Torment (Fallen, #2)

by Lauren Kate

The second novel in the addictive and worldwide bestselling FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

#1 New York Times bestseller 
A USA Today Bestseller
More than 3 million series copies in print!

Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel. It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous. What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?


“Sexy and fascinating and scary . . . I loved loved loved it!”
—P. C. Cast, New York Times bestselling author on Fallen

• ISBN10: 0385739141
• ISBN13: 9780385739146
• Publish Date: 28 September 2010 (first published 1 January 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc
• Imprint: Bantam Doubleday Dell
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 464
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780385739146

Reviews

Torment is an okay read, enjoyable at times, boring to some extent, but the main elements don't work for me. 

My main issue is the romance. I've read this series before, so I knew that it was going to be romance heavy and I wasn't expecting much plot-wise. However, if romance is the main part of a story, I have to be invested in the relationship. I couldn't get behind the romance no matter how much I tried. The romance between Luce and Daniel is made to seem like the benchmark of true love and one of the most epic love stories ever, but their relationship is such a joke. For most of Torment, Luce and Daniel are separated. When they're apart, they pine for each other, but when they're together, all they do is make-out and argue. The way their romance is written seems more like lust than love. Their relationship has no basis and no foundation, so when they're together, the cracks start showing. 

It also doesn't help that Daniel is an epic jerk. He treats Luce like a child and because he knows all her past lives, he thinks he knows her better than herself and treats her like a possession instead of a person. He's arrogant, condescending, selfish and terrible and thinks that he's above everyone else. If he just communicated with Luce, instead of brushing her off and keeping her in the dark, maybe their relationship would seem more believable. I dislike Daniel and the way he deals with things. He's not a swoony angel, but rather a grade-A idiot. 

Then there's Luce, who is meant to be a likable character, but ends up being annoying and frustrating. She might be booksmart, but she certainly isn't streetwise and I don't know how she's still alive. She has no personality and everything that makes her who she is revolves around Daniel, who for such an important person in Luce's life hasn't done anything to make him worthy of being one.

In Torment, Luce meets Shelby and Miles. Shelby seems like a stereotypical character at first, but she's proactive, notices the details and makes plans to figure out what's going on. Without her Luce would be going nowhere, but Shelby's character also emphasises that Luce doesn't have a clue about anything even though we are constantly told that Luce is intelligent. Miles is a nice guy, but he isn't a developed character and I don't get what he sees in Luce. 

The love triangle is unnecessary because it's obvious how things are going to go. The aim of the love triangle is to create drama and tension and is a way for Luce to affirm her feelings, but it doesn't come across naturally. I also dislike how Luce leads Miles on which results in her cheating on Daniel when she kisses him, in one of the most contrived scenes ever. The love triangle doesn't do any favours for Luce, as a character, and also the romance between Luce and Daniel. 

The plot is slow for the most part and Luce tries to figure out what's going on because she's being kept in the dark, but she isn't getting anywhere. Then there's Luce pining after Daniel, meeting him, arguing with him, messing around with the announcers and maybe two life threatening situations, which are the result of Luce's stupidity. There's also a lack of tension because I had the feeling that things would go a certain way, but in all fairness, this is my second read. 

Since I've gotten most of the negatives out of the way, there are some elements that I like such as certain characters (Shelby, Cam, Arriane and Roland), the awkward Thanksgiving dinner and the last 'battle' scene. However, the ending shows Luce's and Daniel's negative traits in all its glory. Luce goes into an announcer. She doesn't know what she's doing, where she's going and she doesn't even know much about announcer travel. Daniel decides to follow Luce, but he doesn't accept any help, because apparently no one knows Luce as well as he does.

This review makes my reading experience seem extremely negative, but if it wasn't for the mess that is Luce, Daniel and their romance, Torment would have been a more enjoyable read... but then there wouldn't be a story to tell. 

[cornerfolds]

Torment was really more of the same for me. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't amazing. It opens with Luce at her new school in California where she's supposed to be hiding from the bad guys. Unfortunately, that means it's very, very similar to the first book since she goes through getting used to a new school and making new friends all over again. Also similarly, Luce makes a lot of the same mistakes. She constantly ignores warnings from Daniel to stay on school property and ends up putting everyone in danger - again.

Throughout this book, Luce is angsty and distrusting over Daniel's lack of physical presence by her side. Her immaturity is glaring throughout the book as she constantly goes off on Daniel over every little inconvenience to her. I'm just not her biggest fan. I mean, she's not a total bitch, she's just a teenager, I guess. Daniel remains one of my favorite characters. He tries so hard to keep Luce safe! Again, Adrianne was a super fun character!

Lauren Kate does a lot right with this book, she just doesn't do enough to keep me interested. I liked it... But despite the blurb's claims, the Fallen series isn't nearly addictive enough to make me read (or even listen to) the third book.


Notes on the Audiobook
Nothing much to add here either! I really enjoyed the narration provided by Justine Eyre and would certainly listen to something else performed by her.

[Sam@WLABB]

OMG! I cannot believe Luce did that! Gotta get book 3.

If you are looking for a lot of answers, you won't be getting them. BUT, we will make some new friends (Miles, Shelby), reconnect with some old ones (Arrianne, Gabbe, Roland), and learn more about some of Luce's past lives and just how useful an announcer can be. We will also see that love triangle turn into a square and find out that Luce has more enemies than we knew.

In other words, not a lot of answers, but we do learn a more about this world filled with angels, demons and other other-worldly beings.

[Angie]

It's been three years since I read Fallen, because I was worried that Torment would be more of the same, but finally I have succumb to the call of the pretty cover. Thankfully, I did like this one better. There are parts that I liked less, like that slow, repetitive, boring beginning, but then there's some really interesting stuff happening, too. It picks up with Daniel delivering Luce to another new school, since she's no longer safe at their former reform school. Now, she's in California at a kind of prep school for Nephilim where she'll be protected while Daniel goes off and does what he does for eighteen days. Luce is left mostly in the dark about the situation, which prompts her to do some research of her own.

My favorite part of Torment was learning more about the shadows (which were mostly really dumb in the first book). They're not just creepy blobs of darkness, but messengers known as Announcers for those in the know. Each one can show a snippet of the past if you know how to summon one (which Luce does) and how to "glimpse." Of course, Luce is special among humans and figures out how to do this complicated task and uses it to explore her past lives. Quite interesting. Then there are hints at time travel! I love time travel, but it's not something I would expect from a Paranormal Romance about angels and demons. But then when you consider the reincarnation bits, it does make sense. Luce has to uncover he past lives somehow, since Daniel refuses to explain.

Most of the first part of Torment is just Luce moping after Daniel. Eighteen days is such an eternity! Wah, wah, wah! However, I could totally understand her frustration over not knowing why he's going to be away and why she had to transfer. But, I did find it annoying when Luce would just leave campus, despite being told not to, just because she claims she didn't know how dangerous it was for her elsewhere since no one will tell her anything. I totally wanted to high five one of her "teachers" when he said they shouldn't have to be so explicit, since it's fairly obvious someone is out to get her! Come on, Luce! Use your brain! Then there's the parts where Luce finally starts to question everything Daniel has told her, which wasn't much. Daniel's word is not gospel! There's something he's hiding, and maybe life and love is possible for Luce without him, even though they've spent centuries losing and finding each other.

In the end, I kind of liked Torment. It didn't annoy me as much as Fallen, since Luce is finally coming out of the Daniel haze and starting to think for herself, even if it does get her in trouble, since she seems to only be able to think about one thing at a time. Mostly I was just excited to see how this time travel aspect works in Passion!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[jeannamichel]

Luce and Daniel are back. Daniel and Cam had made a truce, in Fallen, and had left her on an island, trying to figure out what their best move was next. Daniel decides to take Luce to the safest place he can think of, Shoreline, a special school in California. Luce doesn’t quite understand what Daniel means by all this. She definitely does not understand the way he is treating her, telling her to do this with no questions answered. Luce begins to doubt their relationship. Shoreline is a school to help her grow and learn about her past and Daniel’s. As much as she doesn’t comprehend a lot of things, she learns to trust her heart to tell her what to do next.

Lauren Kate was setting up their love story in Fallen, whereas in Torment, Daniel and Luce get to finally have some moments. Kate is just pure genius, taking something that was just the building blocks and adding a piece one by one. In Fallen, I had a lot of questions not answered and Kate started to answer them one at a time, in Torment. Even Luce felt that she wasn’t getting enough answers and I was content with learning what she did in the novel. This series is surely a piece of work that just keeps getting better with each new book.

With a new school, comes new characters. Enter in Shelby, the new roommate: Shelby takes time to warming up to Luce but overall Shelby has attitude that leads to some hilarious comic relief in scenes of the novel. On one of the first few days at her new school, she meets Miles, who is the cliché of a sidekick. He is the little puppy dog-friend that every heroine needs these days. As much as I thought that, Miles does have a mind of his own, surprising even me at the end with his skills.

The plot, once again because Lauren Kate never disappoints, is filled with nonstop action that always leads you thirsting for more. I never stopped learning new things, when I thought I had gotten the scoop on Daniel’s past, I am filled with even more questions than when I started this book, but Passion, the third in the series, will hold some of the answers. I loved Luce’s discovery about the Announcers. I have been wondering about them since they were introduced in Fallen and now we have a little understanding of what their purpose is there.

The ending left me wondering and certainly wanting more, as usual. For those of you who have read the book, LUCE, what is she doing? I realize that she wants to develop more and learn more about the past that she has been working on in Torment, but she could have, at least, said something to anyone before doing that. Let me just say, that was the most action-packed Thanksgiving that I have ever experienced.

Overall, this book was amazing and I really don’t have any complaints. Lauren Kate gave us a gorgeous work of art, with wonderful characters, nonstop action, and interesting enemies. Make sure to check out the next installment, Passion, if you loved this book as much as I did.

[Kim Deister]

Torment is the second in the new Fallen series by Lauren Kate, and, so far, my favorite. My biggest criticism of the previous novel was that at times the plot became somewhat tangled and confusing. I absolutely didn't have that problem with this novel. There are definately some places where it is difficult to clearly draw the line between sides, but it worked in this story and was purposeful. This book answered many of the questions from the last novel, and made some of the "muddiness" of the first novel clear again. New characters were introduced and their differences from the heroes and villians of the first novel truly added texture to the story. One of the things I loved the most about this book was the development of Luce's personality. Too many times, the female lead in a YA novel seems to be overly submissive to the male lead. If the guy is gorgeous and beefy, it doesn't matter that he can be somewhat controlling or less than nice, which I think sends the wrong message. I saw a little of that submissiveness for Luce in the first novel and I hoped it wasn't going to be an overpowering element of her character. I was delighted to see her character move beyond that, take control of her own life, ask questions, stand up to herself. I enjoyed seeing a strong Luce emerge amid the confusion of what her life had become. The other thing I truly enjoyed was the cliffhanger Kate left the reader with at the end of the novel. This time, the ending was a perfect blend of questions answered and questions to be answered, with no feeling of muddiness. And once again, the covert art is simply stunning! I truly enjoyed this installment of the Fallen series.

[celinenyx]

Torment is the long awaited sequel of the book Fallen. What makes this books stand out from the crowd is not their unique story, but their beautiful outside (I did a post on the covers here). I have to admit, that is why is started reading these books too, out of curiosity. Would the book itself be as great as its cover?

To be harsh, no. Torment isn't as mysterious and dark as the cover would indicate. Still, this is a very enjoyable young-adult book with a dark twist.

In this book Luce doesn't attend Sword & Cross any more, the gloomy school we know so well from Fallen, but Shoreline, located next to the sunny Californian beach. Only problem is; Daniel isn't there. Luce feels like he is keeping secrets from her, and she starts doubting their relationship.

Shoreline isn't your ordinary school. Its honours programme is a cover-up, for only Nephelim can join it. Its a place where they learn about their history and their powers. Here, Luce's arrival is the story of the day. Her history with Daniel is well known in Nephel circles.

It's nice to see a change of setting, but the cheery place felt well, a bit too cheery for this story. I loved how Sword & Cross was described, and the gloominess added to the story. The Shoreline setting doesn't do a lot for the book. It's a great way to introduce some interesting new characters, but I still felt like I would rather have them all in an old dark castle than some state of the art light campus. Mrs. Kate has probably made the contrast with the two schools on purpose, but for me personally it wasn't quite fitting.

The book revolves around the fourteen days Luce attends Shoreline while Daniel is gone off somewhere she doesn't know. She starts doubting their history and their relationship. I thought this was well done, to finally see some realistic reaction from her. The whole destined to be together thing isn't really believable when Luce can't even remember all of her past lives.

What I also liked a lot was that Luce develops some powers of her own. The Announcers that have followed her around play a bigger role in Torment. I'm looking forward to see what the author will do with this in the next part of the series.

I did have some annoyances. Why does there always have to be a love triangle? No, seriously. I have yet to read a young-adult romance book where the heroine knows for a hundred percent which boy she wants. I'm getting tired of them really. I guess they're supposed to spice the romance up a bit, but in most of the cases it's just stalling the happily ever after. If it is part of the story, I can live with a love triangle, but usually it just feels forced. Unfortunately, Torment falls in the latter category. It's just unbelievable that we can have a second love triangle after the one in Fallen. Maybe in the next book we'll do something new and have a love square instead. Now that would be interesting.

Overall Torment is a decent read. We get some more world building, the stark black and white begin to blur into shades of grey, and there are great secondary characters once again. Luce's pondering might get on your nerves a bit. Now I'm thinking about it, it kind of feels like in New Moon. Luce and Bella would make great friends.

I did enjoy Torment. It has some nice intrigues and a cliffhanger that leaves me wanting for more. It might not be the epic love story it advertises to be but I see potential in good old Lucinda. Maybe she'll have some surprises for us in Passion, the third part of this series.

[rakesandrogues]

(Three and a half stars for now... Rounded up)

I am honestly still trying to make up my mind about this book. I feel so torn on whether or not it was a “good” book, but I do have to admit that I enjoyed reading it. TORMENT picks up where Fallen leaves off, with Luce fleeing Sword & Cross. She travels all the way to California to attend another boarding school, but this time without Daniel.

A little more than half the time while I was reading, I found myself extremely annoyed with Luce. Daniel’s been gone for less than two weeks and she is already questioning their relationship? How can she move so fast from one relationship to another? I know that she and Daniel technically have not been together for very long at all in this lifetime, but I do not like it when female characters in general can just quickly change their mind about a relationship in such a short amount of time. Eighteen days is not that very long to wait.

I think it’s very difficult to retain a reader’s attention once the romance has been established between the two main characters. I guess Kate was trying to add more drama to keep the romance interesting to the readers, but in this case, it just made me really annoyed with Luce. Luce and Daniel do have an epic love story, so I don’t know why Luce is making it so difficult for the both of them!

I do love the new characters in TORMENT however. I love Steven and Francesca and the idea that a demon and an angel can be in a relationship. Kate describes a magnetism between the two of them, but they never really showed that the two of them were really in love. True, they were teachers at the school and had to be professional at all times, but I felt like they could make subtle hints at it. Kind of disappointing, but I love the idea of the two of them together. I just wish more would have gone out of it.

I have to admit that I’m not a huge paranormal genre reader so when I started reading this book and it was already diving into angels, demons, and Outcasts, it turned me off a little. I mostly read Fallen because of the romance, not for the angels specifically. Yet, even if I didn’t think I was going to like it, I kept reading anyways. I honestly did not learn much about the whole angels vs. demons and what exactly Daniel is doing until the very end. The book focuses on the “shadows” (that I think of as Dementors) called Announcers. The good thing about TORMENT is that the Announcers get a lot less Potter-y when Luce learns what the Announcers are truly capable of.

Plotwise, I feel like it really had no build up, similar to the first book. It doesn’t really bother me, but it might bother others. However, unlike the first book, I was left completely unsatisfied by the ending of TORMENT. Sometimes, you have these great endings where you just can’t believe that was the end of the book and you cannot wait for more. I did have that feeling, but not in a good way. I did not feel satiated at all. I felt like the story had left me hanging completely and I didn’t like it. It was completely unresolved and just left an even bigger mess at the end.

Still, I think I will keep reading the series just because I am already so invested in the series. I just want to see where the story will go at this point. I am truly hoping that it will not turn out to be one of those series that will just go on forever. I want some closure.

I would recommend this definitely to those who have read and enjoyed Fallen, but I can’t exactly say whether or not you’ll enjoy it more than the first one. TORMENTis a very different book from the first and you’ll have to decide for yourself!

[neddieb]

This could be a better book if it didn't drag. I found myself skimming through pages because I was becoming uninterested. If you got rid of about 3 chapters worth of reading I would have given the book 5 stars

[Linda]

A LOT better than the first book! More action, a faster pace, and Luce finally bought a clue :) Very nice, now, I can't wait 'till the next book comes out next summer!
However, I was a bit annoyed with Daniel, his attitude is not helping Luce to understand and to trust him. He might very well have this whole big picture thing going on, as he's been with her (but for how long? a few weeks each time?) a thousand times. He keeps forgetting that she doesn't know all of this, though. And even if she feels connected to him, she doesn't really know him all that well, since she can't remember her past lives.
And Luce is not the kind of girl I prefer to see as the heroine, she's a little weak at times, not really thinking things through. But I have faith in her (or rather, I have faith in Lauren Kate).