Battle Angel

Immortal City #3

by Scott Speer

It's going to take a lot more than fame to save the Immortal City in its darkest hour...

With Maddy torn between two loves, Guardian Jackson and heroic pilot Tom, and Angels and humans on the brink of an epic war, the Immortal City is more vulnerable than ever. And when demons descend upon Angel City with the intent to destroy, the humans don't stand a fighting chance without the Angels on their side. 

Will Jacks find the strength and forgiveness to enter the fray and fight the demons as a stronger-than-ever Battle Angel? Or has the damage been so great that the Guardians will set off for the next place, abandoning Angel City in its darkest hour?

It all comes down to love-wrecked half-Angel Maddy and the strength of her bond with Jackson in this game-changing, thrice-as-sultry series finale that blends beautiful themes of redemption and renewal with heart-pounding action scenes and jaw-dropping twists.
 

Genres: Angels, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Demons

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Scott Speer is a movie and music video director and a graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema Television. He has directed music videos for artists such as Will.I.Am, Jordin Sparks, and Ashley Tisdale and is currently directing Step Up 4. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Lisa RC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battle Angel: Abridged Lisa's Edition
WHAT SHE THINKS WILL HAPPEN

[WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE?]

Maddie (M): I can't decide.
Jacks (J): Choose me. You know that we can't perish the angels. They're needed here.
Tom (T): REMEMBER WHAT YOUR FATHER FOUGHT FOR!
M: Sorry, Jacks.
J: But...but I love you.
M: I do too. But I can't be blinded by love [Why the cheesiness? Speer is a cheesy author]
[Meanwhile, the demons are coming up]
J: Screw it. I'm saving the mortals! Maddie, please forgive me. Wings are what defines an angel. And I felt lost without them.
M: Yay!
T: (NO. NOW I HAVE TO COMPETE).
[The three team up together to defeat the bad guys]
Detective (D): I just want you to know, that there's a secret weapon we can use to defeat them bad guys.
M: What really? Where?
D: [Takes out majestic stone] The portal where the demons are coming from? You have to insert this here.
M: Oh. So who will do it?
D: As an abomination, you will be able to fly there, Maddie. Only you can save the world. You're only half angel. So it won't affect you to much as it would to the natural angels.
T: I'll go. I' human.
D: It doesn't work that way. You must at least be part angel to be let in. Demons were once angels cast from heaven. So only those with the spirit, but part like them, can enter their realm. But Maddie, you won't come back the same... only a few have survived and returned, but there's a greater chance that you'll come back.
T+J: NO.
M: I must. [Flutters pretty wings]
Humans (H): Yay Maddie! Go Maddie go!
J: Maddie wait.
M: Jacks?
J: I just want to tell you that I think you and Tom would make a beautiful couple. I'm really sorry for the way I've treated you. If I could change things, I'd choose you and all of humanity over my wings.
J: I just want to know, who do you love more?
M: Now isn't the time, Jacks.
J: Please. If anything happens, I need to know.
M (whispers): It was always you.
J: Thanks.
[Steals majestic stone and flies towards portal]
M: JACKS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? NO!
[Detective pulls her back].
M: YOU SAID I HAD THE GREATEST CHANCE!
D: Jacks and I talked about it. He's considerably part angel too. Wings are what defines us. He lost his natural ones, therefore, he was stripped of his most angelic features. He's not pure either. It's true. He's another candidate.
M: I HATE YOU. WHY DIDN'T YOU GO TAKE HIS PLACE? WHY?
D: He insisted. And I have a family to take care of.
[Bright light flashes the place and the demons were locked once more].
M: Where is he?
D: We can't find him. I'm sorry.
[Sobs].

5 years later
T: Hey Maddie.
M: Hey Tom.
T: Ever since Jacks saved the world, the angels understood what it means to do something with no reward.
M: Yes. Now they're doing good deeds out of free will. For everyone. Jacks would have been happy if he was here.
T: Maddie. Can we...?
M: No. I'm sorry.
[A knock is heard and Maddie goes to open the door. In front of her stood Jacks without his wings.]
M: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN.
J: Oh Maddie. I was lost for so long. I remember being trapped with the demons. I also remembered fighting to get out. When I did, I walked my way back. I forgot you at first, but me memory slowly resurfaced. I'm finally here.

[The End]

[Tina]

August 28th, 2014?

[Serena (The Book Comedian)]

Okay I know this is inappropriate because I just finished the first book literally 30 minutes ago, I didn't read the 2nd book yet, and it's like 4:30am, but my literal reaction to reading this summary:

"Tom?? What the heck, who is that? WHO IS THIS TOM YOU SPEAK OF?"

IS JACKSON'S LOVE NOT ENOUGH? -SAD-


*follow for more reviews*

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nose Graze — Book reviews & blogging tips

The Immortal City series didn't quite go the way I hoped it would. I'm not sure if it was necessarily a bad, ending—it just wasn't the ending that I wanted. Because of that, I'm not left with particularly fond thoughts of the book.

The #1 problem for me was the love triangle. This was introduced in Natural Born Angel and it continues in Battle Angel . I thought this whole triangle was a joke. It felt like a completely unnecessary element of the story that was just being used as a plot device to introduce conflict. Because when things are going well, you have to throw a wrench into it to make them more "interesting". Bleh.

I thought it was particularly stupid how Tom died, then Maddy just immediately went back to Jackson and had sex with him. I never felt like she was actually into Tom at all. It was more like she was mad at Jackson and wanted someone else to turn to (that "someone" could have been anyone). Also, the sex Maddy and Jackson had was hilariously bad. It's extremely vague, as it is in YA, but it's basically like they're making out for 10 seconds, Jacks is like, "Do you want to?", Maddy says yes, and then BAM he's inside her. She cries out, he says, "Are you alright?" and Maddy says yes.. So, onward!! I mean... LOL! I'd almost prefer fade to black to this. I understand not going in detail, because it's YA, but LOL. 10 seconds of making out, then he's inside her? No wonder she cried out in pain, she wasn't "ready" yet if you know what I mean...

On the good side, Battle Angel did have a interesting twist! It seems sooo obvious in hindsight, but I didn't see it coming AT ALL! So I really enjoyed being surprised like that!

But then we get to the ending where I was disappointed again. As I said before, it wasn't necessarily a BAD ending. It's just not the ending that I wanted. When I first read Immortal City I fell in love with the angels, but mostly the romance between Maddy and Jackson. Then at the end of Battle Angel, Jackson decides to take the angels back to Heaven, but Maddy chooses to stay behind. I guess it makes sense, and the ending does work, it just feels like a bitter sweet ending. I'm more of a "happily ever after" type girl. I wanted them to get married and have angel babies together.

So I don't know... It wasn't really a BAD book. I enjoyed parts of it—especially the twist. But there were a bunch of parts that didn't go "my way". And god, that love triangle was a total joke.

[Suzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh yet another love triangle 0.0
Sorry people I am totally gunning for Jackson :)
I hope they end up together plus I wonder if they have kids will it be three quarters angel :)

[Gabriela]

Ahhh i need this!!! like right now!

[miguel]

Not a big fan of the paperback covers.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!

DNF @ 100 pages

Hell no. I just can’t read this book. It’s most likely because my taste in books have changed and I’m so against paranormal-romances. There are only the few books that feature angels which I’m able to read, but I won’t take anything that doesn’t look very appeasing to me. Battle Angel was horrible.

I just can’t take books that deal with those cheesy stories of the apocalypse and our “kick-butt” main character fighting the stupid demons that are coming out of the sewers. This is just a continuation of the trilogy that seriously isn’t needed, by the way. I just kept getting bored and it’s not that kind of read for me. And here I am, being the black sheep again where everyone is enjoying it excluding me. But I don’t care, because I knew that I wouldn’t enjoy it anyways. I actually was just curious to see how the series would end, because I liked it in the start, way back then.

Brace yourself for: awkward moments, slow pacing, boring stuff, unexplainable careless deaths for the characters, a not-so kick-ass main character, and a stuck-up angel who thinks he’s so hot. It’s a worse repetition of the first two novels bonded together. Definitely not for me. I want to seriously forget about it, hah.



I can’t even bear to write this review because I feel like throwing my library copy of this out of the window. It’s a boring, weird book that’s just not for me. At the moment, I don’t even care what the ending was. I’ll just find some spoiler review and read about it, but I’m already pretty sure that it’s super predictable, just like I expected it to be. Go for this at your own risk, but I bet that it won’t be for everyone.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. Okay. Um.

Alright. This book is the conclusion to a trilogy. The premise is imaginative and interesting and the first book was quite good, despite the slightly iffy quality of the writing itself. The author is a movie director who had never written a book before. I'm willing to forgive.

The second book went downhill a little. Angel training, interesting, the setup for the final book and the war for the fate of the world. Sure. Fascinating. Great. Though the introduction of a completely unnecessary love triangle (predictably) annoys me at this point.

But that's not the point. This is a review of the third book. I read the entire thing. It turned out about as well as I expected, though it was a little predictable. But there were several things I take issue with.

Here's your warning: the rest of this review will be riddled with spoilers and will most likely consist of a long-winded rant. Let me say right now that there were plenty of things about this book that I enjoyed, because there will probably not be anything else positive in this review.

So. The love triangle. I've read a lot of YA, so it's entirely predictable that I would find love triangles annoying. But here's the thing: they don't bother me if they are used well. In the right hands, they can make for an effective plot device and give actual depth to the characters involved.

Here? Forget it. The love triangle was slapped on at the last second and was completely unbelievable. Maddy just spontaneously fell in love with her flight teacher. And then the end of the book ended on a cliffhanger of her two love interests forcing her to choose between them. This prompted an exasperated sigh and a desire to throw the book at the wall. Unfortunately, I was reading it on my Kindle, and that was not an option.

But that's not even one of the reasons I was irritated with this book. That's an issue in Natural Born Angel. Battle Angel annoyed me in its own special way, and here's why.

I don't think Scott Speer did any research at all on the US Navy. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure the Navy doesn't just install barely-legal girls with no combat training or experience as Lieutenant Commanders. Additionally, I'm pretty sure that Tom's hijacking of a military helicopter that was flying under direct orders of the President would get him court-martialed. Especially considering he did it all for his girlfriend, who, all things considered, was probably better suited for the situation than he was. There was no realistic way he could actually help her or even find her in a war-torn Los Angeles. And since she had wings? This is exactly the kind of situation where "needle in a haystack" applies perfectly. (Though he did end up finding her, due to narrative convention I guess, which leads me to my next point).

Then Tom went and died. That was predictable enough. Though I was surprised that it happened with Maddy watching, only ten feet from a weapon capable of killing the demons closing in on him. Whatever. She was severely injured. I guess that's realistic enough, though it's kind of disappointing.

Then Maddy and Jacks get back together, which, okay, I saw coming. It's a pretty standard way of resolving a love triangle--just off one of the corners. But then comes the part that really pissed me off.

They proceed to have sex in the ruins of a Catholic church.

There are so many things wrong with that. One, Catholic church. The Catholic church is so, so anti-sex. Having sex in a Catholic church probably counts as blasphemy. Even if the church itself is in ruins. Look, this might not have been so bad if Speer had just left it a generic Temple of Angels and said that it was built by the Angels for the Angels and didn't have affiliation with any particular religion, but no. He actually went out and said specifically that it was a Catholic church. Look, I'm not even going to get into the beliefs of the Catholic church about angels, but come on. Sex in a Catholic church? Really?

Leaving aside that sex is not a satisfactory conclusion to a story arc in a YA novel. Not really. Especially not one that covered an epic battle of good and evil that affected the fate of the world. And I don't even know what it says about their relationship that they decided it was the perfect time to have sex for the first time. Whatever. I'm done. I can't think about that anymore.

So, on to Emily Brightchurch. Obviously I didn't like her, we weren't supposed to like her and she was shallow, vain, needlessly cruel, vindictive, condescending to humans, and after the male protagonist. But having her disappear in the middle of the final battle, deserting humankind and the other Angels while they were all under attack by demons and literally dying in the streets? Dude. She's a Guardian. She's not helpless, she's an excellent flier, and her love of fashion and material pleasures should not make her any less effective in battle. It certainly didn't for Jacks or Mitch or any of a dozen other Angels. And look, if she wasn't trained as a Battle Angel or didn't have a sword, that's completely believable. She graduated in the same Guardian class as Maddy. It's believable that she wasn't trained as a Battle Angel in the time between her Commissioning as a Guardian and the events of this book. It's okay not to have her take part in the final battle. But in that case, she should have been with the other noncombatant Angels, like Jacks' little sister, out of harm's way. And look, if she skipped town because she was that petty and that cowardly, she should've taken the suitcase with her. She wouldn't have left it all behind if that was really the extent of her character. Inconsistent. Irritating. Needless. What role did she even play in the story? None. Even Jacks' almost-hookup with her had no effect on the plot or anything. It just...seems like a waste of words to bother singling her out instead of just saying "Emily's room was deserted, just like all the other Angel apartments in the sanctuary." Or even just not bothering to mention her again. No one would have cared.

Mark's death. Whatever. Jacks is now the leader. Predictable. I didn't expect him to die but I didn't care about his death either. Though Jacks finally calling him Dad now that he's, you know, dead was kind of annoying and disregarded everything we knew about their relationship.

I am glad that Mitch survived, I didn't want him to die even though he was a wasted character who had so much more potential than he was used for. Kind of like Gwen, who disappeared after book one and never came back. (These are the best friends, by the way. Not that they matter once Maddy and Jacks have found True Love.)

I also appreciate that Detective Sylvester got to return to Heaven with the Angels. Though the return to Heaven (which is called Home by the Angels) annoyed me a little, because all the Angels were just leaving Earth completely and leaving America in shambles. It makes enough sense narratively, I guess. I even saw it coming, but I dismissed it as "nah, that won't happen." Nope. I was wrong. Or rather, I was right. (Also, I get that the return to Home was supposed to be mysterious, but I did kind of expect Jacks to give Maddy a hint in case she ever decided to follow them, and the way Speer decided to go about not describing how they actually do it came across as a blatantly obvious "I don't know, they're Angels, they do what they want.")

Gabriel as the Big Bad. Yep. Saw that coming. Though I thought the uber-demon guarding the inner sanctum was Gabriel, and that he'd finally become on the outside what he was on the inside--a Fallen Angel.

Also, as a side note: the constant repetition of the word "Angel" got on my nerves. Okay, it's Angel City. I don't know why you had to change the name of a city that is literally already named after angels. (It's Los Angeles.) The Hollywood sign became the Angel City sign (though replacing it at the end of the trilogy was a touch I appreciated). The Walk of Fame became the Walk of Angels. Only Angels could have stars, presumably, when in the real world the Walk of Fame honors all different categories of people who became icons for the arts. You'd think they'd have an Angel monument or something instead, or that the stars would be wings or something. The Sunset Strip became the Angel Strip, for literally no reason. It even permeated the television stations. E! became A! because apparently there are no human celebrities, only Angel ones. CNN became ANN, which I don't even have words for. (Well, okay, I do. IS THERE NO OTHER NEWS BESIDES THE STUPID ANGELS?) Starstruck became Angelstruck. YouTube became SaveTube. It doesn't even make sense.

It was irritating. Also the constant repetition of "perfect Immortals" and similar. I get it, he's devastatingly handsome, all Angels are supermodel gorgeous, they're superstrong and fast and can control time and fly and are Better Than You. I got it. Thanks.

That's all I can think for now, I guess. Oh, I just thought of one more. This isn't really a big one, just a random thought--if the demon sinkhole was in the ocean, did it suck in a ton of seawater? Is that going to cause environmental issues? When the sinkhole closed, did it suck in more seawater? Did ocean levels suddenly drop drastically? Did a ton of marine life die? Were there any Navy submarines out there? Did they use anything other than aircraft carriers? Were was the Army and the Air Force and the Marines in all this? What happened with the other Angels all over the planet? Were they all in Angel City by the time of the attack? This is actually a lot more than one question. Huh. Oh, well.


This series had issues. I've read fanfiction that was better written. Though, there's actually a lot of high-quality fanfiction out there. I've read fanfiction that was better than the new Percy Jackson series.

So, yeah. Immortal City is the best of the three. Natural Born Angel was interesting enough. Battle Angel was, basically, a disappointment. Not a colossal disappointment like Blood of Olympus, but still not as good as I'd hoped for. Oh, well. Time to move on with my life and never read it again.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Speer uses every trick that makes books sell..and not in a good way..

What the hell was that? I can honestly say epic fail. Sorry Speer, but you pulled a Veronica Roth, on top of a Stephanie Meyer..what was a decent story and interesting take on what would happen if Angels lived among us became a complete, tragic, frustrating boring mess.

I hated Tom. He was random, and didn't act like a military officer at all. I was shocked he didn't get kicked out of his unit with his behaviour around Maddy. Professional, much?

I ended up HATING Maddy and her selfish, whiny..god awful behaviour. She treated both men like garbage, hurt them both in the end and then shrugs off her virginity. She treated Jackson like like a bag of chips that she wanted to try but then decided, "Meh, I want a different kind of chip." Seriously, awkward sex scene..and then Maddy doesn't talk to Jackson at all because shes a self-involved twit who thinks everyone will wait around for her.

Also: Jackson said sex wasn't just sex to an Angel. He lied, clearly. Or this is just another example of how Speer cant keep up with his own lore.

Also, why is Maddy still on Earth? Half-Angel makes her Angelic, meaning she will be called on.

Emily? Clearly bad things happened to her, but no answers.

Mostly I just hated Maddy and who she became. Her Angel training made her a weak, sniveling, selfish child.

Wait, you know what I hated even more? I hated how many loose ends we just left hanging after Maddy decided she'd stay in Angel City to rake in the dough after all other Angels left. Actually, no, the lies Maddy tells to cover up her own greed is the worst part.

I liked the overall plan for the Angels, it made sense and seemed a great way to end it. Returning back to the old city name struck a cord since humanity would just go back to worshiping the rich instead of learning to care about each other from the Angel's example. Yet, the end was pretty terrible, and the execution of the love triangle was clumsy. There was also a marked decline in the quality of Speer's writing. I think he got bored of the series mid-book 2 and never recovered.

Does anyone think Amazon will refund me my money?

[Frank Chillura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, I am reviewing the final book in a series that I have loved since the minute I read the first chapter 3 years ago. Like I have said before, 2014 is the year for finales on too many of the most incredible book series I have ever read.

Battle Angel is book 3 in Scott Speer's Immortal City series and like the previous 2 books, it does not hold out on action packed fight scenes, suspenseful story-telling, & a love triangle that is worth dying for.

The Dark Angels are coming, but the Immortals of Angel City are retreating & refusing to fight. They feel snubbed by the humans that they have been paid to protect & for this, they are leaving them to fight this fight alone. Maddy has to make a choice: Leave for safety with Jacks. the Angel she has loved since before she knew who she really was, or stay and fight with the Tom, the human fighter pilot who was there for her when she really needed him & is beginning to fall in love with.

This book holds no stops in giving you action packed fight scenes & the death of multiple characters who you will have grown to love (or maybe dislike in some cases). Battle Angel will give you the sense of closure you need in a series finale, but you may not be 100% happy with the outcome. But who can be happy when there is a war with Dark & Light Angels involved... Good vs Evil may have blurred the line, but will the heroes prevail?

This series is great for fans of Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush, Lauren Kate's Fallen, & Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone... to name a few.

If you are looking for any other book or series suggestions, feel free to message me through my blog UtopiaNeverComes.blogspot.com or email me at FooFiFauxPaw@google.com.

[Gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a action packed conclusion to a great trilogy. The narrative was less from Maddy's POV but I think this worked well as the main element of the book - the war - is very complicated so multiple views are needed to understand its complexity. I absolutely loved the first book and loved Maddy and Jacks together so was disappointed when she chose Tom as I thought it was the wrong choice and she spent the rest of the book defending her decision The story finishes neatly however I do feel like Maddy should have gone with Jacks or he could have stayed with her Overall I liked the book and I highly recommend the series however I do feel it was the weakest of the three books.

[Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the previous books, and was expecting a fun, happy ending. Basically, the end was stupid.

[★MC's Corner★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

W-A-N-T!

GIMME GIMME

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immortal City, AMAZING!! Natural Born Angel, very good! But this book I don't know what to say. I thought Maddy's decision in the 2nd book was wrong (I would have gone for the angel) but I did start to like Tom. Then he was bumped off making the whole choice between him and Jackson a waste of time because you could see she was going to go back to him (who wouldn't)The book started off quite slow taking a while to get into the story and I could sort of tell were it was leading. But then the end, what the HELL!!!! What is the point in her choosing Tom only for him to get killed then she goes back the Jackson and then he leaves and she won't go with him. They just got together and are perfect, I understand the reason he goes Home but she should go to. But what really was the point if he is there watching over her anyway. Maddy who (is going to live forever because she is part angel?) condemns herself to a life without seeing Jacks even though he technically hasn't left because he is still with her but she just can't see, why doesn't he stay behind and just the others leave because now he is going to watch her (while she lives forever or ages and dies)its so sad. Not my ideal ending.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't do it for me. The love triangle between Jacks, Tom and Maddy just didn't seem natural and well done. It was rushed and Maddy's reasoning for the break up and everything else seemed too selfish for her character.

Tom's death seemed convenient as well, getting rid of him so that Jacks and Maddy could be together. Tom as a character seemed too twee and dependent on Maddy. A trained pilot wouldn't be that dependent emotionally on anyone but someone that they had a deep connection to. Even then they wouldn't be that needy emotionally.

Maddy drained me as I read this, dragging on hers and Tom's relationship, having to justify it to herself and others, and her needing to convince herself. I get that Tom loved Maddy, but would he really want her to be unhappy and lie to herself and him in a relationship?

Jacks, I felt sorry for the poor bugger. Maddy being on and off, and everyone seemingly wanting him dead or wanting to have sex with him.

Overall this novel didn't come close to the first novel, shaming it and it's once beautiful and true characters, turning them into pale replicas of pre-pubescent kids who want emotional support and love.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the final battle between Demons and Angels Maddy will have to decide who she wants more and who she will have to leave behind. In the escalating battle between good and evil, mistakes are made, sacrifices will force beloved ones apart and the new order will be born.


Although I loved the previous books, I was way out of my 'reading waters' ith the third one. I didn't expect some scenes to happen and at some point Maddy's actions seemed to be a little planned.

Jackson's actions were odd in contrast with his previous self on the other books but in the end he found his way.

The ending was unjustified in my opinion because, first, I didn't expect the book to end like that, and second I wanted more romance scenes. It was overall a good book but it needed more stretching on the plot and maybe a different ending.

[Fiorella Boschetti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish it.

I really have to hate a character to not finish a book.

Maddy it's not just stubborn but she thinks too highly of herself but my biggest issue with her is her damn choices. The books were supposed to be about angel human not she choosing a human over Jacks. I get that she is trying to help humanity and try to do the right thing but I don't think it was necessary to make a love triangle out of this, I don't see the point of she falling for Tom and I don't like Tom, that's all.

I've to be honest and say that I did spoiled myself after I get to know that she chooses Tom and I don't feel not a bit better with the development or the ending.

I actually loved the first book but then it all went down fall.

[Charlotte Bugler]

Release date.. Anyone?!

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a final book, one I have waited an entire year to read, that was sadly disappointing.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really enjoy the final part of this series but don’t think it is as good as the first book, although in my opinion, it is better than the second book. However, there are a few things that I have issues with in this book.
1. There seems to be plot holes/gaps in the story/bits which are only briefly glossed over which I feel need more explaining or expansion. For example, one minute Jacks was dead set against helping the mortals yet only a chapter or so later he's landing on the carrier ship pledging his support for them and very little explanation/description for this is given, also the search and rescue of Tom when his plane goes down in the ocean – I feel that something more could have been made of this scene.
2. To me, the writing felt somewhat sticky in places meaning that I'm fully absorbed in the book and then something is included or something is phrased in a way that pulls me back out of the story as it just seems misplaced e.g. Maddy telling Detective Sylvester to "stay here" in the sanctuary when he is drifting in an out of consciousness, I mean where is he going to go in that state?! Also that scene where Maddy sits down to share a cereal bar with a dog when she was supposedly in a desperate hurry to save Jackson (and the city/world) and had already lost loads of time being attacked - as much as I love dogs I don't think that when the love of your life is in danger and demons are threatening to take over the world is the best time to befriend one. I also think that sometimes unnecessary statements/descriptions of actions were included as well (almost like stage directions) and these detracted from the atmosphere that had created.
3. I’m still not a fan of Tom; I didn't like him in the second book as his role to form a love triangle just wasn't needed and this book still didn’t make me like him. In my opinion, he actually came across as a bit arrogant, jealous, petty and sometimes even cruel to the point where I wanted Maddy to stick up for Jacks, such as when Tom was slating the Angels. This just seemed to be crossing the line and if I were Maddy, this would have annoyed me because she is half-Angel herself. I actually think that both Tom and Jacks were disrespectful regarding this. They both were against the other side, yet Maddy is half Human and half Angel so to love her they have to love both halves of her, yet neither seemed to realise that when they were attacking the other side, they were also attacking her. However, Tom did gain respect from me for his acknowledgement to Jacks' face that Maddy still loved him and for his heroic death to save Maddy from the giant demon.

I was sad to see how far Jacks character fell at the beginning of the book but admire him more for the strength he found later to find his way back, for being the bigger man by putting his relationship difficulties with Maddy (and hatred of Tom) aside to try and save humanity and especially for organising safety for not just Maddy, but also Tom so that they could be happy together even though it hurt him, saving Tom from the ocean and also for his dramatic and brave fight with Gabriel. Jacks’ character thrives in the face of adversity in this instalment and it completes the journey he makes through the course of the series. I’m pleased he regained status and respect, not because he deserved what he originally had, but just because it was wrong for him to be cast aside when he was deemed to be less valuable and weaker due to the injuries he suffered in the first book and also because he really stepped up and earned it in this final instalment.

I found that I wasn't that surprised by the plot twist that Gabriel was masterminding the demon attack on Earth. There was just something about him from his earliest appearances that made me think he wasn't the good angelic that everybody revered and it was clear to me that he was indoctrinating Jacks, not supporting him. He just seemed too good to be true so the revelation that he was orchestrating everything didn't shock me, but I feel that Speer wrote this character and his scenes towards the end of the book extremely well, amplifying his worst character traits and the overall drama.

A part of me really wanted Maddy to leave and return Home with the Angels at the end of the book and was disappointed when this didn’t happen. I had so many questions about her decision to stay and how her being half-Angel affected her life on Earth (being half-angel, would she live longer than a human lifespan and if so, what does this mean for her life when everybody she loves on Earth has gone?) I would have loved if there had been an epilogue set sometime in the future, perhaps when Kevin and Gwen had died, Angel City was rebuilt and people had moved on, to show what had become of Maddy and maybe see her reunited with Jacks and return Home feeling that she had fulfilled her duty on Earth. However, I also feel that the ending was very appropriate and true to the characters. Jacks and Maddy’s relationship seems all the more special because they were able to put their love for one another second to their love for their people and Jacks’ glow surrounding Maddy in photos is a beautiful representation of their lasting love despite their separation.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Battle Angel is the final book in the Immortal City series and it was amazeballs. The story was so compelling that I gobbled the book in almost one sitting. I love the action, the heartbreak, the angels and most of all the plot.

Just as problems breakout between the humans and the angels, the dark angels (demons) emerge and is threatening humanity but the angels are nowhere to be seen. It's going to be up to half-human/half-angel Maddy to work with the humans to help save mankind, if only the angels would get on board.

There was so much drama in this book. The love triangle that is between angel Jackson Godspeed, Maddy and fighter-pilot Tom. The feelings in this book are so intense, its unreal. Tom knows he wants Maddy, Jackson has turned into a person Maddy cannot recognize and Maddy wants to save everyone from the demons and while the angels refuse to help the humans Maddy knows she cannot stand with them.

Is it just me or do a lot of young adult books (in the fantasy genre) have wars in them, I mean really. Well Speer has done an incredible good job in this book. The war between the humans and the demons is depicted really well and I have to say that I was on the edge of my seat waiting for things to happen. Then there is the whole sub-plot with the angels and everything that was going on there had my mind working.

Battle Angel was a good ending to the series, I wish the story could have ended in a different way and I will admit, it left me a little sad but the overall book was so good. The action, drama, plot twists, and revelations kept me highly entertained and I loved every minute of it.

The Immortal City series was spectacularly good, the characters the world, the writing, all of it was just so good and I am so glad that I took a chance on the series.

Overall 4.5 stars

[Duchessbookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Just like Jacks, Maddy Montgomery, waitress and high school student, was gone, too. They had both been affected, irreparably wounded, and now they bore the scars of their journeys. Some journeys change us forever…:

The first chapter set the feels, I paid attention to every word, and detail. So many freaking pondering moments about life. Maddy makes a lot of hard decisions based off the choices presented to her.

“Life can pivot on a single choice, a pinpoint of time, causing ripples of consequences to circle out endlessly.”.

Reflecting on the novel, this seems to be its own explanation of why Los Angeles, is called The City of Angels. After the war with the demons they rename the city Hollywood.

“Betrayal is worse for the betrayer.”

The love factor in this book starts to fade away. My feelings for Jacks throughout the series: I like him, I hate him, I hate him, I like him, I hate him, I like him again. The ending was not what I expected, but I can say that I liked/didn’t mind the way the author ended the series. Angels going back to the invisible helpers, was a little sad because by the end I liked Jacks again, but that choice to leave was understandable.

One thing that I can’t say that I liked was that Jacks and Maddy has sex then he decided what was best for him and the angels was to go back to heaven. Even if he had a suspicion that he was going to leave, I don’t think they should have had sex. Other than that, I liked the way things were left between her and Jacks.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this series.

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro)]

I only made it 13 pages before DNFing. I just put it down and really didn't want to pick it back up.
I remember being so excited to read this one too, after the huge cliffhanger at the end of Natural Born Angel , but this book was never made available at my library. By the time I got my hands on a copy (which was 4 years later), I didn't remember the cliffhanger, so I just kept it on my shelf. Now here we are, 7 years after I read that cliffhanger, and I realized that I no longer care. This book begins with our MC choosing between two guys and since I don't remember who these guys are, it's hard to get emotionally invested. Add in the fact that this seems more dystopian than the other books, and that I just don't like dystopian books as much anymore, I just wasn't that interested in continuing.
Maybe I just need to refresh my memory, but I get the feeling that this is just not my kind of book anymore.

[Shreya Choudhury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate this book but still I love this book .
Love -of course great adventure ,thrilling and of course angels and their wars.
Hate -I hate Maddie for choosing a human over an angel .yes an angel who loves her but no she thinks he had changed and when she rejects him says our moment will be cherished .like ha could this be more lame .
And at the end after the gear war angels disaapear and jacks also while going said Maggie that he loved her.at that moment I totally feel like crying (biggest reason to hate).I was hoping at the end Maggie and jacks happily ever after but no scoot speer made this heartbreaking .seriously.


So I totally would not advise to read this book.like total heart breaking.

[♡Meme♡Reads love♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know I can't I just can't I got as far as I could go and I can't deal with it anymore so disappointed (it's not that serious lol)
I just wasted my eyeballs last night and this day trying to struggle to finish it. Why the hell was there a love triangle it was absolutely pointless just dumb anyway another not what I thought it would be, but again the first of the series was the bomb then the next two books... thumbs down. but I will say the side character the detective David Sylvester was amazing he was the star of the book he was the only reason I kept going!

[Shanzeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a action packed conclusion to a great trilogy. The narrative was less from Maddy's POV but I think this worked well as the main element of the book - the war - is very complicated so multiple views are needed to understand its complexity. I absolutely loved the first book and loved Maddy and Jacks together so was disappointed when she chose (view spoiler) The story finishes neatly however I do feel like (view spoiler) Overall I liked the book and I highly recommend the series however I do feel it was the weakest of the three books.

[Janelle Hackbarth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The battle of Angel City is about to start...and this book picks up right where it's prior one, "Natural Born Angel" left off.

I really enjoyed the first book, and the second one was cool, but I'm just not really into battle books all that much. It was a little gore, but not too descriptive where I was squinting.

I did enjoy the twists and turns of this book. I am not going to say what they were, but there were times I was shocked and surprised. It's a good wrap up to the trilogy.

[Mrs A L Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

This book was a great read. I liked the way that the author created a difficult romantic situation for heroine Maddy, and the twist at the end of the book. I would recommend this book to young people (11-17 ish). I choose to rate this book 5 stars because I love the romance genre and the mystery genre that also intermingled here and there, and because this book was drawing me in the whole time and I never lost interest.

[Isabella (isabunchofbooks) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made this entire series f------ pointless. It has one of the most (if not THE most) ridiculous endings to a book that I have ever read. I hated the ending to this 10 times more than I hated the ending to Allegiant, and that is saying A LOT. I am going to pretend that Immortal City is a standalone. This was just awful. Like, why? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me so mad.