What do you think?
Rate this book
A Flight of Angels
The diverse mythology of angels is explored in this lushly painted graphic novel from high-profile fantasy authors including Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles) and Bill Willingham (FABLES).Deep in the woods outside of a magical kingdom, a strange group of faeries and forest creatures discover a nearly dead angel, bleeding and unconscious with a sword by his side. They call a tribunal to decide his fate, each telling stories that delve into different interpretations of these winged, celestial beings: tales of dangerous angels, all-powerful angels, guardian angels and death angels, that range from the mystical to the mysterious to the macabre.
This original graphic novel spotlights the painted work of award-winning artist Rebecca Guay, whose other workds include the Vertigo titles VEILS and DESTINY: A CHRONICLE OF DEATHS FORETOLD, as well as World of Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons.
This original graphic novel spotlights the painted work of award-winning artist Rebecca Guay, whose other workds include the Vertigo titles VEILS and DESTINY: A CHRONICLE OF DEATHS FORETOLD, as well as World of Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2011
10 people are currently reading
1967 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
September 6, 2016
Lovely art elevates a so-so collection of short stories about angels. Rebecca Guay, in my opinion, is one of the most talented illustrators I've ever seen. The artwork is classic but ephemeral with tasteful nudes and multi-layered backgrounds. In a word: gorgeous.
I picked this one up because of The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen. In that book, as in this, I loved the art but thought that the story was predictable. I feel like the authors that Guay has partnered with, at least so far, don't measure up to the masterworks she produces.
Borrow this one from your nearest library so that you can see how beautiful it is. Read alikes: some of the Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile series has art on this level but they're kind of hit or miss. Saga, Volume 1 is beautiful but the story has some very vulgar moments popped in there. If you can handle that, and I know that some people are huge fans of Saga, then that series might be a good fit. Or, of course, you may want to pick up The Last Dragon as that is done by the same illustrator.
I picked this one up because of The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen. In that book, as in this, I loved the art but thought that the story was predictable. I feel like the authors that Guay has partnered with, at least so far, don't measure up to the masterworks she produces.
Borrow this one from your nearest library so that you can see how beautiful it is. Read alikes: some of the Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile series has art on this level but they're kind of hit or miss. Saga, Volume 1 is beautiful but the story has some very vulgar moments popped in there. If you can handle that, and I know that some people are huge fans of Saga, then that series might be a good fit. Or, of course, you may want to pick up The Last Dragon as that is done by the same illustrator.
January 21, 2016
In the woods, an angel falls. Those who find him, a collection of fae, decide to hold a tribunal to decide if he lives or dies, and tell stories of angels to help judge.
The art was lovely and the stories are versions of what we've all heard, skewed as appropriate to the viewpoint of fae. A little twee and overly romanticized for my tastes, but pretty while it happens.
The art was lovely and the stories are versions of what we've all heard, skewed as appropriate to the viewpoint of fae. A little twee and overly romanticized for my tastes, but pretty while it happens.
December 2, 2011
Angels. The world seems to be obsessed with them, given all the art and fiction we devote to their names. Some people see angels as their muses, creatures to worship, guardians who protect the meek and oppressed, or even just avenging warriors who wage a great war of good and evil which we humans cannot see. But what is truth when it comes to these creatures? Is there any truth in the jumble of tales that surround them?
A Flight of Angels begins with a seemingly ominous occurrence: an angel suddenly falls from the sky and lands within a forest. Nearby fey creatures, curious yet wary, gather around the fallen, unconscious form and talk amongst themselves to decide what to do with this creature who may prove to be a threat once he awakens. The only things they know of angels come from mortal rumors and tales, so each creature shares their knowledge through stories in the hope that one might help to shed light on who this angel is and why he fell. But, as is true with any story, truth and lie are intermixed...so much so that it is often difficult to tell which is which.
The five stories, written by creative minds like Holly Black (author of The Modern Faerie Tales series) and Bill Willingham (creator/writer of Fables), shed different lights upon many aspects of angelic and Biblical mythos: the story of Adam and Eve, angel duties within the framework of the human world, the angel of death, guardian angels, and even the fall of Lucifer. All of the stories are intriguing and fascinating in their own ways, but not all of them bear the same level of "narrative punch." The revisioning of Adam and Eve's story, called "Original Sin," is one of the stronger tales of the bunch, though the ending tale, called "Shining Host," also bears quite an impact that leads to the outside story's startling, yet oddly fitting, climax.
Rebecca Guay's art for the entire graphic novel is very beautiful with a unique art style for each of the five stories. However, there are instances where the fluid art is disrupted by things such as facial photo manipulations that never quite seem to fit. Such instances seemed so odd and unnecessary to me, especially given that Guay's realistic style of art seemed fine enough on its own without such obvious measures. Other than that little nit-pick of mine, I really enjoyed the art and found myself drawn into each story less because of the narrative or prose (though there were some very nice instances of pretty words and thoughts) and more because of the art's allure.
For anyone who enjoys stories about angels or even just interesting takes on lore and myths, I would definitely recommend A Flight of Angels since it holds a lot of imagination within its one hundred and twenty pages. Don't let the graphic novel format turn you away because you might just miss out on something special, meaningful, and even a little bit sorrowful.
A Flight of Angels begins with a seemingly ominous occurrence: an angel suddenly falls from the sky and lands within a forest. Nearby fey creatures, curious yet wary, gather around the fallen, unconscious form and talk amongst themselves to decide what to do with this creature who may prove to be a threat once he awakens. The only things they know of angels come from mortal rumors and tales, so each creature shares their knowledge through stories in the hope that one might help to shed light on who this angel is and why he fell. But, as is true with any story, truth and lie are intermixed...so much so that it is often difficult to tell which is which.
The five stories, written by creative minds like Holly Black (author of The Modern Faerie Tales series) and Bill Willingham (creator/writer of Fables), shed different lights upon many aspects of angelic and Biblical mythos: the story of Adam and Eve, angel duties within the framework of the human world, the angel of death, guardian angels, and even the fall of Lucifer. All of the stories are intriguing and fascinating in their own ways, but not all of them bear the same level of "narrative punch." The revisioning of Adam and Eve's story, called "Original Sin," is one of the stronger tales of the bunch, though the ending tale, called "Shining Host," also bears quite an impact that leads to the outside story's startling, yet oddly fitting, climax.
Rebecca Guay's art for the entire graphic novel is very beautiful with a unique art style for each of the five stories. However, there are instances where the fluid art is disrupted by things such as facial photo manipulations that never quite seem to fit. Such instances seemed so odd and unnecessary to me, especially given that Guay's realistic style of art seemed fine enough on its own without such obvious measures. Other than that little nit-pick of mine, I really enjoyed the art and found myself drawn into each story less because of the narrative or prose (though there were some very nice instances of pretty words and thoughts) and more because of the art's allure.
For anyone who enjoys stories about angels or even just interesting takes on lore and myths, I would definitely recommend A Flight of Angels since it holds a lot of imagination within its one hundred and twenty pages. Don't let the graphic novel format turn you away because you might just miss out on something special, meaningful, and even a little bit sorrowful.
September 27, 2020
A collection of angel-themed short stories with a fairy framing device and some very nice art. It had a couple good moments to it and was never anything short of pretty to look at.
June 26, 2012
The story begins when an angel falls to earth. A passing group of fairies decide to hold a tribunal to decide his fate, telling stories to illuminate the nature of angels. Each story is written by a different author, but illustrated by the same artist. That's what really surprised me, that the same artist was so adept at handling such different styles. The stories are short, very short, but emotionally powerful and memorable. And so, surprisingly, is the framing story. This is a very quick read, beautiful to look at and fascinating to read.
January 11, 2015
When a group of faeries, fauns, and the like find an angel fallen in the forest, they decide to tell stories of why the angel has fallen, and the judge will decide what to do with the angel. The stories range from re-imaginings of the Biblical tales to folksy tales.
First off, the illustrations are gorgeous. I often found myself stopping to just look at the artwork. The stories were all interesting, I especially liked the alternate version of the Garden of Eden story. What I wasn't a huge fan of was the way the frame story wrapped up... it was sad and depressing, whereas the individual stories were not... so it left a bad taste.
First off, the illustrations are gorgeous. I often found myself stopping to just look at the artwork. The stories were all interesting, I especially liked the alternate version of the Garden of Eden story. What I wasn't a huge fan of was the way the frame story wrapped up... it was sad and depressing, whereas the individual stories were not... so it left a bad taste.
June 15, 2015
It was a pretty cool story-telling concept, the trial method, but I thought the stories themselves were sort of meh. The Adam and Eve story was preachy, the guardian angel was a bit silly, the Hamaliel story was pointless and some of the others was just old hash.
The art was on and off for me.
Overall, a fairly diverting read.
The art was on and off for me.
Overall, a fairly diverting read.
November 22, 2011
This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I was excited to read this graphic novel as it has been a while since I read a graphic novel cover to cover; the reason being that most graphic novels fall into two categories for me: GN’s that focus on the art and care little of the writing and GN’s that care more for the writing and little of the art. There are only a few gems out there that have both beautiful art and beautiful writing. This book is unfortunately no exception. This GN falls into category of focusing on the art and not on the writing. I almost feel bad saying this because very established authors contributed to the collaboration.
The art in this book is absolutely beautiful. It is more like a series of classical paintings than a comic book. The angel designs are very original and I would return to this book for inspiration if I were to write on angels in the future. The coloring feels like rotoscoping and I could look at this art over and over again.
As for the writing, there were maybe two of the five stories that were well written. In these two stories the writing keeps up with the art and they complement each other wonderfully. The other three are plagued with awful dialog and fail to keep up with the beauty of the art. I was constantly annoyed with words in bold for unnecessary emphasis. I felt like the speaker could not control the volume of their voice and words burst out of them uncontrollably.
If you are going to buy this book, buy it as an art book and consider the two good stories bonus material.
I was excited to read this graphic novel as it has been a while since I read a graphic novel cover to cover; the reason being that most graphic novels fall into two categories for me: GN’s that focus on the art and care little of the writing and GN’s that care more for the writing and little of the art. There are only a few gems out there that have both beautiful art and beautiful writing. This book is unfortunately no exception. This GN falls into category of focusing on the art and not on the writing. I almost feel bad saying this because very established authors contributed to the collaboration.
The art in this book is absolutely beautiful. It is more like a series of classical paintings than a comic book. The angel designs are very original and I would return to this book for inspiration if I were to write on angels in the future. The coloring feels like rotoscoping and I could look at this art over and over again.
As for the writing, there were maybe two of the five stories that were well written. In these two stories the writing keeps up with the art and they complement each other wonderfully. The other three are plagued with awful dialog and fail to keep up with the beauty of the art. I was constantly annoyed with words in bold for unnecessary emphasis. I felt like the speaker could not control the volume of their voice and words burst out of them uncontrollably.
If you are going to buy this book, buy it as an art book and consider the two good stories bonus material.
March 22, 2015
The main problem with anthologies or when you have multiple contributing writers is the inconsistent storytelling. My favorite story was "Original Sin" by Louise Hawes. I loved how everything knew about the Adam and Eve story got turned upside down, that an angel played a major role in human's "downfall" and that ultimately, the "expulsion" from Eden was a choice. Normally I love Bill Willingham but his story "The Story Within the Story Within" was mundane compared to Alisa Kwitney's "Chaya Surah and the Angel of Death". Todd Mitchell's "The Guardian" would normally cause oohs and aah from die-hard romantics like myself but I found myself slightly bored by the predictability of it. The story that had the most potential was the main one written by Holly Black where the creatures of the forest find the fallen angel and hold a tribunal to discuss what to do with the angel. While I love how the boy held the deciding vote, I was really disappointed by the story's ending. I felt like the angel should have waken sooner and told his story to heighten the tension. The ending just felt like the writer brought all of these interesting elements in but didn't know how to end so she just took a short cut and left you wholly unsatisfied. At least that's how I felt after reading this wonderfully illustrated book that held so much potential.
January 5, 2016
The premise for this book is just fine - (some fae come across a wounded and unconscious angel in the woods, and tell each other stories about angels to figure out if they should kill it or let it live), but even allowing for the tradition that fae are shallow and unsophisticated in their understanding of the way non-fae operate, each story is still trite and takes itself far too seriously. The art really wants to be on the cover of a cheesy bodice ripper, and the one story which had some depth and poignancy to it was ruined by that ridiculous affectation of substituting Cyrillic characters in the latin text to make it look more Russian. Seriously. Don't do that. Ever. Just makes the writer look like an ignorant poser. A backwards "R" is does not have the r sound.
It could have been a good book, and maybe it would be for a preteen audience that hasn't been sensitized to melodrama or poor plotting, but if you've read anything at all in this genre by a good author, you'll probably find this tedious.
It could have been a good book, and maybe it would be for a preteen audience that hasn't been sensitized to melodrama or poor plotting, but if you've read anything at all in this genre by a good author, you'll probably find this tedious.
November 28, 2021
4 stars for me because of 2 bad endings in this book/graphic novel for me personally: the first bad ending is in the story The Guardian in which this story is my favorite by far alongside with the other second favorite story of mine which is the story within the story within.
So in the story called The Guardian which is about a servant maid girl called Tara & an Angel called Ellisien there is a bad ending a bad mistake(spoilers ahead): Tara doesn't think she deserves the love of Ellisien & she asks him to abandon her & she breaks not only his heart & hers but she also ruins their relationship & bond which they have had(all because Tara is mortal human & because Ellisien is an immortal human divine being(an angel) & when Ellisien tries to become himself mortal human she still doesn't want it because she wants Ellisien the Angel to remain Immortal & Angelica Divine Holy Being)
I mean come on Tara you are a little of a spoiled beat & stupid mean bitch at least instead of Ellisien the Angel to try to cut his wings & to become himself mortal human & distant from heaven & the rest of the Angels you could at least suggest him to make you too an angelic & immortal divine human being so you could live forever alive beside him & fly together as one but I forgive you a little because in the ending of this story when you died you went in the afterlife & you were together forever with Ellisien all the time.
The next mistake in the next story(which is not my second favorite story at all but the third one) is called The Story within the Story within which is about an angel called Hamaliel & Israfel(Israfel is the female blond white dressed angel who narrated the story about Hamaliel)
In this story Hamaliel fucks & screws up a lot(causes a lot of trouble & makes a lot of bad & terrible horrific bullshit things to happen)
in various assignments(jobs/tasks) & he gets reprimanded by getting to the next assignment which he also fucks up again & he moves to the next assignment again & again & he fucks up & on & on etc.
So the bad mistake is (spoilers ahead again) is that Hamaliel an angel & very good apprentice & partner of Israfel(The Hot Female Blonde Angel)fucks up a lot in his various jobs/tasks that, so he is being ordered by the higher forces of heaven every single time he fucks up, to do so but the biggest & most horrible thing he has had is that he has had killed a lot of people when he is being assigned to the random accidents section job that another angel was supposed to have to do for the rest of their lives or until they get a promotion & become either archangels or something else such as cherubim or something whatever, so Hamaliel kills a lot of people on purpose in order to move to the next job & he gets killed alongside his soul like he has never existed in the first place by Israfel.
Another thing that I don't like very much & is a bad ending for me personally even though I like very much this graphic novel romantic fairytale drama book is that(once again spoilers ahead) that I don't even get to find the true identity of the fallen angel which this graphic novel book is about since that angel who has fallen & is judged by some fairies/fae/faeries through some stories shall determine the fate of the fallen angel(these stories within this graphic novel here) which the 2 favorite stories of mine which these stories are: The Guardian & The Chaya Surah & The Angel of Death are part of it so the bad ending & thing aka mistake I don't like(that's why I put 4 stars only) even though I like this graphic novel book is that the angel dies but the blade of the little faun/faerie/fairy that whom this faun has taken by another creature that was carrying in chains the particular faun & with that blade the faun had it wounded the angel in front the other creatures all because the angel, before he had been falling to earth & particularly to the Forrest in the middle of the winter night that the creatures found him unconscious & tried to determine his fate whether the angel lives or dies through stories with these stories, was living up in the sky in the golden cities of heaven & because the angel had wings & he could fly but the faun/fairy whatever it had wings but the wings of the faun/fairy could not make the faun/fairy fly upwards in the sky not even above in a tree or not even to the next tree & the faun/fairy thing out of his rage, sorrow,vanity, contempt, jealousy & greed also because the fairy/faun wanted a soul to have as well it killed the angel in front of the other creatures who wanted wings to fly & to have souls.
I hated that the angel dies & the ending is very anticlimactic & tragic in a very bad horrible painful dramatic tedious way.
The characters, the art style with the character designs, the colors, the illustrations & visuals are very well made & very enchanting fairytale like atmosphere & vibe so much even the whole graphic novel book is so much heart warming & sweet & emotional full of heart, soul, spirit & meaningful very much a lot that gives you some kind of serenity & solitude!!!!
I like overall this graphic novel book, I am very entertained & also very enlightened & well learned a few lessons of life from this book & the characters & their stories about angels such as to find positivity, kindness, optimism, compassion & benevolence even in the most painful, hardest, tragic times & moments in life & our own selves & other people & also try to appreciate the good people & things in our lives & to love ourselves as well & try to live well & happy & to do good or decent things to live or even to enjoy about & that sadness & sorrow & melancholy(especially & specifically for myself who is most of the time in his life sad/melancholic & with sorrow & I love it so very much because it makes me very comfortable & it brings me a very good feeling of serenity & solitude & calmness) are not always bad, terrible or even horrible or horrific but very, very, very, very welcomed, necessary, important, peaceful, magnificent, beautiful & very well meaningful blessing & joy in a very healthy good & sweet loveable vital way even when we all are positive, uplifted & happy & joyful.
So in the story called The Guardian which is about a servant maid girl called Tara & an Angel called Ellisien there is a bad ending a bad mistake(spoilers ahead): Tara doesn't think she deserves the love of Ellisien & she asks him to abandon her & she breaks not only his heart & hers but she also ruins their relationship & bond which they have had(all because Tara is mortal human & because Ellisien is an immortal human divine being(an angel) & when Ellisien tries to become himself mortal human she still doesn't want it because she wants Ellisien the Angel to remain Immortal & Angelica Divine Holy Being)
I mean come on Tara you are a little of a spoiled beat & stupid mean bitch at least instead of Ellisien the Angel to try to cut his wings & to become himself mortal human & distant from heaven & the rest of the Angels you could at least suggest him to make you too an angelic & immortal divine human being so you could live forever alive beside him & fly together as one but I forgive you a little because in the ending of this story when you died you went in the afterlife & you were together forever with Ellisien all the time.
The next mistake in the next story(which is not my second favorite story at all but the third one) is called The Story within the Story within which is about an angel called Hamaliel & Israfel(Israfel is the female blond white dressed angel who narrated the story about Hamaliel)
In this story Hamaliel fucks & screws up a lot(causes a lot of trouble & makes a lot of bad & terrible horrific bullshit things to happen)
in various assignments(jobs/tasks) & he gets reprimanded by getting to the next assignment which he also fucks up again & he moves to the next assignment again & again & he fucks up & on & on etc.
So the bad mistake is (spoilers ahead again) is that Hamaliel an angel & very good apprentice & partner of Israfel(The Hot Female Blonde Angel)fucks up a lot in his various jobs/tasks that, so he is being ordered by the higher forces of heaven every single time he fucks up, to do so but the biggest & most horrible thing he has had is that he has had killed a lot of people when he is being assigned to the random accidents section job that another angel was supposed to have to do for the rest of their lives or until they get a promotion & become either archangels or something else such as cherubim or something whatever, so Hamaliel kills a lot of people on purpose in order to move to the next job & he gets killed alongside his soul like he has never existed in the first place by Israfel.
Another thing that I don't like very much & is a bad ending for me personally even though I like very much this graphic novel romantic fairytale drama book is that(once again spoilers ahead) that I don't even get to find the true identity of the fallen angel which this graphic novel book is about since that angel who has fallen & is judged by some fairies/fae/faeries through some stories shall determine the fate of the fallen angel(these stories within this graphic novel here) which the 2 favorite stories of mine which these stories are: The Guardian & The Chaya Surah & The Angel of Death are part of it so the bad ending & thing aka mistake I don't like(that's why I put 4 stars only) even though I like this graphic novel book is that the angel dies but the blade of the little faun/faerie/fairy that whom this faun has taken by another creature that was carrying in chains the particular faun & with that blade the faun had it wounded the angel in front the other creatures all because the angel, before he had been falling to earth & particularly to the Forrest in the middle of the winter night that the creatures found him unconscious & tried to determine his fate whether the angel lives or dies through stories with these stories, was living up in the sky in the golden cities of heaven & because the angel had wings & he could fly but the faun/fairy whatever it had wings but the wings of the faun/fairy could not make the faun/fairy fly upwards in the sky not even above in a tree or not even to the next tree & the faun/fairy thing out of his rage, sorrow,vanity, contempt, jealousy & greed also because the fairy/faun wanted a soul to have as well it killed the angel in front of the other creatures who wanted wings to fly & to have souls.
I hated that the angel dies & the ending is very anticlimactic & tragic in a very bad horrible painful dramatic tedious way.
The characters, the art style with the character designs, the colors, the illustrations & visuals are very well made & very enchanting fairytale like atmosphere & vibe so much even the whole graphic novel book is so much heart warming & sweet & emotional full of heart, soul, spirit & meaningful very much a lot that gives you some kind of serenity & solitude!!!!
I like overall this graphic novel book, I am very entertained & also very enlightened & well learned a few lessons of life from this book & the characters & their stories about angels such as to find positivity, kindness, optimism, compassion & benevolence even in the most painful, hardest, tragic times & moments in life & our own selves & other people & also try to appreciate the good people & things in our lives & to love ourselves as well & try to live well & happy & to do good or decent things to live or even to enjoy about & that sadness & sorrow & melancholy(especially & specifically for myself who is most of the time in his life sad/melancholic & with sorrow & I love it so very much because it makes me very comfortable & it brings me a very good feeling of serenity & solitude & calmness) are not always bad, terrible or even horrible or horrific but very, very, very, very welcomed, necessary, important, peaceful, magnificent, beautiful & very well meaningful blessing & joy in a very healthy good & sweet loveable vital way even when we all are positive, uplifted & happy & joyful.
May 26, 2018
3.5 stars
August 27, 2017
A gorgeously drawn fairy tale with angels. That's the best way I can describe this angelic Arabian Nights like book.
In a mystical forest, magical creatures find themselves with an angel in front of them. The angel is unconscious... possibly dying. But definitely not awake. They ponder over its nature and come to the realization that they need to decide what to do with it. It's not of their kind. It doesn't belong there. Yet who are they to judge... and what would be the reasons to judge?
The reality of this story is told mostly in grays, while several participants offers tales of angels in full color (literally). The writing and drawing style changes from section to section and it reads like a cousin from the Sandman books. Real angel names are used as well as real angel stories. Its illustrations are also quite beautiful and often stunning. Though the occasional slur word is used, unlike in Monstress, I didn't mind it as much; not because it was more fitting, but because it was less frequent and the writing was more solid and felt more apt to accept the occasional f-bomb.
Is this a life changing book? I don't think so. But I enjoyed it well enough to consider buying it even after I read it. The writing is dreamy, the story is compelling as are the stories within the stories, offering a very rewarding reading experience. It's the type of book that speaks to me in words and stories that resonate. Morals aren't always clear, and subplots that are hinted at merit a second read.
So if angels are a topic you're fascinated by, I do think this is a very worthy read. If you however you prefer fairytales... then you should be equally pleased, because why not?
In a mystical forest, magical creatures find themselves with an angel in front of them. The angel is unconscious... possibly dying. But definitely not awake. They ponder over its nature and come to the realization that they need to decide what to do with it. It's not of their kind. It doesn't belong there. Yet who are they to judge... and what would be the reasons to judge?
The reality of this story is told mostly in grays, while several participants offers tales of angels in full color (literally). The writing and drawing style changes from section to section and it reads like a cousin from the Sandman books. Real angel names are used as well as real angel stories. Its illustrations are also quite beautiful and often stunning. Though the occasional slur word is used, unlike in Monstress, I didn't mind it as much; not because it was more fitting, but because it was less frequent and the writing was more solid and felt more apt to accept the occasional f-bomb.
Is this a life changing book? I don't think so. But I enjoyed it well enough to consider buying it even after I read it. The writing is dreamy, the story is compelling as are the stories within the stories, offering a very rewarding reading experience. It's the type of book that speaks to me in words and stories that resonate. Morals aren't always clear, and subplots that are hinted at merit a second read.
So if angels are a topic you're fascinated by, I do think this is a very worthy read. If you however you prefer fairytales... then you should be equally pleased, because why not?
September 27, 2020
This book is truly a thing of beauty.
Meet the fair folks, beings whose whimsical and unusual mentality can be utterly alien to man.
And upon their lands, from the skies a dying angels falls down, into the woods.
To decide its fate, is a matter they take on their own hands.
And what is a better judge of character but a story? Or several, even.
Several stories about angels are told in an unusual meeting, to choose the fate of the fallen. And what's more true than a story to strike hearts, or harden them, no matter if they are indeed true or mere fiction?
The art of the incredibly skilled Rebecca Guay puts a rather mystical look to this whole story, almost oneiric. Which is by no doubt perfectly fitting, each story varying slightly in art style depending on the narrator and tone.
Definitively reccomended, both for art style and the seeing a bit of the fickle intricacies of the fae.
Meet the fair folks, beings whose whimsical and unusual mentality can be utterly alien to man.
And upon their lands, from the skies a dying angels falls down, into the woods.
To decide its fate, is a matter they take on their own hands.
And what is a better judge of character but a story? Or several, even.
Several stories about angels are told in an unusual meeting, to choose the fate of the fallen. And what's more true than a story to strike hearts, or harden them, no matter if they are indeed true or mere fiction?
The art of the incredibly skilled Rebecca Guay puts a rather mystical look to this whole story, almost oneiric. Which is by no doubt perfectly fitting, each story varying slightly in art style depending on the narrator and tone.
Definitively reccomended, both for art style and the seeing a bit of the fickle intricacies of the fae.
July 9, 2017
I got totally interested in the ethereal mythology of angels in this dreamily painted graphic novel, from the magically created cover art. Woot! Holly Black is in it; it has to be five stars! It also features Rebecca Guay's artwork.
In a magical kingdom, deep in the woods, faeries and forest creatures discover a nearly dead angel, bleeding and unconscious, with a sword. They call a tribunal to decide his fate, each telling stories that delve into different interpretations of these winged, celestial, mystical, mysterious or macabre beings: tales of dangerous, or all-powerful, or guardian, or death angels. Lovely book to relax with, gorgeous colors with faes galore! Lovely cover too!
Faes Represent!!!!
In a magical kingdom, deep in the woods, faeries and forest creatures discover a nearly dead angel, bleeding and unconscious, with a sword. They call a tribunal to decide his fate, each telling stories that delve into different interpretations of these winged, celestial, mystical, mysterious or macabre beings: tales of dangerous, or all-powerful, or guardian, or death angels. Lovely book to relax with, gorgeous colors with faes galore! Lovely cover too!
Faes Represent!!!!
July 23, 2021
This was so beautifully narrated, so many heavy, dark and poetical stories inside a main plot. It's a judgement to decided weather a fallen angel should live or be killed. And all the participants are telling tales to defend their point of view. We even have a historical preparation narrative of who was the real one who ate from forbidden fruit first... spoiler, it was the man.... I recommend it.
March 20, 2018
The art's nice, I'll give it that
July 30, 2019
A gorgeously illustrated collection of stories about angels in graphic novel format, loosely strung together by a frame story. The art was just achingly beautiful.
August 21, 2019
Good, if a bit gruesome! Goes well with Neil Gaiman's "Murder Mysteries."
October 24, 2020
Per leggere la recensione: https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
August 1, 2023
3.5 stars
Charming illustrations and nice stories, but quite a disappointing ending.
Charming illustrations and nice stories, but quite a disappointing ending.
May 19, 2023
First off, I have to once again compliment the art in this book. Lovely stories about angels, only to end with a dark twist that I absolutely loved.
A Flight of Angels is a story about angels and their connection to human kind. Good and bad.
Rebecca Guay really outdid herself.
Would recommend.
4.5 stars.
A Flight of Angels is a story about angels and their connection to human kind. Good and bad.
Rebecca Guay really outdid herself.
Would recommend.
4.5 stars.
February 24, 2012
Originally reviewed here.
Occasionally, there are battles in the sky. One likes to imagine angels as always triumphant. One does not like to think of the ancient and terrible scales balancing the infernal and divine as a wobbling back and forth. Tilting freely to and fro.
One does not like to think that sometimes it is the angel that falls.
An angel falls to ground, grievously injured and unconscious in the land of the fairies. A lord, a maid, a hag, and a trickster sit tribunal over his fate, with a boy as judge. Their goal is to determine what to do with the angel--to help him, to kill him, or to let him be. Each member of the group tells a tale they know of angels, a tale they feel reveals the creature’s nature and will influence the tribunal’s outcome.
A Flight of Angels, conceived and illustrated by Rebecca Guay, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful graphic novels I have encountered to date. Perfect for readers looking to enter or ease into the genre, the story is captured in one compact volume composed using the work of well-known young adult and graphic authors. Holly Black has written the frame story of the fae creatures determining the angels fate, and each author tells a tale of angels therein. In one short and breathtaking novel, questions of incredible depth and complexity are asked such as what it means to live, the value of a soul, and how do humans balance their animal instincts and angelic natures? Heartbreaking at times, and very fist-pumpy girl power at others, A Flight of Angels is a graphic novel for any fantasy fan. The illustrations were astoundingly gorgeous, Rebecca Guay (who’s illustrated for authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin) has a style not often seen in the graphic universe, and I for one could not get enough of it.
Occasionally, there are battles in the sky. One likes to imagine angels as always triumphant. One does not like to think of the ancient and terrible scales balancing the infernal and divine as a wobbling back and forth. Tilting freely to and fro.
One does not like to think that sometimes it is the angel that falls.
An angel falls to ground, grievously injured and unconscious in the land of the fairies. A lord, a maid, a hag, and a trickster sit tribunal over his fate, with a boy as judge. Their goal is to determine what to do with the angel--to help him, to kill him, or to let him be. Each member of the group tells a tale they know of angels, a tale they feel reveals the creature’s nature and will influence the tribunal’s outcome.
A Flight of Angels, conceived and illustrated by Rebecca Guay, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful graphic novels I have encountered to date. Perfect for readers looking to enter or ease into the genre, the story is captured in one compact volume composed using the work of well-known young adult and graphic authors. Holly Black has written the frame story of the fae creatures determining the angels fate, and each author tells a tale of angels therein. In one short and breathtaking novel, questions of incredible depth and complexity are asked such as what it means to live, the value of a soul, and how do humans balance their animal instincts and angelic natures? Heartbreaking at times, and very fist-pumpy girl power at others, A Flight of Angels is a graphic novel for any fantasy fan. The illustrations were astoundingly gorgeous, Rebecca Guay (who’s illustrated for authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin) has a style not often seen in the graphic universe, and I for one could not get enough of it.
June 10, 2016
The back copy does a great job of summarizing this. Basically an angel falls from the sky and a group of faeries find him. They then conduct a tribunal to decide what to do with him. As part of this tribunal each of the faeries tell a story of where they think the angel came from and how he ended up fallen.
The main story including the faeries was done in sepia tones while the stories that they tell (each one by a different author) were done in full color. There is a variety of artistic style throughout (each story that the faeries tell has its own style) and all of it is very beautiful. I enjoyed the art a lot and thought it was stunning to look at.
I do wish that the book had been a bit clearer about which story was by which author. They tell you in the front of the book, but as you read the graphic novel the transitions to the different story (while clear because of the switch to color) don’t specify which story and author you are switching to.
The whole thing is decently put together but ends up feeling more like a loosely connected series of short stories about angelic origins than an actual graphic novel. The plot of the faeries contemplating where the angel has come from only loosely joins these stories together.
Overall this was a good collection of angel stories loosely pulled together by an over-arcing plot. I really loved the illustration/art throughout and thought the stories were good, if not absolutely fantastic. I would recommend if you like fantasy graphic novels and/or are interested in angel themed short stories.
The main story including the faeries was done in sepia tones while the stories that they tell (each one by a different author) were done in full color. There is a variety of artistic style throughout (each story that the faeries tell has its own style) and all of it is very beautiful. I enjoyed the art a lot and thought it was stunning to look at.
I do wish that the book had been a bit clearer about which story was by which author. They tell you in the front of the book, but as you read the graphic novel the transitions to the different story (while clear because of the switch to color) don’t specify which story and author you are switching to.
The whole thing is decently put together but ends up feeling more like a loosely connected series of short stories about angelic origins than an actual graphic novel. The plot of the faeries contemplating where the angel has come from only loosely joins these stories together.
Overall this was a good collection of angel stories loosely pulled together by an over-arcing plot. I really loved the illustration/art throughout and thought the stories were good, if not absolutely fantastic. I would recommend if you like fantasy graphic novels and/or are interested in angel themed short stories.
February 26, 2013
This graphic novel has beautiful illustrations and I can see why it is one of YALSA's top ten graphic novels of 2012. The story also goes very well with the illustrations.
When an angel falls into a dark forest, the magical creatures of the forest must decide the fate of the angel. They decide to call a tribunal and each tell a story about who they think this mysterious creature is.
Conceived and illustrated by Rebecca Guay, each story is written by a different author. The only author I was familiar with was Holly Black, but I enjoyed reading each story.
I particularly liked "Chaya Surah and the Angel of Death" by Alisa Kwitney and "The Guardian" by Todd Mitchell. In "Chaya Surah" Rivka an older childless woman decides to go to the local witch because she believes she is responsible for her childlessness. The witch, Chaya Surah, has tricked the angel of death and has a secret to long life. "The Guardian" is about an angel who falls in love with a mortal and decides to give up his eternal life for her. It is a love story with an unexpected ending.
Older teens who enjoy graphic novels, as well as books by Holly Black and Neil Gaiman (and are familiar with the other authors as well) will enjoy A Flight of Angels.
When an angel falls into a dark forest, the magical creatures of the forest must decide the fate of the angel. They decide to call a tribunal and each tell a story about who they think this mysterious creature is.
Conceived and illustrated by Rebecca Guay, each story is written by a different author. The only author I was familiar with was Holly Black, but I enjoyed reading each story.
I particularly liked "Chaya Surah and the Angel of Death" by Alisa Kwitney and "The Guardian" by Todd Mitchell. In "Chaya Surah" Rivka an older childless woman decides to go to the local witch because she believes she is responsible for her childlessness. The witch, Chaya Surah, has tricked the angel of death and has a secret to long life. "The Guardian" is about an angel who falls in love with a mortal and decides to give up his eternal life for her. It is a love story with an unexpected ending.
Older teens who enjoy graphic novels, as well as books by Holly Black and Neil Gaiman (and are familiar with the other authors as well) will enjoy A Flight of Angels.
December 13, 2011
An angel falls in a forest and is discovered by fae, who are believed by some to be fallen angels themselves. They are unsure if the angel should live or die, and thus conduct a tribunal of stories to decide the angel's fate.
It's short, for a graphic novel, and there's not much meat to it. However, the art is stunning enough to more than make up for it. I read the story in a couple of hours, but I could have spent many more just studying the details of the illustrations. There's no doubt that Rebecca Guay's art is incredible and the book is worth it just for that.
I liked all of the stories well enough, some more than others - Original Sin and Story Within the Story Within particularly, as well as the frame story. I didn't love the ending, perhaps because I wanted something more and naturally, something happier. What I particularly loved about this collection was that the tales managed to delve into the mythology of angels without getting religious about it, which is admittedly not everyone's bag. Angels are inherently a religious symbol, and I like that the writers stayed away from that aspect and kept the stories secular.
It's short, for a graphic novel, and there's not much meat to it. However, the art is stunning enough to more than make up for it. I read the story in a couple of hours, but I could have spent many more just studying the details of the illustrations. There's no doubt that Rebecca Guay's art is incredible and the book is worth it just for that.
I liked all of the stories well enough, some more than others - Original Sin and Story Within the Story Within particularly, as well as the frame story. I didn't love the ending, perhaps because I wanted something more and naturally, something happier. What I particularly loved about this collection was that the tales managed to delve into the mythology of angels without getting religious about it, which is admittedly not everyone's bag. Angels are inherently a religious symbol, and I like that the writers stayed away from that aspect and kept the stories secular.
Read
April 21, 2018Principally a showcase for Rebecca Guay's art, which for the most part* reminded me of Charles Vess (who provides a jacket quote) or maybe Michael Zulli, except tilted a little less pre-Raphaelite and a little more Symbolist. It is, in other words, very early Vertigo, with revisionist retellings of the expulsion from Eden, and secret bars where angels drink away the memory of the awful crimes their righteousness entails, and creatures of different cosmologies meet on uneasy terms in the woods out back of town. But even with this stuff having been recycled over another 20 years of urban fantasy since, I do still have very fond memories of early Vertigo, so that's alright by me. I don't know if I'd persevere were this an ongoing series, but as a one-off it's beautiful enough that it works. Especially if read under the shade of a blossoming tree in a breeze, with the petals falling like feathers.
*As the book goes on, though, her versatility also becomes clear, as witness the brighter, blockier look for the tale of Russian Jewry, or the watercolours in the tale of the overly solicitous guardian angel.
*As the book goes on, though, her versatility also becomes clear, as witness the brighter, blockier look for the tale of Russian Jewry, or the watercolours in the tale of the overly solicitous guardian angel.
May 18, 2013
This lovely story reads just like an old fairytale, updated for a 21st-century audience, with feminist undertones and pop-adjusted folklore. The art, telling each story in a different style, is as stunning as the concept is unique. I wish this stand-alone was an ongoing series! Fans of The Sandman and Angel Sanctuary will want to check this one out. Trust me, I'm picky about my angel stories - this wonderful book tops my list.
January 24, 2012
I was very pleasantly surprised, moreso because of the negative reviews some friends gave it. It's a very Changeling: the Dreaming book - a few fae gather and tell tales of angels -- but there are other, deeper tales inside, and I loved every single one of them.
Also, lovely artwork.
Also, lovely artwork.
May 28, 2014
These illustrations are SO BEAUTIFUL. Also, the stories are good, and sad, and lovely, and interesting all at once. There's love and pain and lessons and themes and just about everything packed into this tiny volume, just the way short stories should be. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews