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“Angel Falling Softly was, to put it very, very mildly, a disappointment. The concept of the worlds of vampires colliding with the world of the Mormon faith sounded very intriguing. Sadly, what I discovered was little to no actual Mormon "faith" in this book.(Which is why I've decided to classify it as "mainstream fiction", rather than "LDS fiction").
If you are expecting any spiritual growth in the Mormon mother, Rachel, you will be sadly disillusioned by the end of this book. Rachel to the bitter end (and I do mean "bitter!") demonstrates more faith in the "eternal life of the "living dead (i.e., vampires)", than she does in the eternal life offered by God Himself. There is no discussion of the promise of a literal resurrection and the opportunity of being reunited with one's family with glorified bodies "forever and ever, worlds without end." There is absolutely no faith or trust in the superior Parental love of a Heavenly Father to care for a loved one's spirit after death, a child who was, after all, His daughter before she was Rachel's. To the very end of the book, Rachel, who presumably is meant to represent a "typical" Mormon mother (married to a bishop, presumably in the temple, though that is never addressed, either), appears much more bitter than faithful (i.e., full of faith) a challenge she never overcomes.
As for the vampires themselves, I scarcely know what to say. Their origins are so murky and their backstories so disjointed, that it's difficult to judge them one way or the other. One theme the author seemed to take some delight in, was a number of provocative vampire/lesbian themes, though the vampires actually appear to be more bi-sexual than strictly lesbian. And I'm not talking "just talk". I'm talking scenes sufficiently graphic that I would have quit reading the book then and there, had it not been for the alleged "LDS theme".
To be honest, if this book had been about any other character than a Mormon one, I would never have bothered to finish it. The only reason I kept reading, was (1) because the main character, Rachel, was LDS, and (2) I kept hoping (against hope, as it turned out), that Rachel would wake up and exert some actual faith in a loving God and the Plan of Salvation He's provided for our eternal happiness. Now that I've finished the book, I feel more manipulated than anything. The LDS "hook" is definitely what will keep LDS readers reading when, under any other circumstances, most would likely abandon this book well before the end. A calculated manipulation of LDS readers on the author's part is my suspicion.
I'm giving the book one star for such an "empty, faithless, utterly non-uplifting" story, but a second star because it was, to be honest, competently written. I thought the author made an over-the-top attempt to make the book sound "literary", when it could have been told much more straightforwardly. Example:
**Rachel was standing outside the Relief Society room waiting for Sunday School to conclude when Charlene Millington rushed up to her with such enthusiasm that Rachel had to restrain herself from pirouetting out of the way like a rodeo clown dodging a charging bull.**
Couldn't Charlene simply "rush up" with her news? Perhaps if the book had had a lighter tone, this line would have fit. But the attempted comedy of it fell flat in such a heavy-themed, and ultimately depressing story.
My ultimate recommendation? Don't waste your time on this book! However, if the premise sounds just too intriguing to ignore, then my follow-up recommendation would be not to waste your money on a "new" copy, but either borrow one from someone else (I'd be more than glad to give you mine, though hesitant to inflict it upon you), or buy a used copy for as cheap as you can.
Just don't say you haven't been warned”