Beloved of the Fallen

A lawyer glides into politics, her path greased by a corrupt league of devil worshipers and a glum fallen angel, in this humdrum debut. The angel Valentin falls from grace in ancient Babylon when he tries and fails to aid a young woman, the Destined, who has the power to change the world. Thousands of years later, in modern Washington, D.C., Valentin is assigned to put Kira Castlemaine in a position to bring about Armageddon, allowing Lucifer and the fallen, now demons, to steal heaven. Convinced by her father's peers to run for his congressional seat, Kira takes on Valentin as her political adviser, not realizing his hellish connections. Kline downplays the paranormal aspects in favor of highlighting an all-too-easily-won political campaign and the slow-moving romance between Kira and Valentin. Instead of an alternate reality, the author settles for an abstract one, in which Kira's political opponent is funding Iranian nuclear interests and the president has no name. The result is a setting with a contemporary feel that never comes to life, populated by a fallen angel who is less bad-boy than emo, a na%C3%AFve politician, and stock demons and Satan worshipers. With so many engaging takes on demons and angels available, Kline's venture falls well short of the mark. (Dec.)