And Falling, Fly (A Harrowing Novel)

by Skyler White

Book Overview

Read Skyler White's posts on the Penguin Blog. View our feature on Skyler White’s and Falling, Fly. An edgy, erotic blend of fantasy and romance-from a debut author whose star is on the rise. In a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425232344
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Berkley
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

and Falling, Fly- A Joyfully Recommended Title

Olivia is damned. All she wants is love, except what she is given is desire. She needs to find the loophole love would bring, but is beginning to think it is a lost cause. Dominic O'Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist researching a mental illness he is sure he has. Lives change when the two meet in Hell. Will they save each other or be damned for all eternity? And Falling, Fly rocked my imagination. Skyler White wrote an intrigue blend of science and mythology about angels, vampires, and scientists with past lives and love. Ms. White put the vampire legend on its ear. I love her world and insight to the mythology we know and love. Dominic is a wonderful blend of tortured soul and hard core scientist. I was fascinated by his mind and his visions. Olivia is broken in her heart and soul. The interesting thing about And Falling, Fly is that Olivia is written in first person and Dominic is in third. It brings a really cool quality to the overall story. I find it interesting that Dominic was third person because of his visions of what are believed to be past lives. It really puts you into his head, whereas Olivia is in the beyond, the now and an angel. I am Joyfully Recommending And Falling, Fly in all its dark and wonderful glory. Jambrea Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Refreshing, bold and a definite re-read

I've read all the reviews and there are a few things I'd like to add to the pot. By now folks can tell this book isn't for the faint-of-heart or the quickie, satisfy my instant gratification mood. It's dark. It's deep. And given that the theme is desire, well, you shouldn't be surprised at the heat. For me it was a marvelous surprise. It's the first book I've read in a while that really lingered with me. My brain felt like the mechanations in Ms. White's hotel, tickled into motion by the energy, the fresh presentation, of the ideas in the story. Wonderful use of mythology, philosophy and science. It was so nice to read words put on a page by someone who obviously spends time thinking beyond the superficial. I've always been a sucker for stories that aren't what they seem, stories that will push and pull you in several directions by the time they're done. And the characters. Oh, the characters. They were my favorite part. So beautifully broken and so aching. They're chock full of pain and it's like we catch them in their desperate last effort to find some meaning, some peace in a brutal world. Anyone who's had life shove a decent sized dose of pain down his or her throat can identify with that. And Alyx. And Gaehod. Sigh. How can no one have mentioned them? I thought the ending was superb. Ophelia. Dang. Read it just for Ophelia. Still gives me chills. This book is like finding a secret door while touring some cathedral in Europe. Those are the trips you remember, the ones you talk about. Read the book. Get lost in the catacombs for a while. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Review: The intriguing world of "and Falling, Fly"

Honestly "and Falling, Fly" is unlike any other vampire based genre novel I have read. A captivating concept of a world in which: "Every vampire is a fallen angel of desire, and we nourish our deathless beauty on what we fleeting inspire in mortals who live, but briefly." (p.16). A place where science, mythology and magic meet and create an interesting, thought provoking meld. Skyler weaves a world that is, at the same time beautiful yet gritty, beginning in the first few chapters in America, then continuing across the Atlantic to Ireland in the hell that is L'Otel Mathillide. Centering on the two complex protagonists, Olivia (the fallen angel of desire) and Dominic (the self medicating neuroscientist), and each ones quest for understanding, acceptance and freedom. Dominic seeking to understand himself "mentally": Is he crazy? Why does he have so many memories of lives previously lived? Can he erase these memories with the skills of science? Olivia, is seeking to be understood "physically", and once seen for what she really is (a fallen angel, now vampire) through eyes that are not blinded by her beauty, she can thereby gain her freedom from the trap of unfeeling mortal flesh. I found that "and Falling, Fly" put to question the notion of the superficiality of desire. Are we only considered desirable, if we meet the requirements of what is dictated or expected? And if one does not fit into it, are we thus damned, undesirable and unworthy? Furthermore the language in which Skyler writes evokes a wonderful sense of lyric and poetry (that was not lost on this fellow poet). Her use of metaphor helps to drive the story along in the minds eye, conjuring images that add to the uniqueness of the novel. For example: "Tonight, I will hunt with Adam's rage on ruined shoes, and I will feed full-tooth. Desire denied consumes." (p.22) As well, personally, I like Skyler's approach with the points of view in the novel. Using the "I" point of view for the strong female persona of Olivia, yet not over shadowing (and giving equally to) the voice of the male protagonist Dominic. To quote Julie Kenner (USA Today bestselling author): "Skyler White's and Falling, Fly puts a unique and intelligent spin on the vampire legend... will have readers turning pages... and thinking about the book long after they've reached the end." I couldn't have said it better myself. Skyler White's "and Falling, Fly" makes for a provocative and intriguing debut, that takes you on an intellectual ride, that's well worth reading!

A beautiful, seamless read

Skyler White's first book, and Falling, Fly, is genuinely a work of art. She brings both allure and fragility to the gritty, night-time world of clubs and tattoo parlors, absinthe and intoxication. Her dark, steampunk world, peopled by both man and fallen-angel-turned-vampire, comes to life through the elegance of her lyrical prose, a prose which draws the reader in and pierces her to the core with its beauty. But it's not the prose that makes this book. This is really a modern myth, a retelling of vampires and angels that examines the nature of both love and desire, searching for an understanding of what it is that drives us. The philosophical aspect of the novel is interwoven with the characters' thoughts and struggles, giving them a grace and depth that transcends the norm. And the story itself is artfully spun. White weaves myth, philosophy and plot into a seamless piece that avoids easy or obvious devices to create an intense, unique tale.

Extraordinary wordsmith!

Not only is Skyler White a master of mythology, she is also an extraordinary wordsmith. This isn't a book to be scanned quickly; it's a work to be savored slowly and read carefully lest you miss something in the marvelously multilayered story. It's one of those books you remember long after the last page...and continue to think about. I predict great things for Skyler. Don't miss this one.