Fallen

Lauren Kate’s 2009 young adult paranormal romance novel Fallen is the first in its series and introduces the audience to protagonist Luce, who is recovering from the sudden death of a peer in a mysterious fire that she’s been blamed for. Luce’s journey of self-discovery at the Sword & Cross reform school leads to her uncovering secrets about her past and the mysterious stranger toward whom she feels a supernatural, romantic pull. Fallen explores themes of love, the past, and the struggle between good and evil.

Fallen was adapted into a motion picture distributed by Relativity Media in 2016, and a television series adapting the Fallen series began airing in February 2025.

This guide refers to the paperback First Ember 2016 edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of graphic violence, death, and substance use.

Plot Summary

In 1854 England, a young man sketches a woman. The woman catches him and confesses her feelings for him. The man already knows, and he is also aware that if he does not get away, her feelings for him will destroy her. The woman talks to him until he cannot resist her any longer. They kiss, and shadows descend on them to take the woman away.

In the present, Lucinda “Luce” Price arrives at the Sword & Cross reform school after a mysterious fire has killed one of her peers. All she recalls is that she saw shadows shortly before the fire. Luce has seen visions of shadows since she was young. She arrives at Sword & Cross alongside Gabbe, a preppy, blonde girl; Todd, a quiet kid; and Cameron “Cam” Briel, a brooding and handsome troublemaker who is returning to Sword & Cross.

A girl named Arriane quickly befriends Luce and shows her around campus. When Luce sees the handsome Daniel across the quad, she feels an instant attraction to him. She stares until Daniel notices her and flips her off. Luce wonders why he was hostile. In Luce’s first class, Cam gives her a guitar pick with his room number, encouraging her to come by. Luce likes Cam’s friendliness.

At lunch, another student, Molly, dumps her meatloaf on Luce. Arriane tries to defend Luce, landing all three of them in detention in the cemetery. In the bathroom, Luce meets Pennyweather “Penn” Van Sycle-Lockwood, a well-connected girl whose father is buried on campus. Penn and Luce become quick friends.

Luce visits the library and sees Daniel sketching. She has an uncanny feeling that he is sketching her. Daniel is standoffish, and Luce notices that he’s just sketching a landscape. He is also part of her detention group in the cemetery, washing statues. Molly warns Luce not to pursue Daniel. Daniel approaches Luce to ask about what Molly said. The statue above them falls, and Daniel dives over Luce to protect her.

Cam asks Luce if she will attend his after-social party in his dorm. When she sees Daniel nod, Luce agrees to go. During the movie social, Luce feels the shadows coming, and they hang around the entire time. Luce, Penn, and Arriane attend Cam’s party together. Cam hugs Luce and touches her flirtatiously in view of Daniel. When Daniel sneaks out, Luce follows him and feels jealous when she overhears him talking to Gabbe. 

Luce struggles to focus on her fitness exam in the pool the next morning because she’s worried about Gabbe and Daniel being together. Luce spies on Daniel in the weight room, but she drops her dorm key and catches his attention. Daniel seems surprised that Luce lost her race. Luce asks him if they know each other and if he feels like they’ve met before. Daniel denies this.

Cam takes Luce to the cemetery for a picnic, and she enjoys her time with him. Gabbe interrupts their date just as they’re about to kiss. In class, Luce is supposed to research her family tree, but she can’t stop thinking about Daniel and searches his name instead.

Penn offers to help Luce with her research. She brings Luce to the basement full of student files. Daniel’s file is nearly empty, with only a photo and a small list of minor crimes. He has no known family. Emerging from the basement, Luce is hit by a soccer ball. Daniel escorts her away. When Luce asks, Daniel clarifies that he does not have a girlfriend. He takes her to a secluded area near the lake and tells her that he isn’t looking for a relationship because he’s been burned in the past. Luce finds the conversation confusing. She thinks she sees water droplets sparkling in the shape of wings behind Daniel when he leaves.

Luce attends a study session. Miss Sophia goes over the story of Lucifer and the other fallen angels, and Arriane and Luce pass notes about Daniel. A shadow tries to take one of the notes from Luce’s pocket, and Luce fights it off. At the end of class, Daniel chats with Luce. He mentions that studying angels is a tradition in his family. After class, Cam delivers notes from Penn to Luce and presents her with a necklace to commemorate their cemetery date.

Penn takes Luce to the library to try to find a book whose author shares Daniel’s name, thinking that it must have been one of his ancestors. Penn has reserved the book, The Watchers, but when they arrive, they cannot find it. Penn goes to check the front desk. Shadows appear, and a fire breaks out. Luce cannot find Penn. She and Todd barely make it out; someone carries them the rest of the way. Shadows crash into Luce and knock her down a flight of concrete stairs.

Luce wakes up in the hospital. She visits with her friends, her parents, and lawyers who are investigating the fire. Luce learns that Todd died but that Daniel pulled them both from the fire. Daniel brings Luce white peonies, her favorite flower. Cam comforts Luce at Todd’s funeral. Daniel takes Luce to the lake again and tells her that Cam isn’t good enough for her. He wants Luce to leave Sword & Cross because it’s dangerous. Luce tells Daniel about the shadows, and he believes her but is surprised. He leaves her abruptly.

Frustrated by her confusing feelings for Daniel, Luce goes for a swim. Cam tries to stop her, but Luce promises to see him later. Penn brings Luce to the library for more research, and Miss Sophia helps them. Cam and Daniel both find Luce in the library, and they begin to fight over her when Cam unexpectedly kisses Luce. Luce hates seeing them fight and makes her choice. She’s only interested in Daniel.

Luce attends a date with Cam to break up with him, but Cam brings her to a seedy, remote bar and proceeds to get in another fight. Luce flees, and Daniel finds her. Cam warns Luce not to go with him.

Daniel brings Luce to the beach, where they share their first kiss. He seems confused and frightened that Luce is still there after the kiss. He’s too emotional to elaborate.

The next day, Luce is supposed to meet both Cam and Daniel. She meets Cam first to break up with him. He is obstinate and insists that they kiss first. Luce is reluctant, but Cam kisses her anyway. Luce feels herself forgetting Daniel. Gabbe interrupts them and rescues Luce. She beats up Cam while Daniel leads Luce away.

Daniel tells Luce that they are damned lovers, caught in an immortal cycle. He gets to live forever, while Luce is continually reborn only to fall in love with him and then die at age 17. The cycle repeats every 17 years. Luce doesn’t believe it at first, but when she gets back to her dorm, she finds The Watchers. Inside the cover is a photo of Luce and Daniel from one of her previous lives. She realizes the truth about Daniel and goes to find him.

Luce, Miss Sophia, and Penn arrive at the cemetery as a battle is starting. Luce finds Daniel and confesses that she knows he’s an angel. Cam seemingly controls the shadows. Gabbe and Arriane emphasize that Luce needs to leave for her safety. Luce, Penn, and Miss Sophia flee, and Penn is mortally wounded. Miss Sophia carries her to the bottom of the stairs, leading to a secret chapel. Miss Sophia then kills Penn with a dagger, claiming that she is slowing them down. She herds Luce into the private chapel and reveals that she intends to kill Luce for occupying too much of Daniel’s time. Because Luce was not baptized in this lifetime, she will not reincarnate if she is killed again. Daniel bursts in and rescues Luce. Arriane and Gabbe then also fly in; they are all angels. Cam and Molly are also angels but are fighting on the other side. No one wins this time: It’s an ongoing war.

Luce is not safe, so Daniel arranges for her to be taken to a remote location. He and Luce swim at the lake one more time. They have a romantic last day together before Luce boards a plane to her safe house. Daniel and Cam watch Luce sleep in the safe house and discuss the next steps, agreeing to a brief truce.