But the Angels Never Came

by Eric James-Olson

Before the world ended Abraham was a young successful lawyer with a wife and child. He was no different than anyone else. That all changed suddenly when the old nation was taken over by a hostile foreign power, and Abraham was forced to make the most important choice of his life. Stay and be subject to the arbitrary whims of the invaders, or abandon his home for the unlikely prospect of freedom.

Use the "Download Excerpt" link below to download a free excerpt.

Genres: Fiction

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2013

About the author

Eric James-Olson writes novels and short stories. His first five books, But the Angels Never Came, Farmers and Cannibals, Just After the Fall, The Church Peak Hotel: Revisited, and Whom Cain Slew (November 2016) exist within the same fictional universe and are written by the same fictional author. Currently, James-Olson is working on a coming-of-age novel set in central Maryland.

In addition to writing, James-Olson is a high school English teacher, an outdoor enthusiast, and an amateur woodworker. He lives with his wife and daughter in West Virginia.

Check out the website: http://ericjamesolson.com/

And don't forget the Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/ericjamesolson

Reviews

[Katrina Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story narrated by ‘The Storyteller’ an enigmatic man as he told the story to a young boy.

Both the storyteller’s life and the setting of his story were set in a futuristic scene approx. 2065. The story followed struggle of the life of Abraham, his wife Sarah and their young boy and only child, Iniko. The world as they knew it had been brought to an end. They were not safe to stay where they were, nor did Abraham believe that they were safe to go to the registration building as demanded, so they went on a trek for survival towards Church Peek, a hotel in the middle of nowhere that they had stayed at in the mountains as a couple when they were younger.

We travel with them on their struggle for survival with minimum supplies and facing dangers around every corner. Living the emotional ride of the fight for survival, making enemies and a friend along the way. When they finally managed to arrive at their secluded destination, they were then faced with a cult like group with their warped and twisted ways and forced to sacrifice one way or another. Either way had a possibility to destroy them and they had nowhere else to go.

Although left with a catastrophic choice either way the book is still ended in a positive perspective.

The story was written well and had you hooked until the end.

[Jola · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a quick read. Although it's technically a prequel, the reader don't need to know what happens in the previous book, But The Angels Never Came tells its own story.
The book tells the story of a man named Abraham and his family as they struggle to survive in a futuristic world. They come across very dangerous people, terrifying places and they must make some difficult choices along the way.
I enjoyed the biblical references, it was fun to compare them with the original stories. The book is also full of action so it was hard to put it down once you started reading. I wish there was more insight to the minds of Sarah and Iniko, there are too little scenes written from their perspective. I would really like to know more of what was happening inside their heads, so that is the only downside to this book in my opinion.
Now I have to read the first book, Farmers and Cannibals!

Thanks to Eric James-Olson for sending me a book in exchange for an honest review!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Eric James-Olson, for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

So a while ago, I read my first book by Mr. James-Olson. It was Just After the Fall (which is the third book in the series). This book offered so much more insight into Abraham and just the world in general and what happened.

Abraham's story was captivating to put it simply. After reading about his group in Just After the Fall, it was quite interesting to learn how he got there and what exactly happened to his family. It was heart-breaking really.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was reading how Abraham and his family dealt with what the world had become in a few short days. People became cannibals and attacked others instead of helping them. It's every person for themselves and seeing Abraham's family stick together through everything was wonderful. I would have liked to have maybe alternating POV's between Abraham and Sarah (or possibly the people they met along the way) but when you reach the end and you realize what exactly happens, I'm glad Mr. James-Olson wrote it just from Abraham's perspective. I won't spoil it for you but I can tell you that while I did see it coming, it made me see everything in a totally different light.

The Final Verdict:
A very good prequel that has great world-building and action. It's quite an addicting book and Abraham's story fascinated me.
4 stars


Quotes:
"The storyteller wanted to run to him. He wanted to stop it, but he could not move. He looked to the sky. 'Save him, my son, save my son.' But the angels never came.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received an electronic copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

"But the Angels Never Came" is a wonderful surprise of a novel that takes place in the distant future, when civilization has all but collapsed. As a nomadic tribe journeys on a pilgrimage to a holy place, the books narrator, known to us only as the Storyteller, slowly unravels the story of Abraham, who, on the day his world crumbles, makes a fateful decision to escape. Amid civil unrest and under the threat of martial law, Abraham, his wife Sarah, and their son Iniko choose to leave their city and seek refuge at an abandoned hotel high atop a mountain. As they cross a withered country, they encounter several others and the limits of what they are willing to do to survive are put to the ultimate test.

Part Biblical allegory, part apocalyptic "road" story, "But the Angels Never Came" paints a pretty stark and realistic world where trust and faith are nearly nonexistent. Through the use of parallel narratives, the author conveys a true sense of history, while slowly and deftly showing the consequences a single can action can have.

Thought-provoking, rich in characters, and containing moments of genuine horror and suspense, "But the Angels Came" is an important book that, through our responses to the events within, reveal as much about us (the reader) as it does the characters.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books I have won from Goodreads, this was the most fun to read. I read the whole book in about a day and a half. This one is really hard to put down.

This book is actually a prequel to "Farmers and Cannibals", which I really want to read now. It is set in a dystopian universe similar to Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" in which a tribe of people are making a pilgrimage to a Holy place while occasionally being attacked by cannibals.

The story within the story is being told by an old man in the group to a young boy. He is telling the young man about folk hero character named Abraham, and the history of their pilgrimage. The novel is full of religious and mythological references, but I won't get into those in order to avoid spoilers.

In conclusion, buy this book. Eric James-Olson is onto something with this series.

[Kshitij · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d like to start by appreciating the book cover. I don’t generally rate the cover but I found it really interesting and abstract and so did the tale of Sarah and Abraham, the couple who fights their way out through the cannibalistic post apocalyptic era.
The author has vividly described the struggle of the couple as they tried to survive the thorny conditions, worried about food and the shelter. The parts of the loony kings were really interesting.
Overall, I found the writing very imaginative and the one that holds the interest of the readers till the very end.

PS: You’d like to do some research on the fable of Abraham & Sarah from Bible. That’d add some extra zest to the reading. Highly recommended.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how there were two stories going that ended up coming together in the end. I really enjoyed this book I found it hard to put down at times. I was hoping for a different ending. I was a little confused as to why Abraham was treated as someone special when it seems as though he had acted the way most would have in his situation of survival and protecting your family. I was kind of hoping when he had the knife above his head ready to come down that he would have swung around and used it on the crazy leader and than he would have become the leader and all lived happily ever after but I guess not every story can have a happy ending.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate giving books less than three stars. I have read another book by this same author and loved it. I just could not make a connection with this story. Its perfectly readable. I did not; not want to finish it and see it through to the end. There were some aspects that confused me. I could not connect to the characters, I really didn't like or dislike any of them. For me it simply fell flat. I do like the world the story takes place in, as I said I read another book by this author and loved it. I plan on reading his third book. Don't let my opinion dissuade you from this story. Sometimes we just don't connect.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one if those books, people are either going to love it or hate it. I am not usually picky but this book could do with a good proof reading.

I found this to be a really quick and easy read. While I guessed the big unveil well before the end of the book I still found it a compelling read for the most part.

The story being told as a story to a third person was a great idea. I actually felt at times like I was sitting with the old man and boy listening as well.

Thanks to the author for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book! Worth the time and the money... it is a great read!

[Jessica Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not well versed on the bible. I know loosely the tale of Abraham and Sarah, their family. I know some of the adultery. I even remember vaguely the seeds of the son and growing of a nation. The disowning of one son. But as I said I am not well versed.

I give this book three stars because I couldn't connect it to the biblical counterpart. Had I the background to analyze these concepts in comparison to the author's method of storytelling- it may have resonated deeper.

I wanted to read something out of my genre and keep an open mind. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone for books and this one helped with that. I liked this book. I enjoyed reading it. I would not mind reading more by this author. There were some grammatical errors I would assume came from self editing. Some inconsistencies in plot or character descriptions as well as some redundancies in word usage and turns of phrase.

With that being said. I enjoyed this novel. There was a very...prophetic feel to the way the story was told. The beginning had me captured because it built a foundation on intuition and trust with a character who saw the the signs and accepted them. The way the story was being told felt natural and it was well paced. It still held the post apocalyptic quality that I've come to enjoy as well.

Reading about the beginning of the journey; I felt a slow build up of the environment. I got a peek into what happened to Babel. When the Storyteller began with all the information too much and too fast-- I had hoped instantly that the book wouldn't be this way-- and I was comforted when the story was slowed down.

The techniques I enjoyed was the logic and rationale the Storyteller used to determine the true nature of those he met. I loved that I got the warm feeling of sitting at an older person's feet and listening to the old days being rehashed for the first time. But I was also taken with the way the author described these visions; these constant signs of what he needed to do.

But I also knew throughout the book who the Storyteller was.

The cannibalism was something that was there but not in my face or gratuitously gross; I think it was done tastefully-- and I can also see it being investigated in depth with the other novels in this series. I enjoyed the themes, pacing, style and ending of this entire novel. It pulled me in enough to keep me reading; and I found myself attached to the characters.

The correlations to the bible were obvious. I knew why the author used some names; places; events. I understood what it would lead up to and I was not surprised by the great reveal. But I was satisfied when it was over, that I had not wasted my time.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I feel good about my choice for opening my reach to different topics and views. And I am excited to see more work from this author.

[Melody Curtiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the newest member of the Eric Jamie-Olson fanclub. I couldn't stop reading But the Angels Never Came once I began, although I did nap between 11PM and 1 AM the night I read it. I finished at 1:45 AM.

The story is written in two time periods, the present-now and the present-then, as a tribal storyteller relates a cultural origination tale to a child and they journey along the same mountain path taken by the people in the tale. The moral ambiguities, threatening situations and decisions of the father, mother and child in the underlying tale paint an honest picture, and one that is classic - which is probably why this novel will resonate with fans of futuristic Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian fiction, as well as those who will never read another book in that genre.

Spoiler Alert: For some the title will be a bit of a spoiler, the more biblical parrallels that were drawn, the more I became certain of the outcome. That may be the source of my ever-so-slight discontent with the level of dread at the conclusion. I wanted to be even more tied up in knots. Despite the foreshadowing of this as a pivotal moment for a culture, I didn't think the protagonist's choice was quite agonizing enough. It was, however, a great Humanistic twist on biblical mythology.

Religious references aside, it's a great story on its own merit. I will recommend it to the book club that meets at my local temple. I can already imagine the great debate it will spark.

As I mentioned, the only disappointment was a sense that there could have been a bit more to set up the anxiety of the final climb up the mountain both for the storyteller and in the story he was telling. It concluded too quickly for me. I wanted to slow it down and drench myself in his suffering. In a way this is a tribute to the author. Because the voice of the protagonist was so clear in my head, I was certain he was more anguished and conflicted in the moments leading up to the climax than was apparent by his actions. I wanted time to slow, particularly in retrospect. Again, it's a tribute to the author that he is able to leave so much in the mind of the reader and yet draw the scene so vividly.

Although it is part of a series, I don't feel compelled to read the sequel, Farmers and Cannibals, but I may because the author's style is easy and compelling, the characters complex, and even where it makes the storyline predictable, I enjoy the Humanistic poking at the mythology and dogma, and anticipate more of the same. As I said, the story in this book stands on its own.

[Dean C. Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a huge reader of apocalyptic ci-fi, but every once in a while something comes along that catches my fancy. This was one of those books. For one thing, how the near-future comes about had a scary sense of realism to it, as if it were a straightforward, logical extrapolation from news making the headlines today. That, of course, makes the tale just that much more disturbing, as if this could well be something many of us will be living through down the road. It’s a very dark future that I don’t want any part of, so in that vein, these kinds of books serve as a great wake up call to snap us out of our lethargy and make what small efforts we can today to see that this destiny is not carved in stone.

Despite the clear biblical references, this is in no way requires a fan of Christian-based fiction to enjoy the story; its audience is much broader. There is a Book of Eli feel to the novel, for those of you who saw the film, but this is far deeper, and more profound to my thinking. And you don’t have to wait until the end for the profound and prophetic material to click into place; it’s there from page one. As sci-fi based on religious parables go—not that I read a lot of those either—this has become my new favorite.

The writing style is smooth, polished, and flowing, making this a fairly effortless read at any speed. The pacing with the plotting is quite good, just enough to balance character development with action, and leave the right amount of room for the infusion of the philosophical ideas. While this is arguably thinking man’s sci-fi, it’s not so heady as to be off-putting to folks just looking for a fun story.

While we have a lot of staple scenes that are de rigueur for this genre, I like the extra layer of polish the addition of the double timeline gives us, with the old storyteller conveying to the young lad the apocalyptic happenings early on that leads to an even greater and protracted downward spiral.

Pound for pound, I enjoyed this foray into a dark future world much better than the one that won the Pulitzer Prize for covering much the same subject matter, The Road. Maybe there’s no allowing for taste. Or is there?

[Jeannie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can almost hear the child saying, "Tell it again. I have heard it once before, but never from you."
I liked the author's version of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was an ordinary man with a wife and a child. Who doesn't make mistakes? But it seems Abraham makes more than his share. However, he tries to do the best he can, and in my humble opinion, that is the most important thing.
Do any of us know what the future holds, especially in the year 2066?
What would you do if Allied forces occupied the cities and countryside?
You'll have to read the novel for the answers.
I love how the author tells the story as an old man to a young boy, who is also traveling into a catastrophic and possibly doomsday world.

Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)

[R.j. Brousseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

But the Angels Never Came was the first book I read by the author, Eric James-Olson and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. I picked up this book at the recommendation of one of my friends and he was spot on in his recommendation!
He story is set in the future, 2065 to be exact; the government takes a big brother like approach to their society, but the people can only take it for so long. It goes wrong when Abraham’s keen instinct kicks in and he takes immediate action to save his family and defy the brutal dictatorship of the government.
The author does a great job with his character development, especially with Abraham and his wife Sarah. It is great to see the way the progress as they are put into continuous tough survival situations. Also the mixture of narrative with real time action packed scenes is a great way to break up the story and give the reader a different perspective.
You will absolutely enjoy this action packed, borderline post-apocalyptic thrill ride. It had me hooked from Chapter 1. What is man capable of when pushed to the brink of annihilation? Let But the Angels Never Came show you! I give this book an easy 5 stars and I can’t wait to read the authors first book, Farmers and Cannibals.

[J.S. Luxor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Eric James-Olson's retelling of the biblical story of Abraham. I was raised as a Christian and understand most of these references but they're a bit rusty. It was good to recall them through this novel. The author shows his clever side by pulling together a future world, set in 2066, with the present. There's the eternal struggle between good and evil. The world is about to collapse into chaos. Abraham must guide and protect his wife and son through it. In order to do so, he sometimes resorts to utterly taboo sorts of rituals. Reading about that was difficult for me. The main character makes some mistakes along the way which helps us relate to his humanity. I must say that I enjoyed the way J-O framed the story within a story by creating a dialogue between an older and younger man who are both on a journey. The story moves along at a fast clip. What a great technique. This author shows his skills with symbolism, humor and the retelling of a story that most of us know and appreciate deep within our psyche or perhaps I should say our Collective Unconscious. Great read!

[Nicole Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating read, Highly recommended

An exciting read about a dystopian society. I really enjoyed the character of Abraham from the religious standpoint and from an historical one. I liked the layers between historical problems and current issues. Despite our technological advancements, events come full circle due to the actions of the powerful individuals. This book really made me question a lot of current issues such as our dependence on technology and how it can enable limited accountability. As well as the use of labels that make us see other people as enemies instead of people trying to take care of their families just as we are. It was such an emotional read watching how the events changed the people until they were almost unrecognizable. Once I started reading I was hooked until the very end. Very well written, excellent story. I look forward to reading more from Olsen.

[Rachel Tetley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent and thought provoking!

With the huge surge in popularity of the dystopian novel, the market is seeing more and more authors attempting to produce a story within this genre. In my view, the unfortunate down side of this is the variation in quality both in the writing and the story itself. But the Angels Never Came is a phenomenal achievement which really takes this genre to the next level and delivers not only a storyline with depth and a satisfying complexity but that is bold as well.

The characters are so well drawn and intriguing, the settings are described beautifully and the plot draws you in to a complex net of thought provoking ideas and actions, it is impossible not to love this book.

This book is for anyone who loves dystopian novels, but wanting more than the usual offerings.

[Ramona Matta · Rating 5 out of 5]

But the Angels Never Came, is a memorable journey of life's countless obstacles through birth,death, and the struggle of survival yet most definitely "the choice" in which Abraham was forced to make over and over again. The fear of loosing his family turned his life into an escaped fugitive, but rather than running from the law, he was desperately running away from all evil,in hopes to save his life and those who he loved dearly, until the day he was force to commit an unfair sacrifice, for him to choose between life and death, and a price he would soon pay.

[Anthony Toro · Rating 4 out of 5]

But The Angels Never Came tells the story of a man, Abraham and his family as they struggle to survive in a futuristic world living the emotional ride of the fight for survival, making enemies and a friend along the way.
They come across very dangerous people, terrifying places and they must make some difficult choices.
The correlations to the bible were obvious and i enjoyed all the biblical references. I liked this book.

[Cindelu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads.

It was amazing.
I loved it and didn't want to put it down. I have ordered two more of the series off Amazon because I couldn't wait to see if I won them!
I like the clean style of writing, the tale told by the old man and the tale itself. I like the main character and everyone else he has been involved with.
It has biblical and apocalyptic overtones and yet feels very real. I liken it a bit to the story, "The Road".

[Midu Hadi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free, in exchange of an honest review, from Making Connections. Get your copy here.

Too similar to the other PA books out there. What I couldn't make sense of was why cannibalism? The whole part with the insane kings was unbearable and the foreshadowing wasn't subtle at all.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

But the Angels Never Came is the second book of the Farmers and Cannibals series and although based further in the future than any of the other books it is based on Abraham telling the story of his past.

As with the other books in the series But the Angels never came can be read as a stand alone book, however the story fills in a lot of back story to Farmers and Cannibals and should be read after the first book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric gave me this book to review after I read Just After the Fall.
I really enjoyed But the Angels Never Came. I was enthralled with the storyteller's tale of how their lives began.
The novel is well written and I read it in one sitting- I didn't want it to end!
I am currently reading Eric's novel Farmers and Cannibals.
I can't wait to read the rest of the saga!
Eric is a terrific writer with a great imagination and a knack for bringing his characters to life.

[Joi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this book. I was kind of nervous when I was sent this book for review, but I cast my doubts aside and read it. This book was filled with action and I enjoyed every minute of it. The biblical references made me want to keep reading and I liked the take on it.

I loved the character development in this book. I liked how it kept my attention and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.I have read other books by this author and was excited to read this one.As with his other works the author includes religious overtones throughout the story.The story captivated me from the first few chapters.The main characters are a family trying to escape and survive an invasion by foreign powers.Their struggle to survive the journey makes you contemplate what choices you would make to survive.I loved this book.

[Steven Sheeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received a copy of this book for review***

Very interesting twist to the story of Abraham and Sarah. Well written it almost sounded like I was reading bible scripture at times, but not in a bad way. It had the feel of a oral story passed down and I throughly enjoyed the book.

[Becky Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivid imagery, haunting story. I loved that the hero is portrayed as a very flawed man. This was a quick read and left me eager to read the next title in this series. I'm hoping the future books delve even deeper into the backstory of the initial events.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. Reminded me of The Road.

[Steven Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book over the weekend and loved it! It's a prequel but it didn't matter one bit.

I'll definitely be checking out Farmers and Cannibals. And anything else this author has in the future!