The first book in the Penryn & the End of Days trilogy was a great start to a story about the clashes between humans and angels when the latter decides to intervene in some way on Earth. This isn't the first work of fiction I've come across surrounding the angels of the Abrahamic religions and based on my TBR, it certainly won't be my last. Of those I've read, this one ranks fairly high.
The world is facing a war brought on by the angels starting with an attack by the archangel Gabriel and continuing after his death by humans. The story follows 17-year-old Penryn as she tries to find the angels that kidnapped her paraplegic younger sister, Paige, while taking care of an angel she saved after his wings were cut by other angels. A brutal start to a book about surviving a war-ravaged California.
Many people act as they generally do in these apocalyptic type of novels - gangs are formed, food is hoarded or scavenged for, buildings are wrecked and abandoned. But where there is a will for people to survive, there are always those with a will to resist the damage committed by those who would hurt them. And then there are those who just want to find a way to stay alive. The latter category is the one Penryn, Paige, and their mother find themselves in when their family ends up fractured after coming across a fight between angels, leaving Penryn to rely on the help of the angel, Raffe, to get where she needs to be. Penryn and Raffe are both strong-willed characters who are focused on their own targets - Penryn to get her sister back, Raffe to have his wings restored. The book follows their grudging alliance as they make their way across California to find their solutions in the same place and for most of it, it's very clear that the only reason these two characters help each other is for their own gain.
And that's why it is surprising but not unlikely that by the end of the book they do show signs of caring for each other more than either may admit. We learn more and more about them throughout the book, from Penryn's narration and the small tidbits of information that Raffe shares with her. We see behaviours change from an "every person for themself" mentality to protective reflexes. And I think the most interesting piece of angelic mythology that had a lot of emphasis on it was that of the Watchers, also known as Grigori - angels who took human women as wives and whose offspring were said to be quite monstrous. They are mentioned more than anything else angelic which leads me to believe they'' become very important in the next two books. It does also make me think that the relationship between Penryn and Raffe could very likely turn romantic but after that ending, who knows how long it'll take.
That is one of the things I did really like about Ee' approach to their bond/relationship. It's not moving at the speed of light where one chapter they're saying how much they hate each other and in the next, they're hooking up in the only bed not even halfway through the book. As much as I find the "there was only one bed" trope amusing and sometimes enjoy it, I do like to see authors and characters who are logical about it and figure out an alternative sleeping place for the second person. It was great that Ee moved so slowly with making the two comfortable around each other, let alone consider being the slightest bit friendly and admitting they are protective of one another. I do have a preference for slow-burn friendships and romances in fiction and when it's a secondary or tertiary part of the plot or story.
The story has a lot of potential, and I can see the trilogy reaching that potential if the quality of plot and character development follows the path it currently is. It can end up being a really solid urban fantasy trilogy and I'm looking forward to reading the second and third book to find out where the story goes and how these characters fair.
Reasons to Recommend:
- If you're a fan of fantasy fiction involving angels from religious texts (I know I am)
- Reluctant allies to friends
- Some angelic politics and warfare
- A protagonist whose dedication and will to find their family never falters
I give this book an 8/10. Going into the book, I know I did hope for more angelic lore, their strengths, vulnerabilities and history, probably because that's what I'm used to. After watching shows like Supernatural or reading books like Good Omens (and watching the adaptation), I feel like I always learned a lot about angels alongside the story development very early on and very quickly. I think because after those experiences I started to expect that, I ended up a little bit disappointed with how much Angelfall was lacking in those details. Otherwise, it's an enjoyable story, the characters are interesting and not giving away everything about themselves, and it feels like a first book should, it feels like this is just the beginning of something more.
Comments
Post a Comment