Surrender the Dark

Bestseller Banks (Shadow Walker) packs plenty of drama, religion, the paranormal, and urban grit into this flashy series launch. Celeste Jackson has spent most of her 33 years battling grief, pain, and hallucinations. The last thing she expects is for her angel protector, Azrael, to appear and inform her that she is a Remnant, a rare human–angel crossbreed, and will be pivotal in the next showdown between Light and Dark. As Celeste experiences a powerful cleansing of her body, mind, heart, and spirit, she starts to trust the devastatingly handsome angel, not realizing that his attraction to her could keep him trapped on Earth forever. Banks's characters are occasionally obscured by heavy-handed religious dogma, and wading through the initial chapters is something of a struggle, but the final payoff and series setup is worth it. (Apr.)