A CARESS OF WINGS (Renegade Angels #1.5) by Sylvia Day

As we begin our feature saluting Sylvia Day, A Caress of Wings is a repost from a previous review.

A CARESS OF WINGS is an e-novella (June 2012 release) in Sylvia Day’s Renegade Angels series.  Part of the series premise follows that if a Sentinel (Guardian Angel) falls in love or mates with a mortal/human their wings are removed and they become the Fallen.  As a Fallen, they are now vampire, and require blood to survive. But along the way, a few of the Fallen have requested leniency and begged off from vampire status and have become ‘lycan’-infused with demon blood with the capability to shift.  The lycans are currently on the run, hoping to escape servitude to the Sentinels.

A CARESS OF WINGS is a short story that follows the rescue of a human male-Trevor Descansos by Sentinel Angel Siobhan.  Trevor had been held prisoner by a horde of virus-infected vampires for over a year.  Tortured, sexually abused and used for his blood, Trevor begged for death. Weak and dying, all he knew was the daily pain and torment of hundreds of hungry mouths biting and clawing for his blood.  But when a beautiful angel freed Trevor from his chains, he knew death had granted his wish.

Siobhan is a researcher for the Sentinels. Knowing their blood was a cure for the vampire virus proved invaluable and dangerous at the same time.  If the vampires knew then every Sentinel would be targeted.  Looking for a cause to the vampire virus, it was one of Siobhan’s responsibilities to investigate and test new theories surrounding the virus that was quickly overtaking the vampire hordes. But finding a dying Trevor chained to a wall pulled at her heart.  Guilt ate at Siobhan for not finding Trevor sooner, but by infusing his blood with her own, Trevor would soon make a quick physical recovery.  But it was his emotional mind and his memories that would cause bigger problems for the pair, when Trevor and Siobhan begin to develop a strong attraction to each other.

Siobhan knew that to fall for a human would mean to Fall as an Angel.  Warning bells alarmed whenever she considered the possibility of a relationship with the sexy human male.  There was only one recourse for Siobhan, if she were to save her wings, and that would be to wipe Trevor’s memory and hope that she would never encounter him again.  Hope is for fools, when she must deliver a package to Angel Towers and seeing Trevor-the connection between the couple is stronger than either can resist.  But Trevor has changed in the weeks since Shiobhan sent him away and now the realization of what he is will force Siobhan to make a decision she never thought would be made.

A CARESS OF WINGS is a short story.  Siobhan was previously introduced in an earlier storyline and A Caress of Wings opens a premise into another potential Fallen Angel.  To be honest, in the beginning I had a difficult time connecting to the pair.  Perhaps it is because the Sentinels are without emotions, yet Siobhan most definitely felt something for Trevor. Trevor’s delirium was well written, but once he was back to health, his personality reminded me of a puppy lost and looking for someone with whom to play.  Also, the premise of The Fallen Angels is technically lost when the current crop of storyline characters does not meet with the same fate as previous Angels who fell.  Perhaps, like real life, the Sentinels have evolved and learned from their mistakes in the past. An interesting storyline, and one that I hope Sylvia continues throughout the series.  Now that a number of Angels are falling for humans, there will have to be a resolution that will satisfy everyone. Looking forward to A Hunger So Wild.

READING ORDER
1. A Dark Kiss of Rapture
2. A Touch of Crimson
3. A Caress of Wings
4. A Hunger So Wild

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
KOBO

Reviewed by Sandy