Angel Down

by Micky O'Brady

"O’Brady has done to angels what Stephenie Meyer has done to vampires." ~ Vincent Dublado, Readers' Favorite "Angel Down by Micky O'Brady is a compelling meld of science fiction and the supernatural, featuring memorable characters and a conflict that takes readers by the scruff of the neck and defies them to put the book down. Micky O'Brady is able to open a path to escapism so cleverly that I crossed the threshold unknowingly. It is the kind of craftsmanship that elevates the art of storytelling to a worthy calling." ~ Ruffina Oserio, Readers' Favorite "Angel Down by Micky O’Brady is a paranormal romance with action-adventure elements that appears eminently suited to the young adult audience. Angel Down includes the thrill of a forbidden romance, the excitement of reconnaissance, and the satisfaction of suspicions confirmed." ~ Cecelia Hopkins, Readers' Favorite Ten years ago, the Founders, angel-like creatures, arrived in their spaceships and conquered humanity. Seventeen-year-old Lea Akiyama knows all their rules by heart, especially the Eleventh Thou Shalt Not Touch Those Descended From The Heavens. After all, breaking that rule got her parents killed. Unfortunately, she does touch a Founder. Okay, she saves his life, but still. It would be eighteen-year-old Jamie’s right to kill her. Instead due to a weird twist of fate they both end up doing the bidding of the human Resistance. Trapped and forced into cooperation, Jamie is the last person Lea expected to bond with. Granted, he’s definitely hot thanks to those uber-perfect Founder-genes, but he’s still one of them. Yet, as Lea and Jamie begin a dangerous double game for their freedom, the sparking tension between them becomes impossible to ignore. Desperately trying to keep their distance from each other, Lea and Jamie uncover the Founders’ biggest secret—a secret that could change the course of the world and puts Lea in mortal peril not only by the Founders and their commandments, but even more by the boy she is falling for.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2021

About the author

Micky O’Brady is a pediatrician-turned-writer living in beautiful, dry Southern California with her husband and two critters (one son, one dog). Micky loves to write YA thrillers with a romantic twist, mainly because she wishes her life had been such an awesome mix of action and cute guys when she was a teen.

When she isn’t up at around 3 a.m. (with a cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot) drafting stories she can’t get out of her head, she can be found at a martial arts dojo, though maybe not at 3 a.m. She holds a 2nd degree black belt in Judo and a brown belt in Krav Maga, and is convinced every girl should know how to kick some butt.

Micky also is a firm believer in the healing powers of Nutella eaten straight from the glass and in the magic that can happen on a rainy day, as long as there are fuzzy socks and a cup of tea involved.

Reviews

[CrowCaller · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a ton of potential here and it really wasn't that bad by the end! It's just... poorly written, often, filled with cliches and wasted potential. The world, the concept, the ideas are all things I find fun and interesting... but they are mostly ignored in favour of long arguments in hidden bunkers and fruitless missions. The lore is the the good stuff, but the main characters are both idiots who fail to communicate or ask questions.

The plot twists are a similar thing, where they are perhaps the most choreographed twists I've ever read, with characters pretty much explicitly spelling them out ahead of time, only for the leads to be FLOORED when things come to light.

Maybe will write a full review. I didn't think I'd want to read any more, but I kinda do. It's alright. I've inflated the star rating a little out of a sort of... pity? Desire? Hope? This is an indie book and feels very self published, very much in need of heavy critique and fixes. But I've read so much worse and I did have fun anyway.