost her memory of a majority of the time from Behind Blue Eyes and has been reprogrammed into who you meet on the first page. If you’ve read book one, you know the dramatic change that Nephilim went through just before you find her again in Fallen Angels. So Anna gave herself a significant challenge of the memory loss game. Do you have the character go through the same growth, or change it up?

Nephilim’s development is more of a slow burn in this book as the overarching plotline is decorated with subplots that pull Nephilim and the reader down different tangents. Don’t worry, though, they all play a key part in the story and tying all of Behind Blue Eyes into Fallen Angels. There are surprises around every corner, some sexy and some gory.

With that said, the themes most prominent in my mind from Fallen Angels were the questions of human nature: who a person is vs who others say they are, and can someone find their way back to who they were? Nephilim’s journey, while an exhilarating one, still hits on all three of those themes throughout the books. Whether it’s stories from the past of a mysterious benefactor saving a little girl’s life, to a mercy given to a dear friend, to the resurgence of a love that didn’t exist in memory. Fallen Angels brings all of this and more to its readers of the Behind Blue Eyes series.

Audiobook Vs. Print

I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Fallen Angels as an Audible audiobook. One of the biggest challenges is transitioning from the voices in your head to hearing the narrator take over. It’s akin to moving from a book to cast characters for a movie. Naturally, not everyone will agree or be pleased, but I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with the selected narrators for Fallen Angels. David Reimer and Jessica Weyman’s sound is perfect for the Cyberpunk genre and complements Anna Mocikat’s unique writing voice.

With each form you gain some and you lose some. For me, it was a loss of the voices I had in my head, but that’s not a terrible thing. I think the advantage of having another voice form the story for you makes it that much more of an experience.

Personal Response

Fallen Angels is everything Anna Mocikat promises in her cyberpunk novel. I appreciated the continuity of the storyline and the fact that we don’t join Nephilim until she’s integrated into her role as an ArchAngel. Though I didn’t connect with Nephilim as much as I did in Behind Blue Eyes, I still feel like it was the appropriate level of closeness, as she’s a stranger to herself in a way. At first, I thought it would be boring to have the story happening in the same location, even with the adventure to Olympus 3, but I was happy to see how the change in Nephilim’s status brought her to new areas of the world we had yet to see. I like to believe that we are who we are because of nature and nurture, but Fallen Angels left me wondering if I would be the same person I am today without the memories of yesterday.

In the end, I would highly recommend this book to cyberpunk fans who are ready to face the raw and real world Anna has created in the Behind Blue Eyes Series. I believe you could read this book without reading the first book, but I felt more aware of everything, and why certain things were important by reading Behind Blue Eyes first.

Conclusion

Anna Mocikat has crafted another thrilling installment in the Behind Blue Eyes series with Fallen Angels. This cyberpunk sequel tackles challenging questions about identity and human nature through the lens of Nephilim’s memory loss. While she may not be the same character we knew from the first book, her journey of self-rediscovery pulls the reader along an exhilarating ride through the dark underbelly of Olympias City.

Fallen Angels is a must-read for fans of the series and cyberpunk fiction alike. Mocikat’s raw tone and gritty world-building transport the reader to Olympias City just as much through audio as print. By the end, you’re left wondering if you’d still be you without your memories and experiences. I’m excited to read the next book, War Games, in the Behind Blue Eyes series.

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