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Blood and Feathers #1
Blood and Feathers
"What's the first thing you think of when I say 'angel'?" asked Mallory. Alice shrugged. "I don't know... guns?"
Alice isn't having the best of days. She was late for work, she missed her bus, and now she's getting rained on. What she doesn't know is that her day's about to get worse: the epic, grand-scale kind of worse that comes from the arrival of two angels who claim everything about her life is a lie.
The war between the angels and the Fallen is escalating; the age-old balance is tipping, and innocent civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire. If the balance is to be restored, the angels must act - or risk the Fallen taking control. Forever.
That’s where Alice comes in. Hunted by the Fallen and guided by Mallory - a disgraced angel with a drinking problem and a whole load of secrets - Alice will learn the truth about her own history… and why the angels want to send her to hell.
What do the Fallen want from her? How does Mallory know so much about her past? What is it the angels are hiding - and can she trust either side?
Caught between the power plays of the angels and Lucifer himself, it isn't just hell's demons that Alice will have to defeat...
Alice isn't having the best of days. She was late for work, she missed her bus, and now she's getting rained on. What she doesn't know is that her day's about to get worse: the epic, grand-scale kind of worse that comes from the arrival of two angels who claim everything about her life is a lie.
The war between the angels and the Fallen is escalating; the age-old balance is tipping, and innocent civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire. If the balance is to be restored, the angels must act - or risk the Fallen taking control. Forever.
That’s where Alice comes in. Hunted by the Fallen and guided by Mallory - a disgraced angel with a drinking problem and a whole load of secrets - Alice will learn the truth about her own history… and why the angels want to send her to hell.
What do the Fallen want from her? How does Mallory know so much about her past? What is it the angels are hiding - and can she trust either side?
Caught between the power plays of the angels and Lucifer himself, it isn't just hell's demons that Alice will have to defeat...
374 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2012
28 people are currently reading
1642 people want to read
About the author
Lou Morgan
45 books94 followersLou Morgan is an award-nominated adult and YA author. Her first novel, Blood and Feathers – an adult urban fantasy – was published by Solaris Books in 2012 and the follow-up, Blood and Feathers: Rebellion, was released in the summer of 2013.
Her first YA novel, Sleepless, is published by Stripes / Little Tiger Press as part of their Red Eye horror series.
She has appeared at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and has been nominated for three British Fantasy Awards (Best Newcomer and twice for Best Fantasy Novel).
Her short stories have appeared in anthologies from Solaris Books, PS Publishing and Jurassic, amongst others. She has also written genre novel-related features for magazines including Future Publishing’s SFX and is a long- and shortlist reader for the Bath Novel Award.
Born in Wales and a graduate of University College London, she now lives in Bath with her family.
She is represented by Juliet Mushens at The Agency Group / UTA.
Her first YA novel, Sleepless, is published by Stripes / Little Tiger Press as part of their Red Eye horror series.
She has appeared at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and has been nominated for three British Fantasy Awards (Best Newcomer and twice for Best Fantasy Novel).
Her short stories have appeared in anthologies from Solaris Books, PS Publishing and Jurassic, amongst others. She has also written genre novel-related features for magazines including Future Publishing’s SFX and is a long- and shortlist reader for the Bath Novel Award.
Born in Wales and a graduate of University College London, she now lives in Bath with her family.
She is represented by Juliet Mushens at The Agency Group / UTA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
February 24, 2013
"I can't be an angel. I'm a librarian. That's absurd."
"You? One of heaven's brutes. Unthinking drones, that's all you ever were, and all you'll ever be. A coward who didn't even have the courage to stand with us and Fall. Now look at you! Neutered. A little puppy dog waiting for its master to throw it a scrap."
I came across this one quite by accident poking around looking for something else. Anything with blood and feathers in the title is going to get my attention. Not because I have anything against birds, mind you; this has much more to do with my on-going fascination with bad-ass angels and when they get to warring with each other in a most epic way and humans are caught in the crossfire.
I could blame all the Catholic catechisms I was forced to endure as a restless child who would have much rather been reading Stephen King, but no. Quite simply, if you extract all of the awesome potential of these creatures away from the sticky, rigid confines of religious canon, what you end up with is a tremendous mythology to fuel a thousand stories and then some. Vampires? Werewolves? Fairies? Shapeshifters? Piss on that. Give me glorious, prideful, warring Angels and their Fallen Brethren any day of the week (and twice on Wednesdays when the CW's Supernatural airs).
This isn't one of the best angel/demon books I've read, but I did enjoy parts of it very much. Lou Morgan has set up her "world" and the rules that govern it quite nicely. I liked her application of angel lore. Figuring out the differences between Earthbounds, Fallen, and Descendeds kept me interested for the first half, and her vision of Hell and its frigid, demented landscape kept me turning the pages for the second half.
Where this one is lacking for me is with character and dialogue. If you're going to introduce Archangels and Lucifer, you better give them some awesome things to say. They shouldn't speak (or act) like anybody else. Just about everything that pours out of their mouths should raise the hairs on the back of your neck. There was a little touch of that, but not nearly enough for my liking. For comic relief, Vin is adorable, but I've seen his character done many times before, and done better. Alice and Mallory should have more chemistry. In fact, for all the main characters I kept expecting to feel more. Even when Alice descends into Hell itself I didn't feel worried or afraid ... just curious, as in ... this should be interesting.
The series shows promise however, and I'll probably seek out the next book. Blood and Feathers is very cinematic and plot-driven. I can see it making a decent movie.
Want to read
January 23, 2012Why in heaven's name would "guns" be the first thing you think of when you think of angels?
March 6, 2015
So much heart-pounding action and so much awesomeness!
This book could have easily become another drab angel story that drew me in by its beautiful cover, where the heroes valiantly save the day (at the last minute) and you never really fear for any of the characters. But it wasn’t. Constantly, there was the threat of characters dying and constantly you were reminded that perhaps the angels wouldn’t win…
Even then, with the line between angels and the Fallen, heaven and hell blurred – loyalties are hard to place. Something Alice who has been dumped right in the centre of it has to determine, along with a thousand other things pushed away inside her head. The half-breed thing and consequent powers might just be the first thing on her growing list. She is an amazing character to follow because she’s not only funny but tough like its no-one’s business. Even faced with hell – you heard me – hell and Lucifer she kept going, making her own decisions. That’s real strength.
Lou Morgan wrote her character so beautifully, but it was her world building that stole the show. Phe-no-me-nal! (And that was me trying to emphasise the word, not because I can’t spell…) She has done her research and worked it into her own vision, where there are hierarchies of angels; a lot of whom don’t exactly fit the textbook definition. As well as layers of hell that seriously creep me out! The collision of these two was breath-taking. In particular, these scenes had an interesting cinematic feel to it and I can just imagine a film adaptation working extraordinarily well (someone needs to get on that. Now.)
One thing this book was missing is the romance aspect. For me, Mallory was interesting but not in that way… the connection he had with Alice’s mother made it impossible to see him as a potential love interest. However it turns out, this book didn’t need any kind of romance to keep me interested!
Blood and Feathers is an epic read where heaven and hell collide and not everything has a clear answer.
Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/
This book could have easily become another drab angel story that drew me in by its beautiful cover, where the heroes valiantly save the day (at the last minute) and you never really fear for any of the characters. But it wasn’t. Constantly, there was the threat of characters dying and constantly you were reminded that perhaps the angels wouldn’t win…
Even then, with the line between angels and the Fallen, heaven and hell blurred – loyalties are hard to place. Something Alice who has been dumped right in the centre of it has to determine, along with a thousand other things pushed away inside her head. The half-breed thing and consequent powers might just be the first thing on her growing list. She is an amazing character to follow because she’s not only funny but tough like its no-one’s business. Even faced with hell – you heard me – hell and Lucifer she kept going, making her own decisions. That’s real strength.
Lou Morgan wrote her character so beautifully, but it was her world building that stole the show. Phe-no-me-nal! (And that was me trying to emphasise the word, not because I can’t spell…) She has done her research and worked it into her own vision, where there are hierarchies of angels; a lot of whom don’t exactly fit the textbook definition. As well as layers of hell that seriously creep me out! The collision of these two was breath-taking. In particular, these scenes had an interesting cinematic feel to it and I can just imagine a film adaptation working extraordinarily well (someone needs to get on that. Now.)
One thing this book was missing is the romance aspect. For me, Mallory was interesting but not in that way… the connection he had with Alice’s mother made it impossible to see him as a potential love interest. However it turns out, this book didn’t need any kind of romance to keep me interested!
Blood and Feathers is an epic read where heaven and hell collide and not everything has a clear answer.
Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/
May 1, 2016
Blood and Feathers reminded me very much of Supernatural, from the morality of the angels/demons through the issues of falling to the general reliance on human firepower — Mallory, one of the main characters, uses guns regularly, rather than any kind of angelic power. As in Supernatural, sometimes it seems as though the angels may not be the best allies, and may not want the best for humanity; some of the demons seem redeemable.
Overall, it’s a fast read, and I found it quite enjoyable. If it had dragged, I might’ve questioned things more or wanted more depth in the world-building, but as it was, Alice didn’t really know what was going on and things continued to reveal themselves to her and the reader at a pretty good clip. Mallory is the kind of character obviously calculated to be interesting to the reader: racked with pain, competent, more sympathetic than some of the others, capable of empathising with Alice. I found myself imagining him as the love child of Dean Winchester and Castiel, somehow — there were bits of both character types in him. Alice herself is more of a blank slate, with vague bits of her past slowly being filled in; nothing to object to, but nothing to attach to either.
I don’t know if I’m going to pick up the next book; while this was a fun enough quick read, I’m not terribly invested in it, and some of the plot ‘twists’ were terribly obvious to me. (The entire character of Gwyn, for example. The ‘mystery’ of what happened to Alice’s mother, for another example.) We’ll see; I’d probably get it from the library, but not buy it.
Originally posted here.
Overall, it’s a fast read, and I found it quite enjoyable. If it had dragged, I might’ve questioned things more or wanted more depth in the world-building, but as it was, Alice didn’t really know what was going on and things continued to reveal themselves to her and the reader at a pretty good clip. Mallory is the kind of character obviously calculated to be interesting to the reader: racked with pain, competent, more sympathetic than some of the others, capable of empathising with Alice. I found myself imagining him as the love child of Dean Winchester and Castiel, somehow — there were bits of both character types in him. Alice herself is more of a blank slate, with vague bits of her past slowly being filled in; nothing to object to, but nothing to attach to either.
I don’t know if I’m going to pick up the next book; while this was a fun enough quick read, I’m not terribly invested in it, and some of the plot ‘twists’ were terribly obvious to me. (The entire character of Gwyn, for example. The ‘mystery’ of what happened to Alice’s mother, for another example.) We’ll see; I’d probably get it from the library, but not buy it.
Originally posted here.
November 3, 2012
This book has pretty great prose; it slurps you in and is easy to read. I also thought the main character was nicely spirited and spunky; she's always questioning and talking back to the angels who try to tell her what to do.
Where the book failed, for me, was in how I kept feeling slightly let down by it. I kept thinking that characters were going to turn out to be more awesome than they actually did turn out to be, or I thought situations would be tenser and more explosive than they wound up being.
For example, based on the first few pages, I anticipated the protagonist being immediately sucked into a whirlwind fight for her life. Instead, she spends the first half of the book hiding out and being told what to do. Likewise, when the angels showed up, I thought the author was setting them up to be awe-inspiring and slightly alien creatures. Instead, they mostly behaved like perfectly ordinary guys who happen to have wings.
I just kept getting the nagging feeling that there should have been more there. I saw a lot of promise in this book, but it didn't really deliver.
This is the author's debut novel, and her prose and ideas are already very strong. This book lacks something, but I think she's an author to watch, regardless.
Where the book failed, for me, was in how I kept feeling slightly let down by it. I kept thinking that characters were going to turn out to be more awesome than they actually did turn out to be, or I thought situations would be tenser and more explosive than they wound up being.
For example, based on the first few pages, I anticipated the protagonist being immediately sucked into a whirlwind fight for her life. Instead, she spends the first half of the book hiding out and being told what to do. Likewise, when the angels showed up, I thought the author was setting them up to be awe-inspiring and slightly alien creatures. Instead, they mostly behaved like perfectly ordinary guys who happen to have wings.
I just kept getting the nagging feeling that there should have been more there. I saw a lot of promise in this book, but it didn't really deliver.
This is the author's debut novel, and her prose and ideas are already very strong. This book lacks something, but I think she's an author to watch, regardless.
December 26, 2017
[December 26th, 2017] wasn't what i was expecting tbh
1.5 stars.
Sometimes you pick up a book, thinking the story would be illustrated a particular way when the reality it isn't—this is one of those books. Then again, I was during the phase of grabbing every angel/demon book that sounded interesting in terms of research, and it really cringe-worthy shows sadly.
It's a shame, I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters, being rather flat and cliched as they were, and stereotypical too. However the world building caught my attention and carried me throughout the book, even as I skimmed. My regret though that there wasn't enough worldbuilding to carry the story entirely since it fell back on a lot of allegories and allusions without much explanation. Almost as if handing us sandwich sized pieces of information instead of a proper file of information.
Also did not help that there were abrupt jumping around scenes that would catch me off guard. :x
1.5 stars.
Sometimes you pick up a book, thinking the story would be illustrated a particular way when the reality it isn't—this is one of those books. Then again, I was during the phase of grabbing every angel/demon book that sounded interesting in terms of research, and it really cringe-worthy shows sadly.
It's a shame, I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters, being rather flat and cliched as they were, and stereotypical too. However the world building caught my attention and carried me throughout the book, even as I skimmed. My regret though that there wasn't enough worldbuilding to carry the story entirely since it fell back on a lot of allegories and allusions without much explanation. Almost as if handing us sandwich sized pieces of information instead of a proper file of information.
Also did not help that there were abrupt jumping around scenes that would catch me off guard. :x
July 30, 2012
As we've recently established I'm a sucker for a great cover, it'll come as no surprise that I love the cover for Blood and Feathers. Pye Parr did a stunning job on this one. Lou Morgan's debut novel is my second read this year that featured angels after Chris F. Holm's
Dead Harvest
, only this time we were definitely on the side of the angels. However, by choosing as main viewpoint that of the ostensibly human Alice, Morgan is able to create a little doubt in the mind of the reader on whether the heavenly angels truly are the good guys.
One of the best things about the book for me was Morgan's intricate angelic hierarchy which ran from heaven to hell and back. From the Archangels down to the Fallen, who are of course led by Lucifer, we meet several sorts of angels. There are the Fallen, who dwell in hell; the Twelve, who are Lucifer's main generals; the Earthbounds, angels who had their wings clipped because of some trespass and need to serve out their time on earth as if they are in some sort of angelic purgatory and during their time there mentor the halfbloods; The Descended, angels who oversee the Earthbound and interact with mortals; the Travellers, angels who travel to earth to live among mortals as humans to report back to heaven about what it is like to be human. And these are not even all the sorts of angels we meet, in fact, it feels like there are even more we haven't met yet, ones that Morgan could just pull out in the next book. The angels are divided into Choirs, tribes led by the five Archangels, based on their powers. In the back of the book there are even reproductions of the sigils that mark each angel or halfblood as belong to a certain Choir, based on the Enochian script developed by Dr. Dee. Morgan has clearly done a lot of research and there is a sense we only see a fragment of the mythos she's created for her world.
This world is our modern world, though it's never quite clear where exactly the story takes place, not even whether it's the US or the UK. In a sense, the world above ground is very much only a backdrop to the story, a surface for Alice and company to walk on, to rest their heads when needed and to interact with each other. Morgan's true world building is set in hell, in the different levels we travel through and in the shape angelic, and Fallen, powers manifest. Like her creation of her angelic hierarchy, hell seems a place where a lot of detail is still hidden in shadow waiting for Morgan to reveal it at a later date. Similarly, we don't visit heaven, but if it were possible to enter a book and explore its universe on your own, we could just walk in there and find it fully formed.
In addition to some fabulous mythos-creation and world building – or should that be hell building – Morgan gifts us with some memorable heroes. Alice, the main character, is strong and despite all that happens to her certainly isn't a victim. She doesn't take her fate lying down and keeps questioning everything the angels and the Fallen tell her. I loved her spunk and her snark. She also had great chemistry with Mallory and Vin, two of the most important secondary characters. I loved their banter, they reminded me of some of my favourite snarky characters, such as Buffy and her scooby gang, Castle and Beckett and Fiddler and Hedge. And refreshingly, there was no hint of a romance, let me repeat that, no romance anywhere in the narrative. Not that I'm opposed to romance in my reading, but in urban fantasy a strong romance thread is almost cliché. There is also a lot still to discover about our protagonists, such as Mallory's history, Vin's history, and what exactly did Alice do in her past that makes her so leery of alcohol. So there is plenty of ground still to cover character-building wise in further books.
Of course, a story can't stand on background building and characters alone; they have to do something as well. Luckily, Blood and Feathers has a great plot, which kept me hostage until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, otherwise I would have finished it in a day. There were great twisty-turny happenings, though there were one or two twists I'd seen coming. From the moment Alice steps inside out of the rain until the final line of the coda, the story flies past, it never loses pace, without going so fast that it leaves the reader breathless and confused. Blood and Feathers is a great debut novel, in which Morgan displays a distinctive voice and a great sense of humour. If you're looking for a fun, smartly written read, you can't go wrong with Blood and Feathers. The book will be out from Solaris later this week.
This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.
One of the best things about the book for me was Morgan's intricate angelic hierarchy which ran from heaven to hell and back. From the Archangels down to the Fallen, who are of course led by Lucifer, we meet several sorts of angels. There are the Fallen, who dwell in hell; the Twelve, who are Lucifer's main generals; the Earthbounds, angels who had their wings clipped because of some trespass and need to serve out their time on earth as if they are in some sort of angelic purgatory and during their time there mentor the halfbloods; The Descended, angels who oversee the Earthbound and interact with mortals; the Travellers, angels who travel to earth to live among mortals as humans to report back to heaven about what it is like to be human. And these are not even all the sorts of angels we meet, in fact, it feels like there are even more we haven't met yet, ones that Morgan could just pull out in the next book. The angels are divided into Choirs, tribes led by the five Archangels, based on their powers. In the back of the book there are even reproductions of the sigils that mark each angel or halfblood as belong to a certain Choir, based on the Enochian script developed by Dr. Dee. Morgan has clearly done a lot of research and there is a sense we only see a fragment of the mythos she's created for her world.
This world is our modern world, though it's never quite clear where exactly the story takes place, not even whether it's the US or the UK. In a sense, the world above ground is very much only a backdrop to the story, a surface for Alice and company to walk on, to rest their heads when needed and to interact with each other. Morgan's true world building is set in hell, in the different levels we travel through and in the shape angelic, and Fallen, powers manifest. Like her creation of her angelic hierarchy, hell seems a place where a lot of detail is still hidden in shadow waiting for Morgan to reveal it at a later date. Similarly, we don't visit heaven, but if it were possible to enter a book and explore its universe on your own, we could just walk in there and find it fully formed.
In addition to some fabulous mythos-creation and world building – or should that be hell building – Morgan gifts us with some memorable heroes. Alice, the main character, is strong and despite all that happens to her certainly isn't a victim. She doesn't take her fate lying down and keeps questioning everything the angels and the Fallen tell her. I loved her spunk and her snark. She also had great chemistry with Mallory and Vin, two of the most important secondary characters. I loved their banter, they reminded me of some of my favourite snarky characters, such as Buffy and her scooby gang, Castle and Beckett and Fiddler and Hedge. And refreshingly, there was no hint of a romance, let me repeat that, no romance anywhere in the narrative. Not that I'm opposed to romance in my reading, but in urban fantasy a strong romance thread is almost cliché. There is also a lot still to discover about our protagonists, such as Mallory's history, Vin's history, and what exactly did Alice do in her past that makes her so leery of alcohol. So there is plenty of ground still to cover character-building wise in further books.
Of course, a story can't stand on background building and characters alone; they have to do something as well. Luckily, Blood and Feathers has a great plot, which kept me hostage until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, otherwise I would have finished it in a day. There were great twisty-turny happenings, though there were one or two twists I'd seen coming. From the moment Alice steps inside out of the rain until the final line of the coda, the story flies past, it never loses pace, without going so fast that it leaves the reader breathless and confused. Blood and Feathers is a great debut novel, in which Morgan displays a distinctive voice and a great sense of humour. If you're looking for a fun, smartly written read, you can't go wrong with Blood and Feathers. The book will be out from Solaris later this week.
This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.
September 30, 2012
Originally posted @ Book Whales
I want to read this book because of the cover and blurb. It was creepy in good way and I love angels. I have this gut feeling that the book would be kick-ass, which it is. Blood and Feathers did not disappoint me. It was action packed and infused with shocking revelations that will blow your mind.
The story started in a gruesome way. Yep, Alice was with her father when 2 angels came to visit. Her father was killed right then and there by an invisible force (Neck was snapped). Then the 2 angels claimed that they’re there to protect her. There’s a war coming. The fallen wants her, and the angels need her. –Confusing much?- What do they want from her? Who can she trust? What do they know about her past? The angels want to send her to hell? You have to read this book to find out.
The world building is phenomenal. I love how the author described everything pretty well. It was creepy, haunting and terrifying. My favorite part is the descent to hell. Yes, you heard me. Not everyone enjoys going down to visit hell, but I did. Lou’s vision of hell is superb! It was very detailed and downright scary. As a curious reader, you would really feel like you were with Alice. I also enjoyed the war scenes. It was very cinematic and action packed. Blood and Feathers is a page turner, there were loads of unanswered questions, leaving you thirsty for answers. Lou did a great job in keeping the readers behind the dark.
The characters are well developed. I connected to them easily and they are the kind of characters that you won’t really forget. Alice is the main character here. She doesn’t know anything about her mother and there is something about her that makes her so special. I love Alice as a character. She’s smart and brave. I always like a strong lead character and her vulnerability made me like her more. As for the angels, Mallory is my favorite character. There is something about him that draws me in. He’s alluring and mysterious. It’s not always that you see a disgraced angel, drunk and drool worthy at the same time. His dedication to protect Alice awes me. Gwyn is an interesting character. His boastfulness and close-mindedness gave spice to the story. There are many interesting characters from this book. Big characters like Michael, Raphael and Lucifer himself. You have to buy this book now!!
As for the love angle, there was none. I ‘am the type of reader who needs romance in any type of book. But I hardly notice it because the story kept me preoccupied. I really hope book two will change that.
Overall, this book is an excellent read. I recommend this to supernatural and action lovers. One of my favorite reads this year. I’ am now a HUGE fan of Lou Morgan! Rebellion will be out this 2013 and I can’t wait to read it.
I give this 5 Angelic Whales.
I want to read this book because of the cover and blurb. It was creepy in good way and I love angels. I have this gut feeling that the book would be kick-ass, which it is. Blood and Feathers did not disappoint me. It was action packed and infused with shocking revelations that will blow your mind.
The story started in a gruesome way. Yep, Alice was with her father when 2 angels came to visit. Her father was killed right then and there by an invisible force (Neck was snapped). Then the 2 angels claimed that they’re there to protect her. There’s a war coming. The fallen wants her, and the angels need her. –Confusing much?- What do they want from her? Who can she trust? What do they know about her past? The angels want to send her to hell? You have to read this book to find out.
The world building is phenomenal. I love how the author described everything pretty well. It was creepy, haunting and terrifying. My favorite part is the descent to hell. Yes, you heard me. Not everyone enjoys going down to visit hell, but I did. Lou’s vision of hell is superb! It was very detailed and downright scary. As a curious reader, you would really feel like you were with Alice. I also enjoyed the war scenes. It was very cinematic and action packed. Blood and Feathers is a page turner, there were loads of unanswered questions, leaving you thirsty for answers. Lou did a great job in keeping the readers behind the dark.
The characters are well developed. I connected to them easily and they are the kind of characters that you won’t really forget. Alice is the main character here. She doesn’t know anything about her mother and there is something about her that makes her so special. I love Alice as a character. She’s smart and brave. I always like a strong lead character and her vulnerability made me like her more. As for the angels, Mallory is my favorite character. There is something about him that draws me in. He’s alluring and mysterious. It’s not always that you see a disgraced angel, drunk and drool worthy at the same time. His dedication to protect Alice awes me. Gwyn is an interesting character. His boastfulness and close-mindedness gave spice to the story. There are many interesting characters from this book. Big characters like Michael, Raphael and Lucifer himself. You have to buy this book now!!
As for the love angle, there was none. I ‘am the type of reader who needs romance in any type of book. But I hardly notice it because the story kept me preoccupied. I really hope book two will change that.
Overall, this book is an excellent read. I recommend this to supernatural and action lovers. One of my favorite reads this year. I’ am now a HUGE fan of Lou Morgan! Rebellion will be out this 2013 and I can’t wait to read it.
I give this 5 Angelic Whales.
April 28, 2013
Ooo-eeee, I loved this. Came across it randomly and expected it to either be crap or just about readable. Thank you Lou Morgan for proving me wrong. Alice gets drawn into the everlasting battle between the angels of Heaven and Hell, learning more about her background along the way. There are some wonderful characters in this novel and interesting descriptions of Hell. I was so glad when I got to the end and found it's the first book in the series as I didn't want it to end. I can't recommend this book enough to anybody who enjoys this genre.
zzz-books-not-for-me
February 20, 2016Read in February 11-20 , 2016. DNF:40%
True, there were elements and ideas that I found super interesting, the side-characters were fun, but the protagonist was rather bland and boring, the pacing was fast, action-packed, but there was so much happening without progressing the story or developing the characters that you feel like you're going in circles. Not to mention that there were new characters being introduced constantly (especially Fallen) without ANY description of what they look like whatsoever.
Conclusion: It's a good book, but as I kept reading I just lost interest.
True, there were elements and ideas that I found super interesting, the side-characters were fun, but the protagonist was rather bland and boring, the pacing was fast, action-packed, but there was so much happening without progressing the story or developing the characters that you feel like you're going in circles. Not to mention that there were new characters being introduced constantly (especially Fallen) without ANY description of what they look like whatsoever.
Conclusion: It's a good book, but as I kept reading I just lost interest.
August 7, 2015
This is perhaps the best angel/demon/heaven/hell book I've read to date; I don't understand why it isn't more popular. Looking forward to the second one.
August 5, 2012
Alice isn’t having the best of days – late for work, missed the bus, and now she’s getting rained on – but it’s about to get worse.
The war between the angels and the Fallen is escalating and innocent civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire. If the balance is to be restored, the angels must act – or risk the Fallen taking control. Forever. That’s where Alice comes in. Hunted by the Fallen and guided by Mallory – a disgraced angel with a drinking problem he doesn’t want to fix – Alice will learn the truth about her own history… and why the angels want to send her to hell.
What do the Fallen want from her? How does Mallory know so much about her past? What is it the angels are hiding – and can she trust either side?
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise when I reveal that I have been looking forward to Blood and Feathers for quite a while; pretty much since I heard about it, to be honest (eagle eyed readers of the site will have spotted it being mentioned on the preview of 2012 post way back in January). There is something terribly enticing about the idea of the ultimate battle between good versus evil. Now, I’ll freely admit that I’m a confirmed atheist, but I still can’t help but be intrigued by the concepts of heaven and hell and their eternal struggle against one another.
Like a modern day Dante, Alice travels into the underworld (or through the looking glass?), to discover the truth of her own origins. Why is she so important to both sides in this conflict? Alice’s journey of self-discovery acts as the perfect introduction to Morgan’s universe. The reader gets to tag along and learn the rules of engagement at the same time as Alice does. There are various types of angel, and each caste has their own rules and abilities.
Alice is an engaging lead. Her sardonic attitude is infectious and I found myself enjoying the fact that she doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
What’s the first thing you think of when I say ‘angel’?” asked Mallory. Alice shrugged. “I don’t know…guns?
Morgan’s angels are warriors; they have lived the soldier’s life since time immemorial and they have suffered greatly for their cause. All of them carry war wounds, both physical and mental, as their never-ending war of attrition has left its mark. Principal amongst them is Mallory, I think you’ll like him. How can I say this without spoiling things? Lets just say that he doesn’t fit the typical textbook definition of ‘angelic’. The rest of the heavenly host we meet are just as quirky. I particularly enjoyed when the heavy hitters, the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael finally arrived.
Unsurprisingly for a novel featuring a horde of warrior angels, events inevitably lead towards a huge climatic battle and the action comes thick and fast. The massed forces of heaven and hell squaring off against one another is a genuine highlight. This huge sequence adds an epic, almost cinematic, scope to proceedings.
There are also some nice additional features hidden away after the conclusion of the main story. At the back of the book, not only will you find details of the Blood and Feathers playlist, essential for anyone who enjoys listening to music while reading, but also the designs for the sigils that denote each angelic choir. Since finishing the novel I’ve been thinking about which one would make the best tattoo. I’m currently leaning toward the sigil for Barakiel in case you’re wondering.
I’ve been extremely lucky of late, and had the opportunity to read some first rate debut novels. Blood and Feathers is another great addition to this list. Morgan’s writing has a self-assured quality and I rattled through the entire novel in a couple of sittings. I just didn’t want to stop reading. The promise that I’ve seen evidence of in this author’s short stories is fully delivered in her first full novel. I don’t doubt for a moment that this novel will be a huge success and deservedly so. Do yourself a favour and get in on the ground floor of a series that is going to be huge.
Secrets, lies, a humungous battle, some shocking revelations and just a little dash of treachery. Mix it all together and you have the perfect recipe for an action fantasy that will leave you hungry for more.
Blood and Feathers is published by Solaris Books and is available now in paperback and ebook formats. The sequel Blood and Feathers: Rebellion will be released next year. Highly recommended.
The war between the angels and the Fallen is escalating and innocent civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire. If the balance is to be restored, the angels must act – or risk the Fallen taking control. Forever. That’s where Alice comes in. Hunted by the Fallen and guided by Mallory – a disgraced angel with a drinking problem he doesn’t want to fix – Alice will learn the truth about her own history… and why the angels want to send her to hell.
What do the Fallen want from her? How does Mallory know so much about her past? What is it the angels are hiding – and can she trust either side?
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise when I reveal that I have been looking forward to Blood and Feathers for quite a while; pretty much since I heard about it, to be honest (eagle eyed readers of the site will have spotted it being mentioned on the preview of 2012 post way back in January). There is something terribly enticing about the idea of the ultimate battle between good versus evil. Now, I’ll freely admit that I’m a confirmed atheist, but I still can’t help but be intrigued by the concepts of heaven and hell and their eternal struggle against one another.
Like a modern day Dante, Alice travels into the underworld (or through the looking glass?), to discover the truth of her own origins. Why is she so important to both sides in this conflict? Alice’s journey of self-discovery acts as the perfect introduction to Morgan’s universe. The reader gets to tag along and learn the rules of engagement at the same time as Alice does. There are various types of angel, and each caste has their own rules and abilities.
Alice is an engaging lead. Her sardonic attitude is infectious and I found myself enjoying the fact that she doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
What’s the first thing you think of when I say ‘angel’?” asked Mallory. Alice shrugged. “I don’t know…guns?
Morgan’s angels are warriors; they have lived the soldier’s life since time immemorial and they have suffered greatly for their cause. All of them carry war wounds, both physical and mental, as their never-ending war of attrition has left its mark. Principal amongst them is Mallory, I think you’ll like him. How can I say this without spoiling things? Lets just say that he doesn’t fit the typical textbook definition of ‘angelic’. The rest of the heavenly host we meet are just as quirky. I particularly enjoyed when the heavy hitters, the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael finally arrived.
Unsurprisingly for a novel featuring a horde of warrior angels, events inevitably lead towards a huge climatic battle and the action comes thick and fast. The massed forces of heaven and hell squaring off against one another is a genuine highlight. This huge sequence adds an epic, almost cinematic, scope to proceedings.
There are also some nice additional features hidden away after the conclusion of the main story. At the back of the book, not only will you find details of the Blood and Feathers playlist, essential for anyone who enjoys listening to music while reading, but also the designs for the sigils that denote each angelic choir. Since finishing the novel I’ve been thinking about which one would make the best tattoo. I’m currently leaning toward the sigil for Barakiel in case you’re wondering.
I’ve been extremely lucky of late, and had the opportunity to read some first rate debut novels. Blood and Feathers is another great addition to this list. Morgan’s writing has a self-assured quality and I rattled through the entire novel in a couple of sittings. I just didn’t want to stop reading. The promise that I’ve seen evidence of in this author’s short stories is fully delivered in her first full novel. I don’t doubt for a moment that this novel will be a huge success and deservedly so. Do yourself a favour and get in on the ground floor of a series that is going to be huge.
Secrets, lies, a humungous battle, some shocking revelations and just a little dash of treachery. Mix it all together and you have the perfect recipe for an action fantasy that will leave you hungry for more.
Blood and Feathers is published by Solaris Books and is available now in paperback and ebook formats. The sequel Blood and Feathers: Rebellion will be released next year. Highly recommended.
July 25, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/07/...
When Alice comes home to find two strange men in the house with her father, she doesn’t know what to think. When a pair of hands reach down from the ceiling and snap her father’s neck, all hell breaks loose. Something is coming. Something big. And it wants Alice. Luckily, she’s got Gwyn and Mallory on her side. They insist she’s in danger and can trust them, and when she sees the spread of their wings, a new reality comes crashing down on her. There’s a war brewing in the realm of the angels, and the Morningstar is at the center of it. Turns out Alice is a half-born (half angel, half human), which makes her a hot commodity (in more ways than one) to the Fallen. Gwyn is an Earthbound, which means his wings have been clipped and he’s been exiled to Earth to carry out his sentence. His crimes aren’t detailed at first, but suffice it to say he made a few bad decisions. Mallory is a Descended, which any angel that comes to Earth is called. Gwyn is assigned to watch over Mallory, much to Mallory’s chagrin, and Mallory is in charge of Alice. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Alice will need all the help she can get, and with a team of angels in her corner, what can possibly go wrong?
For years, the Fallen have been opening hellmouths and taking thousands of people, whole families, down into the depths of hell. This overabundance of souls has tipped the balance in hell’s favor, and it’s all about balance. Alice is the key to restoring balance and Mallory, Gwyn, and Co. must train her to use her powers as a half-born in order to stop the hellmouth machine and bring order back. Little does Alice know, there’s more at work here, and revelations about her mother, Lucifer, and the rest of the angels will soon come to light, and it will change the stakes. Alice won’t be going to Wonderland. Instead, she’ll be descending into the freezing depths of hell alone. A clash of fire and ice is coming, and a war will be waged at the bone gates of hell, while Alice struggles to come to terms with her power, and her destiny.
I’ll be the first to admit that so far, with the recent popularity of angel themed books, I haven’t been all that impressed with some of the offerings, but I loved this book. Mallory is a slovenly, hard drinking, gun toting, smart mouthed angel with plenty of attitude, and I loved him. Vin, her angelic bodyguard, follows a close second, and Alice is a strong, brave heroine who’s had to deal with plenty of backlash in her life because of her otherness, and has always blamed herself for her mother’s abandonment. Can you imagine the news that you will have to go to hell and use your newfound powers to restore the balance in order to save humanity? If you’re a fan of Mike Shevdon’s Courts of the Feyre series, you’ll find much to love in this wonderful debut. Lou Morgan has a gift for visuals, and the final battle with the Fallen is something to behold. She expertly weaves fantasy and horror elements into a creepy, exciting, roller coaster ride of a book. Lou Morgan’s angels aren’t warm, fluffy, and halo’d, either. They’re fiercely beautiful warriors, and distinctly “other.” The angel mythos is fascinating and rich, and the author has laid the groundwork for what promises to be an explosive sequel. Luckily, Blood and Feathers: Rebellion is out in 2013, and I’ll be the first in line for it!
When Alice comes home to find two strange men in the house with her father, she doesn’t know what to think. When a pair of hands reach down from the ceiling and snap her father’s neck, all hell breaks loose. Something is coming. Something big. And it wants Alice. Luckily, she’s got Gwyn and Mallory on her side. They insist she’s in danger and can trust them, and when she sees the spread of their wings, a new reality comes crashing down on her. There’s a war brewing in the realm of the angels, and the Morningstar is at the center of it. Turns out Alice is a half-born (half angel, half human), which makes her a hot commodity (in more ways than one) to the Fallen. Gwyn is an Earthbound, which means his wings have been clipped and he’s been exiled to Earth to carry out his sentence. His crimes aren’t detailed at first, but suffice it to say he made a few bad decisions. Mallory is a Descended, which any angel that comes to Earth is called. Gwyn is assigned to watch over Mallory, much to Mallory’s chagrin, and Mallory is in charge of Alice. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Alice will need all the help she can get, and with a team of angels in her corner, what can possibly go wrong?
For years, the Fallen have been opening hellmouths and taking thousands of people, whole families, down into the depths of hell. This overabundance of souls has tipped the balance in hell’s favor, and it’s all about balance. Alice is the key to restoring balance and Mallory, Gwyn, and Co. must train her to use her powers as a half-born in order to stop the hellmouth machine and bring order back. Little does Alice know, there’s more at work here, and revelations about her mother, Lucifer, and the rest of the angels will soon come to light, and it will change the stakes. Alice won’t be going to Wonderland. Instead, she’ll be descending into the freezing depths of hell alone. A clash of fire and ice is coming, and a war will be waged at the bone gates of hell, while Alice struggles to come to terms with her power, and her destiny.
I’ll be the first to admit that so far, with the recent popularity of angel themed books, I haven’t been all that impressed with some of the offerings, but I loved this book. Mallory is a slovenly, hard drinking, gun toting, smart mouthed angel with plenty of attitude, and I loved him. Vin, her angelic bodyguard, follows a close second, and Alice is a strong, brave heroine who’s had to deal with plenty of backlash in her life because of her otherness, and has always blamed herself for her mother’s abandonment. Can you imagine the news that you will have to go to hell and use your newfound powers to restore the balance in order to save humanity? If you’re a fan of Mike Shevdon’s Courts of the Feyre series, you’ll find much to love in this wonderful debut. Lou Morgan has a gift for visuals, and the final battle with the Fallen is something to behold. She expertly weaves fantasy and horror elements into a creepy, exciting, roller coaster ride of a book. Lou Morgan’s angels aren’t warm, fluffy, and halo’d, either. They’re fiercely beautiful warriors, and distinctly “other.” The angel mythos is fascinating and rich, and the author has laid the groundwork for what promises to be an explosive sequel. Luckily, Blood and Feathers: Rebellion is out in 2013, and I’ll be the first in line for it!
May 27, 2020
Re-read 2020: I stand by everything I said below in my original review. To this day, I’ve never read such creative angel story. There’s just something about the world that Morgan has constructed that I can’t get enough of.
“You’re not exactly what I’d imagine an angel would be like, you know.”
“I’d always pictured something, well, fluffier.”
Lou Morgan has recreated Hell. And I, personally, love what she's done with the place. She's taken the stereotypical fire and brimestone and changed it completely into something even more frightening: a world where everything is ice and ever-numbing cold. She's added a waterfall made of ice, a gate made of bone and on top of that, added some kick-ass characters to the mix.
Blood and Feathers is simply put, fantastic. Why? It hits almost all of my top 5: characterization, plot, style and humour.
Morgan just has a way with words. The language and style she weaved into this story made it ridiculously enjoyable, I couldn't put it down for a second. I had to read it one sitting. Her descriptive words pulled me in hook, line and sinker. And so did the plot. Her take on angels was so new and refreshing that I actually wanted to learn more about the Descended, the Earthbound, the Fallen, the Travelers and even the 12. Her divisions within both Heaven and Hell created this backstory that was just so enjoyable to read.
The angels themselves really became the soldiers Morgan set them out to be; they were cold, blood-thirsty and always fighting for their cause, which is something I never thought could be attributed to an angel. Even the Fallen angels seemed to be more demon-like if anything.
And by tipping the term 'angel' on it's head, it made the characters that much more entertaining:
Alice was a kick-ass heroine. A half-blood who refused to follow orders and refused to take no for an answer. Not to mention the cool fire thing. She was a so-called human placed into the middle of a war between angels, and I have to say she handled herself pretty spectacularly.
But Mallory by far was my favourite character. Another character I have to add to my list of fictional guy's I have a huge crush on. He was a crude, messy, Earthbound angel that had a drinking problem and was a bad-ass fighter to boot. What is there not to love? His humour was hilarious and his 'I care but I don't care' attitude was frustrating but I love him to pieces.
And the Archangels were so well-written. Michael was scary and hardcore and kind of amusing. Like he was the Big Bad. With that kind of entrance, it made him an awesome character with awesome powers who knows how to take charge. Gabriel on the other hand was a corrupt idiot fond of having temper tantrums (which I never thought I'd say) and I while I loved seeing him get put into his place I can't wait to see what's in store for him in the sequel. And Raphael was just... fluffy. He made me smile goofily in contrast to the other 2.
And a shout-out has to go to Vhnori, or Vin for short, who was just too frickin funny . Plus he has such an intriguing name.
The only thing I felt was missing in the novel? Romance!!! While the action scenes were great, the absence of romance was felt. I would've loved to see at least a kiss or two, especially between Mallory and Alice because I have totally hopped on that shipping train . I would've been happy with a little Vin and Sari action. But no, nothing. Zip. Nada. Guess I'm just gonna have to wait.
All in all, Blood and Feathers was a great novel from a great new debut author. And you can be sure as Hell freezing over that I'm going to get my hands on the sequel.
And so, in conclusion, I offer you all a little taste of what I have dubbed, 'Mallory humour':
Sigh. What a guy.
“You’re not exactly what I’d imagine an angel would be like, you know.”
“I’d always pictured something, well, fluffier.”
Lou Morgan has recreated Hell. And I, personally, love what she's done with the place. She's taken the stereotypical fire and brimestone and changed it completely into something even more frightening: a world where everything is ice and ever-numbing cold. She's added a waterfall made of ice, a gate made of bone and on top of that, added some kick-ass characters to the mix.
Blood and Feathers is simply put, fantastic. Why? It hits almost all of my top 5: characterization, plot, style and humour.
Morgan just has a way with words. The language and style she weaved into this story made it ridiculously enjoyable, I couldn't put it down for a second. I had to read it one sitting. Her descriptive words pulled me in hook, line and sinker. And so did the plot. Her take on angels was so new and refreshing that I actually wanted to learn more about the Descended, the Earthbound, the Fallen, the Travelers and even the 12. Her divisions within both Heaven and Hell created this backstory that was just so enjoyable to read.
The angels themselves really became the soldiers Morgan set them out to be; they were cold, blood-thirsty and always fighting for their cause, which is something I never thought could be attributed to an angel. Even the Fallen angels seemed to be more demon-like if anything.
And by tipping the term 'angel' on it's head, it made the characters that much more entertaining:
Alice was a kick-ass heroine. A half-blood who refused to follow orders and refused to take no for an answer. Not to mention the cool fire thing. She was a so-called human placed into the middle of a war between angels, and I have to say she handled herself pretty spectacularly.
But Mallory by far was my favourite character. Another character I have to add to my list of fictional guy's I have a huge crush on. He was a crude, messy, Earthbound angel that had a drinking problem and was a bad-ass fighter to boot. What is there not to love? His humour was hilarious and his 'I care but I don't care' attitude was frustrating but I love him to pieces.
And the Archangels were so well-written. Michael was scary and hardcore and kind of amusing. Like he was the Big Bad. With that kind of entrance, it made him an awesome character with awesome powers who knows how to take charge. Gabriel on the other hand was a corrupt idiot fond of having temper tantrums (which I never thought I'd say) and I while I loved seeing him get put into his place I can't wait to see what's in store for him in the sequel. And Raphael was just... fluffy. He made me smile goofily in contrast to the other 2.
And a shout-out has to go to Vhnori, or Vin for short, who was just too frickin funny . Plus he has such an intriguing name.
The only thing I felt was missing in the novel? Romance!!! While the action scenes were great, the absence of romance was felt. I would've loved to see at least a kiss or two, especially between Mallory and Alice because I have totally hopped on that shipping train . I would've been happy with a little Vin and Sari action. But no, nothing. Zip. Nada. Guess I'm just gonna have to wait.
All in all, Blood and Feathers was a great novel from a great new debut author. And you can be sure as Hell freezing over that I'm going to get my hands on the sequel.
And so, in conclusion, I offer you all a little taste of what I have dubbed, 'Mallory humour':
“I told you, Alice. I know you. You think we’d leave you unprotected all these years? There’s always been someone watching over you. Your junior school teacher, Esther Charles? A half-born. Eddie North, your college lecturer? An Earthbound. Your therapist...”
“You’re telling me that Dr Grove is an angel? Seriously?”
“No, I was going to tell you he owed me money."
“And to think, when we first met, you were giving me the whole ‘brothers’ spiel. What happened to that, by the way?”
“Fuck it.” Mallory kicked a stone that lay in his path, and watched it bounce along the rock. “That was clearly my charming naivety speaking. It won’t happen again. In the meantime, I suggest we find a way out.”
Sigh. What a guy.
August 19, 2012
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would Strange, but it was a good strange. The start was pretty rocky and I know a couple of people who gave up on it because of it, I only kept reading cause it was just so strange I had to find out what was going on, and that's basically what kept me going through the first half of the book.
The MC, Alice, was soo wishy washy...It's like she was in shock or something throughout most of the book, she just goes along with everything and barely questions what is going on. I get the Angels were being incredibly evasive with everything AND underhanded, sneaky little bastards really, but mygod, everyone kept saying how important Alice was, but she just takes it anyway! She doesn't use it for her advantage. She only gets somewhat of a backbone by the last 1/3rd of the book, and her being the 'secret weapon' it makes for a very disappointing one.
Alice's lack of kick-assness for the majority of the book aside, the single most frustrating and annoying thing were the Angels. They were sneaky, evasive, underhanded, manipulative and just plain assholes. They were so bad I was rooting for the Fallen, which is saying something seeing as how they torture people for fun. I was so happy when they got what they deserved by the end :D
The turning point for me in the story was when Alice goes down to Hell, now that's when the good stuff starts (which is like halfway through the book). The descriptions of the levels of hell, the punishments, the cold gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'when hell freezes over'. This is when Morgan's unique writing style really shines, and the epic battle that takes place is pretty damn awesome. Everything more or less gets explained at the end, and it was incredibly satisfying when Micheal dishes out the punishment, it totally made up for my wanting to beat up some of them throughout the book *cough*Gywn*cough*Gabriel*cough*. Divine retribution at it's best!
So, for those of you who gave up during the first half, try to soldier on, because the second half totally makes up for it.
The MC, Alice, was soo wishy washy...It's like she was in shock or something throughout most of the book, she just goes along with everything and barely questions what is going on. I get the Angels were being incredibly evasive with everything AND underhanded, sneaky little bastards really, but mygod, everyone kept saying how important Alice was, but she just takes it anyway! She doesn't use it for her advantage. She only gets somewhat of a backbone by the last 1/3rd of the book, and her being the 'secret weapon' it makes for a very disappointing one.
Alice's lack of kick-assness for the majority of the book aside, the single most frustrating and annoying thing were the Angels. They were sneaky, evasive, underhanded, manipulative and just plain assholes. They were so bad I was rooting for the Fallen, which is saying something seeing as how they torture people for fun. I was so happy when they got what they deserved by the end :D
The turning point for me in the story was when Alice goes down to Hell, now that's when the good stuff starts (which is like halfway through the book). The descriptions of the levels of hell, the punishments, the cold gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'when hell freezes over'. This is when Morgan's unique writing style really shines, and the epic battle that takes place is pretty damn awesome. Everything more or less gets explained at the end, and it was incredibly satisfying when Micheal dishes out the punishment, it totally made up for my wanting to beat up some of them throughout the book *cough*Gywn*cough*Gabriel*cough*. Divine retribution at it's best!
So, for those of you who gave up during the first half, try to soldier on, because the second half totally makes up for it.
July 10, 2016
The premise was so promising, but the execution was lacking.
The premise: Alice was raised as an ordinary human, but when she comes home to two angels (a fast-talking, hard-drinking Earthbound, named Mallory, and an uptight Descended, named Gwyn) it is revealed that she is actually half-angel courtesy of her mother, and that she is going to be a powerful force in the fight against the Fallen who have begun to upset the balance between Heaven and Hell.
Great idea right? Sure the battle between the ultimate good with a sprinkling of hellmouths (yes, Buffy fans, you heard right)and some snarky angels, sound like a good time.
What killed this book for me was the choppy pacing, lack of motivation for the heroine (the angels are like "You have to march into Hell," and she says, "Ok," with no real deliberation), lack of detail and back story (it is never stated where Alice lives (probably the UK based on dialogue)and the method of traveling, especially when mystical, is pretty sparse), and the typos (not a lot, but enough to annoy me).
I might still read the next book in the series, because the ideas are there.
The premise: Alice was raised as an ordinary human, but when she comes home to two angels (a fast-talking, hard-drinking Earthbound, named Mallory, and an uptight Descended, named Gwyn) it is revealed that she is actually half-angel courtesy of her mother, and that she is going to be a powerful force in the fight against the Fallen who have begun to upset the balance between Heaven and Hell.
Great idea right? Sure the battle between the ultimate good with a sprinkling of hellmouths (yes, Buffy fans, you heard right)and some snarky angels, sound like a good time.
What killed this book for me was the choppy pacing, lack of motivation for the heroine (the angels are like "You have to march into Hell," and she says, "Ok," with no real deliberation), lack of detail and back story (it is never stated where Alice lives (probably the UK based on dialogue)and the method of traveling, especially when mystical, is pretty sparse), and the typos (not a lot, but enough to annoy me).
I might still read the next book in the series, because the ideas are there.
September 3, 2013
A book about angels - the kind with guns ... and others too. It is a story of how to fit in when you find out you are a half-cast. It is a story of how to fit in when you find you are 'special'. It is a story of how to stay balanced when it is a typically British rainy day and your world falls apart.
I had never heard of Lou Morgan until I heard her speak on a panel at Nine Worlds Geekfest. What she said made me interested in what she had written, so I bought this, her first book. I was not sorry.
The book starts a little like most first books, with occasional slightly awkward sentence structures here and there and an faintly uncertain style. However, it soon gets into the flow and is off and running. A great page turner and a fun, not especially religious, take on an age-old subject - heaven and hell and everyone in between.
I had never heard of Lou Morgan until I heard her speak on a panel at Nine Worlds Geekfest. What she said made me interested in what she had written, so I bought this, her first book. I was not sorry.
The book starts a little like most first books, with occasional slightly awkward sentence structures here and there and an faintly uncertain style. However, it soon gets into the flow and is off and running. A great page turner and a fun, not especially religious, take on an age-old subject - heaven and hell and everyone in between.
November 22, 2015
This was a very interesting book about Angels who are close to falling, and Angels who are there to help guide them to not fall. However, its mostly about a young girl who is actually a half angel that is chosen to go to Hell and tip the balance between Heaven and Hell. The story is intriguing the angels are funny. I like the story and am looking forward to reading the sequal. Very interesting to read a little more about the Archangels. Liked this book. For you romantics out there, sorry to tell you this, but there is no romance in this book. Enjoy!
February 5, 2014
The editor for this book should really find a new job. The first 30% was so hard to get through because it was so confusing, and the last 20% was a giant info-dump. It could have been so much better if the editing had been done properly and the book had been reworked to slowly pepper things in. The premise wasn't bad, and, really, it was the only thing that kept me going through the horrible editing, the awkward dialogue, and the chunky narrative.
August 7, 2012
Action-packed urban fantasy with some of the most charming, flawed (and all too often, psychotic) angels you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting - and a heroine who doesn't need to dress in leather or kick ass in order to be strong and awesome. Highly recommended!
(Disclaimer. Yes, Lou is a friend. No, I don't say nice things about books just because a friend wrote them. I'm mean that way...)
(Disclaimer. Yes, Lou is a friend. No, I don't say nice things about books just because a friend wrote them. I'm mean that way...)
Want to read
September 6, 2012YES, unbelieveable but still true Katy is reading an Angel book again...to you who thought nobody could make her do that well you get it wrong 'cause I JUST DID IT !!! LOL !!!
September 2, 2012
A truly fantastic book, I absolutely loved it. The Hell that has been created by Lou Morgan is truly terrifying and the angels are amazingly fantastically badass!
August 10, 2017
Really enjoyable, compelling writing and cannot wait for the next one!
May 21, 2018
I hate to slam a first novel, and I hate giving up on a book, and I don't normally post reviews of things I didn't like enough to finish. But:
This was a huge disappointment, as the author writes with style and humor. The plot is unbelievable on any level, even the book's own, the character development is partial at best, and the battle between heaven and hell is where I said "Fuck this" eighty pages from the end. Now, if you can't make a battle between demons and angels make sense, you are in serious trouble and should put the thing aside and try something else. The unbelievable stupidity, and the predictable problems resulting therefrom, of the actions, mistakes, and assumptions of immortal beings breaks this completely.
Don't bother, unless you're really a fetishist of this whole "Angels in fantasy" thing.
One extra star for the humor.
This was a huge disappointment, as the author writes with style and humor. The plot is unbelievable on any level, even the book's own, the character development is partial at best, and the battle between heaven and hell is where I said "Fuck this" eighty pages from the end. Now, if you can't make a battle between demons and angels make sense, you are in serious trouble and should put the thing aside and try something else. The unbelievable stupidity, and the predictable problems resulting therefrom, of the actions, mistakes, and assumptions of immortal beings breaks this completely.
Don't bother, unless you're really a fetishist of this whole "Angels in fantasy" thing.
One extra star for the humor.
April 27, 2018
A well told, engaging story.
Alice discovers that her life is not as normal as she thought and that she has some very special gifts, partly because her mother wasn't what she thought she was. She is thrown into a battle she wants no part in with some misfits from heaven she's not sure she can trust. But they aren't the only ones that are interested in her gifts and she might not like why any of them want her on their side.
Keen to get into book 2.
Alice discovers that her life is not as normal as she thought and that she has some very special gifts, partly because her mother wasn't what she thought she was. She is thrown into a battle she wants no part in with some misfits from heaven she's not sure she can trust. But they aren't the only ones that are interested in her gifts and she might not like why any of them want her on their side.
Keen to get into book 2.
February 20, 2025
Do not bother with this.
Going into it, I thought I was going to love it. But, the characters were bland, a number of things did not make sense. It's like cardboard characters that cannot and don't really feel; that the words are just put on to paper to advance the plot, but there is nothing once the plot has been advanced.
I stopped reading the e-book at about 70% after Abbaddona died. Could not take the stupidity any more.
Going into it, I thought I was going to love it. But, the characters were bland, a number of things did not make sense. It's like cardboard characters that cannot and don't really feel; that the words are just put on to paper to advance the plot, but there is nothing once the plot has been advanced.
I stopped reading the e-book at about 70% after Abbaddona died. Could not take the stupidity any more.
June 19, 2019
Wow, wow, wow. This book is so good as are the books that follow. It was just right - the plot was very good, the characters are complex, the writing is clever and clear.... so many good things. I read it some time ago and I'm so glad that I am going to be able to read it again soon. Urban fantasy with some interesting twists.
July 16, 2021
Returning home from work, Alice discoveres two strangers in the living room – angels. A delightfully modern take on the mythos of war between Heaven and Hell featuring a cast of flawed angels, sinister demons and a sympathetic but non-nonsense protagonist in Alice, the young woman caught in the middle of it all – who may turn out to be the key to the whole thing. Engaging and page-turning.
December 23, 2022
LOVE. Just loved it. The characters were well rounded and developed, but not described in a way that painted a blatant picture. Somewhat a confusing opening but that worked for me- the ambiguity made sense as you got further into it. No complaints, it’s one of few novels that I’d read for a second time
March 2, 2025
Apart from a slightly interesting approach to hell, there's little that's unique or compelling. Reader interest is held by characters deliberately withholding information from one another to draw out the story and, in the hope that this proved meaningful, I read on. Turns out it's just a lazy plot device.
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