In the prior work of the series, All That Bleeds, readers learned about the Etherlin, a place created for and by the powerful muses who influence their aspirants and the deceit beneath the beauty of the land. In it, the ventala Merrick courted muse Alissa North and helped her escape to his domain. In ALL THAT FALLS, which begins in a brief overlap with the previous work, the protagonist is Cerise, a muse whose world has been turned upside down with Alissa's apparent happiness with Merrick as well as what she perceives as her own failures with one of her aspirants, a musician whose events leading to his death remains a mystery.

Not only does the work revolve around the differing factions within and outside of the Etherlin, as well as Cerise's own family, it also thrusts together Cerise and Lysander, a beautiful fallen angel who tries to resist Cerise, as she could be a distraction to his mission and potential redemption. However, they may be the only two who understand the betrayals each has endured, and they may be the only two whose strength won't push the other away.

ALL THAT FALLS and the whole series are just fantastic. Although I adored All That Bleeds, Cerise may be a more powerful and interesting protagonist. Alissa and Merrick had multiple challenges and are still well-depicted in this work, but the layers of pain and strength of Lysander and Cerise are just fantastic. This is one of the richest, lushest, and most original series I've read in a long time, and I can't wait for the next one.