VIC'S VIEWPOINTS (Private)

Victim #13 - Fallen's First

The couple sped across the room; the frequent left and right turns made it seem like they whirled across the ballroom floor. The young man, polished and graceful, held his partner close as he led her through the fast-turning movements of the Viennese waltz. He turned her, his body diagonal as the girl stepped, spun twice, and leaned back. Her left leg shot up and out... before she began to topple.

Victor kept a grip on her hands, righting her balance. "Kristy, the defining feature of a développé requires muscle control, not momentum."

The genie grinned, her fingers tightening on his as she moved closer. "I did use my muscles, Vic." Her lips met his in a quick brushing.

Victor grinned at the display of affection and shook his head, the shaggy cap of curls falling into further disarray. "The développé is one of the most beautiful moves done on a dance floor today, and you keep doing it like a front kick in a martial arts competition."

Kristy giggled. "Sorry, Saer." She leaned in for another kiss. "I'll try—"

Victor narrowed his eyes. "You just called me Saer."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Neyu would never lie to the First." Slender arms slid around his neck, and she gave him an impish smile. "Tell me, tiger, have you ever thought of being my first—"

Victor's eyes widened, and his face turned a deep shade of red. "KRISTY!"

The genie released him, her tinkling laughter echoing in the empty ballroom. When she regained control, Kristy smiled again. "I'm sorry, Vic. You're so deliciously easy to tease."

"And you are a bloody tease," he replied. "You were in my Wattpad account again. That's how you knew. If it isn't you, it's that little wanker, Jason. I haven't another lesson for a couple of hours so come to the break room. You can listen to me do the review."

Kristy squealed in delight and followed him. Once seated on the old leather sofa in the cozy little room, Victor pulled a small digital recorder out of his pocket. Kristy summoned his laptop from his backpack and logged into google, ignoring Victor's look of outrage.

The impish smile appeared again as she pulled up the document. "Start talking, tiger."

Victor grinned as he switched on the recorder. "Aye, milady."

"Welcome to the return of Vic's Viewpoints, done by me, of course. I'll review a few chapters of the exciting book Fallen's First, by the super talented @KitCatK8. I'll touch on seven elements I think are essential to a story."

Kristy cleared her throat.

Victor smiled. "Oh, assisting me today is the lovely and absolutely smashing Kristy McMillian, who somehow managed to break into my bloody account and read the story already."

Kristy bowed her head in a genteel fashion before giggling.

"First, let's trot over to ORIGINALITY. Now, the story of how Lucifer came to be and its battle against the forces of heaven is a much-used genre. We've seen it in plays, books, articles—the theme has been used so much that uniqueness would be close to impossible." Victor grinned. "Might I introduce our dear readers to originality at its best!"

Kristy shook her hands. "Ta-da! Jazz hands!"

"Absolutely, love. For a story not to fall into this category, it needs not to be cliché and at least a couple of ideas that haven't been encountered before. Fallen's First hits the mark because what is so deliciously original about this story is the main character is not one said devil but focuses on his, uh, offspring, the Daemoenica, and most particularly, his first demon. This story has what many people despise or call unnecessary—a prologue. Now, I must admit, I absolutely love them... IF they are done right. This one provides a "quick-and-dirty" glimpse of important background information, hooks the reader into the action right away, and foreshadows future events, thereby creating suspense for the reader. The 'narration' of the story is also done in a most appealing style, between an interview and a telling of one's life story. The author executes her creative touch most impressively, and I say, bravo!"