Verday, Jessica. The Beautiful and the Damned.

Verday, Jessica.  The Beautiful and the Damned.  Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse  2013 272p  ISBN 978-1-4424-8835-9  hs/adult      VG    Fantasy    

Cyn is plagued by memories of her boyfriend’s murder, which she thinks she committed.  Her boyfriend’s brother, a former police officer, chases her to New Hampshire where he finds her working in a small cafe.  Cyn finds a protector in Avian who is half angel, half demon. 

Author Jessica Verday’s creativity shines in several areas.  First, her plot is crafted well.  The reader feels the escalation of tension as Cyn struggles to figure out her place in society as an Echo.  Echos have skills in the areas of persuasion and trickery, but in Cyn’s case, they also have liabilities.  She loses herself at times and wakes up in precarious situations with no memory of what happened.  After she discovers her boyfriend’s blood on her hands, she flees.  Seeking revenge and/or justice, Hunter’s brother Declan follows her.  She cannot hide from him.  The conflict escalates as she figures out who he is and why he is pursuing her.  The climax and falling action are like something out of a movie, exciting and action-packed. 

Verday’s next strength lies in her ability to create supernatural characters who seem authentic.  Verday introduces Avian, and whereas he is viciously demonic at times, at others he is warm, as in his relationship with Father John, a man who “adopted” him in Avian’s time of need.  When Father John is killed, Cyn believes, once again, that she is the murderer.  Avian is now part of her life, and their relationship develops as Avian tries to help her figure out who is inhabiting her body during her blackouts. 

Verday’s final area of expertise lies in her appeal.  Readers who don’t necessarily enjoy reading books about demons will be pleasantly surprised by her innovative creations, the Echo and the Revenant.  It might be a stretch for typical readers to imagine a demon with angel wings that can spread and be used as necessary, yet this creature’s definition calls for just that.  This book is an enjoyable read all around. 

Summary: Cyn is plagued by memories of her boyfriend’s murder, which she thinks she committed.  Her boyfriend’s brother, a former police officer, chases her to New Hampshire where he finds her working in a small cafe.  Cyn finds a protector in Avian who is half angel, half demon. 

Supernatural-Fiction, Demons-Fiction                  --Martha Squaresky