Title: Hush, Hush

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Genre: YA (Urban Fantasy)

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children
Publishing Date: October 13 (US) / October 29 (UK)
Hardcover: 400 pages

Stand Alone or series: first in a planned duology

Why did I read the book: I love the cover and the premise. Plus the hype surrounding the book.

How did I get the book: I received an ARC from the publishers in the UK.

Summary

A sacred oath, a fallen angel, a forbidden love…This darkly romantic story features our heroine, Nora Grey, a seemingly normal teenage girl with her own shadowy connection to the Nephilim, and super-alluring bad boy, Patch, now her deskmate in biology class. Together they find themselves at the centre of a centuries-old feud between a fallen angel and a Nephilim…Forced to sit next to Patch in science class, Nora attempts to resist his flirting, though gradually falls for him against her better judgment. Meanwhile creepy things are going on with a mysterious stalker following her car, breaking into her house and attacking her best friend, Vi. Nora suspects Patch, but there are other suspects too – not least a new boy who has transferred from a different college after being wrongly accused of murdering his girlfriend. And he seems to have taken a shine to Nora…Love certainly is dangerous…and someone is going to have to make the ultimate sacrifice for it

Review:

A warning: this review contains spoilers. You have been warned!

There has been great hype and positive reviews over Hush, Hush until last week when a couple of negative reviews started to surface. After reading the latter, which had some well-thought out criticisms, I braced myself not to like the book as much as I hoped but I was not prepared for what I eventually got. Suffice to say that: the cover of the book is awesome. And that is just about as positive as this review is going to get.

The plot is simple: Nora Grey is the uncoordinated, plain girl who walks into Biology class one day to find out that the teacher wants to shake things up by moving the kids around. Instead of sitting with her best friend Vee as per usual, Nora ends up sitting next to the new kid, Patch. The dark, hot, mysterious Patch whom as soon as Nora sits next to him, starts to tease, argue, behaving like a jerk to Nora. Then, weird things start to happen, Nora believes she is being watched; someone jumps in front of her car when she is driving home one day and almost rips the door out. She immediately thinks that Patch is behind those incidents. She notices that everywhere she goes, he is there. More weird things happen, Patch can put thoughts inside her mind, he has a scar in his back. An internet search is in order: “angel wing scar” she types and is frightened that OMG Patch may not be human. She fears him, he is certainly dangerous, can she trust him? But yes. But no. But he is hot. But he is dangerous. He loves her! She loves him! He saves her from himself (he wants to kills her!) and from the dangerous lunatic who wants revenge. The end.

The first question I have for you dear reader, is this: How is this book NOT Twilight by Stephenie Meyer but with Angels? It is uncannily similar. But unfortunately, it is also worse than Twilight. (Take that as you will.)

Starting with the characters. Patch has been hailed as the Ultimate Bad Boy by some or as a Stupid Jerk by others. In all honestly, I could not care one iota for Patch: I have seen better Bad Boys and worse Jerks. He falls right bang in that middle ground of mediocrity. One thing is certain, I don’t see the attraction and I didn’t see any chemistry between the characters.

Now, Nora. Nora, Nora, Nora. I have yet to see a worst TSTL (Too Stupid to Live ) heroine. Let me count the ways: Nora is attacked or followed or stalked. Over and over again. Yet it never occurs to her to call the police, talk to the school principal, talk to her mother until it is too late. She talks with suspect number one instead. She is afraid of Patch for most of the book and keeps changing her mind about him every two seconds. It gets tiresome pretty soon:

He is hot. But he is dangerous. Can I trust him? But his dark smile and dark eyes! OMG he wants to kill me! But he smells good!

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Then her best friend is attacked by someone who mistakes her for Nora. Vee ends up in hospital, having surgery. They think it might have been Patch attacking her. One DAY later she is out of the hospital (without the police ever questioning them about the attack. No sign of the parents in the hospital either) so that they can go to the bar where he works to do some sleuthing (their words). This pinnacle of stupidity that is Nora, goes into the bathroom to put on a wig, a hot dress and gets a LIST of questions out of the pocket to ask the bartender. Her questions:

“Do you know if Patch has ever had any restraining orders?
Does he have a history of stalking?
Does he have a girlfriend?”

No, seriously. I ask myself if this is supposed to be cute or quirky. I ask myself if I shouldn’t just walk away from the book before my brain explodes or my eyes get stuck in the back of my head after that much rolling! I carry on though because I want to know how this is going to end and I am mildly curious about the Fallen Angels Mythology. I guess that counts as a positive too? That I want to know more? But I wish I hadn’t because once all is explained, it lacks inherent logic.

This is where things get really spoilery so avert your eyes now if you don’t want to know.

Firstly, Nora does her internet search and THE FIRST PAGE SHE OPENS after typing “Angel Scar Wings” is the correct page which relates this specific obscure mythology, because that is exactly how it happens when you Google something. Patch is supposed to be a Fallen Angel who wants to become human. He says he “found” the Book of Enoch that says there is a way of doing this if he sacrifices a descendent (that would be Nora, by the way) of the guy who swore fealty to him because that would kill the GUY and that would make him human. How exactly did Patch find the elusive Book of Enoch, if he was out of Heaven? How exactly does killing Nora kill her ancestor?

In addition: Patch is a BAD person because he Fell. And he fell because of lust for a woman he loved. At the end of the novel, he becomes an angel again and yet he proceeds with a relationship with Nora which is of course, based on lust as well. Isn’t that the same situation as before? Shouldn’t he fall again? This is completely illogical!

And then there is the fact that both as an angel AND as a fallen angel, Patch can not feel anything physical. So, let me make this clear: Patch can not feel Nora’s touch, he can not feel anything only what is inside his heart (yeah, seriously). Only what is emotional – except that he feels desire and lust for her. But surely that means that they can never have sex – if he can’t feel anything corporeal he surely can not get it up (and if he can, well then. Yet another nonsensical detail). How exactly does that work?

In the end I am supposed to believe these two loved each other so much they would sacrifice for one another. And yet. how can I possibly believe that, if every single interaction they had in this book is Patch being a jerk, and Nora reacting to his jerkiness? They hardly ever had an entire conversation that did not go around one of them doing or saying something nasty. I absolutely abhorred the fact that Nora was prepared to give up her life so easily so that Patch could become human. It’s not even about saving his life, only granting his wish.

So, yeah, Hush, Hush did not work for me in any level and I am most aggravated about it.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: …….

Verdict: This book did not work for me at all. And it is time that the Twilight train left the station.

Rating: 2 – A complete waste of my time.

Reading Next: Austenland by Shannon Hale

Today the BBAW suggested daily topic is:

Reading Meme

We encourage you to be creative with this! Please choose one or two questions to answer or try to answer all the questions in five words or less. Or choose a picture to answer a question! Brevity is the goal of today!

We chose to answer only one question:

Q: Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Ana and Thea: HELL YES and that would be His Holy Awesomeness, Neil Gaiman.

We find that there is really only one word that can possibly describe how awesome he is and that word is: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Thea: Or “Ineffable.” You know, in the spirit of Good Omens.)

And, friends, this about as brief as it’s going to get. In part to celebrate making it on the shortlist for Best Graphic Novel Blog, we will take this meme opportunity to turn today into a Neil Gaiman Spotlight, and offer a joint review of Murder Mysteries. Here goes…

Title: Murder Mysteries

Author: Neil Gaiman (Writer) and P. Craig Russell (Illustrator)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Publisher: Dark Horse
Publishing Date: June 2002
Hardcover: 64 Pages

Stand alone or series: This graphic novel is actually an adaptation of a short story by Neil Gaiman in his Angels and Visitations and Smoke and Mirrors anthologies, of the same title. It was also adapted earlier into a radio drama – narrated by none other than Michael Emerson (aka Benjamin “Bug-eyed Bastard” Linus, from LOST).

Why did we read the book: Because it’s Neil Gaiman.

Summary: (from amazon.com)

Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth is an immense task, which God has divided up amongst the various ranks and stations of angels. As with any such huge effort, there are bound to be casualties. This unique passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation, as well as one lonely man in Los Angeles who gets to hear the whole story of a most unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise!

REVIEW

First Impressions:

Ana: Murder Mysteries was first published as a short story in the Smoke and Mirrors anthology which I read and reviewed last year. I loved the anthology as a whole but Murder Mysteries was my favourite story. As soon as I finished reading it, I found out that it had made into a Graphic Novel and I immediately bought it but haven’t read it until now. What can say about it? It works even better in Graphic Novel format with the added visual to a most powerful story. This is not only a very good, traditional whodunit but also with gravitas and age-old discussion of Free Will versus Determination. Murder Mysteries stays with the reader long after you finish reading it (and Neil Gaiman is a freaking genius).

Thea: After Ana read Smoke and Mirrors for our Neil Gaiman Week last year and was drooling over the graphic novel adaptation of “Murder Mysteries,” I, of course, has to have it too. And so, I bought the hardcover. It languished on my TBR for a very long time, but finally we found the perfect opportunity to do a joint review. I started Murder Mysteries and wasn’t expecting too much – I’ll be honest. Neil Gaiman is a master (clearly) and one of my favorite authors, but I’m not completely stoked by P. Craig Russell’s art (sorry!), and at a slim 65 pages, I wasn’t expecting as much from this stand alone book. Well, I was wrong. Murder Mysteries is a deceptively deep story. About the first murder in the creation of the universe, this book tackles a lot of old questions (as Ana says, Fate vs. Free Will), and sets the stage for the inevitable battle to come. It also has a somewhat open-for-interpretation ending, which is fantastic. This is Gaiman at his classic best.

On the Plot:

Ana: A young man recounts his time in LA ten years ago, when his flight to London kept being delayed for almost a week. On the last night before returning to London, he meets Tink, a beautiful woman he remembers from years ago in London, with whom he had a fling with. They have a brief sexual encounter and although he can’t remember part of the night after that, he knows that he left her place and unable to sleep, he goes for a walk. He sits down on a bench for a smoke when a homeless man sits next to him. In exchange for a cigarette, the homeless man tells him a story: a story that starts with the Word. In the beginning of times when Angels were helping the Creation, we learn that the Angel Raguel, the Vengeance of the Lord is awakened to investigate the first-ever murder.

Murder Mysteries is one of my favourite stories by Neil Gaiman – it is everything that he can be, condensed in less than 60 pages. Just like with The Sandman, everything within Murder Mysteries matters – when you reach the end, you realise how all and every single information (relayed here in panels) is relevant.

The storytelling is effective and there are two stories being told at the same time, although you think one of them does not matter: it is a story within a story and the title says everything you need to know: it is in the plural, isn’t it? The main whodunit is expertly handled by the Angel of Vengeance, who acts like a Poirot-like figure, investigating the crime. But it is the very nature of the crime that makes this book so freaking brilliant – and where Neil Gaiman’s imaginative signature comes into play: because we are talking about the first crime EVER, committed in Paradise at a time where human beings did not even exist and the Angels were busy thinking about concepts such as “love” or “hate” . There is a thread of theology in the story as Gaiman once again, brings Lucifer and his role in the Creation to the forefront. It is all part of the story, of both stories.

With regards to the illustrations: I like the added visual to a story I already loved but I am not crazy about the artwork – I think it lacks something MORE as though the figures are way too simplistic for such a complex story.

Thea: Murder Mysteries tells the story of the first death in the creation of the universe; it’s the original murder mystery (for which the book is titled). Who killed Carasel? And for what reason? This is the sole purpose of Raguel, or Vengeance – to discover the facts behind the death of an immortal, whether it was self-inflicted or murder. And, as his name suggests, to exact the Lord’s Vengeance upon the perpetrator.

Plot-wise, Murder Mysteries seems straightforward – the heart of the story is the homeless man (who claims to be Vengeance) and his tale to the narrator of the book, as payment for a cigarette and matchbook. The beginning of the book, as the narrator recounts his short layover in Los Angeles years back, seems almost negligible; an unimportant detail to get to the meat and potatoes of the book. At least, that’s how I saw it, initially. Of course, nothing in a Neil Gaiman book is a throwaway – everything has significance, from the location of the story (my hometown and aptly set City of Angels), to the serpentine shape of freeways, to the image of a child’s painting, to the payment for a cigarette. The parallel stories of the nameless bespectacled traveller to the angel’s tale overlap beautifully, and by the end of the book, everything comes together and makes perfect sense. As always, I find myself awed by Neil Gaiman’s skill at telling stories – even a seemingly simple story, such as this one.

Though I’m not a huge fan of P. Craig Russell’s art here (I wasn’t crazy on his interpretation of Coraline either – I much prefer Dave McKean’s print-like surreal inks in the prose novel), I cannot deny that the images he uses to tell the story, from the city of Heaven to Los Angeles itself, are thoughtful and compliment the tale perfectly.

Then, of course, there’s the thematic concept of fate versus free will. It is executed beautifully in the book, and raises some interesting questions….but more on that later.

On The Characters:

Thea: There are two main characters to this dual story – the nameless narrator, and the angel Raguel, or Vengeance. We don’t know much about the nameless narrator initially…not until the end of the book do things become clear. But he exudes a sense of discomforting detachment (reinforced again by Mr. Russell’s decision to give him symbolic glinting, reflective glasses). Raguel, on the other hand, is nothing but forthrightness. He has been created for one purpose and one purpose only – as a tool of his master, to exact vengeance on those who deserve it…but is it that simple? Raguel shares thoughts of his own which challenge the determination angle, and seems to be able to make his own way (or rather, he is permitted to find his own way). This leads to more theological pondering, but, again, more on that later.

The other standout character, as Ana will most assuredly gush about, is Lucifer – the Authority’s second in command. If you’ve read the Sandman books, you will be familiar with Lucifer and his role in Neil Gaiman’s work – and indeed this early invocation of Lucifer seems very close to the Lucifer that Morpheus encounters. There’s something so beautiful and heartbreaking about Lucifer, especially in this portrayal. His loyalty, his tears, his beginning to question things…it’s damn near flawless. Really good stuff.

Ana: Ah, Lucifer Morningstar. My heart bleeds for you every time Neil Gaiman writes you. The author manages to portray Lucifer as a tragic figure instead of a pure evil one. In Murder Mysteries, his role, his demeanour are heartbreaking, because he dares. He questions, he thinks about the box and because of that, he has a role to play in the Creation – a role that has not being chosen by him, but which is solely based on his very own personality. The very principle of Free Will x Fate clashes in Lucifer: his Free Will is the very thing that condemns him to his Fate. It is a sad and beautiful thing. In here as in The Sandman, I find myself having sympathy for the devil above any other character.

Murder Mysteries is Lucifer’s story – he is at the centre of it all. That makes all the other characters pale in comparison. That’s my story and I will stick to it.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Ana: Murder Mysteries is one the best Neil Gaiman stories I’ve ever read and it’s sheer brilliance for all its depth and intensity. This book can be profoundly disturbing and it provokes the reader to think. The ending is open for interpretation and the outcome of it comes solely from the reader’s own beliefs and how they clash (or not) with what they read. For such a small story it sure does packs a punch but then again, that’s Neil Gaiman for you.

Thea: Murder Mysteries isn’t the best Neil Gaiman book I’ve ever read, but it is a fantastic standalone comic. I was immersed in it, I was ambushed by its depth and beauty, and I loved it. If you haven’t read anything by Neil Gaiman before and want a quick, fast read to see what he’s all about, Murder Mysteries is a great place to start.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

Ana: The moment when Lucifer QUESTIONS the Creator. Awesome stuff.

Thea: Following the classic Poirot-esque method of the Dramatic Parlor Room trope, the ultimate reveal of the murderer – who did it, and why they did it – is fantastic.

Additional Thoughts: On Fate (or Determinism) versus Free Will…

It’s a common enough dilemma, one that has been debated between philosophers and especially in religious connotations throughout history. Heck, it’s even a main theme in one of our all time favorite shows, LOST.

(And yeah, we didn’t include a picture of his holiness Jack, even though he’s our supposed “Man of Science” to Locke’s “Man of Faith”…)

So…with that theme in mind, we have a brief, SPOILERY DISCUSSION of the open ending:

WE REPEAT. SPOILERS BELOW. (To read, highlight the white space)

Thea: The way I interpreted the ending was that the English narrator killed Tink’s flatmate, Tink, and her daughter Susan – and Raguel, the homeless man, absolved him at least temporarily of his sin. My initial reaction was that Vengeance took pity on the man (because he gave him a “gift,” the same one he refused from God) because of how he felt after he smote the Saraquael. It’s a gift only temporarily for the narrator, absolution for only the time of his short life, but i do think he’ll “go down” the elevator later when he dies. (How could he not? Vengeance is the tool during life, but in death i’m sure the big man upstairs won’t be too happy with him, and send him to good ol’ Lucifer. Heck maybe that’s more of God’s cold planning in the book – temporary absolution, then to yank it away for eternity after death). And he can do all this because everything happens according to the big man’s will, right?

I’m not a philosopher and I don’t care for theological doctrine really, but the idea of a world that runs solely according to predetermination sits unwell with me. I like to think that Raguel turned his back on Heaven, but offers choice in his exaction of “vengeance.”

Ana: I interpreted in a very similar way as Thea did. I do think that Raguel , is still the Angel of Vengeance – after all he did not “Fall”. But he does offer the guy a reprieve by granting his forgetfulness until he eventually goes “down” to meet Lucifer. But everybody is still very much playing their roles as stipulated in the Master Plan.

The main thing about the book for me though is this: if the first Murder was committed so that Lucifer Fell according to The plan, then every single murder after that is ALSO according to the Plan. If God is the culprit of the first murder then he is the de facto culprit of every single murder after that – because he knows all, and is everywhere and has this Plan. In that sense, even Raguel’s gift is also according to the Plan. Where there is a master plan engineered by an omniscient and omnipresent being there is absolutely NO possibility of Free Will. And that sucks huge donkey balls. Excuse my French.

Rating:

Ana: 8 – Excellent – missing out being a 9/10 solely because I am not a fan of the art

Thea: 8 – Excellent

Next in our Neil Gaiman mini-special: come back later today for a chance to win one of two copies of one of our favorite books of 2008, The Graveyard Book!

Reading Next: The Declaration by Gemma Malley

Title: Angels’ Blood

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: March 3rd, 2009
Paperback:368 Pages

Stand Alone or series: Book one in the brand new Guild Hunter series.

Why did we read the book: Ana is a fan of Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series and when she got an ARC of Angels’ Blood she nearly had a heart attack. She then got Thea to read because it was REALLY good.

Summary:Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best—but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option…even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Review:

First Impressions:

Ana: In the interest of full disclosure: it is not a secret that I am a Nalini Singh fangirl, more like a nalinisingh-aholic -I think she is a truly gifted writer and I love her Psy/Changeling series. I was, of course, a bit concerned about this new venture and I wondered if she would be able to write two series at the same time and make them different but equally good? The answer is a resounding YES. From the get go Angels’ Blood grabbed my attention and I was completely engrossed by the story and captivated by the protagonist, Elena. I loved it so much, I was afraid my review would turn out to be a series of incoherent thoughts followed by a WOW, BUY IT (not very helpful is it?) so I asked Thea, who is not a fan of Paranormal Romance and had never read a Nalini Singh novel before, to read the book for a more balanced view on the book. So, here we go.

Thea: As Ana says above, I was kinda arm twisted into reading this book – not because I don’t like Nalini’s writing (in fact, this is the first book I’ve read by her), but because my experiences with Paranormal Romance have been pretty schizophrenic, more often negative than positive (hello, allergic reaction to Kresley Cole). That said, Ana absolutely LOVES Nalini’s work (as does a huge chunk of the blogosphere!), and I was curious. Plus, this new series is being marketed as more of an “Urban Fantasy Romance” which had me interested.

In any case, I decided to give this book a go…and I’m so glad that I did. While I think the Urban Fantasy label is a misnomer (this is indeed a paranormal romance at its core), and a number of the paranormal romance genre conventions that make me uncomfortable are present, I could honestly care less. This is a wonderful book, complete with intriguing characters, a tightly written plot, and a compelling universe. If Angels’ Blood is an indicator, I’ll have to read Nalini’s backlist! Suffice to say, I am a newly converted fan.

On the plot: Elena Deveraux hunts vampires for the Guild, tracking and apprehending those that are trying to get away from their contracts with their masters and creators: the Angels. She is Hunter-Born which means she has special tracking skills ( she can scent vampires) that makes her one of the top hunters of the Guild. That fact brings her to the attention of Raphael, the powerful, sexy, Archangel of New York, who has a new dangerous mission for her: to track a rogue Archangel who is bent on bloodshed – the mysterious reason behind his turning assassin a secret, deadly in itself. Elena is facing now beings that are crueler and more powerful that she has ever faced before but she will never back down from a fight.

Ana: Angels’ Blood is one of those perfect (yes, perfect) books where plot meet characterisation and everything is well balanced and everything just works.

At first it all may look familiar: vampires and angels and vampires hunters. Yet, it is not. In this world, Vampires are Made by the angels – usually because they want to, ex-humans who signed up for immortality and go through a series of tests and then become bound for a 100 year contract with their angel-Maker. A hunter, like Elena the protagonist, is in charge of hunting those who change their minds about keeping the contracts.

Similarly, The Angels are far from being angelic like in a Guardian Angel sense, and there is no mention of God or Heaven (or hell). It is very clear how inhuman they are , powerful , above and beyond anything in the realm of lower human beings and yet in an ironically paradoxical behaviour (and this is what is excellent about this world-building) there you have these Angels and Archangels involved in power –hungry scuffles that are so very… petty and human. And there is envy and gossip and inner conflict, and the more you look at the Cadre of Ten, the group Archangels that effectively, share and rule the world, the more you feel like you are observing a clique of earthly Politicians. But then you take a step back and like Elena, you remind yourself that they are NOT humans and of course their immortality and power and sheer force will make these power plays something that are more deadly and dangerous than anything an UN summit could ever be. And that is what is so thrilling about Angels’ Blood and what makes it unique – the fact that there are high stakes involved and never once you doubt it. It makes for a very tense reading to realise that the supposed hero can be at any given time cruel, forceful, and perhaps even eventually become evil – the Angels after all, have lived for such a long time, the lack of humanity and therefore of feelings can be truly ghastly.

The suspense of the Hunt for Uram (and why does exactly Raphael needs Elena’s help if she stands no chance against an Archangel?) is gripping and there is a race against time and a mystery that is not revealed until the final pages which presents a major Twist and a major WTF moment that was crazy–good in a most awesome way. And the action sequences – the chases, the fights, the confrontations between Elena and Raphael , Elena and Dimitri (Raphael’s second in command) and Raphael and Uram were cinema-worthy , edge- of-eat tense and exhilarating.

Angels’ Blood is hard to pin down in one genre: it has some strong elements of Urban Fantasy – the setting, the strong heroine , the anti-hero that is far from being your typical romance hero and the fact that they will be the leading pair of the second book as well – but in the end I guess it sits firmly in the Paranormal Romance genre, as no matter what happens in the end, it is Elena and Raphael’s riveting dynamics that takes most of its pages. I mean, an aloof Archangel that is attracted to a mere human who in turn is attracted to a being that will probably kill her when all is said and done? The result is pure gold.

Thea: First things first – I would stress again that Angels’ Blood has a very strong romance focus, and if you, dear reader, are like me and have a hard time not giggling through explicitly detailed intimate scenes, you should know that this novel does have these exchanges. I was not prepared for this, so when I came to page 69 (oho! the irony!) and read:

The lines of his face might’ve been starkly masculine, but at that instant, his lips were pure temptation, soft, bitable, sensual in a way only a man’s mouth could be. “If I were to splay you out on my desk and thrust my fingers into you right now, I think I’d find different.”

…it was something of an abrupt awakening. (Disclaimer: There is absolutely nothing wrong with explicitly detailed romance scenes as such; but I personally have an immaturity problem and tend to find this sort of thing corny and it makes me laugh. Fingering, nipples, the word “moist”…I cannot help it, I collapse into giggles. I am such a child. As such, my opinions are only mine and not meant to be a reflection of the genre – it simply is my personal bias.)

My point being: this is a paranormal novel with very strong romance elements, in addition to strong urban fantasy elements.

That said, this story is fantastic. Nalini Singh has created a new Manhattan, where angels and archangels rule, creating and commanding vampires, and hunters like Elena make sure these vampires stay in line and ensure the safety of mere mortals. While there isn’t really anything new here in terms of world building – angels and vampires (and vampire hunters, for that matter) are popular creatures in the paranormal cannon – the rules and hierarchies of Elena’s universe are clearly, simply, elegantly designed. Yes, the vampires and angels are predictably sexy per usual, but I liked the hierarchy of power Ms. Singh creates with the archangels’ Cadre of Ten, the loyalty (or disloyalty) of vampires, the bickering and distrust between ancient archangels, etc.

What I loved the most about these vampires and angels was how dangerous they are. So often in paranormal novels there are these supposedly ancient and dangerous characters…but they all sound like twenty-somethings, and are about as believably dangerous as my pet turtle Leonardo. There are no illusions here in terms of the brutality and ruthlessness of the angels in particular, and this image is enforced throughout the novel. Also, some of the archangels are truly ancient, having existed for millennia – and they behave as ancient, fickle, slightly crazed creatures would.

So far as the actual story goes, Angels’ Blood is another one of those tightly written, un-put-down-able books. The search for crazed, blood hungry Archangel Uram is an engaging mystery, with some solid twists and revelations made along the way. I’m excited in particular to see how the situation with Lijuan plays out in the future.

Another thing I should point out about this wonderful novel is how cleanly written it is – instead of wasting hundreds pages, Angels’ Blood is perfection in terms of pacing. I would compare the level of writing to Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson books – they waste no space with excessive detail, there are no unnecessary, droning dialogues. This is no small feat, and I give huge props to Nalini Singh; Angels’ Blood never falters, packing a huge story into 350 pages. I never once found my attention slipping or getting bored with elements of this damn near flawlessly plotted story. Bravo, Ms. Singh.

On the characters:

Ana: The characters of Angels’ Blood shine bright – Elena more than anyone else. It’s been a while since I have been so consumed with love by a heroine to the point where I breathed her every single word and waited for her reactions with unabated attention. And applauded with effusive delight and came away with a unique feeling, I hardly ever feel for romance novel heroines, that of undying RESPECT. Elena is one of those characters that are aware of her own weakness and strengths, or faults and rights. She is strong but she is not a fool. She knows this job can make or break her but odds are she will end up dead. I loved how faced with the prospective decision of either being killed or having her memory erased (after all, she does know too much) she picks being killed. Because Elena without her memories is not Elena. She’d rather die (but she won’t go out without a fight, mind you).

The first encounter between Raphael and Elena is a perfect example of Nalini Singh’s wonderful characterisation. It is very early in the game and already we know what Raphael is capable of and how Elena will face it. They have met in his tower, and she is having these thoughts on how incredibly handsome he is. And how he is so seductive. But Elena knows her own mind and she knows these are not her thoughts and she realises he is controlling her mind. If there is one thing she refuses to be is an Angel-toy, a puppet, she will never bend her knees to him, no matter what. This is what happens:

Her thoughts derailed again as she watched the fluid grace of Raphael’s walk, so seductive, so -
Standing up, she sent her chair crashing to the tiles. “Get.Out.Of.My.Head.”
Raphael came to a standstill. “Do you intend to use that knife?” His words were ice. Blood scented the air, and she realised it was her own.
Looking down, she found her hand clenching on the blade of the knife she’d drawn instinctively from the sheath at her ankle. She’d never make such a mistake. He was forcing her to hurt herself, showing her she was nothing but a toy for him to play with. Instead of fighting, she squeezed harder, “If you want me to do a job for you, fine. But I won’t be manipulated”.

I mean, he makes her hurt herself. She does not cower – she squeezes the knife HARDER. At this point I can completely understand how Raphael, aloof, cold, detached, inhuman can feel a spark here because there is this humanity in Elena, this life that is alien to him because it defies him and there isn’t much he hasn’t seen in millennium he has been alive. Defiance by a human is a rare thing and maybe enough to initiate a connection. The interesting thing is that it takes a long time for some real feelings to take hold between them – if you discount the initial, immediate lust, anything else came with time and working together. But the sense of danger and of imminent disaster is always there – Raphael continuously ponders about Elena’s future death and so does Elena, who, as already mentioned, is no fool. The fact that Raphael gave me the creeps and I was absolutely terrified of him (regardless of how hot he was) up until very late in the book only goes to show how far Nalini Singh takes his character and mind you, we are NOT talking about redemption here. He is who he is and Elena coming into his life will make him a little more human but he is an Archangel in a world where Archangels are not do-gooders. There is no back-tracking here and this is absolutely fine within the confines of this book. The fact that remains is this: they are a match for each other and I can’t wait to see where Nalini Singh takes them next.

As for the other characters: as usual, this author excels at writing relevant and interesting secondary characters. From Dimitri, the vampire that is Raphael’ s second in command to the other Archangels and Angels (I sort of developed a soft spot for Illium, the Angel with blue feathers) and the other hunters of the Guild, there isn’t one that wasn’t well written.

What else can I say? I am clearly, a fan.

Thea: Just as the plotting and pacing of this book is impeccable, the characters are wonderfully, wholly real. Elena, our heroine, is fantastic. She’s a layered character with a troubled past, the best at what she does, but she’s not a brash, cocky loudmouth. Furthermore, she’s a rational character that makes refreshingly intelligent decisions. She doesn’t try to go it alone, nor does she rush impulsively into danger (ala Rachel Morgan). Like the aforementioned Mercy Thompson, Elena knows exactly who she is and what her strengths – and more importantly, what her weaknesses – are. As a hunter, Elena is singularly talented with her strong sense of ’scent’ – that is, she can smell vampires and follow their trail. Raphael finds her talents useful in tracking down the blood born archangel Uram, but both Elena and he know that she does not stand a chance against Uram himself. The most endearing thing about Elena is her level-headedness and her rationality. She has that elusive, heady blend of kick-ass-ness and vulnerability that the best, most well-written heroines do…and this extends to her relationship with Raphael.

Repeatedly, Elena reminds herself that Raphael is not human. For all his beauty and his human mannerisms, he is an archangel; an immortal who could care less for the human lives that pass in the blink of an eye. He is, perhaps, the best “hero” I have ever read in a paranormal romance novel because he is terrifyingly, convincingly dangerous. At one point in the story he goes into “The Quiet,” and it is truly cold and frightening for Elena. In fact, Raphael is more anti-hero than hero: he frequently thinks about killing Elena, he bends her to his own will against her wishes, he threatens the lives of her friends and family without remorse, he maims, tortures and kills those who cross him. He’s not your tough guy with a good warm heart, in other words. Though he’s more human than the others in the Cadre, the rules of humanity do not apply to him – and that’s the most impressive thing about Nalini Singh’s characterization here. How often writers try to “humanize” characters that are not human! Be they vampires or werewolves, trying to create a human personification for them is a losing battle. Ms. Singh does not attempt to idealize or romanticize Raphael here – and he resonates so much more as a palpable, real character because of this.

My only criticism for these two characters lies in the nature of the romance. The problem inherent with novels like this, where a supremely powered uber-god alpha character picks the under-powered pretty girl is – WHY? Why on earth would an archangel all of a sudden start developing feelings for this little, regular mortal creature? Why would he form such a strong attachment so quickly? I understand this is the nature of the story and how the genre works, but Raphael’s interest in Elena initially feels rushed and out of place with the otherwise brilliant characterization. At least, this is my personal qualm and I take these romances with a mountain of salt. But where Angels’ Blood succeeds where almost every other story of this type fails is that even though there is an implausible attraction between Elena and Raphael, there’s still real danger to their relationship. Raphael doesn’t attempt to keep Elena out of harm’s way, and for much of the novel it is clear he would kill her as soon as sleep with her, thus taking the edge off the implausible nature of their relationship.

Besides the leading pair, the other secondary characters are similarly beautifully written and wholly believable. I loved the interactions between Elena and her friends, in particular her gutsy, loyal best friend Sara. But the true scene stealers would have to be Dimitri, ancient vampire and effectively Raphael’s number two, and the other archangels in the Cadre – particularly the age-crazed Lijuan, the voluptuous and fickle Michaela, and the blood-born Uram himself. As I mentioned earlier, I cannot wait to read more with the complications Lijuan introduces…

Final Thoughts, Observations, and Rating:

Ana: I have little else to add except repeat my initial reaction: WOW. BUY IT. Angels’ Blood is THAT good. It goes straight into my top 10 of 2009.

Thea: This is a wonderful novel, and one of the strongest first books in a series I have read in a very long time. Angels’ Blood took me completely by surprise, and I loved every second of it. I cannot wait for the sequel (on another note, I am SO stoked that Nalini is sticking with these two lead characters of Elena and Raphael as opposed to moving on to some other couple in the universe). What Ana said. Buy it.

Notable quotes/ Parts:

Ana: The ending! The final fight between the two Archangels, oh dear lord, someone CRIES for the first time in one thousand years.

Thea: The entire ending. Although it’s a “twist”, I totally called it. Heh.

Additional Thoughts: TOMORROW: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THIS FANTASTIC HEROINE ELENA DEVERAUX. WHAT IS HER FAVORITE WEAPON? WHAT DOES SHE THINK OF RAPHAEL? HOW IS HER RELATIONSHIP WITH NALINI SINGH? THOSE AND OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED PLUS A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF ANGELS’ BLOOD.

Rating:

Ana: 10 – (what else?)

Thea: 8 Excellent – and as of right now, one of the best books I’ve read in 2009.