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Angel Country
In an alternate early 1900s, a scientist hunts down her former research partner after he steals her life’s work before his greed reshapes the world in this darkly wondrous cosmic horror—perfect for fans of The Starving Saints and Ring Shout.
One morning in 1904, scientist Ada Franklin wakes up in her own grave. After clawing her way out, she discovers her lab abandoned and her research partner gone—along with her life’s work: a prototype designed to enable human-angel communication.
Angelic infestations have kept the original thirteen colonies from expanding for generations, but Manifest Destiny is a growing force in the new century. Whoever controls Ada’s invention may gain the power not only to communicate with angels, but to command them.
With no one else to trust, Ada resurrects her former lover, now monstrously altered by the entities they once studied. Together they pursue the man who betrayed her across a country warped by celestial horror, where angelic contact remakes both flesh and mind. But the closer Ada comes to reclaiming her work, the more she suspects humanity’s greed could prove more terrifying than the divine.
A fever dream mash-up of alternate history, dark fantasy, and eldritch horror, Angel Country delivers a morally complex tale that asks a chilling question: when faced with unimaginable power, who is truly the monster?
One morning in 1904, scientist Ada Franklin wakes up in her own grave. After clawing her way out, she discovers her lab abandoned and her research partner gone—along with her life’s work: a prototype designed to enable human-angel communication.
Angelic infestations have kept the original thirteen colonies from expanding for generations, but Manifest Destiny is a growing force in the new century. Whoever controls Ada’s invention may gain the power not only to communicate with angels, but to command them.
With no one else to trust, Ada resurrects her former lover, now monstrously altered by the entities they once studied. Together they pursue the man who betrayed her across a country warped by celestial horror, where angelic contact remakes both flesh and mind. But the closer Ada comes to reclaiming her work, the more she suspects humanity’s greed could prove more terrifying than the divine.
A fever dream mash-up of alternate history, dark fantasy, and eldritch horror, Angel Country delivers a morally complex tale that asks a chilling question: when faced with unimaginable power, who is truly the monster?
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a challenging read for me because of the writing itself. I found a lot of it difficult to follow, either because of the narrative voice or the actual descriptions of the action. I will admit that there were several moments when I thought about calling it quits, either out of pure confusion or the feeling that maybe this just was going to be above my head. There were times where I had to stop and ask, “Wait, where are we now and how did we get here?” The various changes in POV were also disorienting, such as the random interjections “From the Archivist” and the jarring flashbacks in storybook form. It felt as if the primary narrator, Addie, was addressing multiple people directly throughout the story without specifying who she was talking to each time. I also grew tired of the phrase “But I digress” pretty much instantly.
So what made me stick around until the end? The fact that this story was so unique and the Biblically accurate angels! (Monsters, basically.) Though it was a bit tricky to keep them all straight because there were many different classifications, to the point that the book had a glossary at the beginning. I read this on Ebook, so having the definitions way back at the front made it tricky to refer to. There were also footnotes at the end of some of the chapters, and by the time I got to those I had forgotten what they were even in reference to.
But the weird body horror was cool as Hell and by far my favorite part. At one point there was what I can only describe as a Bloodborne style boss fight with a real-life figure, who makes a random cameo in the story. There were horrific transformations reminiscent of both Jeff Vandermeer's "X" series and the "Resident Evil" games, but involving angels. And the aforementioned main character, Addie, is a scientist driven practically to the brink of madness in pursuit of her greatest invention, which has been stolen from her. There's also a cat, which I appreciated, and I like pretty much any piece of media that contains a lighthouse.
I do think this is a unique and interesting story with a great ending, but I was definitely struggling my way through it. If you hate that trope where a character wakes up disoriented and doesn't know what just occurred, then buckle up because it happens to Addie about….a thousand different times??? At least a few instances in every chapter. And no spoilers, but every single time Addie is in danger, the exact same thing happens to get her out of it. By the third or fourth time I was rolling my eyes. By the eight or ninth time it was comical. And maybe it’s because I’m not into romantic longing, but that aspect of the plot didn't do much for me, either. (Maybe it's my frosty heart.)
The actual horror stuff, though? Awesome. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. This will publish on October 20th.
Biggest TW: Misogyny, Racism
So what made me stick around until the end? The fact that this story was so unique and the Biblically accurate angels! (Monsters, basically.) Though it was a bit tricky to keep them all straight because there were many different classifications, to the point that the book had a glossary at the beginning. I read this on Ebook, so having the definitions way back at the front made it tricky to refer to. There were also footnotes at the end of some of the chapters, and by the time I got to those I had forgotten what they were even in reference to.
But the weird body horror was cool as Hell and by far my favorite part. At one point there was what I can only describe as a Bloodborne style boss fight with a real-life figure, who makes a random cameo in the story. There were horrific transformations reminiscent of both Jeff Vandermeer's "X" series and the "Resident Evil" games, but involving angels. And the aforementioned main character, Addie, is a scientist driven practically to the brink of madness in pursuit of her greatest invention, which has been stolen from her. There's also a cat, which I appreciated, and I like pretty much any piece of media that contains a lighthouse.
I do think this is a unique and interesting story with a great ending, but I was definitely struggling my way through it. If you hate that trope where a character wakes up disoriented and doesn't know what just occurred, then buckle up because it happens to Addie about….a thousand different times??? At least a few instances in every chapter. And no spoilers, but every single time Addie is in danger, the exact same thing happens to get her out of it. By the third or fourth time I was rolling my eyes. By the eight or ninth time it was comical. And maybe it’s because I’m not into romantic longing, but that aspect of the plot didn't do much for me, either. (Maybe it's my frosty heart.)
The actual horror stuff, though? Awesome. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. This will publish on October 20th.
Biggest TW: Misogyny, Racism
July 4, 2026
I ended up at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
For about 80% of this novel, I genuinely had no idea what was happening. I've seen Angel Country compared to Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, but I think it's closer to Dead Astronauts than Annihilation, not that the comparison is even necessary. They're all undeniably "weird" fiction, but that label only goes so far. If you're expecting the creeping ecological horror and gradual clarity of Southern Reach, this isn't quite that.
One aspect I really appreciated was Alex T. Singer's take on the mad scientist. Science fiction is full of brilliant, obsessive men pushing ethical boundaries, but far fewer women occupy that role, and Franklin makes for a fascinating addition to that tradition. She was easily the most compelling part of the novel for me.
Unfortunately, the narrative itself was a much tougher sell. Franklin is an extremely unreliable narrator and I understand why Singer chose such a disorienting style. Still, there were long stretches where the story felt like it was trying a little too hard to be strange and opaque. Rather than drawing me in the constant uncertainty often left me feeling disconnected, and there were multiple points where I questioned whether the eventual payoff would be worth the effort.
Thankfully, the final 10% or so finally brought many of the pieces together. Learning more about Franklin's prototype and seeing some of the novel's mysteries click into place elevated the experience considerably. Without that ending, this would have been a solid 3-star read for me.
Ultimately, Angel Country is an ambitious work of weird fiction with some genuinely compelling ideas and a memorable central character, but its relentless ambiguity made it a difficult reading experience. Readers who enjoy experimental, highly abstract narratives may find much more to love here than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
For about 80% of this novel, I genuinely had no idea what was happening. I've seen Angel Country compared to Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, but I think it's closer to Dead Astronauts than Annihilation, not that the comparison is even necessary. They're all undeniably "weird" fiction, but that label only goes so far. If you're expecting the creeping ecological horror and gradual clarity of Southern Reach, this isn't quite that.
One aspect I really appreciated was Alex T. Singer's take on the mad scientist. Science fiction is full of brilliant, obsessive men pushing ethical boundaries, but far fewer women occupy that role, and Franklin makes for a fascinating addition to that tradition. She was easily the most compelling part of the novel for me.
Unfortunately, the narrative itself was a much tougher sell. Franklin is an extremely unreliable narrator and I understand why Singer chose such a disorienting style. Still, there were long stretches where the story felt like it was trying a little too hard to be strange and opaque. Rather than drawing me in the constant uncertainty often left me feeling disconnected, and there were multiple points where I questioned whether the eventual payoff would be worth the effort.
Thankfully, the final 10% or so finally brought many of the pieces together. Learning more about Franklin's prototype and seeing some of the novel's mysteries click into place elevated the experience considerably. Without that ending, this would have been a solid 3-star read for me.
Ultimately, Angel Country is an ambitious work of weird fiction with some genuinely compelling ideas and a memorable central character, but its relentless ambiguity made it a difficult reading experience. Readers who enjoy experimental, highly abstract narratives may find much more to love here than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Easily one of my top three books of this entire year, possibly one of my favorite books of all time. What an electrifying way to leave a reading slump: I do not know the last time I stayed up until 2 am just to finish a book (not to mention the additional fifteen minutes spent weeping on the couch). Not sure where to even begin with this review: this is such a spectacularly unique premise that it took me a while to sift through the intentional obfuscation to find the facts. Fellow Harrow the Ninth enjoyers, do I have an unreliable narrator for you!
Singer imagines an American age of industrialization and colonial expansion characterized by familiar cities, historical figures, and geopolitical tensions with one significant caveat - the whole world is infested with terrifying biblical "angels" whose very presence is enough to drive swaths of people mad. Singer's angels draw not from the pastoral tradition of bells and wings and white robes but from the primal, holy terror of monstrous creatures with too many wings, too many eyes, and too many beaks (although some are more human than others). Our protagonist, Dr. Ada Franklin, is a scientist bent on cataloguing and understanding the vast diversity of angelic beings, despite both the tremendous danger posed by the beings themselves AND the tremendous prejudice she faces as a woman in the scientific field. More important than any of this, however, is a fact that we learn on the very first page of the story - Dr. Ada Franklin is dead.
From the very start, the story unspools into a muddled mobiüs strip of past and present, cause and effect. The narrative is controlled alternately by the mutated, Frankenstein-esque Ada of the present; bent on a revenge mission against her killers - the driven, secretive Ada of the past; working in single-minded pursuit of a mysterious project - and a weary, nostalgic "Archivist" Ada of an an unknown future; in dialogue with her past selves through footnotes and collected interview transcripts, research notes, and manuscript excerpts. This is an absolute masterclass on playing with perspective and point-of-view such that the reader is unexpectedly engaged as a co-conspirator in a mystery we are only hazily aware of, a project intentionally veiled in metaphors that become thinner and thinner as the story goes on. It is a major effort to avoid spoilers, but I LOVED the way a major thematic element is treated as a hole at the center of the story, with the reader never quite sure whether a key aspect of Ada's experience is truth or metaphor right up until the bittersweet end.
I haven't even gotten into the romance, which is a beautiful but emotionally obliterating experience that utterly defies categorization by trope. Suffice to say, I am a sucker for stories about love as a corrupting force - one that will push people to unbelievable lengths in service of devotion and in defiance of grief. Singer poses difficult, thorny questions about choice, autonomy, and consent - positioning Ada and her companions as emotional foils to one another. How far would you go to save someone you love, even in direct violation of their own wishes? Is it better to die as yourself or live on as something unrecognizable? Who decides when making this choice for someone else is righteous act or a monstrous one? At the core of this fantastical and frightening journey into the unknown is a much smaller, much simpler story - a tremendously, beautifully human story - that broke my heart even as it filled me with a fierce, cathartic glow. I am honestly struggling not to plunge directly into a re-read just to experience the satisfaction of reinterpreting events in the light of context and emotional nuance (another plug for the Harrow heads out there).
THIS is the emotionally charged, morally grey, grotesque work of transformative body horror that so many authors have tried (and failed) to deliver on this year. The very best books are ones that not only stick with you, but continuously offer themselves up for reexamination and re-contextualisation. I can safely say that I will be returning to Angel Country both in print and in my mind for weeks (months? years?) to come.
Singer imagines an American age of industrialization and colonial expansion characterized by familiar cities, historical figures, and geopolitical tensions with one significant caveat - the whole world is infested with terrifying biblical "angels" whose very presence is enough to drive swaths of people mad. Singer's angels draw not from the pastoral tradition of bells and wings and white robes but from the primal, holy terror of monstrous creatures with too many wings, too many eyes, and too many beaks (although some are more human than others). Our protagonist, Dr. Ada Franklin, is a scientist bent on cataloguing and understanding the vast diversity of angelic beings, despite both the tremendous danger posed by the beings themselves AND the tremendous prejudice she faces as a woman in the scientific field. More important than any of this, however, is a fact that we learn on the very first page of the story - Dr. Ada Franklin is dead.
From the very start, the story unspools into a muddled mobiüs strip of past and present, cause and effect. The narrative is controlled alternately by the mutated, Frankenstein-esque Ada of the present; bent on a revenge mission against her killers - the driven, secretive Ada of the past; working in single-minded pursuit of a mysterious project - and a weary, nostalgic "Archivist" Ada of an an unknown future; in dialogue with her past selves through footnotes and collected interview transcripts, research notes, and manuscript excerpts. This is an absolute masterclass on playing with perspective and point-of-view such that the reader is unexpectedly engaged as a co-conspirator in a mystery we are only hazily aware of, a project intentionally veiled in metaphors that become thinner and thinner as the story goes on. It is a major effort to avoid spoilers, but I LOVED the way a major thematic element is treated as a hole at the center of the story, with the reader never quite sure whether a key aspect of Ada's experience is truth or metaphor right up until the bittersweet end.
I haven't even gotten into the romance, which is a beautiful but emotionally obliterating experience that utterly defies categorization by trope. Suffice to say, I am a sucker for stories about love as a corrupting force - one that will push people to unbelievable lengths in service of devotion and in defiance of grief. Singer poses difficult, thorny questions about choice, autonomy, and consent - positioning Ada and her companions as emotional foils to one another. How far would you go to save someone you love, even in direct violation of their own wishes? Is it better to die as yourself or live on as something unrecognizable? Who decides when making this choice for someone else is righteous act or a monstrous one? At the core of this fantastical and frightening journey into the unknown is a much smaller, much simpler story - a tremendously, beautifully human story - that broke my heart even as it filled me with a fierce, cathartic glow. I am honestly struggling not to plunge directly into a re-read just to experience the satisfaction of reinterpreting events in the light of context and emotional nuance (another plug for the Harrow heads out there).
THIS is the emotionally charged, morally grey, grotesque work of transformative body horror that so many authors have tried (and failed) to deliver on this year. The very best books are ones that not only stick with you, but continuously offer themselves up for reexamination and re-contextualisation. I can safely say that I will be returning to Angel Country both in print and in my mind for weeks (months? years?) to come.
October 22, 2026
Wow. Absolutely stunning.
I was impatiently waiting for this book since I first read the summary. Horror with biblically accurate angels? What an incredible idea! Especially since angel lore is a fascinating topic.
It delivered all its promises and more. The author wanted to cast a woman in the role of the mad scientist and she succeeded brilliantly. Ada is a deeply flawed person and an unreliable narrator. With her, some things clearly aren't what they seem at first and you're in for many surprises.
The angels were cosmic horror at its finest. They are there, they are sentient, they want to communicate with humans. Which makes the experiments performed on them clearly unethical.
Nobody knows what they truly want. Because their motivations are incomprehensible at our level. People named them angels and gave them biblical names, but in the end, it is just humans trying to name something they don't understand. I loved the idea of using music to communicate with them.
The worldbuilding was super interesting as well. In this version of our world, the balance of power has completely shifted between the First Nations and the US. The colonists live on territories that the First Nations allowed them to settle.
The narrative jumps between past and present and reflects Ada's fragmented mind. Sometimes, it feels like a fever dream. It is actually worth it, though.
And the ending! I stayed still for a few seconds to process it.
Highly recommended !
I was impatiently waiting for this book since I first read the summary. Horror with biblically accurate angels? What an incredible idea! Especially since angel lore is a fascinating topic.
It delivered all its promises and more. The author wanted to cast a woman in the role of the mad scientist and she succeeded brilliantly. Ada is a deeply flawed person and an unreliable narrator. With her, some things clearly aren't what they seem at first and you're in for many surprises.
The angels were cosmic horror at its finest. They are there, they are sentient, they want to communicate with humans. Which makes the experiments performed on them clearly unethical.
Nobody knows what they truly want. Because their motivations are incomprehensible at our level. People named them angels and gave them biblical names, but in the end, it is just humans trying to name something they don't understand. I loved the idea of using music to communicate with them.
The worldbuilding was super interesting as well. In this version of our world, the balance of power has completely shifted between the First Nations and the US. The colonists live on territories that the First Nations allowed them to settle.
The narrative jumps between past and present and reflects Ada's fragmented mind. Sometimes, it feels like a fever dream. It is actually worth it, though.
And the ending! I stayed still for a few seconds to process it.
Highly recommended !
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Highlights
~‘biblically accurate’ angelic horror
~THAT IS TOO MANY EYES
~women who love science more than humanity
~(more than THEIR OWN humanity, even)
~no women right’s = Women’s Wrongs
THIS BOOK IS GENIUS!
Not because it has an incredibly cool premise. (Though it does.) Not because it features one of the most awful-person-amazing-character protagonists I’ve ever come across. (Though it does!) Not even because the worldbuilding is endlessly fascinating. (Though it is!)
But the WRITING. The sheer, technical writing craft that went into Angel Country is MINDBLOWING!
See, Ada, our main character, is not well. She’s done…something to herself. Experiments, with angelic tissue. It’s having an effect on her mind. Sometimes she loses track of where she is or what’s going on. Sometimes she wakes up to find herself out on the marsh instead of in bed. Sometimes particular stimuli make her thoughts go very strange indeed.
And Alex T. Singer has caught all of this in the prose. Forget telling us that Ada’s not well; forget even showing us. Singer makes us experience it, with run-on sentences and spliced paragraphs and forgotten commas, with shifts in perspective and time. This is not a simple case of dual timelines; at one point, alternating paragraphs follow entirely separate scenes happening at different times, a fight-for-our-lives scene spliced into something much calmer. That example – my gods, the writing rhythm!!! The way the switches back and forth create this amazing strobing effect, ratcheting up the tension immensely, turning the pacing to 11 – you could play it like music, the bass is so clear; you can see it in your head like it’s been synced to a soundtrack. It’s AWESOME.
You see what I mean? You see how in the above quote, how the run-on sentences make us feel Ada’s not-sanity? How the lack of commas makes it punch harder? This kind of thing is CONSTANT in Angel’s Country – not run-on sentences specifically, but this phenomenal awareness of and skill with writing rhythm, which Singer uses ruthlessly and masterfully to create whatever effect she wants a particular paragraph to have.
This is an author who understands EXACTLY what Ursula Le Guin said about writing rhythm, and it makes me so happy I could freaking cry.
The book’s description calls it a ‘fever dream mash-up of alternate history, dark fantasy, and eldritch horror’, and that is extremely accurate. But it’s also a manifesto on Women’s Wrongs, on female rage, on women who are unapologetically mad scientists. Ada has spent her entire life being belittled and dismissed, even though she has an incredible mind, is light-years smarter than the men whose names end up on the results of her studies and experiments and proposals. This isn’t something the book lingers on – I would be bored if it did – but we see plenty of examples of it, and it’s obvious that enduring a lifetime of this is part of the reason Ada is so – well, so Ada. She has to fight tooth and nail to be allowed anywhere near the science she loves so much, and it is equal parts heartbreaking and infuriating and Singer makes you feel all of it.
Which is not to say that Ada is likeable, even if her struggles in academia are easy to sympathise with. Ada is terrible. She has next to no social skills, has a hard time seeing people as people rather than tools or obstacles, and if there’s ever a moment where scientific inquiry and basic ethics are in conflict, she tosses ethics out the window. I read her as autistic – definitely not neurotypical – which might explain the poor social skills…
…but most of it is just Ada, and her overwhelming, overriding-everything obsession with angels. She is fascinated, she is driven, she loves angels and loves studying them, and it’s so intense and well-written that there’s no way for the reader not to end up feeling it too. It’s infectious. (Like all things angelic) Even as these ‘biblically accurate’ angels are gross and terrifying, Ada’s adoration for them sweeps you up – which creates this incredible effect, wherein you feel fondness and wonder alongside the ick and horror. It reinforces everything Singer does with the writing rhythm, so even the reader’s emotions start to mimic a Salvador Dalí painting, melting and strange and surreal. Magnificent!
I loved Ada’s passion; I loved that Singer made me feel it too. I loved that I was never in any doubt about the strength of Ada’s convictions and motives – that I never doubted that Ada would absolutely do the terrible things she’s done – and is doing – and will do – because her passion for angels and the study of them is unquestionable.
But gods, the terribleness of the terrible things she does! The gradual, dawning realisation of exactly what her prototype is!!! (I kept telling myself no, you’ve guessed wrong, it CAN’T be that, it just CAN’T. Even Ada wouldn’t do that. BUT FRIENDS, SHE DID.) If the story were only slightly different, she would be unambiguously the villain, and honestly the only reason she isn’t unambiguously the villain here is because someone else is worse.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
~‘biblically accurate’ angelic horror
~THAT IS TOO MANY EYES
~women who love science more than humanity
~(more than THEIR OWN humanity, even)
~no women right’s = Women’s Wrongs
THIS BOOK IS GENIUS!
Not because it has an incredibly cool premise. (Though it does.) Not because it features one of the most awful-person-amazing-character protagonists I’ve ever come across. (Though it does!) Not even because the worldbuilding is endlessly fascinating. (Though it is!)
But the WRITING. The sheer, technical writing craft that went into Angel Country is MINDBLOWING!
See, Ada, our main character, is not well. She’s done…something to herself. Experiments, with angelic tissue. It’s having an effect on her mind. Sometimes she loses track of where she is or what’s going on. Sometimes she wakes up to find herself out on the marsh instead of in bed. Sometimes particular stimuli make her thoughts go very strange indeed.
And Alex T. Singer has caught all of this in the prose. Forget telling us that Ada’s not well; forget even showing us. Singer makes us experience it, with run-on sentences and spliced paragraphs and forgotten commas, with shifts in perspective and time. This is not a simple case of dual timelines; at one point, alternating paragraphs follow entirely separate scenes happening at different times, a fight-for-our-lives scene spliced into something much calmer. That example – my gods, the writing rhythm!!! The way the switches back and forth create this amazing strobing effect, ratcheting up the tension immensely, turning the pacing to 11 – you could play it like music, the bass is so clear; you can see it in your head like it’s been synced to a soundtrack. It’s AWESOME.
Thieves. Bastards. Con men. Oh what I would have done if they’d been in front of me in that moment. They deserved nothing as beautiful as an angel’s maw but I might have made an exception if I could have gutted them with my newfound strength oh I would have I digress.
You see what I mean? You see how in the above quote, how the run-on sentences make us feel Ada’s not-sanity? How the lack of commas makes it punch harder? This kind of thing is CONSTANT in Angel’s Country – not run-on sentences specifically, but this phenomenal awareness of and skill with writing rhythm, which Singer uses ruthlessly and masterfully to create whatever effect she wants a particular paragraph to have.
This is an author who understands EXACTLY what Ursula Le Guin said about writing rhythm, and it makes me so happy I could freaking cry.
“Men are snakes,” she said, emphatically.
“Didn’t you use to be one?” I managed to ask, with a ragged smile.
“Perhaps,” garbled the Keeper, the wrinkles of her face lifting into what I’d come to recognize as a smile. “All the more reason I would know!”
The book’s description calls it a ‘fever dream mash-up of alternate history, dark fantasy, and eldritch horror’, and that is extremely accurate. But it’s also a manifesto on Women’s Wrongs, on female rage, on women who are unapologetically mad scientists. Ada has spent her entire life being belittled and dismissed, even though she has an incredible mind, is light-years smarter than the men whose names end up on the results of her studies and experiments and proposals. This isn’t something the book lingers on – I would be bored if it did – but we see plenty of examples of it, and it’s obvious that enduring a lifetime of this is part of the reason Ada is so – well, so Ada. She has to fight tooth and nail to be allowed anywhere near the science she loves so much, and it is equal parts heartbreaking and infuriating and Singer makes you feel all of it.
Would you consider keeping just the first initial of your name–
Would you consider signing on as a significant other–
Would you consider
Consider
Which is not to say that Ada is likeable, even if her struggles in academia are easy to sympathise with. Ada is terrible. She has next to no social skills, has a hard time seeing people as people rather than tools or obstacles, and if there’s ever a moment where scientific inquiry and basic ethics are in conflict, she tosses ethics out the window. I read her as autistic – definitely not neurotypical – which might explain the poor social skills…
“Unbelievable,” she said. “So. How human are you, these days? Did you call me up here for a free meal?”
I stepped in very quickly at that supposition. “Oh, no. That is not one of the side effects. No angelic entity has been known to consume human flesh as sustenance.”
They both turned, staring. I realized very quickly that had not been what was on either of their minds.
Coralie threw up her hands. “I meant, did you expect me to do a food run. Jesus Christ, child.”
…but most of it is just Ada, and her overwhelming, overriding-everything obsession with angels. She is fascinated, she is driven, she loves angels and loves studying them, and it’s so intense and well-written that there’s no way for the reader not to end up feeling it too. It’s infectious. (Like all things angelic) Even as these ‘biblically accurate’ angels are gross and terrifying, Ada’s adoration for them sweeps you up – which creates this incredible effect, wherein you feel fondness and wonder alongside the ick and horror. It reinforces everything Singer does with the writing rhythm, so even the reader’s emotions start to mimic a Salvador Dalí painting, melting and strange and surreal. Magnificent!
I loved Ada’s passion; I loved that Singer made me feel it too. I loved that I was never in any doubt about the strength of Ada’s convictions and motives – that I never doubted that Ada would absolutely do the terrible things she’s done – and is doing – and will do – because her passion for angels and the study of them is unquestionable.
But gods, the terribleness of the terrible things she does! The gradual, dawning realisation of exactly what her prototype is!!! (I kept telling myself no, you’ve guessed wrong, it CAN’T be that, it just CAN’T. Even Ada wouldn’t do that. BUT FRIENDS, SHE DID.) If the story were only slightly different, she would be unambiguously the villain, and honestly the only reason she isn’t unambiguously the villain here is because someone else is worse.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In an alternate-history 1900s America, where infestations of angels have kept the nation from expanding beyond the original thirteen colonies, a mad scientist wakes up in her own grave. Backstabbed by her research team and with her groundbreaking prototype stolen, Ada Franklin seeks revenge against the men who have wronged her. With no one left to trust, Ada resurrects her former lover into an angelic beast, only, she was the one who killed him the first time. Half-corrupted herself, Ada revisits each of her old connections on her prototype project, learning just how deep the conspiracy against her went, while a growing host of angels wreak havoc at every turn.
This was a tough one to rate! It’s one of those where it’s clear my enjoyment and the quality were completely at odds with each other; I could tell it’s a high-quality read, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I was always having a great time.
I was expecting the revenge elements and scientific discoveries to be my main interests in this story, but somehow the romance was my favorite part by far. I mean, a second-chance romance except they’re both monstrous versions of who they once were (both figuratively and literally)?! I’m obsessed. Not to give the impression that it’s at all trope-y though! Ada and Blake’s dynamic was so perfectly troubled and bittersweet, and instead of rekindling their flame, they’ll first need to address every lie and misdeed their first go-around was riddled with. Oh, but there sure is still something romantic about cradling your partner’s face with your claws, or a passionate kiss to use your blood as an angelic antidote. Doesn’t get any more unique than that, folks. I do have some grievances with the writing, which I’ll get to in a moment, but the scenes between Ada and Blake had me absolutely floored. The artful writing works beautifully for their fraught relationship, and all of their moments together were so impactful for me - really the highlight of the book!
The writing style is interesting for sure! I think it could work really well for some readers and fall flat for others, and unfortunately I lean towards the latter. It’s definitely an abstract approach - the writing flips between a clinical, straightforward delivery and this high-concept, artsy, disorienting prose that’s genuinely hard to decipher. Adding to this, most chapters feature multiple scenes happening at once, on top of one another, with little to no indication of when it transitions from one scene to another. It can be very hard to tell whether what’s happening is a dream or reality, whether we’re in the past or present, or if it’s just the narrator waxing poetic about something I could barely connect to the story. Ada is also, of course, an extremely unreliable narrator who is either frequently out of touch with reality or purposely hiding information from herself and the reader. All of this just led to me being very confused most of the time. When I was able to piece things together, the story and world were undeniably fascinating, but more often than not that fascination was buried by confusion and irritation with the obtuse and disjointed writing.
To briefly touch on genre expectations - I was hoping this could be my scary October read for this year, but I was surprised to not find much horror or tension throughout. There’s definitely some body horror and the general unknowable-cosmic-horror vibes of the angels, but I was never spooked as I had hoped. I’d say it’s much more of a weird literary historical sci-fi/fantasy, with mad scientists being generally deranged and unethical, which is a fun time but I wouldn’t recommend going in expecting some good scares, which I unfortunately did.
I really think this would be a great fit for fans of Annihilation or Attack on Titan, or those who like the sound of a morally gray Emily Wilde type of character placed into an American Gothic cosmic horror novel. I’ll have to get my spooks somewhere else this Halloween, but I did enjoy this weird lit-fic-horror detour!
Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a tough one to rate! It’s one of those where it’s clear my enjoyment and the quality were completely at odds with each other; I could tell it’s a high-quality read, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I was always having a great time.
I was expecting the revenge elements and scientific discoveries to be my main interests in this story, but somehow the romance was my favorite part by far. I mean, a second-chance romance except they’re both monstrous versions of who they once were (both figuratively and literally)?! I’m obsessed. Not to give the impression that it’s at all trope-y though! Ada and Blake’s dynamic was so perfectly troubled and bittersweet, and instead of rekindling their flame, they’ll first need to address every lie and misdeed their first go-around was riddled with. Oh, but there sure is still something romantic about cradling your partner’s face with your claws, or a passionate kiss to use your blood as an angelic antidote. Doesn’t get any more unique than that, folks. I do have some grievances with the writing, which I’ll get to in a moment, but the scenes between Ada and Blake had me absolutely floored. The artful writing works beautifully for their fraught relationship, and all of their moments together were so impactful for me - really the highlight of the book!
The writing style is interesting for sure! I think it could work really well for some readers and fall flat for others, and unfortunately I lean towards the latter. It’s definitely an abstract approach - the writing flips between a clinical, straightforward delivery and this high-concept, artsy, disorienting prose that’s genuinely hard to decipher. Adding to this, most chapters feature multiple scenes happening at once, on top of one another, with little to no indication of when it transitions from one scene to another. It can be very hard to tell whether what’s happening is a dream or reality, whether we’re in the past or present, or if it’s just the narrator waxing poetic about something I could barely connect to the story. Ada is also, of course, an extremely unreliable narrator who is either frequently out of touch with reality or purposely hiding information from herself and the reader. All of this just led to me being very confused most of the time. When I was able to piece things together, the story and world were undeniably fascinating, but more often than not that fascination was buried by confusion and irritation with the obtuse and disjointed writing.
To briefly touch on genre expectations - I was hoping this could be my scary October read for this year, but I was surprised to not find much horror or tension throughout. There’s definitely some body horror and the general unknowable-cosmic-horror vibes of the angels, but I was never spooked as I had hoped. I’d say it’s much more of a weird literary historical sci-fi/fantasy, with mad scientists being generally deranged and unethical, which is a fun time but I wouldn’t recommend going in expecting some good scares, which I unfortunately did.
I really think this would be a great fit for fans of Annihilation or Attack on Titan, or those who like the sound of a morally gray Emily Wilde type of character placed into an American Gothic cosmic horror novel. I’ll have to get my spooks somewhere else this Halloween, but I did enjoy this weird lit-fic-horror detour!
Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really struggled with how to rate this one because there were things I really liked about it and other things that just...didn’t work for me. I loved the use of biblically accurate angels in this book. They were scary and sometimes gross, and it was interesting to read about the ways that humans adapted to coexist with them. Loved the conception of grace and sainthood, too! I also appreciated that we got to see a woman as a ruthless mad scientist for once. She was a really interesting character. I think the story was just a little difficult to follow. I didn’t always understand how the interjections related to the larger story, and the timeline was kind of a mess. It was just a little difficult to pull out the major plot points at time, and it started to feel repetitive. I would have appreciated some more direct worldbuilding. Honestly, all of my critiques could really just be style preferences. Overall this was an interesting read, just be aware it’s not necessarily an easy one? Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.
August 20, 2026
Angel Country is a really impressive debut with great writing and super rich lore. I loved the female mad scientist angle and found Ada really interesting to follow. She is ambitious, morally gray, and an intriguing unreliable narrator. Seeing biblically accurate angels explored through a horror lens was such a cool idea and very well executed.
That being said, the story got pretty chaotic and disorienting at times, which made it a little hard to stay fully locked into the mystery and kept me from connecting with the characters as much as I wanted to. But the last 10 to 20 percent was so good it made the slower parts worth it. this is a very a solid debut and I will definitely be checking out whatever Alex T. Singer writes next.
thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book earlier in exchange for an honest review.
That being said, the story got pretty chaotic and disorienting at times, which made it a little hard to stay fully locked into the mystery and kept me from connecting with the characters as much as I wanted to. But the last 10 to 20 percent was so good it made the slower parts worth it. this is a very a solid debut and I will definitely be checking out whatever Alex T. Singer writes next.
thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book earlier in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Saga Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC
Cosmic Horror carried by vibes and rage
In a world where horrifying Angels - of the 'biblically accurate'-meme type - have descended on earth, several scientists are willing to give everything to find the secret of communication with these beings. When our ruthless protagonist is betrayed and murdered by her equally ruthless colleagues, she finds out death is not quite permanent for her. Together with her resurrected dead former lover (whom she murdered herself months before) she sets out on a quest of vengeance while cosmic horrors ravage every place they go to.
This is Cosmic Horror but also most definitely Psychic Horror. I read a lot of Horror, but not a lot of the Cosmic variety - I enjoyed this one a lot however! Angelic entities shed what's called 'Grace', which can infect humans. Our narrator, Ada Franklin, has been infected long before the story starts, and as such she is an extraordinarily chaotic and unreliable narrator. You get kept in the dark from a lot of the backstory which is slowly revealed whenever Ada dignifies us with insights. I like unique perspectives and framing devices, but I have to admit the early chapters were hard to follow, as research notes, flashbacks, paper clippings and present-day narration follow in rapid succession. Once you've got a few chapters under your belt however, it begins to click into place and I easily found the rhythm in the text, even when our narrator gets more feverished as her condition worsens.
Our main character is not always a sympathetic character: she's ambitious, ruthless and as single-mindedly consequences-be-damned as her adversaries. But that's...compelling. Simultaneously she's the victim of so many injustices -many of them related to the patriarchy- that you can not help but feel her rage deep inside your own chest. And there is the star of the book: not just the vibes, but the specific feelings of betrayals, regrets and anger that emanate from many scenes.
In this grim world, there's only a few truly sympathetic characters. Blake, the musician and former lover of Ada is one, and the Saint called the Lighthouse Keeper is another. Blake & Ada's initial romance is well written and believable, their continued devotion feels somewhat more like a plot necessity - then again, what else are you going to do when you're an undead horror except help your very murderer on her quest for vengeance?
I was somewhat wary of how the book was going to treat the Native American plotlines. The blurb mentions the arrested expansion west of the United States in this alternative world, and the continued existence of tribal states across most of the continent into the 20th century. In my first gut reaction, I felt uncomfortable with the idea that it is horrors specifically modelled after the religion of the colonialist force that somehow keep the native tribes from being overrun. It seems a denial of agency, that even in the 'good' outcome, it was an external force that saves the natives. The idea that the Native Americans were less affected by the Angel infestation because they knew how to live along side it, perhaps reflects some noble savage stereotypes. In the end though, the book hardly treats with Native American culture at all. The situation is mentioned, as are some of the bordering tribes and the expansionist sentiment among some American characters, but without much detail beyond the geopolitical. Even though our secondary protagonist, Blake, is Native American, the only real hints to that are his long hair and his rarely plot-relevant contacts with the native Nations. The lack of cultural references is explained away by him being raised in one of the infamous boarding schools, which apparently still were a thing in this timeline. All in all, the superficial treatment is better than an actively offensive treatment, although one does wonder why it should be part of the story at all then?
As the truth of the story is slowly unveiled, we end the book with a major confrontation. Even during this final chapter, there are two major plot twists to turn things on their head, and create a satisfying climax. One of them I liked, one of them I'm less sure about. (Major spoiler!)
Most importantly: I just really enjoyed the book.
Cosmic Horror carried by vibes and rage
In a world where horrifying Angels - of the 'biblically accurate'-meme type - have descended on earth, several scientists are willing to give everything to find the secret of communication with these beings. When our ruthless protagonist is betrayed and murdered by her equally ruthless colleagues, she finds out death is not quite permanent for her. Together with her resurrected dead former lover (whom she murdered herself months before) she sets out on a quest of vengeance while cosmic horrors ravage every place they go to.
This is Cosmic Horror but also most definitely Psychic Horror. I read a lot of Horror, but not a lot of the Cosmic variety - I enjoyed this one a lot however! Angelic entities shed what's called 'Grace', which can infect humans. Our narrator, Ada Franklin, has been infected long before the story starts, and as such she is an extraordinarily chaotic and unreliable narrator. You get kept in the dark from a lot of the backstory which is slowly revealed whenever Ada dignifies us with insights. I like unique perspectives and framing devices, but I have to admit the early chapters were hard to follow, as research notes, flashbacks, paper clippings and present-day narration follow in rapid succession. Once you've got a few chapters under your belt however, it begins to click into place and I easily found the rhythm in the text, even when our narrator gets more feverished as her condition worsens.
Our main character is not always a sympathetic character: she's ambitious, ruthless and as single-mindedly consequences-be-damned as her adversaries. But that's...compelling. Simultaneously she's the victim of so many injustices -many of them related to the patriarchy- that you can not help but feel her rage deep inside your own chest. And there is the star of the book: not just the vibes, but the specific feelings of betrayals, regrets and anger that emanate from many scenes.
In this grim world, there's only a few truly sympathetic characters. Blake, the musician and former lover of Ada is one, and the Saint called the Lighthouse Keeper is another. Blake & Ada's initial romance is well written and believable, their continued devotion feels somewhat more like a plot necessity - then again, what else are you going to do when you're an undead horror except help your very murderer on her quest for vengeance?
I was somewhat wary of how the book was going to treat the Native American plotlines. The blurb mentions the arrested expansion west of the United States in this alternative world, and the continued existence of tribal states across most of the continent into the 20th century. In my first gut reaction, I felt uncomfortable with the idea that it is horrors specifically modelled after the religion of the colonialist force that somehow keep the native tribes from being overrun. It seems a denial of agency, that even in the 'good' outcome, it was an external force that saves the natives. The idea that the Native Americans were less affected by the Angel infestation because they knew how to live along side it, perhaps reflects some noble savage stereotypes. In the end though, the book hardly treats with Native American culture at all. The situation is mentioned, as are some of the bordering tribes and the expansionist sentiment among some American characters, but without much detail beyond the geopolitical. Even though our secondary protagonist, Blake, is Native American, the only real hints to that are his long hair and his rarely plot-relevant contacts with the native Nations. The lack of cultural references is explained away by him being raised in one of the infamous boarding schools, which apparently still were a thing in this timeline. All in all, the superficial treatment is better than an actively offensive treatment, although one does wonder why it should be part of the story at all then?
As the truth of the story is slowly unveiled, we end the book with a major confrontation. Even during this final chapter, there are two major plot twists to turn things on their head, and create a satisfying climax. One of them I liked, one of them I'm less sure about. (Major spoiler!)
Most importantly: I just really enjoyed the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Angel Country is an ambitious debut from Alex T. Singer, and while I have my gripes with it, I can see this becoming a sleeper cult classic for lovers of authors like Lovecraft and books like Between Two Fires. For me, however, this book was a challenge: both in figuring out what the hell was happening and keeping myself from hard quitting. I am grateful that I did push through because I did enjoy the vibes, the setting, and the uniqueness of this whole novel. It's a complex take on Lovecraftian horror that assesses the world of capitalism, westward expansion, religion, and the complexities of humanity. I don't know if I could successfully parrot the plot back to someone; however, I do know that at its core, beyond the horrific angels and the body horror, the story is about a woman in the role of "mad scientist" living in a world that will never recognize their brilliance.
The biggest point of contention for me in this story, however, is how confusing and convoluted the plot is. There is rarely a clear line from point A to B. Singer attempts to add creative elements like flashbacks, research notes, and layers of voices (character voices as well as first/third person switching) to try to tie a lot of moving parts together. Rather than working harmoniously, they end up competing and making everything messy and nearly incoherent. I had a very hard time following exactly what was going on for a good 40-50% of the book. Singer slowly doles out the information to the reader. This works for other books; however, I don't feel like it worked here. It felt as if the relevant information was always provided much later than needed. Not only that, but a lot of the clarity came through in character dialogue and had me questioning where this information aligned with previous story points. Only by the last 20% do all the points really start coming together, and I think that's why I still enjoyed reading this. It read like an absolute rollercoaster to get to a place of only mild confusion, and I'm still left with so many questions.
I am conflicted about adding historical figures to this narrative. I see how they fit into the story, and the majority of the characters' motivations felt authentic. However, the addition of maligned female scientists of history felt a bit cheap. I understand that the author wanted to pay homage to these women and their successes. However, they were already mistreated in their own lives; do they really need to be relegated to a role that doesn't necessarily redeem that history or uplift them for their triumphs? I'm unsure how fair that is to the author, but I do know that I live somewhere on the fence with their addition to the plot.
What really resonated with me in this book was the setting and the insanely creative world-building. It felt like an insane blend of the book Between Two Fires and Resident Evil Village. The creation of these monstrous angels that end up corrupting humanity into these giant amalgamations of limbs, eyes, and wings...absolutely terrifying and fascinating. Not only were the angels so unique and beautifully described, but the setting felt like a video game or like a constant film noir filter was applied to every scene. It was almost a cinematic vibe with how bleak, disturbing, and nerve-racking the whole world feels. I enjoyed living in the discomfort of it all. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and for situations to go absolutely sideways. And Singer delivered on that.
If you like cosmic horror, if you're a big fan of Lovecraft, if you like to see women in the anti-hero role, and you don't mind a big mystery that might not be fully revealed, I really think you should attempt this. I know this story will find its target audience because fiction like this feels few and far between. If you love a very messed-up video game like Silent Hill or Resident Evil, I think you'll find this feels almost game-like in the delivery. I also really think it resonated with a lot of authors writing medieval horror, even though the time setting is different. It all feels ethereal and vague in nature.
Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The biggest point of contention for me in this story, however, is how confusing and convoluted the plot is. There is rarely a clear line from point A to B. Singer attempts to add creative elements like flashbacks, research notes, and layers of voices (character voices as well as first/third person switching) to try to tie a lot of moving parts together. Rather than working harmoniously, they end up competing and making everything messy and nearly incoherent. I had a very hard time following exactly what was going on for a good 40-50% of the book. Singer slowly doles out the information to the reader. This works for other books; however, I don't feel like it worked here. It felt as if the relevant information was always provided much later than needed. Not only that, but a lot of the clarity came through in character dialogue and had me questioning where this information aligned with previous story points. Only by the last 20% do all the points really start coming together, and I think that's why I still enjoyed reading this. It read like an absolute rollercoaster to get to a place of only mild confusion, and I'm still left with so many questions.
I am conflicted about adding historical figures to this narrative. I see how they fit into the story, and the majority of the characters' motivations felt authentic. However, the addition of maligned female scientists of history felt a bit cheap. I understand that the author wanted to pay homage to these women and their successes. However, they were already mistreated in their own lives; do they really need to be relegated to a role that doesn't necessarily redeem that history or uplift them for their triumphs? I'm unsure how fair that is to the author, but I do know that I live somewhere on the fence with their addition to the plot.
What really resonated with me in this book was the setting and the insanely creative world-building. It felt like an insane blend of the book Between Two Fires and Resident Evil Village. The creation of these monstrous angels that end up corrupting humanity into these giant amalgamations of limbs, eyes, and wings...absolutely terrifying and fascinating. Not only were the angels so unique and beautifully described, but the setting felt like a video game or like a constant film noir filter was applied to every scene. It was almost a cinematic vibe with how bleak, disturbing, and nerve-racking the whole world feels. I enjoyed living in the discomfort of it all. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and for situations to go absolutely sideways. And Singer delivered on that.
If you like cosmic horror, if you're a big fan of Lovecraft, if you like to see women in the anti-hero role, and you don't mind a big mystery that might not be fully revealed, I really think you should attempt this. I know this story will find its target audience because fiction like this feels few and far between. If you love a very messed-up video game like Silent Hill or Resident Evil, I think you'll find this feels almost game-like in the delivery. I also really think it resonated with a lot of authors writing medieval horror, even though the time setting is different. It all feels ethereal and vague in nature.
Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Angel Country by Alex T. Singer is a wild look at an alternate world at the turn of the 20th century. Angels are everywhere, but these aren’t your angels who appear human with big fluffy wings and are by and large benevolent; these are monstrosities that corrupt people, turn them into creatures, and rob them of their senses. The book opens with a xenobiologist—Dr. Ada Franklin—pulling herself out of her own grave, determined to retrieve the prototype that has been stolen from her. To help her, since she is no longer altogether human, she turns to her former lover, Blake.
Negative thoughts:
-There are a LOT of different angel types. A glossary at the front is stuffed with descriptions of them and what types they are, but it is overwhelming trying to keep which is which, what they do, and what they look like straight.
Mixed thoughts:
~Ada is an unreliable narrator, and the timeline skips around to lean fully into her mind coming undone and the horrors to which she’s bearing witness. I understand that, but there are some passages where it is almost impossible to figure out what is happening, and I was a little frustrated at the start before I just decided to roll with it.
~The rules of the world aren’t always fully explained, or Ada’s motivations aren’t really given full context in a couple places. For example, I as a reader was not sure of the relevance or importance of a piece of glass from a Fresnel lens, or the keeping of a juvenile seraph’s eye. What powers do they imbue? We see some of them, but since this is all from the author’s mind, there’s no hard limit shown to us so we can anticipate what the use of tools may be, or what might occur next. Ada simply Does Things, and I’m along for the ride.
Positive thoughts:
+This whole concept is super interesting, and I loved the whole idea of it. The setting also worked really well, as the world is pushing into more modernisation but there are the remnants of the past, such as the presence of one larger than life figure who was quite big in the 19th century.
+The horror aspect of the angels was fantastic. The changing of the body, the distortion of the mind, and the different ways the angels played on their victims was tense.
+Ada being a mad scientist was fun! She was so wrapped up in learning more, exploring everything, that she would put herself at risk just for a glimpse of something new. Not exactly the type of person you want on your team, necessarily, but she makes for a fantastic narrator.
+I guessed a couple points ahead of time and the end with the prototype was so good! It really tied into the body horror/men taking and taking from women and sharpened Ada’s rage and desperation to retrieve it at all costs.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys fiction with morally grey characters and horror lurking in every corner.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Negative thoughts:
-There are a LOT of different angel types. A glossary at the front is stuffed with descriptions of them and what types they are, but it is overwhelming trying to keep which is which, what they do, and what they look like straight.
Mixed thoughts:
~Ada is an unreliable narrator, and the timeline skips around to lean fully into her mind coming undone and the horrors to which she’s bearing witness. I understand that, but there are some passages where it is almost impossible to figure out what is happening, and I was a little frustrated at the start before I just decided to roll with it.
~The rules of the world aren’t always fully explained, or Ada’s motivations aren’t really given full context in a couple places. For example, I as a reader was not sure of the relevance or importance of a piece of glass from a Fresnel lens, or the keeping of a juvenile seraph’s eye. What powers do they imbue? We see some of them, but since this is all from the author’s mind, there’s no hard limit shown to us so we can anticipate what the use of tools may be, or what might occur next. Ada simply Does Things, and I’m along for the ride.
Positive thoughts:
+This whole concept is super interesting, and I loved the whole idea of it. The setting also worked really well, as the world is pushing into more modernisation but there are the remnants of the past, such as the presence of one larger than life figure who was quite big in the 19th century.
+The horror aspect of the angels was fantastic. The changing of the body, the distortion of the mind, and the different ways the angels played on their victims was tense.
+Ada being a mad scientist was fun! She was so wrapped up in learning more, exploring everything, that she would put herself at risk just for a glimpse of something new. Not exactly the type of person you want on your team, necessarily, but she makes for a fantastic narrator.
+I guessed a couple points ahead of time and the end with the prototype was so good! It really tied into the body horror/men taking and taking from women and sharpened Ada’s rage and desperation to retrieve it at all costs.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys fiction with morally grey characters and horror lurking in every corner.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
~Thank you, Saga Press for the ARC of Angel Country in exchange for an honest review~
I have opinions on this book, and I don't think I've ever read anything that has me feeling so polarized. Do I recommend this book? Mostly, yes. Do I also think it's frustrating to read? At times, yes.
What it does well:
The atmosphere of this world is cloyingly spooky, and the juxtaposition with the music of it all is delicious. I was enrapt. The angels are weird and fascinating. The descriptions and variety add so much to this book.
Women in STEM! We stan a mad scientist woman! And Doctor Ada Franklin is a phenomenal character. I couldn't stop thinking about her and the insane lengths she is willing to go for the sake of science.
The relationships! I love twisted and complex dynamics between characters, especially after things have gone sour, but there's still sweetness left to draw them to each other.
There are particular scenes that pack such an insane punch. They are so cinematic that even me with my moderate to severe aphantasia could see them in my mind's eye. The Showman... are you kidding me? Incredible. The Auction... so disturbing and riveting. And the entire last 15% of the book, I could not stop for a moment! It was totally gripping.
All this made it absolutely worth it.
Where it struggled:
I've seen other reviews talk about the confusing time-jumping, but I didn't find those jumps particularly confusing. A little bit, admittedly, but what was more confusing for me was the present day scenes that got a little abstract. I knew when we were, I just didn't know where we were and why we were. At times it made me extremely frustrated.
I think we needed some more concrete world-building. The angels are incredibly cool, but how they infect humans and animals with Grace still remains a mystery to me and that seems like one of the basic functions of their existence in the world. I'm okay with how they came to be there being a mystery, but I wouldn't have minded more background there too.
Other questions left unanswered, but I'm not about to ask them and spoil anything. So I'll just say I wanted a little more about how all of it happened!
Last thoughts and comments:
If you read this, and if you like mad scientist women in etherally creepy worlds you should read this, I made a playlist for the music referenced in the book. I added all of the real songs and tried to find my best estimations as substitutes for the ones that are not. It's fun to listen to while reading along. I definitely recommend doing this.
Go into this expecting some friction, but trust the payoffs will make it an experience worth having.
I have opinions on this book, and I don't think I've ever read anything that has me feeling so polarized. Do I recommend this book? Mostly, yes. Do I also think it's frustrating to read? At times, yes.
What it does well:
The atmosphere of this world is cloyingly spooky, and the juxtaposition with the music of it all is delicious. I was enrapt. The angels are weird and fascinating. The descriptions and variety add so much to this book.
Women in STEM! We stan a mad scientist woman! And Doctor Ada Franklin is a phenomenal character. I couldn't stop thinking about her and the insane lengths she is willing to go for the sake of science.
The relationships! I love twisted and complex dynamics between characters, especially after things have gone sour, but there's still sweetness left to draw them to each other.
There are particular scenes that pack such an insane punch. They are so cinematic that even me with my moderate to severe aphantasia could see them in my mind's eye. The Showman... are you kidding me? Incredible. The Auction... so disturbing and riveting. And the entire last 15% of the book, I could not stop for a moment! It was totally gripping.
All this made it absolutely worth it.
Where it struggled:
I've seen other reviews talk about the confusing time-jumping, but I didn't find those jumps particularly confusing. A little bit, admittedly, but what was more confusing for me was the present day scenes that got a little abstract. I knew when we were, I just didn't know where we were and why we were. At times it made me extremely frustrated.
I think we needed some more concrete world-building. The angels are incredibly cool, but how they infect humans and animals with Grace still remains a mystery to me and that seems like one of the basic functions of their existence in the world. I'm okay with how they came to be there being a mystery, but I wouldn't have minded more background there too.
Other questions left unanswered, but I'm not about to ask them and spoil anything. So I'll just say I wanted a little more about how all of it happened!
Last thoughts and comments:
If you read this, and if you like mad scientist women in etherally creepy worlds you should read this, I made a playlist for the music referenced in the book. I added all of the real songs and tried to find my best estimations as substitutes for the ones that are not. It's fun to listen to while reading along. I definitely recommend doing this.
Go into this expecting some friction, but trust the payoffs will make it an experience worth having.
October 22, 2026
Generally I skim a review or two before going in to get a vibe for the book. I either didn’t do that this time or grossly overestimate my comprehensive reading skills because this book kicked my ass. And that is absolutely a compliment but also a WARNING. This is a tough read. It’s alt history set at the start of the twentieth century where much of the US is the same but also there are biblically accurate angels all over the place. Our protagonist is the brilliant yet insanely reckless Ada Franklin. She’s always been a bit of an anomaly to those around her because she is brazen. She often is forced to co-author with men due to the time period and misogyny but is tough as nails.
The first half or so of this book felt like trying to watch Memento for the first twenty minutes. You think you have a decent grasp on what’s happening and then everything resets. The writing is beautiful but not always decipherable. Time is completely nonlinear in the narrative and it’s often not made clear the book has shifted into memory. Sometimes there would be competing storylines which seem to meander yet intersect often. This worked at times but often it was a struggle to hang on. This is likely the closest I’ve come to DNF a book in years but I’m glad I stuck it out. My brain got a decent workout and when everything begins to mesh together so much became clear. Sadly with declining American literacy rates I worry this won’t find a wide audience. We’ve become accustomed to books that explain in detail and then reiterate over and over so the reader can skim or lack focus but still absorb enough to enjoy the storyline. This book is the opposite of that. The imagery in this story was fantastic and incredible to envision. If you prefer books that are more instant gratification (zero judgement, life sucks enough, read whatever works for you) then this is likely a miss but if you like WEIRD complex books then this is worth the effort.
The first half or so of this book felt like trying to watch Memento for the first twenty minutes. You think you have a decent grasp on what’s happening and then everything resets. The writing is beautiful but not always decipherable. Time is completely nonlinear in the narrative and it’s often not made clear the book has shifted into memory. Sometimes there would be competing storylines which seem to meander yet intersect often. This worked at times but often it was a struggle to hang on. This is likely the closest I’ve come to DNF a book in years but I’m glad I stuck it out. My brain got a decent workout and when everything begins to mesh together so much became clear. Sadly with declining American literacy rates I worry this won’t find a wide audience. We’ve become accustomed to books that explain in detail and then reiterate over and over so the reader can skim or lack focus but still absorb enough to enjoy the storyline. This book is the opposite of that. The imagery in this story was fantastic and incredible to envision. If you prefer books that are more instant gratification (zero judgement, life sucks enough, read whatever works for you) then this is likely a miss but if you like WEIRD complex books then this is worth the effort.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"So that perhaps in death, you may finally know what woman perhaps lurked in this shifting form."
When I read the description, I knew it would be right up my alley. And it was.
If you enjoy biblically accurate angels, body horror, women's wrongs and women in STEM, and music, you will probably enjoy this as well.
Since I read an ARC of this book, the delivery of the story was challenging at times due to unpolished formatting, but the foundation was there and it was working very well. It's a written account done in the style of an intimate research report with footnote interjections with helpful information as well as direct communication to the reader (to the protagonist's reader, specifically). There are special interjections between the chapters delivered like the report of tests that also further the story while giving us little details and hints about how everything and everyone is tied together.
"They had no way of knowing my brand of stubbornness transcended mortal law."
Ada Franklin, the protagonist, was a wonderful character to hear the story from. Her perspective is interesting, her own emotions add to her view of the events, and she is perfectly imperfect. Just enough of a the independent type (a woman with fierce intelligence and ambitions that she is not afraid to chase) to satisfy the desire to see a driven woman take control of things while not tipping towards some strange, oddly flawless being who everyone must bow down to (or fall in love with). Through the twists of past and present, her perspective left nothing to be desired. It delivered wonderfully and I legitimately sat back in my seat when some things became clear towards the end of the book because the build up had been done so well.
There are villains, of course, but there is also moral ambiguity which I love. I enjoy traditional tales of heroes vs. The Big Bad, but I also thoroughly adore complex characters and scenarios and what it means to be human (or, at least, human-esque). Everyone in the book has their own unique goals that sometime clash and sometimes work together and Singer makes us confront what we want in our own lives as well as how far is too far in getting what we want. This mixes perfectly with the setting and underlying commentary of a budding America that yearns to expand West but clashes with the angels and the First Nations who have been learning to live around them.
I really would love to say more, but I think going into the story without knowing more will allow it to unfold the best. With the published version, I am sure the formatting will be perfectly clear and maybe some of the reveals will seem more obvious than they had to me (though that's some of the joy in twists and reveals because I love seeing all the little hints that seemed innocuous before through a new (Fresnel) lens).
"Horns blared. People shouted. Angels sang."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating 4.25
Angel Country is one of those ambitious genre novels where atmosphere and concept matter just as much as, if not more than, the plot itself. That gives the book a powerful identity before you even turn the first page. The premise feels both cinematic and literary, which is a rare combination: angels as invasive horrors, scientists experimenting with divinity, and a woman clawing her way out of her own grave.
What impressed me most was that Singer avoids a simple “good versus evil” framework, choosing instead to explore morally gray territory. I especially appreciated how the horror comes less from monsters attacking humanity and more from humanity trying to comprehend forces that should perhaps remain unknowable.
What surprised me most, though, was how emotional the story becomes beneath all the cosmic terror. The relationship between Ada and her transformed former lover gives the novel a painful humanity that prevents the larger supernatural elements from feeling cold or abstract. Even at its most grotesque, the narrative carries an undercurrent of longing.
That said, the novel’s ambition occasionally works against it. At times, the dense worldbuilding overshadows character development, and the heavy mythology combined with the emphasis on atmosphere over momentum can affect the pacing. Still, Angel Country is immersive, unsettling fiction that prioritizes mood, mystery, and psychological unease over straightforward action.
Overall, Angel Country is the kind of novel that leaves you staring at the ceiling afterward, feeling as though something vast and incomprehensible has just brushed against the edge of human understanding. It feels destined to become a future cult classic.
Angel Country is one of those ambitious genre novels where atmosphere and concept matter just as much as, if not more than, the plot itself. That gives the book a powerful identity before you even turn the first page. The premise feels both cinematic and literary, which is a rare combination: angels as invasive horrors, scientists experimenting with divinity, and a woman clawing her way out of her own grave.
What impressed me most was that Singer avoids a simple “good versus evil” framework, choosing instead to explore morally gray territory. I especially appreciated how the horror comes less from monsters attacking humanity and more from humanity trying to comprehend forces that should perhaps remain unknowable.
What surprised me most, though, was how emotional the story becomes beneath all the cosmic terror. The relationship between Ada and her transformed former lover gives the novel a painful humanity that prevents the larger supernatural elements from feeling cold or abstract. Even at its most grotesque, the narrative carries an undercurrent of longing.
That said, the novel’s ambition occasionally works against it. At times, the dense worldbuilding overshadows character development, and the heavy mythology combined with the emphasis on atmosphere over momentum can affect the pacing. Still, Angel Country is immersive, unsettling fiction that prioritizes mood, mystery, and psychological unease over straightforward action.
Overall, Angel Country is the kind of novel that leaves you staring at the ceiling afterward, feeling as though something vast and incomprehensible has just brushed against the edge of human understanding. It feels destined to become a future cult classic.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first cosmic horror and I was captivated by the unique worldbuilding, fierce main character and top-notch scheming and vengeance.
I felt immersed in this dark world with harsh weather and powerful angels. I loved how the otherworldly beings were depicted, with all their different forms and behavior beyond understanding. The created reality and the scale and chaos of it all made the story incredibly atmospheric.
An alternate, but not less misogynistic, early 20th century setting was a great background for our mad scientist heroine. Brilliant and completely devoted to her research, Ada was a fascinating character to follow. Even though she is ‘not a good person,’ as she describes herself, what she had to overcome as a female scientist and the ferocity with which she is trying to reclaim her life’s work made me root for her.
All these elements work great together. My only issue is that it was at times hard to follow, until things started to come together closer to the end. Jumping around the timeline was disorienting but I guess it also added to the fever dream quality of the story.
Angel Country is a great, fast-paced cosmic horror that I think you will enjoy if you are okay with a little confusion on the way. You will never think about angel choirs singing the same way again!
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I felt immersed in this dark world with harsh weather and powerful angels. I loved how the otherworldly beings were depicted, with all their different forms and behavior beyond understanding. The created reality and the scale and chaos of it all made the story incredibly atmospheric.
An alternate, but not less misogynistic, early 20th century setting was a great background for our mad scientist heroine. Brilliant and completely devoted to her research, Ada was a fascinating character to follow. Even though she is ‘not a good person,’ as she describes herself, what she had to overcome as a female scientist and the ferocity with which she is trying to reclaim her life’s work made me root for her.
All these elements work great together. My only issue is that it was at times hard to follow, until things started to come together closer to the end. Jumping around the timeline was disorienting but I guess it also added to the fever dream quality of the story.
Angel Country is a great, fast-paced cosmic horror that I think you will enjoy if you are okay with a little confusion on the way. You will never think about angel choirs singing the same way again!
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As soon as I heard this was a horror epic reminiscent of VanderMeer's Souther Reach trilogy, I knew I had to get in on it! Having Biblically-accurate angels (a concept that some subconscious part of my brain was waiting to be properly utilized in horror) as the primary source of danger and trouble for the characters in this world was a very compelling hook. Not only that, but spending any amount of time around these beings can give people a supernatural form of radiation called "Grace" was another brilliant idea. The worldbuilding of this alternate history sci-fi horror adventure was truly top-notch. Franklin and Blake were a great duo whose complicated relationship kept me engaged. As they made their way across a strange and frightening version of the United States with heavenly horrors lurking around every corner, I had no idea what to expect. This is a refreshingly original idea in a genre that often finds itself tangled up in tropes and cliches. My only issue was that I would occasionally get tripped up in the unusual narrative web that Singer weaved. Maybe that was intentional, I dunno! Still loved it regardless of my own confusion! Whatever Singer cooks up next, count me in!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alex T. Singer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alex T. Singer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster for this advanced copy of Angel Country!
After reading the summary of this book, I went into reading it with excitement and high expectations. Immediately you're thrown into this world full of questions that the author does not answer for you, letting you go down the ride of mystery and mania alongside the main character, Ada, who knows all but reveals almost nothing. She's as guarded and unreliable a narrator that you can find, and for good reason. Through the book you're putting puzzle pieces together by reading medical journals, flashing back to Ada's childhood, and through the whirlwind of action and horror that the characters face as they try to find the mysterious prototype that was stolen from Ada before she was murdered in the time before the book begins.
The tone of the book was excellent, and I felt myself going through the descent of Ada's madness with her as her desperation leads to redemption. I thought this book was excellent and I'm excited to see more conversations when it's released!
After reading the summary of this book, I went into reading it with excitement and high expectations. Immediately you're thrown into this world full of questions that the author does not answer for you, letting you go down the ride of mystery and mania alongside the main character, Ada, who knows all but reveals almost nothing. She's as guarded and unreliable a narrator that you can find, and for good reason. Through the book you're putting puzzle pieces together by reading medical journals, flashing back to Ada's childhood, and through the whirlwind of action and horror that the characters face as they try to find the mysterious prototype that was stolen from Ada before she was murdered in the time before the book begins.
The tone of the book was excellent, and I felt myself going through the descent of Ada's madness with her as her desperation leads to redemption. I thought this book was excellent and I'm excited to see more conversations when it's released!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.75 stars
What if the a woman was a mad scientist? What if biblically accurate angels existed and were uncontrollable like natural disasters? Both of these are the premise of Angel Country. This is a bit of horror, a bit of sci-fiction, and a lot of creativity. I really liked that there was an author interview at the end to help clarify some things.
This is an alternate universe where the thirteen original colonies did not expand westward. Instead, the world was invaded by biblically accurate angels affect the environment and people around them. Our FMC, Ada, is a woman who is a xenobiologist who has always been fascinated by angels and has made it her life's mission to study them, despite being a woman. She navigates these things despite the usual frustrations. Ada is determined to find a way to communicate with angels. The only way humans currently know how to handle them is with music. Unfortunately for her, her male colleagues have killed her and stolen her prototype and she is determined to get it back, no matter how much damage she causes to those around her.
This will not be for everyone. It was a slower read for me but I still enjoyed it overall. It jumped around in time to provide backstory to the current situation. Ada is likeable and not likeable at the same time. I found the beginning really difficult mostly because there was a lack of worldbuilding. This was done purposefully but it still hindered my ability to truly grasp everything. But as I continued to read, the puzzle pieces fell into place and it was fun.
What if the a woman was a mad scientist? What if biblically accurate angels existed and were uncontrollable like natural disasters? Both of these are the premise of Angel Country. This is a bit of horror, a bit of sci-fiction, and a lot of creativity. I really liked that there was an author interview at the end to help clarify some things.
This is an alternate universe where the thirteen original colonies did not expand westward. Instead, the world was invaded by biblically accurate angels affect the environment and people around them. Our FMC, Ada, is a woman who is a xenobiologist who has always been fascinated by angels and has made it her life's mission to study them, despite being a woman. She navigates these things despite the usual frustrations. Ada is determined to find a way to communicate with angels. The only way humans currently know how to handle them is with music. Unfortunately for her, her male colleagues have killed her and stolen her prototype and she is determined to get it back, no matter how much damage she causes to those around her.
This will not be for everyone. It was a slower read for me but I still enjoyed it overall. It jumped around in time to provide backstory to the current situation. Ada is likeable and not likeable at the same time. I found the beginning really difficult mostly because there was a lack of worldbuilding. This was done purposefully but it still hindered my ability to truly grasp everything. But as I continued to read, the puzzle pieces fell into place and it was fun.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tore through this in the span of three days, and this is a hell (pun unintended) of a debut novel. We get a woman who wakes up dead and buried in a ditch, and slowly find out that she is a scientist studying angels. It's slowly revealed that this is an alternate history where because of biblically accurate angels (aka body horror nightmares, hell yes), the US never expanded beyond the East Coast, and most of what is now the United States instead still belongs to indigenous Americans (specific divergence points - Louisiana Purchase fails, Lewis and Clark's expedition ends in failure), and the 13 colonies never grew beyond their original borders). Manifest Destiny is still being preached though, and our protagonist gets caught up in larger political machinations as she also embarks on a revenge quest. The world building here is really thoroughly done, to terrifying effect when describing the biblically accurate angels; size and nature. I also like all the literary references in the naming (Tennyson, Dolokov, Blake, etc). Comes out in October, and highly recommended when it does.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5
At its core, Angel Country is a fantastically horrific tale of resurrection and revenge as a result of a deeply misogynistic world. Knowing that our protagonist was avenging her own death and scientific discoveries at the hands of her sticky fingered colleagues kept me wholly committed until the very last page, I’ll tell ya that much.
I also loved the mystery of the elusive yet almost menacing angels roaming the earth.
I will say the structure felt disjointed and beyond comprehension at times—even as a reader of epic scopes—which left me unclear of what timeline I was in or what conversation we were having fairly often.
This is one of those things where I can respect the genuine strength in the overall plotting and prose, while also realizing that the execution is simply not for me.
Also, retrospective side note, the cover fits the story to a T and I love when that happens.
Thank you to Saga Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
At its core, Angel Country is a fantastically horrific tale of resurrection and revenge as a result of a deeply misogynistic world. Knowing that our protagonist was avenging her own death and scientific discoveries at the hands of her sticky fingered colleagues kept me wholly committed until the very last page, I’ll tell ya that much.
I also loved the mystery of the elusive yet almost menacing angels roaming the earth.
I will say the structure felt disjointed and beyond comprehension at times—even as a reader of epic scopes—which left me unclear of what timeline I was in or what conversation we were having fairly often.
This is one of those things where I can respect the genuine strength in the overall plotting and prose, while also realizing that the execution is simply not for me.
Also, retrospective side note, the cover fits the story to a T and I love when that happens.
Thank you to Saga Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Set in a dark yet richly imagined North East Colonial America, this novel draws the reader into a biblically infested horror. Ada Franklin, the main character, had her prototype taken from her by the very people who helped her construct it. Fueled by the need for revenge and to take back her life's work, she teams up with her former lover to hunt down her betrayers.
As Ada searches for her prototype, talks about expanding westward grow. The word building of this novel is very intriguing as it imagines an America in the 1900s but still consisting of the 13 original colonies. With conversations surrounding the First peoples, feminism, and scientific horrors, Angel Country explores a world where angels block colonists from the rest of the Western world.
This book is perfect for those who like the strange and often unholier side of biblically-inspired novels as well those who are looking for a gloomy mystery with an encaptivating romantic side-plot.
As Ada searches for her prototype, talks about expanding westward grow. The word building of this novel is very intriguing as it imagines an America in the 1900s but still consisting of the 13 original colonies. With conversations surrounding the First peoples, feminism, and scientific horrors, Angel Country explores a world where angels block colonists from the rest of the Western world.
This book is perfect for those who like the strange and often unholier side of biblically-inspired novels as well those who are looking for a gloomy mystery with an encaptivating romantic side-plot.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I don't know why I expect to read an eldritch horror narrative and always hope to fully understand what is going on. I would still highly recommend this to fans of Lovecraftian tales and body-horror. While the plot itself makes sense, and I loved Ada as a protagonist, I always struggle much more with the theater of the mind in these kinds of stories. My first reaction to this was, "Oh this is going to be the angel version of Attack on Titan," which wasn't entirely wrong. Less Attack on Titan and more "Frankenstein's Monster" revenge plot, where our slowly devolving protagonist slowly and violently claws back her life's work. If anything, I just feel that there were too many names and roles getting jumbled around that I found it hard to keep track of who was who; however, I really want to give this book a re-read once it's fully published and see if I can digest it better in print.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss and S&S Saga Press for the advanced digital copy of this book.
In 1904, scientist Ada Franklin wakes in her grave, discovers her research partner stole her angel-communication device, and pursues him across an alternate America warped by celestial horror.
This one was a little hard to follow. The horror aspects definitely kept me going. Actually, I enjoyed the ending. The middle and all the POVs and writing style made it difficult than necessary though.
Our narrator is unreliable at best. I really can only describe this one as experimental. It really was unlike anything I’ve read and will stick with me for a bit. I could see many people giving this complex story 5 stars; it was just not for me.
In 1904, scientist Ada Franklin wakes in her grave, discovers her research partner stole her angel-communication device, and pursues him across an alternate America warped by celestial horror.
This one was a little hard to follow. The horror aspects definitely kept me going. Actually, I enjoyed the ending. The middle and all the POVs and writing style made it difficult than necessary though.
Our narrator is unreliable at best. I really can only describe this one as experimental. It really was unlike anything I’ve read and will stick with me for a bit. I could see many people giving this complex story 5 stars; it was just not for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Angel Country is a captivating read with a unique premise and intriguing narrative.
My motivation for reading this book was the fact that it focused on a female scientist. Ada was my favorite since her volatile perspective intensified the story’s mystery and tension. The book was also well-written, fast-paced, and included great side characters. The best part, the author also delivered a unique premise perfectly.
Overall, Angel Country is an incredible read. I highly recommend it to fantasy and horror fans.
Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review.
My motivation for reading this book was the fact that it focused on a female scientist. Ada was my favorite since her volatile perspective intensified the story’s mystery and tension. The book was also well-written, fast-paced, and included great side characters. The best part, the author also delivered a unique premise perfectly.
Overall, Angel Country is an incredible read. I highly recommend it to fantasy and horror fans.
Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of Angel Country by Alex T. Singer for review. Angel Country was a wonderfully unique sci-fi/fantasy novel with a horror edge. The novel is a very slow read because it throws so much context and background information to make the main plot come alive and imbue it with atmosphere. Ada was an engaging main character, and I was completely engaged with her quest to retrieve her prototype. Pick up Angel Country if you love slow-burning and unique dark sci-fi.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this novel as an eARC!
What an interesting concept! I really loved the angels-as-horror element, you don't see that super often. I didn't get super attached to the characters, but the writing itself was lovely, so that's okay!
Honestly, this might've been a five-star read, were it not for the fact that it's told in first-person, which I personally can't stand. I'm sure people who enjoy first-person will enjoy it, though! It's a very good book!
Four stars out of five for Angel Country!
What an interesting concept! I really loved the angels-as-horror element, you don't see that super often. I didn't get super attached to the characters, but the writing itself was lovely, so that's okay!
Honestly, this might've been a five-star read, were it not for the fact that it's told in first-person, which I personally can't stand. I'm sure people who enjoy first-person will enjoy it, though! It's a very good book!
Four stars out of five for Angel Country!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Absolutely terrifying eldritch "angels": check. Weird science in an alt-history 1904 America: check. Strong, smart, complicated woman dealing with patriarchy BS: check. This is a fantastic spooky season choice for lovers of thoughtful horror lit, and historical period fantasy. Kind of like Mary Shelley taking over Lovecraft country! 8/10
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I was lost most of it however this book is amazing
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