A is for Angel
Hello,
I hope these couple of weeks have treated you well and that you’ve had time to dip into your copy of Fire Dance (Hint: it’s free for my readers for a limited time). If so, may I ask a favour? If you could spare a couple of minutes, I’d really appreciate an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. I’ve only 12 reviews on Amazon for this book and with your help that might become 20. Reviews make a great difference both for Amazon’s bots and to attract new readers.
One review I love is the one below:
Now on to today’s fantasy creature:
As you may have realised, in the last newsletter I tackled Z (for Zombie). This week, I’m restarting from A with more detailed content on some creatures I’ve already tackled and other creatures I didn’t mention in the last round. So without further ado, here’s today’s creature…
A is for Angel
When I think of angels, images of glowing wings and heavenly choirs come to mind. I have to say upfront that this is one of my least favourite fantasy creatures perhaps because it’s too closely tied to real-world religions.But in fantasy fiction, angels are far more than messengers from the sky who serve a higher power. They can be warriors, watchers, rebels, harbingers of destruction…
Angels in fantasy can take the form of ‘good’ angels helping characters, or as the offspring of celestial angels who therefore inherit particular powers, or as ‘fallen’ angels living among humans. Many are tragic or conflicted creatures—questioning their loyalty, struggling with duty, or hiding ancient secrets.
Angels come in all physical forms too: some have wings, some have ‘cool’ powers but no wings, some are centuries old, others newborn. The list and variety are only limited by a writer’s imagination.
Books like His Dark Materials, Good Omens, and The Mortal Instruments series all play with angelic lore, using it to explore themes of freedom, morality, and rebellion. In fact, angels in fantasy may symbolise:
Judgment and justice – as divine enforcers, they represent a cosmic balance or provide moral consequences.Purity and orderRebellion and free will – especially in stories of fallen angels or divine wars.Unreachable perfection – characters that highlight the flaws and struggles of mortals by contrast.Angels in fantasy are therefore often complex, contradictory beings—embodying the eternal struggle between duty and desire, faith and freedom. Whether descending from the heavens with divine purpose or walking among mortals in secret, angels could add a rich layer of myth, mystery, and moral tension to a fantasy world. So next time you read about a figure with wings and a sword, don’t assume they’re there to save the day.
Reference and further reading: https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Angel; https://makebelieve-fantasy.fandom.com/wiki/
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For lovers of all things fantasy… FREE BOOKS
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Colours of Fantasy (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Not enough time to read, but love fantasy?
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Till next time! Wishing you a great two weeks with a good book!
Caroline
