"A stunning follow-up to the best-seller Angelology. . . Part historical novel, fantasy, love story, thriller, and mystery. . . It's a must-read." —Booklist(starred review)
A New York Times bestseller and global sensation, Angelology unfurled a brilliant tapestry of myth and biblical lore on our present-day world and plunged two star-crossed heroes into an ancient battle against mankind’s greatest enemy: the fatally attractive angel-human hybrids known as the Nephilim. With Angelopolis, the conflict deepens into an inferno of danger and passion unbound.
A decade has passed since Verlaine saw Evangeline alight from the Brooklyn Bridge, the sight of her new wings a betrayal that haunts him still. Now an elite angel hunter for the Society of Angelology, he pursues his mission with single-minded devotion: to capture, imprison, and eliminate her kind.
But when Evangeline suddenly appears on a twilit Paris street, Verlaine finds her nature to be unlike any of the other creatures he so mercilessly pursues, casting him into a spiral of doubt and confusion that only grows when she is abducted before his eyes by a creature who has topped the society’s most-wanted list for more than a century. The ensuing chase drives Verlaine and his fellow angelologists from the shadows of the Eiffel Tower to the palaces of St. Petersburg and deep into the provinces of Siberia and the Black Sea coast, where the truth of Evangeline’s origins—as well as forces that could restore or annihilate them all—lie in wait.
Conceived against an astonishing fresh tableau of history and science, Angelopolis plumbs Russia’s imperial past, modern genetics, and ancient depictions of that most potent angelic appearance—the Annunciation of Gabriel—in a high-octane tale of abduction, treasure seeking, and divine warfare as the fate of humanity once again hangs in the balance.
Danielle Trussoni is the author of The Puzzle Box (October 8, 2024), The Puzzle Master, The Ancestor, Angelology, The Fortress and Falling Through The Earth. Danielle is an internationally best-selling author whose work has been translated into over 30 languages.
Please get in touch with Danielle by writing her at danielle@danielletrussoni.com
It begins well, with our hero from book #1, Verlaine, and his meeting with Evangeline. Evangeline is taken by Eno, an evil Emin angel, which is the start of our adventure to Dullsville.
Trussoin spends an incredible number of pages dedicated to what each type of angel looks like, and what they do. Equally, the dedication to Noah and his seed catalog is tiresomely drawn out.
What is lacking from Angelopolis is a point. Verlaine MUST get Evangeline back because he feels awe and flutters when he's near her. The actual emotions of the characters are so stilted and academic, it hurts. The motivation is nil, and so the characters simply exist and perform the essential tasks needed to move the meager plot forward.
In one passage, Verlaine "shivers" because "There was something in her manner that inspired a sense of fearlessness." What that something is, we don't know. The character that inspires fearlessness, said relatively little.
In another instance, Vera has just awoken to find her party greatly reduced.
"Vera wanted to say something but she couldn't find her voice. She hoped that her silence would be understood as a kind of vigil."
These kinds of passages just scream cop-out. These are moments to be taken advantage of in character development, but instead, Trussoni simply moves forward. After all, there's boring and oddly executed action scheduled!
Equally troublesome are the settings that contain items that were previously not included.
"There was no bed and no sign of food or water."
Just one page later and in the same setting Trussoni writes, "Lucien went to his bed and pulled a beat-up suitcase from underneath."
Magically appearing beds are one thing, but cots and metal chairs make an appearance as well in a prison setting.
"There were no blankets, beds, or toilets nothing more than what was absolutely necessary to sustain the creatures."
"They (Angels) screamed and struck at the tower with whatever was on hand--metal folding chairs and rods broken form the cots in their cells."
Now they have cots, but no beds? It's troublesome when an author isn't clear about the rules that govern the world she's created. The angels either rest or need sleep, or they don't.
While I'm discussing things that don't exist, let's talk about the title.
At the heart of the plot are the evil angels and their threat to humanity. Very little time is spent on creating a sense of fear and impending doom. We simply have to take it on the word of the Angelologists that the angels are evil.
Let's not forget that Evangeline is in danger and Verlaine must save her because he feels awe and flutters when she's around. So, in what must be the stupidest section of the book,
This kind of manufactured, stilted drama, I could simply not take it seriously.
Finally, the conclusion is horribly thrown together, and an ridiculous cliffhanger is tacked to the last page. Dumb.
Quotes taken from an unedited e-galley.
ARC provided by Netgalley.com and Viking ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
It has been four long months since I read "Angelology" by Danielle Trussoni; it was a book that I needed a week to recover from, I needed my mind to sink back into real life and to tear it's self away from Characters that I had fallen in love with or grew to hate.
Today I read a short extract from the sequel "Angelopolis", reintroducing us to Evangeline who was on the way to see her Great Uncle back in France. It has been three years since we last saw our heroine, but in just these few short pages it was magical to see the difference and of how much she appeared to have grown - and of course, I was left feeling desperate to know more... What had she been doing all this time? Had she not been true to herself in what appeared to be three "dark" years? Does her Uncle know more about her secret than she could possibly know? And will it lead her back to Verlaine?
The extract re-opened my love for "Angelology" and made me more excited than ever to read this one... Danielle Trussoni has a fantastic way of pulling fantasy, romance and unexpected twists all into one incredibly addictive page turner!
If you have not read "Angelology" I suggest you put it on your beach list, and if you have, like me, take it off the shelf and dive in again for another unforgettable divulge.
Note: I read the Chinese translation of this book, and I will merely run a simple list about the pros and cons of this novel:
(1) The research and the mythology are awesome. (at least it seems awesome enough to me)
(2) The story takes us to different parts of the world, and the description of different landscapes is nice.
(3) My good-to-bad rating of angel-related-series (including YA, Japanese manga and novels for adults): Angel Sanctuary >> Daughter of Smoke and Bone series >> Angelology series >> Angelfall series >> Mercy series >> Unearthly series >> Fallen series >> Forbidden >> Prophecy of the Sisters series >> Angelfire series >> Hush Hush series >> A Temptation of Angels (by Michelle Zink)
(4) But the characters are all flat like a piece of wood.
(5) Hardly any of the characters' motivation and reasoning makes much sense. For example, who in his or her right mind would try to blow up a nuclear plane?
(6) The romance does nothing to impress me.
(7) There're action scene in the end, but I can't suppress my disbelief when none of the characters seems to: (a) thinks about the consequences of their action before they act, (b) make any reasonable decision and choice.
(8) Due to the problems stated above, the ending feels very, very forced and disappointing.
(9) Last but not least, I'm pissed to see the author continues to treat the Noah's Ark myth as a historical event, there're enough videos on Youtube to inform you how unlikely it was for good-old Noah to keep so many animals alive and keep them fed on his Ark...
In June 2010, I read Angelology in virtually one sitting. After finishing it, I would periodically check to see if there was a publication release date for a sequel. So, after three years of anticipation, I eagerly began the sequel. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. Though I never felt lost in the sequel, it left me rather unsatisfied. The first book, in my memory at least, was a lushly written, layered novel that blended different periods in time with different narrative styles to create a unique debut. Trussoni blended historical fiction with the fantastic - and threw in a bit of a literary mystery, too, with some romance. The characters felt realistic and the plot unraveled in a delicate balance of action, prose and context that kept the pacing quick
The sequel felt completely different. It was not lushly layered, nor was it a fast-paced novel. There were a few scenes bursting with action, but they were spread out few and far between the scenes that comprised the bulk of the book: explanatory dialogue. Extensive, very detailed explanations fleshed out Trussoni’s world in more detail, but the reveal of this added detail left a lot to be desired. By using her character’s voices as the sole form of imparting information, their words served as information dump trucks vomiting out nothing more than lectures. Interesting lectures, yes, but it left little room for the characters to develop, grow or reveal meaningful relationships. There was little reminiscent here of the lush prose and interesting characters of the first book.
The sequel picked up ten years after the events in Angelology but covered little of what seemed like the interesting action that took place during that period. This book really felt like it was paving the way for a third book, getting a lot of detail out of the way. Maybe when fitted between the two books, this won’t feel like such a disappointment. And there were elements that worked well here - I especially liked the historical artefacts that wove their way into the story - the Faberge eggs, Rasputin... but, ultimately, what little plot points that emerged here were predictable, and the overall tone was too dull for this to be an entertaining follow-up. I will read the third novel, but I am not really looking forward to it in the same way that I thought I would have after finishing the first book.
I thought Angelology by Danielle Trussoni was wonderful! The minute I reached the last page, I was impatient for the next book. I can tell you that it was well worth the long wait for book II in the series, Angelopolis . According to her own tweets, the author went to a convent to do some research on writing about a nun as a character. She left there instead, with the idea of writing a book about angels. I can tell you that I am glad she did. This series is rare in its sophisticated and well researched subject matter.
The first book, Angelology ,introduced us to Evangeline, who is the fascinating main character of that we we meet again, ten years later when Angelopolis opens. We last saw her spreading her wings and leaping...into the future. A future that begins in The First Circle. Near to the Eiffel Tower we find a broken body of an angel, lying in a puddle of blue blood,and two gifted Angelologists. Bruno and Verlaine have been searching for years for Evangeline. Verlaine carries within him the secret love he feels for her. While looking down on the body before him, he realizes that he is surrounded not only by humans but many of the various types of angels. The Mara, the Gusian, Rahab, Anakin, and more. So many, and all standing in the open. He looks at the identification his partner is showing him with the face of Evangeline. The angel he seeks, the woman he loves. This identification had been taken from the dead angel.
This second book re-tells the story of the tortured Romanov family, with twists we have never imagined. Rasputin, could he be more than we ever imagined him to be? And the question of the Faberge eggs, and their possible connection to angels is brought up and investigated. We are taken from the heights of beauty, perfection and love to the very depths of humankind and the earth itself. We are introduced to miracles and moments of inconceivable evil. We meet members of Evangeline's family, and find friends and enemies that she was unaware of. And this book, like the first has a dramatic ending. As with book one, we are left hanging. As with all good books, we are left wanting more. The ending leaves us breathless and feeling the not just the loss of a story finished, but the anticipation of what is to come. Trussoni has a gift for leaving us with a good ending. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller, a mystery, a bit of religious spice and controversy and most of all to anyone who enjoys a good compelling read!
I really really wanted to love this book. I consider Angelology one of my favourite books however this sequel was left short for me because WHERE is Evangeline? She was my absolute favourite character and I found her presence in this book more or less lacking. I did not understand why *spoiler* Evangeline surrendered to the Enim angel when she would surely know what would happen to her? The author claims it was to signal to Verlaine that she was not an 'evil' angel, however only pages previously Evangeline planted her I.d on a random nephil that resembled her..a completely innocent person! WHY would she surrender to a known killer? Moreover, Evangeline has been taken..Verlaine loves her... Evangeline is heard from in one SMALL chapter and not heard from for aaagggeess after, Verlaine basically goes to Russia has the chats with all these new characters and we have NO idea what is happening to Evangeline. I believe in total we hear from her for about 30 pages of a total 302 pages. Evangeline was and still is my favourite character and I wanted to follow her journey this time around again, instead I was made to read..sometimes painfully, about everything else but what exactly is Evangeline thinking, how is she feeling?? She was side cast as a minor character in this book which was a very big mistake given how much every reader cares for her after the first book. I hope the third will be better..and seriously that ending was just... awful *SPOILER* WHY is Verlaine going to kill Evangeline exactly??? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. very disappointing.
I was waiting for this book; Angelology, although not without faults, had an interesting premise, more-or-less coherent storyline and a cliff-hanger; I was curious "what's next". Next turned to be a major disappointment. The storyline is convoluted, choppy, new characters are introduced, then dropped like hot potato, they advance the plot somehow, and we never hear of them again; the writing is really clumsy, virtually everyone in the book speaks in exactly same, wooden, "let me give you a lecture" style. The most interesting and engaging character, Evangeline, has only a few pages in the sequel - why? Her motives to surrender to the evil killer angel Eno are totally unclear; the meeting between her and Verlaine, after 10 years, could be just as well a meeting between casual acquaintances. Verlaine thinks he's in love with her and wants to go to the end of the earth to find her; yet, when he does, at the end of the book, he completely changes his mind - I'm trying to avoid spoilers here - again, why, we have no idea. The book ends abruptly and my first reaction was - WTF? A major irritation for me, an art history graduate, was the story of Fabergé eggs. The two prominent angelology scholars, Bruno and Verlaine, think that the egg they were given is "gaudy", and they have not a slightest idea what the gaudy thing can possibly be; good that they did not throw it to the garbage. Really, guys? You never, ever heard of Fabergé eggs? Google it, dammit. OK, maybe I'm biased on this...but, as experienced and successful angel hunters, they act in an extremely stupid and incompetent ways when faced with their adversaries. I may be missing something, but I don't understand why they were not quickly killed many times over. Long story short - the book seems to be hastily slapped together, the editor didn't help much - for ex., imprisoned angels are in empty cells, yet later on use the "broken chairs and cots" to break out from the prison... well, it was bad enough that I'm not willing to read the third part. You've lost yourself a reader, Ms. Trussoni.
I think this was okay, but only if you don't really pay too much attention to detail. You know, facts that are wrong or sentences that make no sense or things that are mentioned once but later seem to be forgotten completely, even if they had something to do with the plot (supposedly)... Then again, I am very sure that most people that read this are neither as old and cynical as I am, and that they read this a lot faster with less attention to details than I did. Since I read this due to a project at school, I simply HAD to pay a lot of attention to every damn thing in it, and it made it a lot worse.
What even a fast reading of this book can't save is the ending. Yeah, who would've known there would be a sequel to this sequel, yaawwwn. Ah well, no matter what my opinion is, I'm sure this will sell quite well and charm a lot of people who will be all "oh she is sooooo ingenious!" but I know better dammit. Still, I've had worse. At least the parts which I just read through fast weren't too shabby, although I didn't really care for the characters, but all the fast-pacedness pays off in a novel like this. Things just happen one after another and poof, the book ends without the reader paying much attention to the supposed facts dribbled in the text.
I'm not even sure I know people who would like this. And yet I'm sure there will be at least hundreds of people that like it. I'm just not one of them, and I am quite certain neither are any of my friends.
With much less mystery than Angelology, the progression of the story was okay. The fascinating aspect of egg-born children and possibility kept me reading. I would finish the series if a third book were released, but I don't find myself yearning for it.
The Watchers are still captured and in the safest place possible for the humans who walk the earth. The angelologists are in locations across he globe doing their very best to stop the dark angel groups one by one. And the incredible Verlaine, the most gifted angelologist of all time who has been searching for his beloved Evangeline for a decade, is working hard to make sure that the ‘right’ side continues to win. However, when he finds himself standing over the body of a woman who has been attacked and killed by a dark angel, he comes across a troubling sight; the woman has been identified as Evangeline.
Verlaine immediately falls into yet another amazing journey as he begins to search for the most evil angel on the planet; Eno - who is beyond sadistic and absolutely revels in the job of killing, maiming and bringing humans the worst pain possible before ending their existence. This particular angel is trying her best to retrieve a clue for the Grigori brothers who are the icons of the stunningly beautiful and frightening Nephilim, a group determined to end human domination once and for all.
But when Evangeline appears in front of Verlaine’s eyes, still alive, he watches the woman/angel he loves be taken away from him again, and he and his boss, Bruno, follow the kidnappers. Finding themselves in the strange and eerie world of Russia’s Winter Palace, they become embroiled in a tale that involves everything from the maniacal Rasputin, who basically destroyed the last Tsar and his family by putting the Tsarina Alexandra under his unknown power, to a missing Faberge egg that holds inside it the key to what may bring about the true Apocalypse.
The missing egg and Rasputin’s own mission from so long ago, lead this crew on a journey into a world that many have not seen in decades, right to the front door of a man who has taken it upon himself to continue the work of the famous Noah, who once planted the seeds of many mysteries when he was given the word from God.
Intricate, stunning…for the millions of fans who loved Angelology - the first in this series - it will be almost impossible to hear that Book II is even better than that triumph, but it’s true. This is an author who knows her subject and has delivered yet another tale that will excite and amaze ten-fold. The love between Evangeline and Verlaine has grown even more passionate, but their opposing worlds bring about the pain, anger and guilt that comes from ‘loving thine enemy.’ And the focus on Eno, who is truly a dark and vile
character, will have the reader absolutely obsessed to the point where they will not be able to put this down. The only negative? Each and every one of us will have to exercise extreme patience in order to wait for Book III.
Like the first book in this series, this one has a lot of action and plenty of conspiracy theories plus a dash of romance. From Paris to Moscow to Bulgaria and finally Siberia the Angelologists chase their enemies and do battle all while a conspiracy is outlined that runs from the time of Noah up through the Romanov Tsars of Russia and into the present day. Archeology, Faberge eggs and a real life Panopticon are involved. It is an entertaining mix of action and conspiracy but it doesn't quite come together in the end. In fact, the ending just kind of happens and you are left hanging. Obviously fans of the series will be looking for the next book but this one has the weakness that so many second books in series seem to have: interesting characters and action but a lack of clear plotting and an ending that leaves you less than satisfied.
I read Angelology when it came out a few years ago. It was different, not super-great-amazing, but ok and not that memorable because I recalled NOTHING from it when starting my e-galley of Angelopolis. I'm probably around page 100 and I've quit. It's boring and I'm actually avoiding reading it because I still have no idea what is going on. The names are familiar, that's about it.
I'm sure if you loved the first one and/or have a fascination with angels (but portrayed as human-hating evil beings who want to eradicate the human race and take over the world), then this might be the book for you. As for me, I'm not wasting any more time on it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Aslında üç puan verirken biraz kararsız kaldım. Ama ilk kitaba göre çok durağandı. Bazı yerler çok heyecanlıydı, nefesimi tutarak okudum. Kafamdaki soru işaretleri dağıldı. Ama o sonu öyle bitmeyecekti. Anlamadığım devam kitabı varmı yokmu ??? Yani biraz hayal kırıklığı yaşadığım doğrudur. Ama kötü demek haksızlık olur kitap için, çünkü çok araştırılıp yazıldığı belli. Hikaye aslında çok iyi ve sağlam. Ama işte arada ki bazı yerlerdeki hız düşümü ve sonların muallakta kalması iyi olmuyor: (
Desde os seis anos que Danielle queria ser escritora e, se a sua primeira experiência falhou, vinte anos depois o seu primeiro livro foi publicado e foi nomeado como um dos melhores livros de 2006 sendo o início de uma carreira que apesar de pouco prolífera já tem dado que falar. Para além disso, escreveu artigos para diversas revistas, tem um bacharelato em História e Inglês e um MFA em Escrita Ficcional. Angelologia, publicado em 2010 deu-lhe a fama e ficou marcado como uma obra inteligente e arrojada que alterou toda a visão sobre os seres angelicais. Publicado em mais de trinta países e com os direitos vendidos para o cinema, e já com realizador e argumentista escolhidos, só agora três anos depois v�� finalmente a sua continuação ser publicada. Angelopolis, é a continuação muito aguardada do livro de Danielle e ainda não tem data marcada para a sua publicação em Portugal. Para além da escrita, Danielle adora cozinhar, inspirando-se nos diversos países que já visitou, e é uma apreciadora nata de vinho. É uma de quatro crianças tendo apenas conhecido a sua irmã mais velha já em adulta pois ela foi dada para a adopção antes de Danielle nascer. Dez anos depois a vida de Verlaine mudou completamente. Num único momento tudo o que achava ser impossível tornou-se um perigo iminente e de académico descontraído passou a enfrentar a morte a cada saída, a caça tornou-se fome e a necessidade de a encontrar a razão da sua vida. Dez anos depois, ela regressa, tal como a viu da última vez, como uma visão etérea, feita de brilho, de cor, e com ela traz mudanças, segredos e revelações que podem mudar tudo. Do Dilúvio à queda dos Romanov, entre ligações perigosas que unem tábuas, ovos Fabergé e um albúm de flores, a luta contra os Nephilim ganha outras proporções pois desta vez eles estão preparados para chegar à glória, desta vez não há margem para erros mas, Evangeline afinal não é só uma peça perdida neste jogo, é muito mais e ainda mais perigosa para ambos os lados do que qualquer um deles consegue acreditar. Nas neves da Sibéria, na beleza de Paris, de novo na Caverna da Garganta do Diabo, anjos e humanos vão ter de correr contra o relógio e vão descobrir que existem mais segredos e armas que podem contrabalançar esta guerra. Há três anos Danielle conquistou-me com Angelologia, uma narrativa que unia metafísica, história, ciência e religião, envolvendo-nos numa intricada história de mitos, mistério e evolução tecnológica, uma história onde os anjos são seres perigosos, donos e senhores do poder na Terra, uma história onde a batalha entre o Bem e o Mal, entre humanos e Nephilins, vem desde os primórdios dos tempos e está prestes a chegar à cena final. Com uma escrita densa, lírica quase, a autora volta a mostrar o seu talento neste segundo volume e, se o primeiro foi uma introdução, este é o auge das divisões, dos segredos que unem três mulheres aos seus piores inimigos, dos mitos desvendados e de descobertas que podem alterar tudo. Através de uma pesquisa intensa e de um cuidado notável, Danielle construí uma história de verdades e ilusões, de sangue derramado, segredos horríveis e uma feroz coragem, mostra que lado nenhum é bom, e que todos os lados, numa guerra, cometem crimes, planeiam a sangue-frio, tudo para ganhar. Angelopolis começa por ter um enredo mais activo que o livro anterior, envolve não só temáticas científicas como também humanas, coloca a nu o fundo mais negro das almas humanas, mostra que a ambição pode valer-se de tudo, até do amor e da família. Neste livro não acaba as revelações surpreendentes, pelo contrário, a cada capítulo há um novo dado, uma nova informação, uma reviravolta inesperada e mostra que ninguém pode mudar o que é, que o amor está a um passo do ódio e que a ciência e a religião estão mais entrelaçadas do que queremos acreditar. Unindo objectos, mitos, festividades e história numa única manta, este livro conjuga de uma forma credível todos os elementos, atiça-nos a curiosidade de saber mais, quase que nos obriga a ler página atrás de página para descobrir um fim que, mais uma vez, deixa tudo em aberto para um final que poderá ser apoteótico. O forte desta narrativa, não é de todo as personagens mas há uma profundidade, um mistério à volta deles que nos faz parar para pensar quem elas são, o que as move, que segredos escondem. Mais uma vez, entre décadas passadas e presente, a história vai-se desvendado, razões são descobertas, motivos são esclarecidos e, aquela que era uma guerra de portas fechadas sai à luz do dia e prepara-se para um confronto directo que vai decidir tudo. Confesso que esta era uma continuação que me andava a atormentar e que fiquei deveras admirada com a forma como autora lhe deu vida, como ela construiu todo um enredo entre cenas bíblicas, ciência e episódios e simbologia histórica, pois não estava de todo a espera das voltas e ligações que este livro traz, daí que me tenha surpreendido pela positiva. Continua a não ser uma leitura fácil mas é, sem dúvida, uma leitura que alimenta a sede de conhecimento e a necessidade de uma leitura que preencha. Angelopolis é uma continuação que se supera, que surpreende e arrasa todas as expectativas e que precisava de mais presença das personagens mas que não deixa de mostrar que Danielle Trussoni é uma autora que merece a nossa atenção.
No me esperaba el giro que tomó. Y me encantó, la verdad es que no sé nada de todos esos datos históricos, pero no me importa, tomo esto como un libro de fantasía y ficción que me atrapó.
Sin duda es uno de mis libros favoritos de ángeles, que no se centran en el romance como tal. Sino que tiene historia, desarrollo, acción.
Reader Review: Angelopolis Angelopolis takes wing and soars with great gusto through the skies of vivid imagination buffeted by the winds of a thrilling tale. As the sequel to predecessor, Angelology, Angelopolis picks up ten years after the events of the first novel. Proceeding after Angeology the main protagonists Verlaine and Evangeline find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that has raged for thousands of years between the children of Man and the children of Angels. Together their stories diverge, intersect, and intertwine to weave a tale of bittersweet sorrow and prodigious thrill. While Angelology was a story of discovery, introspection, and nostalgia; Angelology departs to sweep the reader from the confines of their seat into a world filled with angelic beings both beautiful and terrible. Angelopolis still maintains the core beauty of Angelology. While a supernatural and metaphysical thriller filled with evocative and decadent details of its environment; still, Angelopolis maintains for the reader that most important and unifying link between reader and read: intimate humanity. Angelopolis allows the reader to experience the beauty and majesty of the metaphysics and supernaturality of Angelology (the study) & Angelopolis (the novel). The bittersweet humanity of the tale maintains the story, so that while fiction it in no way harbors the preternatural nature that would alienate the reader from its contents. The beauty of Angelopolis like Angelology is in the romance that binds and intertwines Verlaine to Evangeline and Evangeline to Verlaine. As Evangeline’s absence has made Verlaine’s heart grow fonder, so too has the circumstances around her Nephilistic or Angelic manifestation brought danger into his life. Risking sanity, life, and limb Verlaine has joined the greater community of the Angelolgical Society in the secret hope that one day his efforts would lead him down a path that would cross with Evangeline once again. The raveling and unraveling of their affections will cause both thunderous jubilation and/or bittersweet lamentation, depending upon the perspectives of the reader. Angelopolis maintains the beautiful nostalgia evoked by Danielle Trussoni’s command of culture, art, and history. The thrill of the hunt for Evangeline is part historical fiction and metaphysical thriller. Ms. Trussoni’s command of detail regarding both the biblical and historical will leave the reader thinking just maybe… but of course the tale is a work of fiction. Then again, the disappointment of such reality is subdued by the nostalgia evoked by her command of culture and art, for in reading the details of her writing one could swear that they had been there or at the very least had experienced the sights, sounds, and sensations themselves from the taste of antediluvian fruit to the sight and beauty of Fabergé Eggs. For those readers who shy away from historical fiction for fear of reading a fictitious text book… Fear Not! For Angelopolis is a thriller whose attention to detail is no filler, for it accentuates and liberates the reader from the confines of one’s own experiences into a world so much like our own and yet so enigmatic in the spectacle of its metaphysicality that it levels the reading field for both the cultural connoisseur and the champion of fiction. With a heavy heart, one must conclude that as the sun rises upon victory, so too must it set upon defeat. This story is no fairy tale in body or ending, nor is the plot boring or obvious in the page turning. The intimacy one experiences with the humanity of the characters will allow the reader to either turn the page with ease or flip the page with gusto working one’s way to the end to a story that is both novelty and masterpiece. Allow Angelopolis to sweep you away on a thrill ride across both the space and time of Europe and you will read as story just as entertaining if not more so than any artistic code or Angelic/Demoic mystery.
This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I adored Angelology, mainly because it was so unique and new. It seemed like a cross between really good urban fantasy and excellent religious fiction with a twist of the biblical scholarly type book thrown in. Well researched and thought out, Danielle Trussoni had taken the apocryphal ideas of the Watchers and the Nephilim (from the Bible and the Book of Enoch) and turned it into a brilliant fictional account of a girl who wasn't what she thought she was.
This book picks up some years later after Evangeline has been on her own. It does follow her somewhat, but focuses mainly on Verlaine and his search for her.
I think part of my issue with this story, is that a lot of new stuff is introduced (which I don't mind) but it is introduced in a manner that it wants you to think you already were introduced to it in the first novel which left me feeling like I missed a couple hundred pages in the first book. I could pick up on it, but I felt vaguely confused on where it came from.
Pros: I loved the introduction of the Noah stuff with the seeds. That felt like it could have happened. The book took the premise that God destroyed the earth with a flood to destroy the corruption in the population from the nephilim which is an intriguing theory. Since the nephilim were busy corrupting all of God's creation, Noah brought seeds as well as animals with him.
I also enjoyed the twist with the Tzarina, and Rasputin. That was interesting and sort of twisted. I loved the Faberge egg explanations too. That was really clever.
Cons: This is more of a personal feeling, but this book just didn't have the same feel of the first. It was short and made to be more, I don't know, commercial. It felt more urban fantasy and lost the biblical, religious feel of the first which I think made it unique. Plus I was left feeling odd about how it left off.
Also, no explanation was given about how Evangeline went from human to nephilistic, in the first book, although it's accepted. Another thing that really bothered me and it may just be I missed something is Bruno states after finding a dead nephilim that Evangeline is completely human, and a few pages later he completely knows and accepts she isn't. That was weird like a few pages were missing or something.
*Spoilers from here on* Verlaine loved Evangeline, he spends the whole book helping or searching for her and then suddenly changes his mind and wants to kill her at the end. Sure, he realizes how alien she and her kind are, but there needs to be more soul searching on his part for me to suddenly believe he would change like that. It seemed to sudden and extreme. Plus, if Lucien is so pure, and Evangeline like him, why would the angelologists want to destroy them? That needed more explanation.
*Still more spoilers* Also, now the watchers are freed,are they following Lucien? What's the deal? That was left hanging. I'm sure there'll be a sequel but I wanted a little more.
I would still recommend this book if you read the first, it's worth it, I just wish it had remained as unique and mysterious as the first.
How I Came To Read This Book: A free copy showed up in my mailbox to review.
The Plot: Ugh I'm really annoyed because I wrote a review & then of course, GoodReads deleted it when I hit submit. Anyway. This book picks up 10 years after the first one. Verlaine hasn't seen his partner-in-crime, the nun that's more than she appears, Evangeline, since that day. Since then he's become an angelologist under the tutelage of Bruno. The story picks up with the two of them in Paris, where a series of events has finally put Verlaine in a position to cross paths with Evangeline. The resulting meeting sets of a chain of events involving car chases, faked deaths, and street wars that eventually pushes Verlaine, Bruno, and an angel historian named Vera on separate paths to simultaneously track down some particular angels, understand a mysterious set of clues left to them by Angela Valko (Evangeline's mom), and unlock a mystery that ties together the Russian imperial family, faberge eggs, the myth of Noah, and Rasputin. Oh, and angels.
The Good & The Bad: Truth be told, this book is a step up from the first one. It's much more engaging and makes you turn the page. But it's still kind of a mess. The pacing is really awkward - stuff that should take a chapter takes a paragraph, meanwhile historical mythology is spewed out by a character in dialogue over several pages. It's got a really jerky organization where you jump all over the place (in a VERY condensed timeframe) and the mystery is so dense, so covered in history, that it's very nearly impossible to tie together, even when the characters do so for you.
That being said, I appreciate Trussoni's crazy brain for developing such a richly realized world. Compared to most fantasy books (like the silly Hush, Hush series that also features the Nephilim) there's a strong stake in reality. However too much of the book I think exists in her head. There are awkward, jarring gaps where her characters will get like, knocked out or something and then all of a sudden the plot has jumped ahead by miles. It's really bizarre how helter skelter the story feels.
I never planned on reading the second book, but here it is. Despite the cliffhanger (we're going to war, yay) I'm not planning to read the third book either. If it crosses my path, so be it.
The Bottom Line: A messy, ambitious novel that manages to be both page-turning without ever really absorbing you in the story.
ANGELOPOLIS, BY DANIELLE TRUSSONI (Book 2 of Angelology)
I read the first book in this series, Angelology, a few years ago, when it was first published. Honestly, I didn't like it enough to re-read it, but I thought I'd give the sequel a chance, especially since it ended in a major cliffhanger.
Synopsis: Ten years after the events told in Angelology, Verlaine is now an accomplished angelologist, and Evangeline hasn't been heard of. One day, she resurfaces, gives him one of the missing Fabergé eggs and stupidly lets herself be captures by their enemies. While trying to rescue her, Verlaine discovers a bunch of stuff.
Overall enjoyment: 0/10. THIS BOOK SUCKS. I finished because of the reading challenge, but otherwise, I would have given up within the first 20 pages. There wasn't one single thing to redeem it.
Plot: What plot? Things happen without rhyme or reason; there is no suspense or even a connecting thread. The events were contradictory and inconsistent, unforeshadowed, nonsensical.
Characters: Inconsistent, uninteresting, badly developed and two-dimensional. Those are the male characters, of course; the female ones are so ridiculous I wouldn't even consider them characters. They're more like appendages, or decoration.
World/setting: It's the same one from the previous book, of course. I found it interesting enough then, but it was stretched beyond reasonable limits in this one, with half-baked Biblical nonsense and a few Russian history facts thrown in to try and make it much more than it should be.
Writing style: Deplorable. She contradicts herself every five sentences. "She was instantly afraid." "She felt fearless." "He was attracted by the creature." "He was instinctively repelled by it." Did Trussoni forget how to write? Or maybe she couldn't meet the deadline and had to deliver a first draft. After reading this book, I can't even remember why I liked the first one.
Representation: Nonexistent, of course. Even though she talks about the origin of the human race, everybody is white. And there isn't a shadow of different sexualities, either. There is one particular angel that exudes an almost toxic sexuality and is irresistibly attractive, but women are incapable of being affected by her.
Political correctness: Urgh. I don't even want to start. The good part is that, since it's so disconnected and nonsensical, it can hardly be said that she delivers a message.
I received this book for review though I hadn’t read the first book, Angelology. The beautiful cover drew me to it like a moth to a flame, but it was the story kept me in the fire. This definitely presented a different feel than your typical paranormal/urban fantasy. After reading it I can certainly understand the Da Vinci Code comparisons, revealing deeper meanings behind countless important figures and artifacts throughout history. While reading you feel like you’re experiencing a small slice of a much bigger picture. This is an age old fight that only appears to be heating up.
Since I hadn’t read the first book there were some things I was confused about, wondering if the confusion was due to starting with Book 2, but as the story unfolded I eventually learned that wasn’t the case at all. The questions I had weren’t revealed in the first book. That said, I do plan to go back to read the first one. I am not sure about the frequency of releases when it comes to this series. Those of us used to authors releasing 1-2 times per year may have to pump the breaks here. The first book was released 3 years prior to this one. I imagine the amount of research to write these takes a while. Even still, I finished the book already wanting to read the next one.
There were multiple point of views throughout this book, and I’m not sure if it was for the better. I found myself invested in only a few characters, so I would have liked more focus on them to add more depth. Another area where I think this series could benefit is through illustrating the angels. An appendix would be invaluable. There are a number of different angelic species and Nephilim, so it’s difficult to visualize and remember how they look since their features differ vastly from one to another.
The series has been picked up by Columbia Pictures, so it looks like a movie is in the works. It looks like these angels will be larger than life soon enough. I hope that goes well.
If you’re planning to read this series, I recommend getting the hardcover. It looks better in person than in pictures. It’s practically coffee table quality, though the content of the book certainly isn’t.
I have read the first one and have posted a review a day or so ago. I read it when it came out before I started blogging reviews for books I have read. I gave the first book 3 stars because the ending came so abruptly and at the time I didn’t know it would have a sequel and a sequel to that sequel, so I felt lost of the end of the first book.
Starting this one I had to think about what happened in the last book, some of the story line was clear enough, but I really think you need to read the first book to really understand where this one is coming from. The author has many characters and many angels of all types that are clearer in the first book. Reading this book I assume the author assumes I have read book one…so read book one to really enjoy and understand this one.
The story started in the first book is carried forward in this book starting 10 years later. The characters are there and you still feel for them and their plight. I do love some of them and wish them happiness, but at the end of this book I have to wonder if that is going to happen…ever. This book is fast paced and interesting. I don’t always like this author’s use of words or phrases as I think many of them slow the book down and make you take a second look at the sentence structure. I like the words to flow more naturally as I read.
If you read the 1st book then this is a must read so you know what is happening to Evangeline. You also get more history on angels and why there are on the Earth. I did enjoy the history she has put together and especially the part about Noah. You will have to read it to find out. So pick up book 1 first and then this book….if you are interested at all in angels this is a must read, and if you have no interest in angels (I don’t) I still think it is a good series so far.
I much preferred this book to the first in the series. 10 years have passed and Evangeline is the most desired creature on the planet. She is not like other nephilim, she is more pure. She is hunted by the badass Eno and twin brothers of her grandfather Percival (who were cloned from him? I think). I probably could have given this book 4 stars, but several things were just not done well enough to my liking. All in all, a more enjoyable read than the first book and I look forward to the third, but I hope some of these mish mash of scenarios are cleaned up.
Verlaine is a hunter. He was duped by Evangeline but never again. Fool me one, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
A body appears bearing the idenitity of Evangeline. So you can imagine Verlaine's suprise when Evangeline appears back in his life. She asks for his help. She presents him with an decorative egg. Before thwy can figure out what the egg is about, Evangeline is kidnapped.
I can remember reading Danielle's first book, Angelology and liking it. Liking the book enjoy that I wanted to read the second one. I jumped right in on Angelopolis and before I knew it I was flying through the book. It is such a quick read. This book was way better then I imagined it would be. In love with Verlaine. He is one hot human. This is one of the things that I enjoy about this series is that the male lead is the human and the female is the bad angel. Even though Verlaine and Evangeline spent most of the book apart, I know that they are destine to be together. Even if it is to Verlaine's demise. Evangeline has cast a spell over Verlaine mroe then he wants to admit.
I learned more about Evangeline and her kind in this book. I can not wait to read the next book and see the show down between Evangeline and Verlaine. Which I am looking forward to. Both Evangeline and Verlaine are growing stronger. Another thing that I found cool was that this boko was split into small sections and each section was titled different themes most involving the seven sins. AS much as I did have an enjoyable time reading thsi book and learning more about Evangeline. I do hope the next book had more action and maybe a fight or two.
In "Angelology" Danielle Trussoni introduced us to her world of angels and archangels and their offspring the evil Nephilim. Angelhunter V A Verlaine and the innocent Evangeline are drawn together to solve the mystery of her past and discover her secrets. In Angelopolis, ten years have passed and Evangeline and Verlaine meet again as their two worlds again collide and more is revealed about the mysterious world of the angels and Evangeline's pivotal role in the fate of mankind.
This series is what I call 'literary paranormal' more in the style of Deborah Harkness' Discovery of Witches than say a Kresley Cole or Christine Feehan. As such the writing is much more detailed and the plot is a slow unwind instead of the non stop action and racy romance we see in a lot of paranormal. The story of the biblical myths of the Watchers and their interactions with human women to create the Nephilim is an interesting one as is the inclusion of historical figures such as John Dee and the Romanovs. As book two of a trilogy this takes the setup of Angelology and weaves more strands of the characters and plot and ends on the proverbial cliffhanger as the hero, Verlaine and heroine Evangeline despite their unstated love appear on opposite sides of the war to decide the fate of the angels and humanity.
For those readers who like their paranormal with a slow burning story, lots of historical and biblical references and super understated romance with a thinking woman's hero. It does make a nice change from the destined mates and the alpha hero scenario once in a while.
In Angelopolis, 10 years have passed since Evangeline has learned that she is a Nephilim. Verlaine is still in love with her. The Nephilim and the Watchers are getting restless. They are getting braver and stronger and now openly mingle visibly with humans. They are waiting for a way to be developed for them to regain control of the earth and humans. The Angelologist are is a desperate search to find a means to control the Angels.
Verlaine and Bruno head to Paris to try and find answers by meeting up with other Angelologists. We learn that the royal families of Europe had strong Nephilim blood running through them. Due to Angela, Evangeline's mother, injecting P. Grigori with a virus which kills him and spreads to other Nephilim weakening the royals.
Verlaine finds Evangeline and realizes that though she is a Nephilim - a pure one - he still loves her. She is captured and taken to Russia to be used for experiments.
Verlaine and Bruno join with a French Angelologist, Vera, and head to Russia to rescue her.
Things move very fast in Angeloplois. We learn details of Evangeline's birthline. What remain unclear is where to loyalties lie.
There is much that left up in the air at the ending. It was with sadness that I finished Angelopolis. The writing and story line is beautiful. The third book can't come fast enough for me.
angelology : theological study of angels and their roles within various religious traditions, focusing on their nature, hierarchy, and interactions with humanity.
Was trying to figure out if I liked this one better than the first one, and while I think the first book had moments of higher impact in terms of character depth and relationship complexity, the second book was so much more vivid and wider in scope. Russian history is not one of my special interests lol but I reallyyyyy enjoyed the deeper dive into science/angel biology in the second book!! And the valko family drama was so messy omg.
I know there’s a novella 0.5 sequel that will show us what E and V’s dynamic actually is like now that they’ve both found their own destinies so maybe that’ll be good to read since I’m still kinda unconvinced about their journey. Tbh the progression of their relationship has sooo much angst potential that could’ve been explored from day 1 but we definitely lost the plot - like the flip flopping of verlaine’s feelings from “she’s ethereal and the loml” to “she’s the enemy and i will not fall for her again”, like whereeeee is this vehemence coming from!
Am manifesting a full third novel for the angel war + aftermath/epilogue for each character…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.