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Aiden Saunders Trilogy #1
Winging It
When a car accident suddenly ends her life, Aiden Saunders finds herself living the highlife—literally. But she soon discovers that nothing is simple, not even Paradise. In the age old battle between good and evil, Hell is beginning to gain the upper hand. For centuries now demons have been dragging angels under, but when Aiden’s friend is taken, she can no longer sit idly by. She becomes the first spirit in over a century to attempt the Angel Trials.
To save Heaven and earn her wings, Aiden must infiltrate Hell and set the trapped angels free. The only way into Hell is through a tunnel that connects directly to Earth; however, the location of this tunnel is the demons’ most carefully guarded secret.
In order for her mission to succeed Aiden must find a demon and follow him into Hell. After months of rigorous training she returns to her old high school, where a known demon is active. But once confronted with her demon the mission becomes personal and one hell of a lot more complicated. All plans are thrown aside as Angel falls for Demon, and the black and white concepts of good and evil are rendered forever grey.
To save Heaven and earn her wings, Aiden must infiltrate Hell and set the trapped angels free. The only way into Hell is through a tunnel that connects directly to Earth; however, the location of this tunnel is the demons’ most carefully guarded secret.
In order for her mission to succeed Aiden must find a demon and follow him into Hell. After months of rigorous training she returns to her old high school, where a known demon is active. But once confronted with her demon the mission becomes personal and one hell of a lot more complicated. All plans are thrown aside as Angel falls for Demon, and the black and white concepts of good and evil are rendered forever grey.
- GenresYoung Adult
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2012
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Robitaille
4 books8 followersHi. My name is Stephanie Robitaille. I'm from Caledonia, Ontario. I have a degree in English Literature and Rhetoric from the University of Waterloo, and I have studied publishing through the Humber College Creative Book Publishing program. I briefly interned at HarperCollins Canada on the Digital Sales team, and I was part of the Content team at Kobo for just shy of a year. Currently, I am a Technical Writer at MedAvail Technologies. I am an avid reader and aspiring novelist. The Aiden Saunders Trilogy is available on Kindle and Kobo.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 9, 2012
Oh dear lord where do I begin? The book was amazing. And I will literally die if a new installment doesn't come out soon. Although if I'm in Paradise I might not mind so much. Aiden is refreshing with a smart mouth and the ability to take care of herself. Not to mention she has a good head on her. Deadly combination. No pun intended. She goes through life- or umm death?- with a voice that rings true to teenagers everywhere. And her romance and action? To die for. Again I really need to stop with the puns. The other characters to all had a certain pizzaz and lively quality that I find is so often missing in books these days. In the end Robitaille created a spunky plucky heroine (who while is on the right track is running backwards)a troubled yet charming love interest and a captivating I-will-so-totally-sell-my-soul-to-get-the-next-book plot. Oh yeah and by the way, if anyone from Paradise is reading this, eternal damnation for Leaf's fans should be implemented ASAP.
November 7, 2012
This book has many cool characters all tied up in a very strong and endlessly interesting plot. A great read! I just loved curling up by my electric fireplace with my kitten Toby, having a hot cup of cider, and spending all weekend lost in - Paradise!
October 23, 2012
Before I delve into the full review, I should preface it by saying Steph is a good friend and so while this review is based entirely on my opinion, I definitely can't claim that it is unbiased. So, instead of raving about how awesome it is (which it is), I will focus on what worked for me and what didn't.
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Aiden and Brian were sort of friends in high school. On the surface they didn't get along, but that was because they were attracted to each other. One night, as Brian drove Aiden home from a party, they got into a car accident and both died. Aiden wounded up in Heaven, but Brian didn't. Aiden became a Spirit and thirty years later, has a great death surrounded by friends in Heaven. Some of these friends are Angels, who are basically Spirits with more powers. They participate in the fight against evil by battling demons from hell. Unfortunately, the demons are gaining power and are dragging many Angels under (into Hell). Even so, Aiden's life was rather idyllic until one of her Angel friends is dragged under. To save him, Aiden must find the location of Hell, get in, and then work to free the Angels. This takes her back to her hometown and high school, where she was shocked to discover that . Somehow, between high school, typical teenage drama, and a budding romance, Aiden must accomplish her mission.
A lot about this book really works for me. The first is definitely Aiden, the heroine. She's sassy, fun, and has an attitude problem. But at the same time, she's smart, resourceful, and not foolish (or too stupid to live). She takes risks, sometimes enormous ones, but she always listens to warnings from others and use the resources that are offered to her. For example, she offers to break into Hell when her stronger Angel friends couldn't, but then she trains like crazy until she's strong enough. She's also unapologetic about who she is. Thus while she still acts like a teenager, her "age" (she would be in her late 40's!) and maturity are evident.
As well, the story-line is carefully crafted. Angel vs. Demon with a love twist is hardly new, but Winging it adds just enough spices to make it fresh and interesting. The idea of Heaven being a rather bureaucratic organization complete with office workers and paperwork is a new spin. The commercialized/materialistic nature of Heaven, where you have to work more if you want to spend more, is also a hoot.
The Canadian references and snark in the novel was also highly entertaining. Tim Hortons, hockey (including sly remarks about the Maple Leafs), and scrupulous politeness all make appearances. If you are Canadian, you would definitely enjoy these little references. If you're not, they're not obvious enough to cause confusion.
And lastly, my favourite part of the story is Aiden and Brian's romance. I'm a big romance reader and their relationship just keeps a goofy smile on my face until . From their actions, it is evident that they really care about each other. They are also willing to make sacrifices for each other, although in this book .
Now for some things that bugged me. While the story-line is fresh, the pacing is a little unsteady. Near the middle, there is a lot of description of training for Aiden's arrival on Earth. It makes sense and all of it is referenced later. However, it is a little long. As well, while I can appreciate the love between Brian and Aiden, Brian . Finally, there is some suspension of disbelief. Both Brian and Aiden go back to their hometowns, but no one recognizes them. Aiden . We are also lead to believe that the entrance to Hell is .
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable read. I can't wait for the next book (and yes Steph, that is a not so subtle nudge for you to write the next one)!
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Aiden and Brian were sort of friends in high school. On the surface they didn't get along, but that was because they were attracted to each other. One night, as Brian drove Aiden home from a party, they got into a car accident and both died. Aiden wounded up in Heaven, but Brian didn't. Aiden became a Spirit and thirty years later, has a great death surrounded by friends in Heaven. Some of these friends are Angels, who are basically Spirits with more powers. They participate in the fight against evil by battling demons from hell. Unfortunately, the demons are gaining power and are dragging many Angels under (into Hell). Even so, Aiden's life was rather idyllic until one of her Angel friends is dragged under. To save him, Aiden must find the location of Hell, get in, and then work to free the Angels. This takes her back to her hometown and high school, where she was shocked to discover that . Somehow, between high school, typical teenage drama, and a budding romance, Aiden must accomplish her mission.
A lot about this book really works for me. The first is definitely Aiden, the heroine. She's sassy, fun, and has an attitude problem. But at the same time, she's smart, resourceful, and not foolish (or too stupid to live). She takes risks, sometimes enormous ones, but she always listens to warnings from others and use the resources that are offered to her. For example, she offers to break into Hell when her stronger Angel friends couldn't, but then she trains like crazy until she's strong enough. She's also unapologetic about who she is. Thus while she still acts like a teenager, her "age" (she would be in her late 40's!) and maturity are evident.
As well, the story-line is carefully crafted. Angel vs. Demon with a love twist is hardly new, but Winging it adds just enough spices to make it fresh and interesting. The idea of Heaven being a rather bureaucratic organization complete with office workers and paperwork is a new spin. The commercialized/materialistic nature of Heaven, where you have to work more if you want to spend more, is also a hoot.
The Canadian references and snark in the novel was also highly entertaining. Tim Hortons, hockey (including sly remarks about the Maple Leafs), and scrupulous politeness all make appearances. If you are Canadian, you would definitely enjoy these little references. If you're not, they're not obvious enough to cause confusion.
And lastly, my favourite part of the story is Aiden and Brian's romance. I'm a big romance reader and their relationship just keeps a goofy smile on my face until . From their actions, it is evident that they really care about each other. They are also willing to make sacrifices for each other, although in this book .
Now for some things that bugged me. While the story-line is fresh, the pacing is a little unsteady. Near the middle, there is a lot of description of training for Aiden's arrival on Earth. It makes sense and all of it is referenced later. However, it is a little long. As well, while I can appreciate the love between Brian and Aiden, Brian . Finally, there is some suspension of disbelief. Both Brian and Aiden go back to their hometowns, but no one recognizes them. Aiden . We are also lead to believe that the entrance to Hell is .
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable read. I can't wait for the next book (and yes Steph, that is a not so subtle nudge for you to write the next one)!
November 16, 2013
All I'm going to say is that I being generous with a 2 star rating :/
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews