As always, the eyes of the Republic are everywhere, but time is running out for this controlling society. Following the ceremony to select the new Oracle (GUARDIAN, 10/09), wraiths and shades have been released and are everywhere. And it looks like Presidential candidate Maximilian Blackstone is the perfect choice for leading the new world forward. But not everything is as clear as it seems.

For the chance to return to Heaven, fallen angels Armand and Baruch have been ordered to assassinate Blackstone. But things go terribly wrong when Baruch is gravely injured and held captive in the Institute for Radiation Studies, where he will undergo horrific experimentation if Armand can't rescue him.

As a wraith, Theodora lives outside of the system, her identity never recorded in any databanks. Wraiths are the lost souls of the world, their actions invisible to the many eyes of the Republic. Never worrying about the risks, Theodora takes bounties offered for dangerous assassinations and uses the funds to provide new lives for those she loves. When her latest job takes a weird turn for the worst, she ends up the captive of an irresistible man intent on making her assist him in his mission. Armand is not like any being she's ever known, and Theodora is confused by his motive and how to deal with him. It doesn't take long before their purposes are intertwined in a desperate effort to save the world. Soon they find their hearts, as well as their souls, are also involved. Will they be able to assist in making the world a better place before it's too late?

Claire Delacroix concludes her futuristic trilogy featuring fallen angel heroes in a post-nuclear pre- Apocalyptic society in exemplary style with REBEL. This series has been an inspiring breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre, and each book has been a true triumph of storytelling. I hate to see it end, but I know this talented author will come up with something else exciting for us fans of her work.