Angel War

by Philip Dodd

From an early age, Azel, the Prince of the White Castle of the Angels of Light, plans what he calls his great rebellion against the Father.

After his self transformation into a four legged, scaled beast, he names himself the Dragon.

At the head of his rebel angel army and his dragon flocks, he brings war to the angel lands.

His intention is to dethrone the Father and rule in his place.

Khem, the Child of the White Mountain, vows upon his Silver Sword to be his slayer.

The lonely, perilous path of the dragonslayer, he takes.

At its end, he stands alone, to challenge the Father’s foe to combat.

Genres: Fantasy

536 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2013

About the author

I was born in 1952 in Liverpool, England, have a degree in English literature from Newcastle University, and I have been writing songs, stories and poems since I was twelve. In October, 2016, I married Anahit Arustamyan, poet of Armenia, in her home city, Yerevan, Armenia. Angel War is my first published novel. I was thirty four when I first began to write it in 1986 and I was sixty when I completed the final version of it in September, 2012. As it took me twenty six years to write, I felt I owed it to my story to get it published. Angel War was chosen as one of the finalists in The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards for 2013, I am very surprised and happy to report. The Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists were announced in April, 2014 at Author.con.I have had poems published in my local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, and one of my poems,'Searching For The Sangreal' was published in the Summer 2013 issue of The Dawntreader, a quarterly poetry magazine, published by Indigo Dreams Publishing. The Fair Majesty of Folk At Peace, another one of my poems, was published in the Spring 2014 issue, another two, Sigurd and Windmill and Rainbow in the Winter 2014/2015 issue, Blodeuwedd in the Spring 2015 issue and Enki in the autumn issue of the same magazine . My poem, Winter Night, was published in the Winter 2018/19 issue of the same magazine. Three of my poems, A Tale From A Bestiary Found In A Bazaar, Sand and Dust, and Iceberg were accepted for publication in Nomad's Choir, a quarterly poetry journal, published in New York, U.S.A. My poem, Song For Luthien Tinuviel, was published in Mallorn, the Journal of the Tolkien Society, Issue 55, Winter 2014. My poem, The Redundancy of Gods, was published in Greek Fire, an anthology of poems inspired by Greek mythology, published by Lost Tower Publications in June, 2015, and my poem, Dandelion Time, was published in The Poetry of Flowers, published by Lost Tower Publications in October, 2016. My poem, Riddle Of The Root Of War, was published in Beyond The Hill, an anthology of war poetry, published in 2017 by Lost Tower Publications. Some of my poems can be read on my blog, Philip Dodd: Author of Angel War: http://astro7747.wordpress. com My light-hearted science fiction story, Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, was published in March, 2015 by Publish Nation. In October, 2015, it was chosen by indieBRAG as a Medallion Honoree and was listed on the Science Fiction page on Medallion Books on the website: http://www.bragmedallion.com/medallio... In February, 2016, it was chosen as a Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards for 2015. Still the Dawn : Poems and Ballads was published in October, 2015. It contains 109 works, written between the years of 1983 and 2015. Published as a paperback and Kindle Version by Publish Nation. Last Flocks of the Geese, my second book of poems, was published in February, 2019. Harvey's Hutch, a memoir, was published by Mereo Books on Thursday, 11th, August, 2022. It was a Red Ribbon Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for 2022, I am pleased to say.
I have published some of my poems on the website: writing.com. My poem, Enki, was published in the July, 2013, edition of the online magazine, Pagan Pages. After July, it will be stored on their Archives page.
Angel War Inspirations, a board of prints I collected that are linked to my book, Angel War, can be found on Pinterest, as can Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, a board of prints linked to my Klubbe story, and Chimneys and Clouds, a board of prints linked to my poems. Here is my Pinterest user name: http://pinterest.com/jom777jal43x641

Dawn Of An Idea, Chapter One, and The Ancient Parrot, Chapter Two, of my story, Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, The Making Of The Pattern and The Archangel Brothers, the first two chapters of Angel War, and some of my poems can be read on Wattpad.

Reviews

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok.. I am going to start my review because i am having a hard time getting the time between work and my son getting this book done but it needs to have a review so people can understand this book. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK SO FAR. I am like 7 chapters in and when i pick it up i cant put it down. I have actually not gotten much sleep for work the next day because of this book. So i have to learn when i can read the book and that would be my days off... Any ways back to the book. The book is supposed to talk about the war between the angles and azel and his dragons that in the bible does not go into detail and let me tell you this book is detailed... It starts off talking about how the father (or god) was born and how he then created what earth looks like and started creating his "angels" and others. The way that this book is written it just makes your mind build what everything looks like. its so detailed that as i read i can see the whole page play in my head like i am there. Azer is an amazing charater. I am excited to see how this war actually plays out. I will keep adding to my review as i go so that i can let you know how things go but as of right now all you need to know is that you need to go and buy this book like yesterday lol...

[Nancy Bevilaqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. It's hard to know where to start describing a book that begins not at The Beginning, in the Biblical sense, but quite some time before then, and continues through until...well, that's for the reader to find out. As I read Angel War, I was, as I often do, imagining how I would describe it in my review. The image that kept coming to me was that of a story created by the mind of an incredibly imaginative, and brilliant, child (and I mean that in the most complimentary sense of the word), who was given all the time in the world (and, in fact, it did take Philip Dodd, who is not a child, 26 years to write it) to fashion it into a story and write it down for the world to read.

Dodd mentions on his "Acknowledgements" page that the King James version of the Bible was his main inspiration for the work. But there's a great deal more going on here. Beneath the often very literal interpretations of many parts of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis through Revelation, there are subtexts that either provide a wildly imaginative background for the familiar stories, or in some cases nearly turn them upside-down and allow the reader to experience them in fresh ways. I will just give one example--the story of Adam and Eve in Eden is recounted as a literal event. Yet Dodd changes several of the details (or, again, provides a really interesting subtext); the most important of these changes, in my opinion, is that "The Father", who is presented as unfailingly compassionate, loving, and forgiving throughout the book (not exactly as he often comes across in the Bible), does not condemn Eve and Adam for being fooled, nor does he banish them from Eden. They banish themselves, out of shame for having been tricked into letting the Father down.

And then there's the figure of Azel/Lucifer/Satan/The Dragon--incredibly multi-faceted and drawn intelligently enough so that it is at times easy to have sympathy for the devil and understand, at least, the workings of his mind. He is the most fascinating character in the book.

Angel War isn't a beach-read. The descriptive passages are long and beautifully detailed, and there is a repetitive quality to the writing that makes it move like a slow and elegantly drawn-out musical composition. Some of the speeches (particularly those of Azel, who's a talky little thing, as one might expect) are also very long and repetitive--again, often made up of a theme and then multiple variations on that them--but once you're drawn into the rhythm of the book it makes sense that the characters would speak in such a way.

And then there are the spaceships and the devices that function like time-machines and the truly inventive takes on various events in world history... But I don't want to give away too much here.

Philip Dodd has created a labor of love, and it's clear that he's taken his mission in writing Angel War very seriously. His book is a tour de force.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's been a slew of so-called "re-imaginings' lately. There's also been a slew of "gritty re-imaginings" lately which, as appealing as the idea might sound on paper, come across as simply over-realistic visions of overly fantastic scenarios. Outside this work by Dodd, even the Bible has not been spared with the spate of recent films which take the simple narratives of the Old Testament (although I'm sure a Keanu Reeves-led martial-arts biopic of Christ is in the works, thus leaving the New Testament unspared). And sure, the idea of a war in heaven and exploring that isn't necessarily the most original idea you've heard all week. But here, with this book, the key is its execution: pristine prose as stark and acute as the conflict which it describes.
Imagine if George R.R. Martin and Martin Scorsese had a kid who was a writer who went back in time and slipped in some apocryphal material into the Bible. You'd then have "Angel War". This is the "Dark Knight" of Biblically-inspired fiction. Manichean divisions between divine creatures, who are not flawless and infallible as usually depicted, lead to the epic war between the forces of light and darkness. Dazzling in its scope, impressive in the sheer imagination of its tale, the author has done something rare: taken a stale, played-out story and breathed life into it. Sure, it's long, but who cares? I write, read, and watch long stuff all the time. This is good stuff. Indie self-published authors like this need some attention.

[Lisa Marie Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I want to say that first before I say more. Angel War is a highly descriptive and detailed story that draws from the King James version of the Bible but has so much more to it. Philip Dodd is a modern day bard and his prose is redolent of the sagas of old. His angels converse with authority, his dragons (particularly Azel, otherwise known as the Dragon, Lucifer, Satan or the Devil), speak with a slow and sly intelligence and rambling verbosity that is utterly reptilian and dragonish. I was reminded of Nordic sagas and the tales of Celtic bards as I read this delightfully warm prose that carries you along and wraps you up in the telling of great tales. The joy of creation is evident in every chapter, and its innocence is present even in the early machinations of Azel who represents the forces of evil. What is evil but a love of mindless destruction, nihilism, Thanatos or the love of death? Indeed does evil have any purpose but to delight in destroying what love creates, ultimately bringing about and delighting in its own destruction? This is a book that will intrigue the reader, pull you in and leave you wondering what is to come next. A wonderful tale beautifully told!

[Elisabeth Marrion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a book. That’s was brilliant! I learned about the very beginning of everything, about the middle, I knew about and got it re-confirmed and about the End? Who knows?
I loved the way Philip Dodd told us this story, what a great way to look at it. His writing is wonderful, his characters all make sense. I even looked up some of the more recent dates he told us about ‘just in case.’ It is seldom that I simply cannot put a book down, this was one of those. Definitely recommend it.

[Misty Iputi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angel War was a good book. For starting before the beginning of time and ending after Armageddon there was never a dull moment in the book. The way the book was written with the use of the Bible in some areas including the book of Revelations made the part of this book seem less fantasy and more of an possible (although it would be difficult to understand to me) place and look for the devil.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards and was a finalist. This is what our readers thought:

FEEDBACK

Author: Philip Dodd
Title: Angel War

COVER: 9/10
The readers thought the cover was excellent. They loved the font and the powerful, central image and most of them felt the lack of colour added to the overall effect. One reader (man, aged 34) put in his feedback. ‘I loved this cover. It is well put together and fits the style of the book perfectly.’

CONTENT 9/10
The readers thought this book was engaging and fascinating. They felt it was a remarkable story; a complex mix of biblical history, spiritual discussion and fallen angels. They complimented the author on his wonderful imagination and the huge amount of time he must have ploughed into this novel. One reader (woman, aged 54) put in her feedback, ‘This is no beach read but it is a complex look at history, in particular, the old and new testament. The devil, or Dragon as the author referred to him, was a fascinating character and the author’s take on him was very well thought out.’
A number of the readers commented positively on how well the author balanced spiritual and intellectual. One reader (man, aged 63) put in his feedback, ‘This novel is not written to bully or intimidate readers into following God. It is more a spring board for biblical discussion.’
A few of the readers felt there were parts of the book that felt like an ‘info. dump’ and were, subsequently, a little hard going.

EDITING 8/10
The readers thought the book was well edited and discovered no glaring problems with grammar, punctuation or spelling. The readers though the book had excellent pacing (for the most part) and was well-structured. One reader (woman, aged 46) put in her feedback, ‘Editing a book of this scope must have been a nightmare. But it was well done. My only recommendation is the author/editor put a little pace into the beginning.’

STYLE 8/10
The style of the author’s writing was very much enjoyed. Although a few of the readers thought it was ‘overly descriptive and lacked pace’, most of them felt the style of writing reflected the importance of the subject matter. One reader (man, aged 38) put in his feedback, ‘There is an almost bible-like feel to the whole book as if it is simply an extension of the old testament; in style anyway.’

TO SUM UP 34/40

STATS
Of the 32 readers:
31 finished the book; 1 thought it was too hard going.
29 thought the cover was excellent
24 thought the wonderful imagination of the author and the interesting take he had on historical and biblical events were the best parts of the book.
8 thought the descriptive style of the book was the best part.
31 would read another book by this author..

‘A superbly written, often powerful interpretation of biblical history and the power of God. Highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Awards

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Phillip Dodd’s Angel War novel very interesting. It is one of those books that I had to sit back and think about after reading it. The fictional story of who Satan is and how he came to be who he is as told from his own perspective. Dodd has truly written a Christian Sci-Fi.

The story begins with the emergence of God himself and then from the time of the creation of the angels and the heavens and continues through the history of man to the end of the earth, at least as we know it. One of main things that make this novel so unique is that in all of the creations of God, the Angels, and Satan with his fallen angels, machines are used to create. They also use time jump and vortexes along with space ships and magical weapons in the conflicts of the story. Angel War emphasizes the love and connection of family and friends and the loneliness of the loss of these relationships. Also, there seems to be little difference between the society of Heaven, the society of Hell, and the society of Earth in that all beings have purpose, jobs, relationships, and individuality. No one rests on clouds plucking harps or writhes in flames scaring lost souls. The main difference is in the attitude or moods that the societies live and work with.

Dodd does very well with weaving the Bible, creation in particular, into this science fiction story. My first impulse while reading was rejection of some of Dodd’s creativity because I started out reading it from a Christian perspective. I needed to regularly to remind myself that this was a science fiction story with a biblical theme. The beginning was slow for me, with the history of the creation of the clans of angels and how it all began. However, as the story played out I realized how important the beginning history is to understand the events throughout the story.

Dodd has woven an interesting story from a very unique perspective. This is one of those novels that will need to be reread to see the whole story – possibly several times.

[Allyson Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut novel, Angel War is extremely well -scripted and it seems the author had a very clear and firm understanding of how he intended this book to be written. Dodd gives a new view to how the war in heaven came about and explains it through an extremely graphic and well detailed narration that unfolds slowly as if in a trance
I found the first few chapters hard going. I also needed to read it very carefully initially and found myself re-reading a few pages to make sure I understood what was going on with whom. I am not a big fantasy fan and I do prefer a faster plot and story line, but if you stick with it the action starts later in the story. At that point I found it gripping and hard to put down. It does get a lot easier as you read more.
This book is an epic, by every sense of the word. The forty six chapters are not short by any means and they each play a part in how the story of the Angel War came about. Dodd’s creativity and imagination holds no bounds and he weaves the plot slowly and carefully for all to see and the characters become embedded within your own imagination.
I hope this book does not just fade away, but is picked up and thrown into the limelight that the author deserves. I am giving it four stars, because I felt the struggle at the beginning should have been made easier for the reader and I hope readers are not put off, but persevere through without giving up. I understand that it has taken Dodd over twenty years to write, from the first moment of inspiration to completion. His style seems unique and I hope he has more books to come.

[Stephen West · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very unusual book. It uses many of the devices of fantasy fiction to delve very deeply into the Biblical story of creation (and I mean deeply; Adam and Eve don’t even show up until half way through). The author has clearly spent a lot of time and imagination in creating entire societies of angels, and a detailed backstory for them to inhabit. He also adopts a writing style that is reminiscent of the King James translation of the Hebrew Bible, so for those whose only exposure to the Bible has been that translation, the book rings true.

However, I do feel that, as heroic as the world-building is, the author has succumbed to the temptation to “info-dump”, particularly in the first 10% or so, where there is a tremendous amount of exposition, little action, and no conflict. The story doesn’t get started for me until Prince Azel makes his appearance, and it would have been better to omit the earlier scenes and allow the backstory to emerge through the narrative, which would have increased our curiosity as to what exactly was going on.

Nevertheless the book is a powerful work of the imagination and will be of interest to those who enjoy attempts to read between the lines of the sparse Biblical narrative, in the manner of Milton’s Paradise Lost, or the recent Noah movie by Darren Aronofsky.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free and gratis in exchange for an honest review.

[Crystal Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

☆☆☆ Angel War by Philip Dodd
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Mr.Dodd for the opportunity. With that being said let's get to the review.

The creation of the creator and how time itself began. Patterns woven and life given. Beauty, love and betrayal. Angel's in space ships and dragons!!!

This is a story of epic proportions about angel history and human history with elements of fantasy interwoven with Old Testament and New Testament Bible stories.I loved Mr. Dodd's way of writing. This author can really paint a picture.
This Novel is not something u go into lightly. It is the kind of book that takes time to read. There is allot to take in. And it is a little slow in the begining because there is so much in this world of angels. But push through I promise u won't regret it. I am giving this book 3 stars and that is because while it is a great book it just isn't my cup of tea.So it didn't wow me and suck me in the way I like a book too. But I am happy to of read it because it truly is an interesting read.

[Sarah Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing, thought-provoking, exciting, and full of suspense.

A beautifully descriptive rainbow of a novel that offers an alternative view of the creation of the universe. At the start I assumed it concerned only Earth, but this story encompasses a much wider view, though readers familiar with the Bible or the Koran will recognise the archangels, and much more. Whatever your faith, or lack of it, it’s a gripping read that opens yet another argument between Darwin’s theory of evolution and the views of any traditional church. Well-written and of interest to anybody who likes exciting stories of treachery and betrayal.

[Heather Murdoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an epic book far larger than I have read before. I really enjoyed the multiple layers to it - Science fiction, political intrigue and Christian themes. I thought the author was very clever the way he intertwined all the layers and wove in events from 1980's into the story. (I wont say too much about this otherwise I will spoil the story!) I can highly recommend reading it if you are looking for a book to really 'get your teeth into'.

[Shirley McLain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gigantic in nature. You can easily see the comparisons between the Devil and the White Prince. The battle between good and evil. Welcome to life. The writing is very good and the descriptions let you see the characters easily. It has all the action and detail you could want in a book. If you like fantasy this book fits the bill. I did find the beginning of the book a little tedious and difficult to get into but as the story develops you have no problems following the action.

[Marc Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely caught off guard by this novel, and in a good way. We all know how the creation story goes, but this story takes it to a depth that I thoroughly enjoyed. Philip Dodd masterfully brings the reader into the depths of the story with rich description, fantastic character development, and dramatic story-telling that keeps you involved until the very end.

[Milkweed Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"ANGEL WAR" written by Phillip Dodd was a wonderful and highly fascinating book that reveals a far from banal description of the Devil, known also as the "DRAGON". He describes the Lord God with extravigant zeal a midst imagination with descriptions of beautiful landscapes and towers with gardens, water gardens, and breathtaking wildlife, and miraculous symbolism, but was all defined from a divine perspective, which actually makes the reader yearn for more, while graphically depicting love for the Father, our Heavenly Father who is God, and at the same time, evoking a mysterious tone which causes a silent euphoria to engulf the mind and spirit. Phillip uses wondrous verses a midst lengthy words of definitive understanding of sacred scriptures and he exclaims a profound comprehension of the infernal realm of the fallen angel and his perpetuated minions. The story takes place, initially, in differing plains of Heaven, which at times, the reading audience temporarily forgets this mentioned trait of description, and is reminded copiously by the chronic interplay of descriptions of special wild places and animals, which were at first, created on paper and in architect's inner sanctums within special towers which are likened to that of a Heavenly place as specific angelic people were divinely chosen to create to assist our Father in Heaven.

As the tale proceeds the author describes how the Devil, or "Lucifer the Fair," becomes the infamous "DRAGON" and burning his eternal soul, hence making him no longer immortal, and subject to death and finality. At the same time, the author depthfully makes plainly understood the role Satan surely has in the realm of the eternal as well as later upon the mortal and humanistic plain of existence. Intregation of the actual people of Biblical history are included and made further interesting with each event that comes into being; like the story of Cain and Abel, and the tale of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, but Phillip Dodd brings yet further into these well recalled stories of human kind, by bringing further secrets which may have very possibly contributed to the said events which could only be subjected to such catastrophic change. The tale of our Lord Jesus Christ was wonderfully included a midst this excellent story of very depthful tomes and descriptions of Biblical texts already present. One could see Him being tempted by Satan in the Book of "MATHEW" as the author recreated his version of the already present truth above all truth, as he also transferred the very Words He said in the Bible, especially on His way to the cross and the night He was betrayed; the role of Judas took as he unknowingly heeded the very commands of Satan, but lavishly expiated such powerful truth about the undeniable fact of the miserable failure of Satan.

I loved the manner Phillip Dodd described the unlikely traits of different spaceships with their varying designs, especially those with the wheels and their manner of "controls" and wild machinery, while flying through the many different dimensions of time and the realms of spirit and the body. Exclaiming a wondrous manner of imagination that is amazingly akin to my own, Lama Milkweed, especially concerning the mentioned ships and their many secret and hidden rooms, which in all actualness could never be a reality, but only from an imaginative point. I enjoyed the manner the author told the stories of our history and how he interwove these long past events, and later combined them with the terrifying prospects of the future like the most dreaded Apocalypse. The mentioning of the terror of the "TITANIC," and how the DRAGON worked "behind the scenes" to reek his nonexisting mercy upon the unsuspecting humans who sailed in it. Making the reading audience more understanding of the interplay of the desolate one, or the Devil, or the "DRAGON", as well as many other names Satan has been called by observing humanity the world over. The author certainly withholds a fervent and far from distanced understanding of sacred scripture as well as the Codex in the Christian faith. As one of faith, a religious leader and an ordained professor, I took extreme pleasure in reading this well thought out book of extreme knowledge, which was avidly combined and schematically interwoven scenes with of tremendous controversy, but once more, take shape in the written words of this talented and highly imaginative author.

I clearly witnessed a wondrous understanding of both the Heavenly and the profane, but not at all in the customary run of the will fashion, but rather from someone who clearly comprehends the spiritual and the intellectual from a heightened sense. One who is obviously more than aware of His presence, meaning of God and His most dearly beloved Son, nor from a pedantic manner of the mentioned; from one who is clearly endowed with a very deep and evolved manner of understanding that has been hard won by looking inward and unfurling the dark and oppressive cloak of often unbelieving humanity, and manipulating honesty and unbiased truth, which serves as a manner of proverbial "flashlight" to enable him to see all in a manner of unobstructed clarity, but well combined with deep intellect and a love for the eternal and of the lofty; of God. This is also obvious to me in the beginning of the book by manner in which the author described, with much love of the imagination and the child-like within us all, the ships, which was previously mentioned, and the incredible structures of the buildings, which could never become forged into actuated reality by manner in which the unseen properties of the earthly, but making further obvious the spiritual, hence the same buildings could be realized. Making every attempt to have the reading audience see what he sees, which was grand and beyond the normal precipice of imaginative and religious writing. A powerful perspective was clearly emanated a midst these well thought out words, which can clearly be seen from one as myself, does not come to just anyone and just any day. They must be copiously meditated upon, and intergated into the daily life of that seeker of such specialized and sacred knowledge combined with wisdom. I applaud Phillip Dodd's work; his "MAGNUM OPUS."

"ANGEL WAR" was a striking read unlike any other I have come across in a very long while. It leans constantly in the direction of "THE MILKWEED PROPHESY; EPITAPH OF THE APOCALYPSE," with the developed and highly evolved understanding of God's ultimate purpose for us as His children, His people, and for the Messianic age, which will eventually fall to the "TERMINAL GENERATION." It was a generous balance of the profane and the Holy, and at the same instant, told from an obviously ordained and child-like comprehension of the hidden complexities of what actually goes on within the well concealed margins of the Heavenly and from the ultimate detachment of angels and humans. The manner of narration was exquisit as was eye opening in manner of the Dragon, the DEVIL, and an interesting take on how he self created his personal image, which immediately informed me of how deep the author's faith really goes, which caused me to sing with a profound joy. One "Hell" of a book!!! A read unlike anything I have read in a very long time. I enjoyed it by no manner of pedantia.
Phillip Dodd's Angel War was a veritable THUMB'S UP!!!!

Posted by author,
Lama Milkweed L. Augustine PhD

[Her Holiness;

The Most Venerable Lama Rimpoche,
Miss Prof. Milkweed L. Augustine PhD. DD]

author of "The Milkweed Prophesy;
Epitaph of the Apocalypse"

[Keely · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Pattern broken, orders forgotten, bands of his rebel angel servants fled before them, to his dismay, and cowered away from their path. As those who retreated gathered thickly around him, he heard many of them rage in agony against the thought of their defeat, which was not to his liking, nor that their eyes no longer shone with the arrogance of certain victory.”

Available for purchase from Amazon

About
From an early age, Azel, the Prince of the White Castle of the Angels of Light, plans what he calls his great rebellion against the Father. After his self transformation into a four legged, scaled beast, he names himself the Dragon. At the head of his rebel angel army and his dragon flocks, he brings war to the angel lands. His intention is to dethrone the Father and rule in his place. Khem, the Child of the White Mountain, vows upon his Silver Sword to be his slayer. The lonely, perilous path of the dragon slayer, he takes. At its end, he stands alone, to challenge the Father’s foe to combat.

Review
I’ll start by saying that at 536 pages long, this book requires a lot of time, concentration and dedication. I’ll add to that by saying, it’s worth it. Teamed with a steady pace, this book is packed full of beautiful description and captivating action from cover to cover.
Dodd states in the acknowledgements that the King James version of The Holy Bible was the main inspiration for the book, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that is solely a biblical story. Although it is indeed laced with interpretations of stories from both the old and new testament, you need not know any background of this as the imagination of the story holds strong and true throughout.
This isn’t something that can be read over a couple of sittings, in fact it took me a few months to finish it (and I consider myself a fast reader,) but I found myself needing a break every so often before returning to the book. This isn’t necessarily due to the length of the book, more so the content. It takes a while to fully absorb the characters and their surroundings, and I find it important to take time away and order it in my head so I can fully grasp what is happening within the story before returning to read more. This isn’t a negative attribute, if you like a book that takes time and thought and takes place as more of a journey than a story, this would be perfect for you.

Overall
I was really torn as to what ‘star’ rating I should give this book. It’s so beautifully and thoughtfully written, but it’s not something I’d pick up again and I’m not too sure if I would recommend it to anyone. I think it’s simply a case of ‘it’s not quite my cup of tea,’ and this bares no reflection on the book itself. Having said that, it’s a book I am glad to have read and it left me with a lot to think about after completing it.

* Book was sent for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Harry Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this thrilling novel by Philip Dodd and would recommend it to others. It is a kind of apocalyptic science fiction. clearly not intended to be a textbook of Bible doctrine, and should not be read as such. It is an epic book, which reminded me a bit of Dante Alighieri and his work, The Divine Comedy. Its style also reminded me of the Shepherd of Hermas, an early 2nd century Christian allegorical work. However, Angel War is not presented as an allegory. It is intended to be a description of the great struggle between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness in the spiritual realms. Most of the characters are holy or fallen angels. Earth is shown as the last and climactic battleground of these forces. The sacrifice of Christ, as the Son of God, is explained as a key feature in this cosmic battle.
The writing is elegant, strong and the imagery is intense. There is a wide cast of characters of encyclopedic scope. It is a wide-ranging, creative imagining of what an angel war might be like. It is a powerful and thought-provoking work. The writer has undertaken a difficult challenge and has brilliantly succeeded.
Yet I was somewhat unsettled by references that implied that God was not omnipotent. This was a literary device, perhaps, to explain why God allowed such a struggle to take place. God was unable to prevent it, yet powerful enough to prevail. I hope that this is not taken as factual, since any diminution of the all-powerful nature of God would be a great error. I am not sure why he showed angels marrying and having offspring, since the Bible clearly says this is not the case. Again, a literary device that should not be taken too seriously, no doubt. I had problems following the plot, at times, simply due to the vast number of characters, all with unfamiliar names.
These criticisms aside, this is an important work that deserves to be widely read.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Phillip Dodd’s 315 page novel “Angel War” may sound like something that Peter Jackson and George Lucas dreamed up and or may have even collaborated on. It is a biblical inspired read about The Father and the angelic children He created.

First, let’s read the blurb:

From an early age, Azel, the Prince of the White Castle of the Angels of Light, plans what he calls his great rebellion against the Father. After his self transformation into a four legged, scaled beast, he names himself the Dragon. At the head of his rebel angel army and his dragon flocks, he brings war to the angel lands. His intention is to dethrone the Father and rule in his place. Khem, the Child of the White Mountain, vows upon his Silver Sword to be his slayer. The lonely, perilous path of the dragonslayer, he takes. At its end, he stands alone, to challenge the Father’s foe to combat.

Before we go any further, I need to clean up this blurb a little. The blurb felt a bit long to me. The excessive use of commas are both apparent and unnecessary. Also, the use of “he” is to the point where confusion as to the word’s designee is skewed. On top of that, one sentence feels awkward in its structure; likened to the speech pattern of Yoda from “Star Wars”:

Azel, the Prince of the White Castle of the Angels of Light, plans what he calls his great rebellion against the Father. After his self transformation into a four-legged scaled beast, he names himself “the Dragon”. At the head of Azel’s rebel angel army and his dragon flocks, he brings war to the angel lands: intent on dethroning the Father and ruling in his place. Khem, the Child of the White Mountain, vows upon his Silver Sword to take the lonely and perilous path of the dragonslayer. At its end, Khem stands alone to challenge Azel to combat.

The Father and His many children set forth to created the earth, name the animals, the plants, and other heavenly bodies as they are unaware that there is one headstrong child of the Father who is looking to do things a bit differently (sounds like the long-warring Autobots and Decepticons from Transformers).

There are archangels, angels, wardrobe specialists, builders, gardeners, a POSSIBLE sighting of the Four Horsemen, and more who are presented within these 315 pages.

I’m going to take a page out of No Labels’ and Mini Truth’s books and do a bit of Pros and Cons. Not my particular style, yet it is needed for this review and this book.



Pro:

-The interesting concept of having the Father create 12 men and 12 women with NO MENTION of Adam and Eve until later in the book. For me, this tells me A LOT that is going on in Mr. Dodd’s mind. Namely, “If Adam and Eve, as well as the Father as per the story the Father was a child once, WERE NOT the first to walk the earth, then WHO WERE?“

A fantastic talking point where, based on personal experiences, NO RELIGIOUS OFFICIAL could provide a solid answer to satisfy my curiosity. In this, even if this is fantasy fiction, “Angel War” can very well make people think and wonder what is or isn’t true about the world in which we live. In all of that, we are made to think about the stories that were told to us by those we trust(ed) in regards to The Holy Bible.

That’s all I have for Pros.

Cons:

-The Father is more human as opposed to the Father who is Fair, Unbiased, Impartial, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent.

Spoiler Alert!

Case in point, when the Father speaks about exacting vengeance on those who didn’t abide by His words. That isn’t wisdom, that is human instinct when one is jilted. This is a damaging piece of writing that can arguably destroy the entire goal that Mr. Dodd tried to achieve when writing this story.

-The story is hardly engaging, despite a look into how the angels worked, were robed, how they interacted in a fashion that is similar to our earthly interactions, and a mutiny by Azel and rogue angels. This is due to the repetitive nature of stating who people are, what they are wearing, where they are. Sadly this is something that happens A LOT, and in multiple paragraphs when only one paragraph and one thoroughly detailed description of the written items would suffice.

–Comma overkill which resulted in many bouquets of comma misuse.

-Elongated sentences could have been condensed for a smoother reading experience.

-Inconsistencies that severely conflict with the inspiring King James Bible, like the aforementioned “Father was a child” example. If that was the case, WHO ARE HIS PARENTS?

For me, I take a bit of issue with angels marrying each other, especially when the Father created men and women by way of asexual reproduction. This is to say that they were brothers, sisters, or even clones perhaps. If this is the case, that would imply that the theory that incest and cloning are acceptable forms of populating the world.

It reminds me of a supercharged blog that I wrote a few years ago speaking on Darwinism v. Adam and Eve. I made A LOT of people mad with that one, and still do to this day. All I am saying here is that this story is working in my favor in the realm of proving my point that incest was acceptable in those days, and frowned upon these days.

Note:

I am Catholic. Not the most devout Catholic, but Catholic enough to know that incest is bad. I am also Darwinian enough to know that incest is MOST LIKELY being practiced in this day and age as a means of populating the World in which we live. Don’t believe me? Think it through: how did ALL of these people come into existence and SOMEHOW we are all connected? Human is the True Race: skin color be damned

I do understand that this is a writing of fiction and some items can be stretched; at times to a convoluted state. As it is in this case where a King James inspired read implies that DINOSAURS lived in the valleys and on the plains. As well as the White Circle Spaceship which proved that the Father and His angels had a fascination with space exploration WELL BEFORE technology would come into existence, and more.

At the same time, Dodd’s “Angel War” was inspired by the King James version of The Holy Bible, and marriage between angels (I DO BELIEVE) is not included in The Bible unless I missed some verses along the way that would prove otherwise.

Character wise, it is interesting to see that archangels have near identical powers as the Father. Then again, that doesn’t surprise me. Archangels are the most powerful types of angels. Sadly, in truth, they are not as powerful as the Father.

In regards to personalities of the other characters, they seem dry and one dimensional. There is dialogue, yet there is no sizzle when it comes to who they are as individuals. They feel clumped together and just … there.


Philip Dodd’s “Angel War” is a fantasy write that did not live up to expectations. With the combination of flaws, comma misuse and overkill, a storyline that is convoluted, as well as the lack of extra proofreading and editing, I CANNOT in good faith recommend this book. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that you WILL be severely disappointed, if not as disappointed as I when I finished this story.

[Peter Younghusband · Rating 2 out of 5]

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