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The Paradox Series continues in . The second book in the young adult series by takes off where the

The ancient world is in the middle of an all out war. The fallen angels, the Grigorians, are fighting their angel brethren, the Burgardians, and things are only getting worse. Chaos is still rampant under Grigorian Lord Cerberus', house; however he is last to notice as his wife, Pandora, and his brother Abaddon scheme against him.

The Grigorians are keen on a triumphant victory even if that means sacrificing whoever gets in their way.

Meanwhile, Temulun and Bakari, a servant and a guard in the royal house, must help the strange newcomer, Keyla, discover her heritage and master her abilities. The young girl might be the only way they can put an end to the Grigorians once and for all.

In modern day Australia, Grace has grown into a shy, quiet teenager who is about to turn 17. Her father's death still weighs heavily on her mind and she struggles with it almost every day. Grace tries to hold it together and keep up the appearance of being a normal teenager but she feels anything but. Her visions have only continued to get worse and she's still not quite sure what they mean.

Some things in her life have been going well. Wade is still seeing her mother, and the Connors have taken in Zach, an orphan who quickly becomes like a brother to Grace.

Grace is also anxious to meet the right person and fall in love and the dashingly handsome Damon Draco seems like her prince charming. Sure, she has an odd flashback when she first meets him, but she is inexplicably drawn to him. For once in a long time, things are starting to look up. That is, until some of her neighbors and classmates begin to go missing; their bodies to be found later, mauled and mangled by what looks to be a vicious animal.
It is only a matter of time before the Grigorians catch up to Grace, but how long can she manage to hide if she doesn't even realize she's being hunted?

I enjoy this series mainly because it is a fresh take on the idea of angels and good versus evil. The plotline is very unique in that it's never been done before and yet it  works so well.

Progeny of Innocence delves deeper into the ancient world and the lives of the Grigorian royal family. Roberts truly has a gift for writing that is evident from page one. I love it when can you read what an author's written and you almost feel like you're being transported to another world just by reading the words on a page.

There are a number of new characters introduced in the second book, including more Grigorians who are getting closer to finding Grace on earth during modern day. We're also introduced to Bakari, Temulun and Keyla. A trio who I have a feeling will play an intricate part for the battle for good in the future. Keyla is part of an ancient race of people called the Bakhna Rakhna who were almost killed off during The Great War. There are also some implications that Keyla can use magic, a skill that I am sure will be useful in the near future.

There is more attention on the secondary characters; including Angela, who along with Grace, is one of my favorite characters. Angela's wit tends to add comedic relief to the storyline even if she doesn't intend to.

Damon also caught my interest. I'm not entirely sure about his motives yet, but he seems to genuinely like Grace. I have a feeling that he and Grace's relationship will face some bumps further down the road especially as Grace begins to learn about who and what she is.
Some of my suspicions about Wade and a few of the other characters are also confirmed in the second book but I don't want to give too much away. I really liked how Roberts handled his character. Too often I've read stories where the same situation didn't work so well. I'm purposefully being vague since I'm trying really hard not to spoil the book.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this novel was Grace's relationships with the other characters; Wade, Zach and Angela in particular. There are a number of scenes between Grace and Wade that are so adorable and also remind me of the some kind of close relationship that Grace had with her father, Brian.  Although he can never replace her father, Wade has become a vital part of Grace's life.

Zach plays the role of goofy but protective sibling well, but unlike siblings, he and Grace get a long a lot better than I ever did with my brother when we still lived under the same roof. Like Wade and Angela, Zach is also at the Connors to protect Grace and Kate. Also like Wade and Angela, Zach isn't completely human.

Angela has also become a close friend to Grace and they are almost like sisters. Grace doesn't hesitate to seek Angela's advice, particularly when it comes to boys.

Progeny of Innocence also has a lot more action and suspense than the first book. Between the "wild animals" that are attacking Grace's friends and a number of showdowns between the angels, there's enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat and anxious to find out what will happen next.

Grace has done a lot of growing up both physically and mentally by the end of the the second book. She's lost a lot of the naviety that she held onto in Paradox:The Angels Are Here; both through her father's death and her interactions with the angels. She quickly has to come to terms with the rapid changes occuring in her life and she isn't so sure what to make of everything just yet.

In the third book, I think Grace will finally discover her purpose to the angels and their world and I plan on being there for the ride.

Rating: 5/5 � Book reviews.

is the second book in the Paradox series. is the first book in this series. Also look for Bound by Blood, the third book in the series, in 2012!


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