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Seven Archangels #5
Annihilation
Angels have known since their creation that they cannot be killed, but Satan is convinced the impossible can be done. He starts with Gabriel.
With Heaven in stunned grief, the angels must act to prevent Satan from striking again and to try to save Gabriel from the void, if he can be saved at all.
With Heaven in stunned grief, the angels must act to prevent Satan from striking again and to try to save Gabriel from the void, if he can be saved at all.
307 pages, Paperback
First published January 18, 2008
10 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
About the author
Jane Lebak
47 books392 followersJane Lebak writes about angels, smart women, and angels who have to put up with smart women. Her stories are a random assortment of genres, both fiction and nonfiction, long form and short form. Some of it is pretty weird. One editor told her, "You think so far outside the box, I'm not sure you know there is a box."
Boxes are for cereal. Fiction wants to be free.
Jane lives in the Swamp and spends her time either writing books or ejecting stink bugs from the house. She is pretty sure no one reads these author bios.
Boxes are for cereal. Fiction wants to be free.
Jane lives in the Swamp and spends her time either writing books or ejecting stink bugs from the house. She is pretty sure no one reads these author bios.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 26, 2014
It's a book where angels and demons are the characters (and Mary, and God), but it's not really a book about religion :) Of course, the fact that the author is Catholic can be noticed in some details, but it's really a book about friendship, loss, fear and hope despite all.
I liked the way characters were defined, especially the way angels belong to different "tribes" which make some of them more intellectual, others more intuitive, others more fiery, others more reserved, and the way this molded their reactions to events.
I liked the way characters were defined, especially the way angels belong to different "tribes" which make some of them more intellectual, others more intuitive, others more fiery, others more reserved, and the way this molded their reactions to events.
November 1, 2014
Absolutely fantastic - I highly recommend this book.
June 18, 2018
I loved reading this . So far I have read this one and the first one . Can’t wait to read the other ones . Hope that I can read more like about the journey of the arch-Angels. I loved that despite not being perfect. God’s perfect love for us will always remain....
September 21, 2019
I admit I didn't know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by this story
It brought all the emotions that I expect from a great book. I laughed, cursed, questioned and cried! Truly this book is not only entertaining, but food for thought. Loved it, thus 5 stars!!!!!
It brought all the emotions that I expect from a great book. I laughed, cursed, questioned and cried! Truly this book is not only entertaining, but food for thought. Loved it, thus 5 stars!!!!!
August 27, 2017
Awesome
I love this series! I hope there will be more to come. I highly recommend. Especially if you like series with the same characters but different story plots. Excellent work!
I love this series! I hope there will be more to come. I highly recommend. Especially if you like series with the same characters but different story plots. Excellent work!
April 26, 2010
If you like angels and demons, this may be the book for you. Whereas the TV program “Touched By an Angel” played out in this world, this book primarily allows one to experience the world of angels and demons.
Certainly a difficult subject to pull off, simply because so many people have very set ideas of what angels and demons are like, as well as a theology about them. And one should be warned, this is not your daddy’s angel book—unless you give it to him for Christmas. If you come at this book thinking this needs to conform to your theology of how angels are and act, you’ll have a problem. Not that this book doesn’t conform to a theology of angels, but one does have to keep in mind that this is fiction, not reality. The author isn’t saying, “this is how angels really are and act.” So if one comes at it giving the author some leeway in defining that world and knowing it may not sync with one’s own theology one hundred percent, you’ll enjoy this book.
The premise of the book is interesting. It boils down to what if Satan could kill an angel? In this story, he believes he can, and makes the attempt. And it appears he has succeeded in annihilating Gabriel. Can the other angels do anything to save Gabriel? Is one of them next? And what about God? Why did He allow this? The story follows the various angels and demons attempting to come to terms with Gabriel’s annihilation.
If you’re looking for an action packed book, this may not be for you. There is action to be had, but there are also chapters of dialog and waiting. Not that nothing is happening, but the pacing as far as action goes bogs down through the middle of the book, sandwiched between some well written action sequences in the beginning and the end.
But if you’re wanting character interaction, look no further. A strong cast of angels and demons interact with one another, with well defined personalities and characters. I would suggest that the strong point of this novel is the cast of interesting characters and how they interact with one another. If that type of novel appeals to you, get this book and have at it.
If there is a weakness to the book, it would have to be the difficulty getting into the story. I think there are three reasons for this. One, while the cast of characters is the novel’s strong point, they also contribute to the time it takes to get into the story. There are simply so many of them that it takes a while to match names with angels/demons. I almost felt I needed a program as in baseball to keep the players straight. But after some time, I had no trouble knowing who was who. It simply took three or four chapters to reach that point. And I’m on the slower side than others in that regard, so not all will have that same experience.
Two, the angel/demon world is so new and unlike our own that I was never sure what all the “rules” were as to how it operated. The strangeness of it kept me from sinking right into the story, attempting to acclimate myself to the world setting. Eventually I got there too, but it contributed to the delay. And each time a new power was revealed, I had to readjust the world’s rules in my mind.
Three, while the point of view was well done and seamless in its execution so that I wasn’t distracted from the story by it, it is written in a more omniscient view. Sometimes it sank into a close limited third with several of the characters, other times pulling back to a more omniscient perspective. While that point of view was necessary to tell the story, it did add to the time it took to get comfortable with the characters and their world.
I would say that by the fifth to sixth chapter or so, I didn’t think as much about these things. If you’re willing to spend a little time getting to know the characters and the world, if you like seeing a well developed setting, the story is worth the effort.
For the reader who enjoys a new world and a cast of interesting characters dealing with deep issues that we humans have faced for thousands of years, you don’t want to miss out on this book. Despite the new world, and the angelic/demonic powers, what strikes me most is the very human issues it touches upon as this tale unfolds. And in that, it can teach us a lot about ourselves.
Certainly a difficult subject to pull off, simply because so many people have very set ideas of what angels and demons are like, as well as a theology about them. And one should be warned, this is not your daddy’s angel book—unless you give it to him for Christmas. If you come at this book thinking this needs to conform to your theology of how angels are and act, you’ll have a problem. Not that this book doesn’t conform to a theology of angels, but one does have to keep in mind that this is fiction, not reality. The author isn’t saying, “this is how angels really are and act.” So if one comes at it giving the author some leeway in defining that world and knowing it may not sync with one’s own theology one hundred percent, you’ll enjoy this book.
The premise of the book is interesting. It boils down to what if Satan could kill an angel? In this story, he believes he can, and makes the attempt. And it appears he has succeeded in annihilating Gabriel. Can the other angels do anything to save Gabriel? Is one of them next? And what about God? Why did He allow this? The story follows the various angels and demons attempting to come to terms with Gabriel’s annihilation.
If you’re looking for an action packed book, this may not be for you. There is action to be had, but there are also chapters of dialog and waiting. Not that nothing is happening, but the pacing as far as action goes bogs down through the middle of the book, sandwiched between some well written action sequences in the beginning and the end.
But if you’re wanting character interaction, look no further. A strong cast of angels and demons interact with one another, with well defined personalities and characters. I would suggest that the strong point of this novel is the cast of interesting characters and how they interact with one another. If that type of novel appeals to you, get this book and have at it.
If there is a weakness to the book, it would have to be the difficulty getting into the story. I think there are three reasons for this. One, while the cast of characters is the novel’s strong point, they also contribute to the time it takes to get into the story. There are simply so many of them that it takes a while to match names with angels/demons. I almost felt I needed a program as in baseball to keep the players straight. But after some time, I had no trouble knowing who was who. It simply took three or four chapters to reach that point. And I’m on the slower side than others in that regard, so not all will have that same experience.
Two, the angel/demon world is so new and unlike our own that I was never sure what all the “rules” were as to how it operated. The strangeness of it kept me from sinking right into the story, attempting to acclimate myself to the world setting. Eventually I got there too, but it contributed to the delay. And each time a new power was revealed, I had to readjust the world’s rules in my mind.
Three, while the point of view was well done and seamless in its execution so that I wasn’t distracted from the story by it, it is written in a more omniscient view. Sometimes it sank into a close limited third with several of the characters, other times pulling back to a more omniscient perspective. While that point of view was necessary to tell the story, it did add to the time it took to get comfortable with the characters and their world.
I would say that by the fifth to sixth chapter or so, I didn’t think as much about these things. If you’re willing to spend a little time getting to know the characters and the world, if you like seeing a well developed setting, the story is worth the effort.
For the reader who enjoys a new world and a cast of interesting characters dealing with deep issues that we humans have faced for thousands of years, you don’t want to miss out on this book. Despite the new world, and the angelic/demonic powers, what strikes me most is the very human issues it touches upon as this tale unfolds. And in that, it can teach us a lot about ourselves.
October 7, 2009
I really liked it, almost loved it if the author didn't lose me sometimes.
It was really amazing that I had to order this book from barnes and nobles because it was out of print. This book should be on the shelves and doesn't get enough credit. The plot was great and there were no holes in the story that I could detect. She closed everything at the end, even the small details that went unnoticed until the end and she brought it back just to add closure for those who are very observant unlike me. I would probably read it again just to understand it more but I was left satisfied and smiling at the end.
It was really amazing that I had to order this book from barnes and nobles because it was out of print. This book should be on the shelves and doesn't get enough credit. The plot was great and there were no holes in the story that I could detect. She closed everything at the end, even the small details that went unnoticed until the end and she brought it back just to add closure for those who are very observant unlike me. I would probably read it again just to understand it more but I was left satisfied and smiling at the end.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews