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An Angel's Demise
An Angel's Demise is an epic saga that explores a contested legacy and the heartrending destiny of a family. The year is 1977 and the story begins on a farm in Somabhula with the birth of Angel.
The farm is run by Paul Williams, an outwardly harsh and bigoted man who holds the livelihoods of many in his hands. When Angel's parents join the liberation struggle, she is left in the care of her grandmothers, who have been in service to the Williams family for generations.
Angel grows up on the farm over three momentous decades that see a convoluted past and inheritance unfold into an equally complicated present. Through her, we see a woman's quest to unearth her identity and assert her independence. In the process of self-discovery, Angel realises that sometimes you need to be uprooted before you can grow.
An Angel's Demise , Sue Nyathi's fourth novel, is a gripping tale infused with spirituality. It recounts an explosive story of love, war, bloody massacre and betrayal that encompasses a harrowing history, the cruel caprice of politics, gender-based violence and what happens when ordinary people get caught up in lies.
The farm is run by Paul Williams, an outwardly harsh and bigoted man who holds the livelihoods of many in his hands. When Angel's parents join the liberation struggle, she is left in the care of her grandmothers, who have been in service to the Williams family for generations.
Angel grows up on the farm over three momentous decades that see a convoluted past and inheritance unfold into an equally complicated present. Through her, we see a woman's quest to unearth her identity and assert her independence. In the process of self-discovery, Angel realises that sometimes you need to be uprooted before you can grow.
An Angel's Demise , Sue Nyathi's fourth novel, is a gripping tale infused with spirituality. It recounts an explosive story of love, war, bloody massacre and betrayal that encompasses a harrowing history, the cruel caprice of politics, gender-based violence and what happens when ordinary people get caught up in lies.
- GenresZimbabwe
354 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 2022
21 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 3, 2023
I love Sue Nyathi and have read all her books. This book, however, fell short for me.
This book had Half of a Yellow Sun potential but Sue just couldn’t build characters that were compelling enough to move the story ahead. There were unnecessary characters, unnecessary side stories, and unnecessary long-winded historical facts — this especially took away from time that could have been spent on character development.
*The Story*
Sue had many great ideas; A story about the birth of Zimbabwe, a story about the fight for liberation in Zim, a story about a white family adopting their domestic worker’s grandchild, a story about a military man who lost himself during the war and was left with nothing, a story of a black girl growing up in a white family, forbidden interracial, incestuous(technically) love, a story about African spirituality — there were so many themes that could have been truly great had they been completely separate books.
She tried really hard to weave them into one but it felt so disconnected and made it incredibly difficult for me to root for or feel connected to any character in the book. It made it a hard read and I almost gave up multiple times.
*The characters*
It’s called An Angel’s Demise but it’s hardly about that. Angel was also just not a great protagonist. She might have been had we not over explained everyone else’s role in her life. Another thing, a man she hardly knows kidnaps her and she… has great sex with him that same night?? I’m confused. No trauma, no despair? Just orgasmic sex?
Anyway…
Some characters didn’t need that much page time, Douglas for example added nothing to the story. I’d argue that even the constant presence of Mabusi and Khiwa felt lazy. Bringing Simphiwe back for absolutely no reason at the end of the story was also so very random. Why was she there? She could’ve died on that field and the story would have remained exactly the same.
Sigh. I could say so many things but this book left me with so many question marks.
Sue’s Gold Diggers was moving and memorable, The Family Tree was emotional, raw, and real. An Angel’s Demise? Not her best work.
This book had Half of a Yellow Sun potential but Sue just couldn’t build characters that were compelling enough to move the story ahead. There were unnecessary characters, unnecessary side stories, and unnecessary long-winded historical facts — this especially took away from time that could have been spent on character development.
*The Story*
Sue had many great ideas; A story about the birth of Zimbabwe, a story about the fight for liberation in Zim, a story about a white family adopting their domestic worker’s grandchild, a story about a military man who lost himself during the war and was left with nothing, a story of a black girl growing up in a white family, forbidden interracial, incestuous(technically) love, a story about African spirituality — there were so many themes that could have been truly great had they been completely separate books.
She tried really hard to weave them into one but it felt so disconnected and made it incredibly difficult for me to root for or feel connected to any character in the book. It made it a hard read and I almost gave up multiple times.
*The characters*
It’s called An Angel’s Demise but it’s hardly about that. Angel was also just not a great protagonist. She might have been had we not over explained everyone else’s role in her life. Another thing, a man she hardly knows kidnaps her and she… has great sex with him that same night?? I’m confused. No trauma, no despair? Just orgasmic sex?
Anyway…
Some characters didn’t need that much page time, Douglas for example added nothing to the story. I’d argue that even the constant presence of Mabusi and Khiwa felt lazy. Bringing Simphiwe back for absolutely no reason at the end of the story was also so very random. Why was she there? She could’ve died on that field and the story would have remained exactly the same.
Sigh. I could say so many things but this book left me with so many question marks.
Sue’s Gold Diggers was moving and memorable, The Family Tree was emotional, raw, and real. An Angel’s Demise? Not her best work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2023
The novel opens with the birth of Angel, and tells her evolving story of love, family, hope, ancestry, spirituality, war and survival.
The narrative spans across four generations of resilient women from the same family, and is set against the historical context of Zimbabwe's struggle for independence. Mabusi, the matriarch of the family, single handedly raised her daughter Khiwa, her granddaughter Simphiwe and her great-granddaughter Angel, until she met her own demise. She does this amidst the threat of poverty, war, hatred and loss.
There are many subjects that the story touches on, and one that spoke to me, is the sense of belonging. We all need a place to belong, a place we can have peace, a place of safety, a place that grounds you. For Angel, her journey to self discovery and to the place of belonging, was filled with so many almosts, that it broke my heart. Nothing is as incomplete as an “almost”. She almost had a mother, but she was taken away from her by the war. She almost had a family but society had a crafty way of reminding her she just doesn’t quite fit in. She almost had Bradley but timing seemed to always get in the way. She forged her promised land with the General, and I did not like it for her, but as her supporter, I had to accept that it was what she needed.
I only began to understand the significance of the title, as I read the book. The title is definitely befitting. Angel had to die for Angel to be reborn. In this context, it is a beautiful title. I loved how intentional Angel was, about writing her own story. She weaved her own path to self-discovery, and this allowed her to be at one with her ancestors. This spiritual union saves her on so many occasions, and gives her a slap or two sometimes.
Again, another stupendous delivery from Sue Nyathi. The historical context was well researched, and delivered without making the novel feel like a history text book. This is a captivating read, and compelling story that immerses the reader in Angel’s story, and her struggle for survival.
The narrative spans across four generations of resilient women from the same family, and is set against the historical context of Zimbabwe's struggle for independence. Mabusi, the matriarch of the family, single handedly raised her daughter Khiwa, her granddaughter Simphiwe and her great-granddaughter Angel, until she met her own demise. She does this amidst the threat of poverty, war, hatred and loss.
There are many subjects that the story touches on, and one that spoke to me, is the sense of belonging. We all need a place to belong, a place we can have peace, a place of safety, a place that grounds you. For Angel, her journey to self discovery and to the place of belonging, was filled with so many almosts, that it broke my heart. Nothing is as incomplete as an “almost”. She almost had a mother, but she was taken away from her by the war. She almost had a family but society had a crafty way of reminding her she just doesn’t quite fit in. She almost had Bradley but timing seemed to always get in the way. She forged her promised land with the General, and I did not like it for her, but as her supporter, I had to accept that it was what she needed.
I only began to understand the significance of the title, as I read the book. The title is definitely befitting. Angel had to die for Angel to be reborn. In this context, it is a beautiful title. I loved how intentional Angel was, about writing her own story. She weaved her own path to self-discovery, and this allowed her to be at one with her ancestors. This spiritual union saves her on so many occasions, and gives her a slap or two sometimes.
Again, another stupendous delivery from Sue Nyathi. The historical context was well researched, and delivered without making the novel feel like a history text book. This is a captivating read, and compelling story that immerses the reader in Angel’s story, and her struggle for survival.
October 23, 2024
As a lover of historic friction, I enjoyed this. The parts with Douglas were a bit of a drag.
October 14, 2023
A recommendation: AN ANGEL'S DEMISE, Sue Nyathi. Brave, bold, and big. Velile's story spans decades and the delivery is spellbinding against a fraught political background meandering between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
If you loved THE WANDERERS, Mpush Ntabeni THE LOST LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL, Mandla Langa, WAY BACK HOME, Niq Mhlongo. THE BOOK OF MEMORY, Petina Gappah, THE THEORY OF FLIGHT, THE HISTORY OF MAN & THE QUALITY OF MERCY, Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, and many other African historical novels, you will definitely want to read AN ANGEL'S DEMISE.
Erm...this is not a one-sitting read. Be prepared for a great history lesson and the lives lived, touched and affected by those events, the effects still reverberate today through collective trauma, countries falling apart and citizenry hanging on by a thread.
"Personalising history lends it a pleasing miniature expanse. This pacy novel reminds us that countries of Southern Africa are heirs not only to racist colonial violence, but also to liberators turned oppressors", Mpush Ntabeni.
AN ANGEL'S DEMISE is a story of hope and restoration and what can happen when we cultivate "faith as small as a mustard seed".
"May you remain high on hope".
Put this on your #wishlist, Santa may just cram it in your stocking 🧦
If you loved THE WANDERERS, Mpush Ntabeni THE LOST LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL, Mandla Langa, WAY BACK HOME, Niq Mhlongo. THE BOOK OF MEMORY, Petina Gappah, THE THEORY OF FLIGHT, THE HISTORY OF MAN & THE QUALITY OF MERCY, Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, and many other African historical novels, you will definitely want to read AN ANGEL'S DEMISE.
Erm...this is not a one-sitting read. Be prepared for a great history lesson and the lives lived, touched and affected by those events, the effects still reverberate today through collective trauma, countries falling apart and citizenry hanging on by a thread.
"Personalising history lends it a pleasing miniature expanse. This pacy novel reminds us that countries of Southern Africa are heirs not only to racist colonial violence, but also to liberators turned oppressors", Mpush Ntabeni.
AN ANGEL'S DEMISE is a story of hope and restoration and what can happen when we cultivate "faith as small as a mustard seed".
"May you remain high on hope".
Put this on your #wishlist, Santa may just cram it in your stocking 🧦
December 7, 2022
A page-turner. Fully delivers on the promise of a dramatic and engulfing tale of race and gender, history and politics, war and massacre, romance and passion, and family and inheritance. All have been weaved together on the backdrop of the search and acquisition of one’s truest identity, independence and deepest desires.
I loved every line of this book.
I loved every line of this book.
February 2, 2025
This historical fiction is based in Zimbabwe and explores the political landscape from the 70s to early 2000’s and centred around Angel’s family. I enjoyed the book and the storyline, got a lot of perspective around the country’s farming landscape until to the years where things started declining and a lot of people left the country to look for greener pastures. 🤔
Going back to Angel her bloodline has been through the most from her great grandmother Mabusi to her grandmother Khiwa and her mother Simphiwe. Her mother could have actually avoided her path if she didn’t run away with her husband to fight for the country. It was very kind of the farm owners that were white to adopt Angel who was a black child and treated her like one of their own. Angel went through the most though that stemmed from her insecurities and at some point she was able to have a wake-up call and got her degree and went back to the farm. I was just shocked that she agreed to marry the General but I guess if you think you not good enough is easy to just fall for anyone that will have you.🤷♀️
I didn’t like the part where Angel dated the brother and their reasoning was that they not blood related, to me that felt like an incest. There were also some parts that I felt they were not really necessary like after Douglas left the war and went back home I guess Sue wanted to give more context into the story. Otherwise I enjoyed the book and learning more about the politics in Zim.
Going back to Angel her bloodline has been through the most from her great grandmother Mabusi to her grandmother Khiwa and her mother Simphiwe. Her mother could have actually avoided her path if she didn’t run away with her husband to fight for the country. It was very kind of the farm owners that were white to adopt Angel who was a black child and treated her like one of their own. Angel went through the most though that stemmed from her insecurities and at some point she was able to have a wake-up call and got her degree and went back to the farm. I was just shocked that she agreed to marry the General but I guess if you think you not good enough is easy to just fall for anyone that will have you.🤷♀️
I didn’t like the part where Angel dated the brother and their reasoning was that they not blood related, to me that felt like an incest. There were also some parts that I felt they were not really necessary like after Douglas left the war and went back home I guess Sue wanted to give more context into the story. Otherwise I enjoyed the book and learning more about the politics in Zim.
June 6, 2024
The story of two families split up by atrocities, but so engaging and well researched. This book has ups and downs, passion, pain and purpose. Sue Nyati does not disappoint, I am so looking forward to reading another book of hers.
March 31, 2023
This book cleared a lot of Zimbabwe history for me, especially the conflict between the Shona and Ndebele people. Unexpectedly, it also gave a deep background on how land grabs happened and those who previously owned farms were treated. Typical of any Sue Nyathi novel, it read flowingly; has brilliant biblical background; and the sex parts always on point. No wonder it won an award as it was a really well plotted books, brilliant twists. I highly recommend it and have to add that her third novel, A family affair, is still my favorite.
January 4, 2023
Sue's 4th novel, An Angel's Demise, explores various themes such as spirituality, racism, black and white supremacy, generational relationship dynamics, politics, war, love, hate, healing and ofcourse it wouldn't be a Sue Nyathi novel without death.
The journey begins with the birth of Angel(a) Velile and through her story we are introduced to both sides of her black and white family. Seeing Angel grow into the woman she is and learning of the stories of the people in her life is painful, eye opening, heart warming, funny, sad, beautiful.
A story of strength, endurance, character and determination. I definitely recommend it.
The journey begins with the birth of Angel(a) Velile and through her story we are introduced to both sides of her black and white family. Seeing Angel grow into the woman she is and learning of the stories of the people in her life is painful, eye opening, heart warming, funny, sad, beautiful.
A story of strength, endurance, character and determination. I definitely recommend it.
December 4, 2025
3.5 stars.
Read
January 11, 2025SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
One of the best pieces of work I have come cross. I am a very picky reader, but I promise you Sue balanced romance, culture, beliefs, history so perfectly I just couldn't put the book down. Sue gave it to us real and enticing. I am having a hard time deciding what it is about this book that is grating my tits, between the fact that all the 4 generations of women went through the most because of men (simply put) or the fact that the racism in this book closely depicts what actually happened in history. The tea in this book is hot. The gossip lover in me kept on clapping once Anyway...
I haven't picked my jaw from the floor from the moment I discovered that the general literally kidnapped Angel into a relationship. Ol'man didn't even put in any effort to try and woo the girl. I'm not even going to touch on the treatment she was subjected to from the time they were fighting for the farm to the time they lost it. I remember pausing to cry about the way Angel was beaten almost to a pulp because of the farm but still held on. The resilience!
Angley! Yes, Angel & Bradley lol. I was heavily rooting for Angel and Bradley and was did not at any point celebrate Brad's union with his wife, I forgot her name(that's how much I disliked her lol)
Am I the only one who was low-key wishing for Simphiwe to find love during her training because I knew for a fact Angel's dad would have moved on? I'm a girl's girl.
This is the most chaotic review I have ever seen, I'm ashamed, but I can tell you that's exactly how the thoughts are arranged in my brain.
@Sue Nyathi (I was hoping to tag you), this book is a masterpiece. THANK YOU!
Sue Nyathi
One of the best pieces of work I have come cross. I am a very picky reader, but I promise you Sue balanced romance, culture, beliefs, history so perfectly I just couldn't put the book down. Sue gave it to us real and enticing. I am having a hard time deciding what it is about this book that is grating my tits, between the fact that all the 4 generations of women went through the most because of men (simply put) or the fact that the racism in this book closely depicts what actually happened in history. The tea in this book is hot. The gossip lover in me kept on clapping once Anyway...
I haven't picked my jaw from the floor from the moment I discovered that the general literally kidnapped Angel into a relationship. Ol'man didn't even put in any effort to try and woo the girl. I'm not even going to touch on the treatment she was subjected to from the time they were fighting for the farm to the time they lost it. I remember pausing to cry about the way Angel was beaten almost to a pulp because of the farm but still held on. The resilience!
Angley! Yes, Angel & Bradley lol. I was heavily rooting for Angel and Bradley and was did not at any point celebrate Brad's union with his wife, I forgot her name(that's how much I disliked her lol)
Am I the only one who was low-key wishing for Simphiwe to find love during her training because I knew for a fact Angel's dad would have moved on? I'm a girl's girl.
This is the most chaotic review I have ever seen, I'm ashamed, but I can tell you that's exactly how the thoughts are arranged in my brain.
@Sue Nyathi (I was hoping to tag you), this book is a masterpiece. THANK YOU!
Sue Nyathi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
About The Book
An Angel's Demise is a work of fiction that incorporates historical facts about Zimbabwe. It details the lives of several characters of the same two family lines whose lives have been intertwined over four generations. One family of european descent, and the other native Zimbabwean during times of racial discrimination, they live closely together for four generations that they end up being family; but getting there is a journey that this book tells of. The book spans from the Rhodesian age to Mugabe's Tyranny, ending in 2008. It is a literary fiction depicting tons of family drama and a little bit of fantasy. It is a story of tragedy, loss, love and politics.
Writing style
The story is progressive, starting from Angel's mother but back tracks to her great grandmother right through to Angel. Quite a lot happens in the story as the lives of four generations of women are dealt with one by one. It is easy enough to read but sometimes jumps ahead by several months and then gives an idea of what occurred during the months that were skipped as a reflection.
My Personal Feelings
I loved the book. I connected to the different characters and became invested in some of the characters' wellbeing, rooting for a good outcome for them.
An Angel's Demise is a work of fiction that incorporates historical facts about Zimbabwe. It details the lives of several characters of the same two family lines whose lives have been intertwined over four generations. One family of european descent, and the other native Zimbabwean during times of racial discrimination, they live closely together for four generations that they end up being family; but getting there is a journey that this book tells of. The book spans from the Rhodesian age to Mugabe's Tyranny, ending in 2008. It is a literary fiction depicting tons of family drama and a little bit of fantasy. It is a story of tragedy, loss, love and politics.
Writing style
The story is progressive, starting from Angel's mother but back tracks to her great grandmother right through to Angel. Quite a lot happens in the story as the lives of four generations of women are dealt with one by one. It is easy enough to read but sometimes jumps ahead by several months and then gives an idea of what occurred during the months that were skipped as a reflection.
My Personal Feelings
I loved the book. I connected to the different characters and became invested in some of the characters' wellbeing, rooting for a good outcome for them.
March 8, 2025
This is my second Sue Nyathi book and I liked this one a lot more than gold diggers.
With that being said, there was a lot of casual violence towards women in this book, both sexually and physically which made me deeply uncomfortable but I guess that’s the reality of life.
The author did a great job of mixing history with fiction. I liked learning about Zimbabwe’s colonial past, liberation struggle and its aftermaths.
There are relationships in this book that made me very uneasy. Gregory’s “relationship” with Mabusi and his very predatory “relationship” with Khiwa.
Between us girls I didn’t mind the relationship with Brad and Angel, the one thing I did mind was the cheating. That gave me the ick, the incest, not so much(they were not related, but they were adoptive brother and sister), I don’t know what this says about me 🤨
I do wish the story had definitive timelines, we kept jumping around and it made it quite difficult to follow sometimes. Also the little bit of magical realism with the grandmothers appearing was a bit ???!!
I’m still a bit confused by the ending. Like I went back to reread the beginning and nothing
With that being said, there was a lot of casual violence towards women in this book, both sexually and physically which made me deeply uncomfortable but I guess that’s the reality of life.
The author did a great job of mixing history with fiction. I liked learning about Zimbabwe’s colonial past, liberation struggle and its aftermaths.
There are relationships in this book that made me very uneasy. Gregory’s “relationship” with Mabusi and his very predatory “relationship” with Khiwa.
Between us girls I didn’t mind the relationship with Brad and Angel, the one thing I did mind was the cheating. That gave me the ick, the incest, not so much(they were not related, but they were adoptive brother and sister), I don’t know what this says about me 🤨
I do wish the story had definitive timelines, we kept jumping around and it made it quite difficult to follow sometimes. Also the little bit of magical realism with the grandmothers appearing was a bit ???!!
I’m still a bit confused by the ending. Like I went back to reread the beginning and nothing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2024
Highly recommend!
I have always wanted to read one of Sue's books and I am glad that this was my first book. I enjoyed every page of it, one because I could relate to a lot of subjects she touched on anfd two because of her style of writing. The book is basically about a girl named Angel who was born when Zimbabwe was going through "independence". Angel lives to witness all the autrocities done by both white settlers (pre independence) and the new dispensation led by Mugabe. Its a touching story as it highlights how the Gukurahundi genocide affected people's livelihoods. Other subjects touched on are the importance sense of belonging/identity and the role of African spirituality amongst black people. Without giving away too much I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn something about Zimbabwe's history. What I liked the most about the book is how the first chapter tied so well with the last chapter of the book.
I have always wanted to read one of Sue's books and I am glad that this was my first book. I enjoyed every page of it, one because I could relate to a lot of subjects she touched on anfd two because of her style of writing. The book is basically about a girl named Angel who was born when Zimbabwe was going through "independence". Angel lives to witness all the autrocities done by both white settlers (pre independence) and the new dispensation led by Mugabe. Its a touching story as it highlights how the Gukurahundi genocide affected people's livelihoods. Other subjects touched on are the importance sense of belonging/identity and the role of African spirituality amongst black people. Without giving away too much I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn something about Zimbabwe's history. What I liked the most about the book is how the first chapter tied so well with the last chapter of the book.
February 4, 2025
Really enjoyed this book. There are great elements of storywriting: good character development, emotive, a good balance of story and history. BUT the incest was completely unnecessary and a big injustice to the adoption community. The incest between Angel and Bradley served no purpose. It could have instead been a domestic worker vs employer love affair or Angel maybe could have been orphaned a but later on and the family take her in but not adopt her. And it kept going on and on and on!!! I tried to give the writer the benefit of the doubt in thinking maybe she was trying to portray how twisted the society was at the time, but I think that was quite evident in all the other violence. I think the narrative of incest between adopted brother and sister is soooo damaging and should be left behind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2022
Civil strife and unrest in Zimbabwe rendition
*This review contains a spoiler*
Sue Nyathis has written well, but I'm disappointed as I was expecting a lot more of culture and drama but had to sieve through her rendition of civil strife in the then Rhodesia and now Zimbabwe. I
almost stopped reading the novel midway but had to do the novel justice by reading it through to the end. If u are into the background of the politics and drama of that day this would be the novel for you. I also thought there would be a spiritual leaning which drew me to the book at first but the actions of Angel in her marriage to the General was disappointing. It felt as though she sold her soul to him.. It was an overall disappointment for me
*This review contains a spoiler*
Sue Nyathis has written well, but I'm disappointed as I was expecting a lot more of culture and drama but had to sieve through her rendition of civil strife in the then Rhodesia and now Zimbabwe. I
almost stopped reading the novel midway but had to do the novel justice by reading it through to the end. If u are into the background of the politics and drama of that day this would be the novel for you. I also thought there would be a spiritual leaning which drew me to the book at first but the actions of Angel in her marriage to the General was disappointing. It felt as though she sold her soul to him.. It was an overall disappointment for me
May 4, 2025
The book is an historical treasure, but the last quarter felt rushed and incomplete. I failed to understand how and why Angel married the general - I kept hoping there was some masterful revenge going on or something. The random character at the end made no sense whatsoever. She should have gotten as much attention as Douglas got. The first three quarters of the book were solid and captivating, but it all just fell apart at the end. Such a shame. I also found the copy editing in the last quarter really shoddy. There were many tense disagreements, incorrect words/characters, etc. The end just felt sloppy.
November 19, 2025
Shamrita Bhikha: The book is about a contested legacy & the heartrending destiny of a family on a farm in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe in 1977. The farm owner & his wife adopt Angel when her parents join the liberation struggle. She grows up on the farm, fighting for love, identity & belonging in her adopted family & country that is at war with itself.
Favourite part - The end of the book, when Angel removed the sign from the gate (the General, her late husband had revived the original sigh "Belle Aciers") and replaced it with its original name "Belle Aciers".
Favourite part - The end of the book, when Angel removed the sign from the gate (the General, her late husband had revived the original sigh "Belle Aciers") and replaced it with its original name "Belle Aciers".
August 12, 2025
I liked it. If I could I’d probably instead give this a 3.7, but I wouldn’t go as low as a 3. Talented storytelling while weaving in complicated historical facts/details. The story felt jumbled at points or maybe the editor could’ve done a better job. But the last half of the book really hooked me. The main character’s decisions at the end without a real explanation kind of bothered me. But overall I enjoyed the read.
December 28, 2025
This was my favourite book this year! The book was reach in Zimbabwean and South African history. I loved the powerful lineage of women: Angel, Simphiwe, Khitai and Mabusi, each fierce in life and unwavering even in the afterlife. The idea that your ancestors can return to fight along side you or even fight for you is both powerful and deeply moving. Beautiful story!
November 24, 2022
Well crafted narrative which shines a light on a Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe society in transition. Sue Nyathi has a masterful way with words and painting enduring characters and narrative strands.
A brilliant read.
A brilliant read.
January 28, 2023
Sue never disappoints with giving us page turners 👌🏾, like her other books this book gave us lessons on some Zim history. Narration always clear and easy to follow and of'course we now know that Sue will kill a character we like...
February 5, 2023
Regarding research and the history of Zimbabwe, this is an amazing book, I learned a lot! The only reason I give it 4 and not 5 stars it’s because the way the author developed Angel’s story, compared to the rest o free family’s story, I thought it was a bit too fast in a certain points.
July 10, 2023
Great read, takes you through different aspects Rhodesia from colonization to liberation of the people. Struggle, love, hate, abandonment, friendship, adoption, adult choices and mistakes. The list goes on... Nice one Sue
April 28, 2024
In Sue’s true fashion she weaves a story of life, love, choices and their implications. She tells a story of failing to belong, failing to be and how the different stages of Zimbabwe and its struggle for independence impacted different people from different walks of life.
Loved it!
Loved it!
August 7, 2025
I would totally recommend this. What a beautiful read.
I loved how it gave me a picture of Zimbabwe’s political history. Following Angel’s road to self-discovery and finding out who she is was just so beautiful… oh and the thrilling twists 🔥🔥, totally loved it 💯
I loved how it gave me a picture of Zimbabwe’s political history. Following Angel’s road to self-discovery and finding out who she is was just so beautiful… oh and the thrilling twists 🔥🔥, totally loved it 💯
January 18, 2023
I have acquired a habit of blindly going into books, thus far, it’s been working in my favour. I went into An Angel’s Demise blind and I’m glad I did.
This book is set in Zimbabwe and Zambia between the 1800s and 2000s, it takes us through the up-and-down trajectory of Angel‘s life.
An Angel’s Demise covers a myriad of themes; politics, racism, war, African spirituality, generational dynamics, adoption, black and white supremacy, forbidden love and loss.
We experience Angel losing then finding herself, we experience growth. I’m still in awe of how Sue managed to ideally hominify her characters, she made it possible for us to effortlessly look passed their flaws and connect with each of them.
This book is such a page turner, the plot and writing had me. Sue is such a remarkable storyteller.
The unfortunate part.
I am against Bradley and Angel‘s relationship, do come for me however you want😂. That was incestuous. Bradley has to be my least favourite character, not only for taking advantage of Angel, for thinking he is the hottest thing under the sun and that Angel would never love anyone but him. Angel deserved better!Her life, her choices; I guess🙄😂.
I wish her a beautiful forever with her wheelchaired man.
This book is set in Zimbabwe and Zambia between the 1800s and 2000s, it takes us through the up-and-down trajectory of Angel‘s life.
An Angel’s Demise covers a myriad of themes; politics, racism, war, African spirituality, generational dynamics, adoption, black and white supremacy, forbidden love and loss.
We experience Angel losing then finding herself, we experience growth. I’m still in awe of how Sue managed to ideally hominify her characters, she made it possible for us to effortlessly look passed their flaws and connect with each of them.
This book is such a page turner, the plot and writing had me. Sue is such a remarkable storyteller.
The unfortunate part.
I am against Bradley and Angel‘s relationship, do come for me however you want😂. That was incestuous. Bradley has to be my least favourite character, not only for taking advantage of Angel, for thinking he is the hottest thing under the sun and that Angel would never love anyone but him. Angel deserved better!Her life, her choices; I guess🙄😂.
I wish her a beautiful forever with her wheelchaired man.
January 15, 2023
Sue has done it again. Literally consumed this book over a few days. Such a novel way of bringing forth Zimbabwe’s history in such a dramatic and storytelling way. Loved every page.
January 18, 2023
10/10
Another fantastic offering from this brilliant author. A gripping novel from cover to cover that will leave you wanting more.
Another fantastic offering from this brilliant author. A gripping novel from cover to cover that will leave you wanting more.
February 2, 2023
Sue took us on a historical journey of Zimbabwe,a journey of impossible love made possible and made Zambia look good. lol
Thank you, Sue.
Thank you, Sue.
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