Synopsis: When Julia climbs into a flaming car to save a trapped child, she’s left wondering why either of them survived. Then she learns that her father is the Archangel Gabriel, and that she is half human, half Archangel. With guidance from Michael, the most powerful Archangel, Julia sets out to discover her own history and explore her angelic powers. But her journey is cut short when an evil force, invisible to human and angel alike, tears her world apart. Now Julia must fight through her despair, harness her newfound gifts, and risk her very soul to stop the A’nwel and protect the family she never knew she had. What she doesn’t know is that Archangels have secrets too.
Review: I’m usually always up for a good angel series. I probably enjoy those second after vampire books. So the premise of this one was particularly interesting. The world building itself has a fair amount of potential. I think some things could have been fleshed out a bit more because there were a few instances that felt like info-dumping to me. There were some issues that may be hard to swallow for some readers, especially a certain plot point relating to domestic abuse. That topic has been hot in the media as of late (ie: the Ray Rice situation), so I found myself particularly invested in that outcome. The author seemed to have quite a bit of knowledge about the situation so it played out realistically.
I wasn’t crazy about the romance aspect here. I actually think the book would have been fine without it. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between Julia and her boyfriend, and to be fair, when it comes to supernatural series I find that human book boyfriends are at a disadvantage by default (poor Nick from The Hollows never stood a chance for me honestly). That said, I think there are other potential on the horizon there for future installments. Overall, if you haven’t read a lot of angel novels then this will probably feel like a fresh read. While it wasn’t bad, for me it did lack a fresh factor, but I do think the next books could be promising. I would give a sequel a try because some of the characters were interesting and there are some interesting paths where this story can go.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
About the author
Michelle L. Johnson is the author of DIVINITY, a supernatural urban fantasy, and the author of THE FOOTLOOSE KILLER, a mystery. She’s also a literary agent, a coffee lover beyond reason, and has a fascination with the workings of the human mind.
Her key influences have been Stephen King, Anne Rice, and C.S. Lewis, but is inspired by every author to put pen to paper.
Michelle lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her muse and her rambunctious Cocker Spaniel, Sammy.
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