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Samaria #2
Jovah's Angel
This is a standalone sequel to Archangel, set 150 years later in proverbially interesting times.
Samaria is industrialized; the Manadavvi and Jansai are wealthier; the Edori are marginalized, their roaming lifestyle disrupted; and Jovah seems to be turning a deaf ear to his angels' prayers for abatement of increasingly destructive storms. In the midst of all this, Archangel Delilah is incapacitated and replaced by shy, unworldly Alleluia. Alleya must pacify the tribes, calm the weather, make Jovah hear her, forge a reconciliation with Delilah, and find her angelico in order to get married--there's a Gloria due in four months. Unfortunately, the tribes don't want to be pacified, the weather is uncooperative, Jovah is remote, crippled Delilah wants nothing to do with angels, and Alleya's mate is identified only as a "son of Jeremiah."
Samaria is industrialized; the Manadavvi and Jansai are wealthier; the Edori are marginalized, their roaming lifestyle disrupted; and Jovah seems to be turning a deaf ear to his angels' prayers for abatement of increasingly destructive storms. In the midst of all this, Archangel Delilah is incapacitated and replaced by shy, unworldly Alleluia. Alleya must pacify the tribes, calm the weather, make Jovah hear her, forge a reconciliation with Delilah, and find her angelico in order to get married--there's a Gloria due in four months. Unfortunately, the tribes don't want to be pacified, the weather is uncooperative, Jovah is remote, crippled Delilah wants nothing to do with angels, and Alleya's mate is identified only as a "son of Jeremiah."
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1997
72 people are currently reading
1176 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Shinn
58 books2,282 followersI’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative writing, so I pursued a degree in journalism at Northwestern University so I’d be able to support myself while I figured out how to write fiction.
I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.
I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones.")
I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.
I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.
I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones.")
I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
May 21, 2010
In my opinion, this was much better than the first in the series. It still had all the good things that I liked from the previous book, but without most of my complaints. The characters in the first book were compelling but at times drove me nuts. It was the world that had me wanting to read the sequel. And it was definitely an improvement, even though at times one of the lead characters seems almost too perfect. It switched back and forth on POV's like the first book but it seemed like it was balanced with neither dragging the story any. It was also interesting in that the origins of the world are finally explained here, with most of my suspicions proving true. This series is highly addicting so far and I've already got my hands on the next book.
May 27, 2021
WARNING!: JA will make you look at the events in Archangel in a completely different way, so if you haven't read the first book yet, don't read this review, as it will spoil that first book. (And what are you waiting for? Go read Archangel now!).
When Archangel Delilah falls during a foolhardy night-time flight and breaks her wing, Jovah decrees she can't serve as Archangel if she cannot fly, and names the angel Alleluia to take her place. No one is more surprised than Alleluia herself. A studious, quiet young woman, she has neither the inclination nor the experience to take on such a job. But the god has spoken, and he must be obeyed, so the change takes place.
But it's very definitely not a good time for such a change. It's some 150 years after the events in Archangel, and Samarian weather has been turning more and more unpredictable lately. The storms and draughts are coming more frequently, and the angels' prayers for changes in the weather are not being answered by Jovah. This coincides with what seems to be a generalized breakdown in the original settler technological appliances. The equipment in the music rooms in the angel holds, for instance, has began to break down, and since no one knows how it works, this is a problem. Plus, as always in Samaria, there's friction between the various groups. All this requires strong, savvy leadership, but can Alleluia provide it?
There's no villain driving the action here, like the Archangel Raphael did in Archangel. The story mainly follows Alleluia as she does her new job the best she can, concentrating on several tasks which end up being very much related: trying to find out why Jovah isn't listening any more, trying to see if she can get the failing machines repaired and trying to find the man who should be the Angelico and stand by her to sing the Gloria. To all this Jovah says "find the son of Jeremiah", a cryptic remark indeed. But with the help of a Luminaux engineer called Caleb Augustus, Alleluia makes very surprising progress in her tasks.
Like Archangel, this is excellent fantasy and just as excellent romance... two romances for the price of one, BTW. We get the slowly developing relationship between devout Alleluia and the atheist Caleb Augustus, and we also follow the fallen Archangel, Delilah, as she adapts (mostly badly) to her new status and develops a fondness for another engineer, the Edori Noah.
Noah was a bit featureless, compared to the other three, but Alleluia, Caleb and Delilah were strong enough characters that this didn't really matter all that much to me. I especially loved Delilah, because I have a fondness for tortured female characters, but watching Alleluia and Caleb dance around each other was just lovely. What I loved the most was how perfectly suited they were to each other, despite their superficial differences. Both were people who needed to get to the bottom of things, to discover how they work. It was more obvious in Caleb's case, because he was such a tinkerer and was always fooling around with objects and machines, but Alleluia was just as curious, only in a purely intellectual way.
And this leads us to one of the things I loved best about JA: the huge, mind-blowing revelations about the history of Samaria that Alleluia and Caleb somehow discover. I can't say they were really such a surprise, by the time I got there, because we start getting hints right from the beginning of the book, when we see the oracle communicating with Jovah through an "interface". But still, this is such huge stuff, that even though my mind did instinctively reach conclusions that were in the right direction (not the exact nature of what was happening, that would have been impossible), I didn't quite believe Shinn would actually dare do this.
But she did, and I thought the results were wonderful. At least, I thought they were. I'm sure for some people what happens here will somehow make the series lose some of its magic. I'd go as far as to agree that the sense of mystery we got in Archangel can't really survive these revelations (and this is the reason why I insisted people should read that book without finding out anything about this), but for me, the magic is intact.
I thought Shinn dealt brilliantly with the implications these discoveries would have on faith, such an important thing for Samarians, especially how it affected people so different in this respect as Alleluia and Caleb. It's not a facile, simplistic reaction, and I loved the book all the more for it.
Ok, this review is already getting over-long, so a couple more comments and I'm done. First: I was fascinated by Shinn's portrayal of the changes that have taken place in Samarian society since we last saw it. Among other things, we see an early industrial revolution, and that the Edori have mostly lost their nomadic way of life. They've been herded inside sanctuaries, mostly worthless land, which doesn't keep the other Samarian groups from trying to take some away from them. For this reason, the Edori's longtime dream of going to Ysral, their mythic promised land, is more alive than ever, and we see some very interesting steps being taken.
We also see in detail some places we didn't find out much about in Archangel, like the oracles and Luminaux, both of which sound incredible.
This was a wonderfully rich, satisfying book.
When Archangel Delilah falls during a foolhardy night-time flight and breaks her wing, Jovah decrees she can't serve as Archangel if she cannot fly, and names the angel Alleluia to take her place. No one is more surprised than Alleluia herself. A studious, quiet young woman, she has neither the inclination nor the experience to take on such a job. But the god has spoken, and he must be obeyed, so the change takes place.
But it's very definitely not a good time for such a change. It's some 150 years after the events in Archangel, and Samarian weather has been turning more and more unpredictable lately. The storms and draughts are coming more frequently, and the angels' prayers for changes in the weather are not being answered by Jovah. This coincides with what seems to be a generalized breakdown in the original settler technological appliances. The equipment in the music rooms in the angel holds, for instance, has began to break down, and since no one knows how it works, this is a problem. Plus, as always in Samaria, there's friction between the various groups. All this requires strong, savvy leadership, but can Alleluia provide it?
There's no villain driving the action here, like the Archangel Raphael did in Archangel. The story mainly follows Alleluia as she does her new job the best she can, concentrating on several tasks which end up being very much related: trying to find out why Jovah isn't listening any more, trying to see if she can get the failing machines repaired and trying to find the man who should be the Angelico and stand by her to sing the Gloria. To all this Jovah says "find the son of Jeremiah", a cryptic remark indeed. But with the help of a Luminaux engineer called Caleb Augustus, Alleluia makes very surprising progress in her tasks.
Like Archangel, this is excellent fantasy and just as excellent romance... two romances for the price of one, BTW. We get the slowly developing relationship between devout Alleluia and the atheist Caleb Augustus, and we also follow the fallen Archangel, Delilah, as she adapts (mostly badly) to her new status and develops a fondness for another engineer, the Edori Noah.
Noah was a bit featureless, compared to the other three, but Alleluia, Caleb and Delilah were strong enough characters that this didn't really matter all that much to me. I especially loved Delilah, because I have a fondness for tortured female characters, but watching Alleluia and Caleb dance around each other was just lovely. What I loved the most was how perfectly suited they were to each other, despite their superficial differences. Both were people who needed to get to the bottom of things, to discover how they work. It was more obvious in Caleb's case, because he was such a tinkerer and was always fooling around with objects and machines, but Alleluia was just as curious, only in a purely intellectual way.
And this leads us to one of the things I loved best about JA: the huge, mind-blowing revelations about the history of Samaria that Alleluia and Caleb somehow discover. I can't say they were really such a surprise, by the time I got there, because we start getting hints right from the beginning of the book, when we see the oracle communicating with Jovah through an "interface". But still, this is such huge stuff, that even though my mind did instinctively reach conclusions that were in the right direction (not the exact nature of what was happening, that would have been impossible), I didn't quite believe Shinn would actually dare do this.
But she did, and I thought the results were wonderful. At least, I thought they were. I'm sure for some people what happens here will somehow make the series lose some of its magic. I'd go as far as to agree that the sense of mystery we got in Archangel can't really survive these revelations (and this is the reason why I insisted people should read that book without finding out anything about this), but for me, the magic is intact.
I thought Shinn dealt brilliantly with the implications these discoveries would have on faith, such an important thing for Samarians, especially how it affected people so different in this respect as Alleluia and Caleb. It's not a facile, simplistic reaction, and I loved the book all the more for it.
Ok, this review is already getting over-long, so a couple more comments and I'm done. First: I was fascinated by Shinn's portrayal of the changes that have taken place in Samarian society since we last saw it. Among other things, we see an early industrial revolution, and that the Edori have mostly lost their nomadic way of life. They've been herded inside sanctuaries, mostly worthless land, which doesn't keep the other Samarian groups from trying to take some away from them. For this reason, the Edori's longtime dream of going to Ysral, their mythic promised land, is more alive than ever, and we see some very interesting steps being taken.
We also see in detail some places we didn't find out much about in Archangel, like the oracles and Luminaux, both of which sound incredible.
This was a wonderfully rich, satisfying book.
September 25, 2007
My favorite of this series. I found myself identifying pretty strongly with Allelulia (the main character)* because I feel that I would probably react in the same way to similar circumstances. And Caleb? Nerdy engineer love.
All that aside, this series does have many of the same tropes as romance novels, though they also have some of the same traits are classic sci-fi fantasy, such as examining parts of our culture (in this case, technology and war and how they shape society). The emphasis overall, however, is on the relationships between the characters, rather than the science.
*Because I can totally fly and talk to God, yo.
All that aside, this series does have many of the same tropes as romance novels, though they also have some of the same traits are classic sci-fi fantasy, such as examining parts of our culture (in this case, technology and war and how they shape society). The emphasis overall, however, is on the relationships between the characters, rather than the science.
*Because I can totally fly and talk to God, yo.
September 11, 2025
4.5 stars. Nostalgia re-read, and I think I liked this even better than Archangel! In fact, this second book in the Samaria series might turn out to be the high point. It feels like in this one, Shinn managed to get the right mix between the romance, the science versus faith elements, and also revealed crucial and tantalizing details about the settlement of Samaria.
In this story, 150 years after ARCHANGEL is set, Samaria is beset by storms, which increasingly don't respond to the angels' intervention. The Archangel of the time, Delilah, gets in a flying accident and breaks her wing - and when Jovah says she can no longer serve, he names the relatively unknown angel Alleluia as her replacement. We mostly follow Alleluia as she tries to figure out what to do, and the human engineer Caleb, who may be the answer to more than one of her problems.
This book has the energy of a society right at the edge of several exciting technological advances - we meet Caleb trying to build wings to fly. He's friends with an Edori inventor, Noah, who's testing out a prototype of a car/truck-type vehicle. In their off hours, they frequent a nightclub with a singular attraction: an angel torch singer - Delilah, who's doing her best impression of a femme fatale who doesn't care she had to give up the most powerful role in their society. It's all very 1920s vibey.
This one is maybe less of an outright romance, BUT I find it far more interesting to read because some people (it's me, I'm "some people") could read it as a lowkey love triangle - with Caleb at the center. Alleluia and Caleb are endgame, and them being surprised by their feelings for each other is so sweet. But I also love that Caleb has a snarky, truth-telling relationship with Delilah - who is herself trying not to fall for Noah and his too-pure heart.
This all represents a layered complexity that ARCHANGEL didn't really have, and I haven't even mentioned the part that Alleluia is a super-nerd who starts reading books meant only for the oracles about the founding of Samaria, and typing in her own messages to Jovah... It's going where you probably think it's going, but it's so satisfying to read after the hints dropped in the first book.
The conflict in this one is real, but it ends in such a joyous place. I kept seeing scenes of this book in my head as a TV show, imagining the nuance that would be added - this is always a good sign when I'm reading or re-reading. This book has a solid conclusion, but suggests there's further story to explore. Since the next book is called The Alleluia Files you can tell there's a connection to this one. At this point in the series, it definitely feels like Shinn is building toward something.
In this story, 150 years after ARCHANGEL is set, Samaria is beset by storms, which increasingly don't respond to the angels' intervention. The Archangel of the time, Delilah, gets in a flying accident and breaks her wing - and when Jovah says she can no longer serve, he names the relatively unknown angel Alleluia as her replacement. We mostly follow Alleluia as she tries to figure out what to do, and the human engineer Caleb, who may be the answer to more than one of her problems.
This book has the energy of a society right at the edge of several exciting technological advances - we meet Caleb trying to build wings to fly. He's friends with an Edori inventor, Noah, who's testing out a prototype of a car/truck-type vehicle. In their off hours, they frequent a nightclub with a singular attraction: an angel torch singer - Delilah, who's doing her best impression of a femme fatale who doesn't care she had to give up the most powerful role in their society. It's all very 1920s vibey.
This one is maybe less of an outright romance, BUT I find it far more interesting to read because some people (it's me, I'm "some people") could read it as a lowkey love triangle - with Caleb at the center. Alleluia and Caleb are endgame, and them being surprised by their feelings for each other is so sweet. But I also love that Caleb has a snarky, truth-telling relationship with Delilah - who is herself trying not to fall for Noah and his too-pure heart.
This all represents a layered complexity that ARCHANGEL didn't really have, and I haven't even mentioned the part that Alleluia is a super-nerd who starts reading books meant only for the oracles about the founding of Samaria, and typing in her own messages to Jovah... It's going where you probably think it's going, but it's so satisfying to read after the hints dropped in the first book.
The conflict in this one is real, but it ends in such a joyous place. I kept seeing scenes of this book in my head as a TV show, imagining the nuance that would be added - this is always a good sign when I'm reading or re-reading. This book has a solid conclusion, but suggests there's further story to explore. Since the next book is called The Alleluia Files you can tell there's a connection to this one. At this point in the series, it definitely feels like Shinn is building toward something.
January 17, 2013
I picked this as my next book pretty much as a whim as I was perusing my TBR List and trying to decide what to read next.
I'm ever so glad I did.
As I said in the comments of my Dragonsong review, I do love "rediscovering old knowledge and technology" books and this is a very good one. There had been hints back in Archangel that the book was SF based rather than fantasy based, despite how it all looked and that was all confirmed here. (I think I'd also been spoiled - if you consider that spoiled - by reading a review or a note on some book site or other that the Samaria books are SF.)
That's perfect for me. I love a good "fantasy" story that turns out to have a nice, solid SF base. And as I said, this was a good one.
I don't know if it was as much as a given when the book was originally published as it is now, but because I already knew/had it figured that Jovah was going to turn out to be a spaceship, my main concern was how the devout Samarians were going to cope with learning that.
Shinn did a brilliant job of having the main protagonists to be a believer and close to an atheist. That let the revelation be come at from both sides and I think it made for a much stronger story. I came to feel very fondly about Alleluia and was particularly worried about her reaction, but I thought it was very well addressed and I was happy with how she resolved things as best she could.
I didn't find myself surprised by the turns the book took. I felt the way the story would go and the fate of the characters were telegraphed pretty early. I figured out where Alleluia would end up and with whom, I had Delilah's fate and partner also worked out. I was waiting for Jovah to provide maps that would safely get the Edori to Ysral (and while it was never spelled out that Alleya gave them the maps, I'm assuming she did and they'll have found it and some of them returned by the next book). But I didn't care. The joy was in the story and travelling it with the characters, not being amazingly wowed by the unexpected. It made it a kind of gentle read that I could enjoy without worrying desperately. Being the kind to do that over book characters (which is why I keep putting off going back to the Wars of Light and Shadow), I find that rather nice.
I'm looking forward to reading The Alleluia Files, where I'm guessing most or all of Samaria will find out about Jovah this time, instead of just Alleluia and Caleb. Hopefully there won't be such a big time gap (for me, not the characters) between books this time.
I'm ever so glad I did.
As I said in the comments of my Dragonsong review, I do love "rediscovering old knowledge and technology" books and this is a very good one. There had been hints back in Archangel that the book was SF based rather than fantasy based, despite how it all looked and that was all confirmed here. (I think I'd also been spoiled - if you consider that spoiled - by reading a review or a note on some book site or other that the Samaria books are SF.)
That's perfect for me. I love a good "fantasy" story that turns out to have a nice, solid SF base. And as I said, this was a good one.
I don't know if it was as much as a given when the book was originally published as it is now, but because I already knew/had it figured that Jovah was going to turn out to be a spaceship, my main concern was how the devout Samarians were going to cope with learning that.
Shinn did a brilliant job of having the main protagonists to be a believer and close to an atheist. That let the revelation be come at from both sides and I think it made for a much stronger story. I came to feel very fondly about Alleluia and was particularly worried about her reaction, but I thought it was very well addressed and I was happy with how she resolved things as best she could.
I didn't find myself surprised by the turns the book took. I felt the way the story would go and the fate of the characters were telegraphed pretty early. I figured out where Alleluia would end up and with whom, I had Delilah's fate and partner also worked out. I was waiting for Jovah to provide maps that would safely get the Edori to Ysral (and while it was never spelled out that Alleya gave them the maps, I'm assuming she did and they'll have found it and some of them returned by the next book). But I didn't care. The joy was in the story and travelling it with the characters, not being amazingly wowed by the unexpected. It made it a kind of gentle read that I could enjoy without worrying desperately. Being the kind to do that over book characters (which is why I keep putting off going back to the Wars of Light and Shadow), I find that rather nice.
I'm looking forward to reading The Alleluia Files, where I'm guessing most or all of Samaria will find out about Jovah this time, instead of just Alleluia and Caleb. Hopefully there won't be such a big time gap (for me, not the characters) between books this time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2025
Caleb is an inventor and an atheist--perhaps the only atheist in Samaria. He dreams of flying, designed the plans for the Gabriel Dam, and when called upon by the new archangel to repair a broken music machine at the Eyrie, he goes gladly up the steep mountain to tackle the challenge of Samaria's long-forgotten settler technology.
Alleya is a scholar. She would happily spend her days in isolation, pouring over old texts and Samaria's ancient language. But when the previous archangel is gravely wounded, Jovah chooses Alleya to replace her.
Meanwhile Samaria is awash in storms--Jovah seeming unable to answer the prayers of anyone but Alleya. The task is overwhelming. The wealthy merchants blame her. The former archangel refuses to lend aid. And Jovah--he wants her to find the "son of Jeremiah."
Who doesn't even seem to exist.
Which--with only a couple months left before the Gloria--should be terrifying.
But, actually, Alleya would really prefer to spend time with the young man who is fixing her music machine.
This is such a great book. Rereading it after many years, and like Alleya, I absolutely love Caleb!
Alleya is a scholar. She would happily spend her days in isolation, pouring over old texts and Samaria's ancient language. But when the previous archangel is gravely wounded, Jovah chooses Alleya to replace her.
Meanwhile Samaria is awash in storms--Jovah seeming unable to answer the prayers of anyone but Alleya. The task is overwhelming. The wealthy merchants blame her. The former archangel refuses to lend aid. And Jovah--he wants her to find the "son of Jeremiah."
Who doesn't even seem to exist.
Which--with only a couple months left before the Gloria--should be terrifying.
But, actually, Alleya would really prefer to spend time with the young man who is fixing her music machine.
This is such a great book. Rereading it after many years, and like Alleya, I absolutely love Caleb!
November 9, 2012
Samaria Series
If all romance books were like these, I might consider myself to be a fan of romance novels in general.
The 'Samaria' series is primarily romance - but it's balanced with enough other plot elements that it doesn't get too tedious. They're even frequently... romantic!... in a way that doesn't (usually) make me want to strangle the characters! (They're never explicit/erotic, though.)
I did read all five books back-to-back, which meant that some of the elements did get a little repetitive. Obviously, to a certain degree, Shinn found a formula and stuck with it. It wouldn't have bothered me at all if I hadn't been doing a Samaria marathon, though.
They are undeniably wish-fulfillment-based books. These are designed for women who think that having a drop-dead-gorgeous, preternaturally strong, winged lover who can pick you up and fly you through the sky is a super-sexy idea.
In tone and feel, I thought these were actually very similar to Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. They've got the nominally sci-fi setting, the fantasy 'feel,' and the character-based plot elements, with a similar mix of action, politics and personal drama.
All of the books are fully stand-alone stories.
Archangel
The angel Gabriel is set to become the next Archangel, as decreed by the voice of Jovah. However, before he ascends to his position of leadership, he must find the wife determined for him by his god - a woman named Rachel. Without an Angelica (the female counterpart to the Archangel), the complex acappella musical concert known as the Gloria cannot occur, and Jovah will rain destruction upon the land.
Being named Angelica is an honor that all girls dream of - so what could possibly go wrong? Plenty, if your destined bride belongs to a persecuted ethnic group, and has been sold into slavery - and bears no love toward angels.
Jovah's Angel
Set around 100 years after the first book. In a dramatic beginning, the well-respected Archangel Delilah is crippled in a storm, her consort killed, and Jovah names a most unlikely successor to replace her: a shy, studious angel named Alleluia (or, informally, Alleya). Like in the previous book, Alleya must find her predestined mate - but Jehovah does not know his name, identifying him only as "son of Jeremiah." Things are further complicated by Alleya's growing feelings for the inventor Caleb (who makes a bunch of steampunk-y stuff). But Caleb cannot be her destined mate... can he?
Meanwhile, Delila must deal with her feelings of resentment, and learn to live without flying. But of course, she'll find someone too - a man of the Edori (an ethnic group that resemble Jewish gypsies.)
Meanwhile - a big issue is going on. When the angels sing the songs that control the weather, often nothing happens. Climate change is leading to disaster.
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first in the series, mainly because I wasn't thrilled by the theme of industrialization going on in Samaria. Also, all the technological/sci-fi elements that were alluded to in the first book are made very clear in this story, and some of the mystery is lost. It won me over, after a while, though.
The Alleluia Files
A few hundred years have passed... The Archangel at this time, Bael, is cruel and harsh. He rules with a strong hand, and is secretly committing genocide against the Jacobites, claiming their heresies threaten the land. But - does he secretly know that their heretical stances regarding the god Jovah are true?
Far more than the other books, this one has a clear villain (Bael). However, the clear hero, the upstanding and just Jared, will make things right, if he can ever stop being too lazy to bother. He'll be helped out by the angel Lucinda, who has grown up on an isolated island, far from the politics of the angel's Aerie, and the strong-willed Tamar, a member of the heretic Jacobites.
Angelica
The Archangel Gaaron has his life mate picked out for him by Jovah. Never before has an Edori woman been picked to be Angelica - but although Susannah has the implant that allows Jovah to track the people of Samaria, unlike the Edori, she has been raised by the Edori and identifies with them. She's also only just broken up with her long term lover. (He was a big jerk though, so the reader is sure she will get over him.) She's not at all sure she wants to be Angelica. (Sound familiar? Yeah.) This one is set far before all the other books. Like in the other books, there's also a social problem to address while the romance is given time to develop: mysterious, disappearing invaders are attacking and burning the caravans of both Edori and Jansai, as well as isolated villages.
The day will be saved, and love will triumph.
Angel-Seeker
After finishing the previous book in the series, I was thinking: "Hey, are we ever going to get to see the point of view of one of the oppressed Jansai women? Pretty much all the other ethnic groups in Samaria have been covcered by POV characters." And, ta-da, here we are. Rebekah's charcter is very well done, actually. She's a rebellious girl in a repressive culture, but even after she falls in love with an angel, her ties to family and tradition hold her in a frighteningly realistic way. She also horribly underestimates her fate, if she's caught...
Meanwhile, the title character, Elizabeth, becomes an angel-seeker - a woman who desires more than anything, to bear an angel child, and will do pretty much anything to further that goal. Again, the motivations here were really well portrayed.
Both women grow as individuals over the course of the book - and, of course, find love.
If all romance books were like these, I might consider myself to be a fan of romance novels in general.
The 'Samaria' series is primarily romance - but it's balanced with enough other plot elements that it doesn't get too tedious. They're even frequently... romantic!... in a way that doesn't (usually) make me want to strangle the characters! (They're never explicit/erotic, though.)
I did read all five books back-to-back, which meant that some of the elements did get a little repetitive. Obviously, to a certain degree, Shinn found a formula and stuck with it. It wouldn't have bothered me at all if I hadn't been doing a Samaria marathon, though.
They are undeniably wish-fulfillment-based books. These are designed for women who think that having a drop-dead-gorgeous, preternaturally strong, winged lover who can pick you up and fly you through the sky is a super-sexy idea.
In tone and feel, I thought these were actually very similar to Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. They've got the nominally sci-fi setting, the fantasy 'feel,' and the character-based plot elements, with a similar mix of action, politics and personal drama.
All of the books are fully stand-alone stories.
Archangel
The angel Gabriel is set to become the next Archangel, as decreed by the voice of Jovah. However, before he ascends to his position of leadership, he must find the wife determined for him by his god - a woman named Rachel. Without an Angelica (the female counterpart to the Archangel), the complex acappella musical concert known as the Gloria cannot occur, and Jovah will rain destruction upon the land.
Being named Angelica is an honor that all girls dream of - so what could possibly go wrong? Plenty, if your destined bride belongs to a persecuted ethnic group, and has been sold into slavery - and bears no love toward angels.
Jovah's Angel
Set around 100 years after the first book. In a dramatic beginning, the well-respected Archangel Delilah is crippled in a storm, her consort killed, and Jovah names a most unlikely successor to replace her: a shy, studious angel named Alleluia (or, informally, Alleya). Like in the previous book, Alleya must find her predestined mate - but Jehovah does not know his name, identifying him only as "son of Jeremiah." Things are further complicated by Alleya's growing feelings for the inventor Caleb (who makes a bunch of steampunk-y stuff). But Caleb cannot be her destined mate... can he?
Meanwhile, Delila must deal with her feelings of resentment, and learn to live without flying. But of course, she'll find someone too - a man of the Edori (an ethnic group that resemble Jewish gypsies.)
Meanwhile - a big issue is going on. When the angels sing the songs that control the weather, often nothing happens. Climate change is leading to disaster.
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first in the series, mainly because I wasn't thrilled by the theme of industrialization going on in Samaria. Also, all the technological/sci-fi elements that were alluded to in the first book are made very clear in this story, and some of the mystery is lost. It won me over, after a while, though.
The Alleluia Files
A few hundred years have passed... The Archangel at this time, Bael, is cruel and harsh. He rules with a strong hand, and is secretly committing genocide against the Jacobites, claiming their heresies threaten the land. But - does he secretly know that their heretical stances regarding the god Jovah are true?
Far more than the other books, this one has a clear villain (Bael). However, the clear hero, the upstanding and just Jared, will make things right, if he can ever stop being too lazy to bother. He'll be helped out by the angel Lucinda, who has grown up on an isolated island, far from the politics of the angel's Aerie, and the strong-willed Tamar, a member of the heretic Jacobites.
Angelica
The Archangel Gaaron has his life mate picked out for him by Jovah. Never before has an Edori woman been picked to be Angelica - but although Susannah has the implant that allows Jovah to track the people of Samaria, unlike the Edori, she has been raised by the Edori and identifies with them. She's also only just broken up with her long term lover. (He was a big jerk though, so the reader is sure she will get over him.) She's not at all sure she wants to be Angelica. (Sound familiar? Yeah.) This one is set far before all the other books. Like in the other books, there's also a social problem to address while the romance is given time to develop: mysterious, disappearing invaders are attacking and burning the caravans of both Edori and Jansai, as well as isolated villages.
The day will be saved, and love will triumph.
Angel-Seeker
After finishing the previous book in the series, I was thinking: "Hey, are we ever going to get to see the point of view of one of the oppressed Jansai women? Pretty much all the other ethnic groups in Samaria have been covcered by POV characters." And, ta-da, here we are. Rebekah's charcter is very well done, actually. She's a rebellious girl in a repressive culture, but even after she falls in love with an angel, her ties to family and tradition hold her in a frighteningly realistic way. She also horribly underestimates her fate, if she's caught...
Meanwhile, the title character, Elizabeth, becomes an angel-seeker - a woman who desires more than anything, to bear an angel child, and will do pretty much anything to further that goal. Again, the motivations here were really well portrayed.
Both women grow as individuals over the course of the book - and, of course, find love.
March 18, 2021
This is one of my comfort-books that I listen to when I'm unsure what to do next. (I listen to books while I work and often when I shower, which is why I have so many audiobook rereads.)
As our world has been dealing with disasters related to climate change, and so much violence and hatred between people, I wish there were as simple a fix as finding the person with the right voice to reach the ears of a god. I've literally stood in the shower weeping as Alleya's warnings to the Manadavi and merchants are ignored, or as she speaks to Jovah and sorts things out.
It's not a perfect book; I've downgraded it from five stars to four because, quite frankly, I've grown up a lot since I first read it, and I'm looking at different things. However, it's by far my favorite book in Shinn's Samaria series. Alleluia and Caleb Augustus make for a wonderful pair, and I have grown to love and appreciate Caleb's friendship with Delilah more and more over time. If I didn't love Alleya so much, I think Delilah would be my favorite. Her suffering didn't make sense to me as much when I first read the series as a nineteen year old as it does now. Grief manifests in such different ways, and as a kid I had some serious blinders in my life.
I still wince whenever I see/hear the term "gypsy" used as either positive-fashion description or as a synonym for the Jansai (who were designed to be detestable). I really hope that if Shinn ever goes back to writing in Samaria, she stops using this slur and opens up new discourse regarding the Jansai people. The only "good" Jansai we've seen so far are people who've been kicked out of their society, and the stereotypes seem to be negative analogs to both the Roma and Muslim people, which is a lot of problematic not cool, imo.
For the audiobook, it's read by the same narrator who did Archangel and The Alleluia Files, but I think this is her best performance of the three. Her inflections for Delilah are spot on, and there's something so soothing in her Alleya-voice. It's incredibly pleasant to listen to.
As our world has been dealing with disasters related to climate change, and so much violence and hatred between people, I wish there were as simple a fix as finding the person with the right voice to reach the ears of a god. I've literally stood in the shower weeping as Alleya's warnings to the Manadavi and merchants are ignored, or as she speaks to Jovah and sorts things out.
It's not a perfect book; I've downgraded it from five stars to four because, quite frankly, I've grown up a lot since I first read it, and I'm looking at different things. However, it's by far my favorite book in Shinn's Samaria series. Alleluia and Caleb Augustus make for a wonderful pair, and I have grown to love and appreciate Caleb's friendship with Delilah more and more over time. If I didn't love Alleya so much, I think Delilah would be my favorite. Her suffering didn't make sense to me as much when I first read the series as a nineteen year old as it does now. Grief manifests in such different ways, and as a kid I had some serious blinders in my life.
I still wince whenever I see/hear the term "gypsy" used as either positive-fashion description or as a synonym for the Jansai (who were designed to be detestable). I really hope that if Shinn ever goes back to writing in Samaria, she stops using this slur and opens up new discourse regarding the Jansai people. The only "good" Jansai we've seen so far are people who've been kicked out of their society, and the stereotypes seem to be negative analogs to both the Roma and Muslim people, which is a lot of problematic not cool, imo.
For the audiobook, it's read by the same narrator who did Archangel and The Alleluia Files, but I think this is her best performance of the three. Her inflections for Delilah are spot on, and there's something so soothing in her Alleya-voice. It's incredibly pleasant to listen to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2022
The editorial reviews for this are all over the place; based on the one featured on Goodreads, I would not have been interested, but Kirkus promises
Jovah's Angel
will fill in the creepy AI/Big Brother aspect of Archangel's Samaria.
At the 71% point, I must say this is a dragging book. Though I have at times found Shinn's even pace restful, Jovah's Angel seems to be plodding along, its story revealed in drips and drabs that are punctuated with entirely unexceptional bouts of long-winded description. My primary interest in Jovah's Angel was finding out what's up with the mysterious big-brother aspect of the "kiss" etc - but that has so far been a fairly minor part of the story, and the painstaking pace of its treatment is a little eye-rolling. None of the characters is sufficiently interesting to me to make up for that, and so I skim along more and more as the story unfolds.
In the end, I skimmed maybe 20-25% of Jovah's Angel — not a great portent. Another reviewer observed that Shinn's skill lies in the creation of new worlds: the first novels in a series shine, those that follow tend increasingly to wilt. I will buy this as a theory, but one other issue that I'm finding more and more difficult to contend with his how dated these seem. The weird suggestions at racism, the deeply gendered treatment of character flaws (women hysterical/overly emotional, always running off to wait for men to chase after them and apologize), the peculiar regressive ableism — these all taint her work somewhat, and disappointingly so. They counter what are otherwise interesting and perceptive narratives.
At the 71% point, I must say this is a dragging book. Though I have at times found Shinn's even pace restful, Jovah's Angel seems to be plodding along, its story revealed in drips and drabs that are punctuated with entirely unexceptional bouts of long-winded description. My primary interest in Jovah's Angel was finding out what's up with the mysterious big-brother aspect of the "kiss" etc - but that has so far been a fairly minor part of the story, and the painstaking pace of its treatment is a little eye-rolling. None of the characters is sufficiently interesting to me to make up for that, and so I skim along more and more as the story unfolds.
In the end, I skimmed maybe 20-25% of Jovah's Angel — not a great portent. Another reviewer observed that Shinn's skill lies in the creation of new worlds: the first novels in a series shine, those that follow tend increasingly to wilt. I will buy this as a theory, but one other issue that I'm finding more and more difficult to contend with his how dated these seem. The weird suggestions at racism, the deeply gendered treatment of character flaws (women hysterical/overly emotional, always running off to wait for men to chase after them and apologize), the peculiar regressive ableism — these all taint her work somewhat, and disappointingly so. They counter what are otherwise interesting and perceptive narratives.
April 2, 2016
Every once in a while, an author comes through and just blows my mind away. Ms. Shinn is one of these authors. Her world must be fascinating with how she sees things, interprets it and then presents it in a way that we common people can see it. I am not worthy... she is a masterful storyteller and this second book in the series is fantastic. There is depth with so many layers and there is a political commentary which makes a person thing. For those of the Christian faith, is it blasphemous? I have no doubt if this book came out a few centuries ago, she would have been stoned to death or burned as a witch.
This provocative tale is well woven and can be read as a standalone. I still recommend reading this in order. Keep an open mind when reading it. Recommended to fantasy lovers who like their mind blown.
This provocative tale is well woven and can be read as a standalone. I still recommend reading this in order. Keep an open mind when reading it. Recommended to fantasy lovers who like their mind blown.
July 19, 2019
I initially read this years ago and I had limited memory of the plot. However I found this to be disappointingly predictable and I was struggling to finish it. I absolutely love Archangel and have read it many times! There were too many references back to the first book and not enough suspense (We already know so much about the planet and the spaceship that orbits it). Shinn could have built up additional suspense with upping the natural disasters...the book felt like a whole lot of nothing happening). Yes, fine this is supposed to be a romance sci-fi novel but even the romance was just too predictable. I am going to give book three a try and see if that will interest me more.
June 22, 2007
Yet another trilogy in which I like the second book better than the first. This one touches on what was only hinted at in the first book- that of technology as God- and how man's perception of God forms the world. I'm usually more of a "fallen" angel fan!- but I love the angels of this world!
October 3, 2017
150 years after the first book, rain and flood endangers Samaria; Jovah is growing slower and less likely to respond to the angels's prayers. The first book in this series is about advanced technology which is indistinguishable from magic only insofar as it's visible to the reader; it's background in the worldbuilding, not part of the plot. This foregrounds it significantly. Not always with grace--too many things are obvious to the reader but not the characters, so the reader isn't engaged with their discoveries and may instead find them obvious. But the characters's responses to them, and the dialog between science, magic, and faith, are compelling and accessible. Characters are likable, but have predictable arcs and Shinn doesn't handle disability well (I don't have much patience for suicidal disabled characters or cure narratives). The plot is smaller, and appears to have a larger place within the series, intimating ongoing and unresolved events; this work is tainted by such numerous references to the first book that those events feel like the only significant part of Samaria's long history. I wanted this sequel to develop the science fictional aspect; it does so generously, and so on that note I'm satisfied. But this isn't especially good by any other metric.
April 4, 2025
Jovah's Angel is a speculative-fiction romance that is surprisingly compelling. There is a lot of depth to the setting, and the story is well paced through a variety of twists and turns. The fantastical elements are oddly framed in pseudo-Judaistic terminology, but ultimately it's a book that is campy in the best possible way. Shinn uses the supernatural to explore the natural, whether that's political, scientific, religious, or relational. The only point against her is that this book is a bit overwritten at times. It requires substantial suspension of cynicism to enjoy, but is consequently tremendously enjoyable.
January 15, 2022
I love this series, such an interesting world, with a hint of romance, and suspense.
May 19, 2024
Good. Yet another stupid cover.
Enjoyed the characters in this one.
Enjoyed the characters in this one.
May 23, 2010
Originally posted in WordPress.
Here's an interesting tidbit from the author: What I find intriguing about this book is that there’s no villain. There’s no power struggle between ambitious individuals. It’s all about man vs. the environment, with a healthy dose of man vs. faith.
Yay, I noticed this tidbit while reading the novel too! I kept thinking to myself that it was very interesting that there was no villain to this story. The novel revolves around complex characters, their beliefs, how their lives are all intertwined and how they deal with a world that is rapidly changing. I liked the contrast between the deposed Archangel Delilah: dark, vibrant, and outgoing and her replacement Alleluia (nicknamed Alleya): blonde, reserved and not much of a people person. Delilah has a striking and lovely voice and she has the kind of personality that naturally draws people to her. Alleya, on the other hand, is shy and quiet. The whole land was surprised when the god chose her to replace Delilah and she struggles to give her best in her role as Archangel even though she never wanted to be one. Alleya would much rather have her nose buried inside a book than have political dealings with the influential people of Samaria.
Also included in the fascinating mix of characters are best friends and scientists Caleb and Noah. Although it is set in the same world as Archangel, Samaria is now on the brink of an industrial revolution. Both Caleb and Noah are inventors with their own specializations. It was interesting to note that in a land full of believers, Caleb is a self-proclaimed atheist. He thinks that science has more power over faith and there isn't enough proof in the world for religion. Like Archangel, there's a lot of theology thrown in this book but it never becomes overwhelming. I liked Caleb and his insatiable thirst for knowledge and how he can focus on one problem until he arrives at a solution. I know it's not obvious based on my blog but I was an electronics engineering major back in college (I never practiced and now know next to nothing about the field) so I can somewhat relate to Caleb's interest in science. I really enjoyed reading about this world and this set of characters and I can just imagine that the rest of the books in the series will be just as wonderful. I wasn't expecting what happened in the ending but I loved how it all worked out. I think it was just perfect.
Here's an interesting tidbit from the author: What I find intriguing about this book is that there’s no villain. There’s no power struggle between ambitious individuals. It’s all about man vs. the environment, with a healthy dose of man vs. faith.
Yay, I noticed this tidbit while reading the novel too! I kept thinking to myself that it was very interesting that there was no villain to this story. The novel revolves around complex characters, their beliefs, how their lives are all intertwined and how they deal with a world that is rapidly changing. I liked the contrast between the deposed Archangel Delilah: dark, vibrant, and outgoing and her replacement Alleluia (nicknamed Alleya): blonde, reserved and not much of a people person. Delilah has a striking and lovely voice and she has the kind of personality that naturally draws people to her. Alleya, on the other hand, is shy and quiet. The whole land was surprised when the god chose her to replace Delilah and she struggles to give her best in her role as Archangel even though she never wanted to be one. Alleya would much rather have her nose buried inside a book than have political dealings with the influential people of Samaria.
Also included in the fascinating mix of characters are best friends and scientists Caleb and Noah. Although it is set in the same world as Archangel, Samaria is now on the brink of an industrial revolution. Both Caleb and Noah are inventors with their own specializations. It was interesting to note that in a land full of believers, Caleb is a self-proclaimed atheist. He thinks that science has more power over faith and there isn't enough proof in the world for religion. Like Archangel, there's a lot of theology thrown in this book but it never becomes overwhelming. I liked Caleb and his insatiable thirst for knowledge and how he can focus on one problem until he arrives at a solution. I know it's not obvious based on my blog but I was an electronics engineering major back in college (I never practiced and now know next to nothing about the field) so I can somewhat relate to Caleb's interest in science. I really enjoyed reading about this world and this set of characters and I can just imagine that the rest of the books in the series will be just as wonderful. I wasn't expecting what happened in the ending but I loved how it all worked out. I think it was just perfect.
January 31, 2013
One of the things I like most about Sharon Shin's writing is when she mixes fantasy with sci-fi. This book does that in a really thought provoking way. I won't spoil.
This sequel to "Archangel," is set 150 years into the future. Since this is a sequel, I won't lay out the basic structure. You know about the angels and how they control the weather by lifting their voices in song to the God, Jovah. Well, suddenly, Jovah doesn't seem to be hearing the voices. Or perhaps he's just miffed. Never the less, he's not responding. Raging storms ravage the land and the angles are blamed.
The only voice he seems to hear is that of the shy and scholarly Alleluia, who is probably the only angel on the planet who DOESN'T want to be Archangel. She reluctantly takes the position because, well, what other choice does she have? As Angelica, she has to sing the Gloria. That's when all the clans come together to sing for Jovah or face annihilation. But first she has to find her angelico. Plus, she has to learn all the music for the Gloria and the recording machinery is failing. Enter Caleb...
As usual, Shinn has a wonderful cast of interesting characters and interwoven stories. I love this series. Like Juliet Marillier, Sharon Shinn is a thinking person's fantasy writer. There's lots of good stuff between the lines. I loved this book.
This sequel to "Archangel," is set 150 years into the future. Since this is a sequel, I won't lay out the basic structure. You know about the angels and how they control the weather by lifting their voices in song to the God, Jovah. Well, suddenly, Jovah doesn't seem to be hearing the voices. Or perhaps he's just miffed. Never the less, he's not responding. Raging storms ravage the land and the angles are blamed.
The only voice he seems to hear is that of the shy and scholarly Alleluia, who is probably the only angel on the planet who DOESN'T want to be Archangel. She reluctantly takes the position because, well, what other choice does she have? As Angelica, she has to sing the Gloria. That's when all the clans come together to sing for Jovah or face annihilation. But first she has to find her angelico. Plus, she has to learn all the music for the Gloria and the recording machinery is failing. Enter Caleb...
As usual, Shinn has a wonderful cast of interesting characters and interwoven stories. I love this series. Like Juliet Marillier, Sharon Shinn is a thinking person's fantasy writer. There's lots of good stuff between the lines. I loved this book.
August 17, 2015
Hmmm. Well, once again, I did this book no favor by putting it down for long stretches of time. But I think, even without that, I would've found it oddly paced. The last 25% felt like a different book. Real spoilers here.
And the romantic relationship just wasn't my type, so to speak. Nothing wrong with it--I think a lot of you would be into it, actually--but just didn't match with my particular tastes and desires. I was more interested in the secondary romance and the characters involved there. (I had a bit of that in the first book, too, though not as extremely. Surely there must be a main ship in this series for me!)
Might take a bit of a break before reading the next one.
And the romantic relationship just wasn't my type, so to speak. Nothing wrong with it--I think a lot of you would be into it, actually--but just didn't match with my particular tastes and desires. I was more interested in the secondary romance and the characters involved there. (I had a bit of that in the first book, too, though not as extremely. Surely there must be a main ship in this series for me!)
Might take a bit of a break before reading the next one.
June 5, 2008
I found the main characters of Jovah's Angel much more engaging (and less annoying) than the heroine of the first book in this series. I also thought the plot was deeper and more interesting.
In the 150 years since Archangel, Samaria has matured into a society that's learning about science and starting to question their system and traditions. In the midst of an industrial boom, an accident leads to the selection of a surprising new Archangel.
Alleya is as uneasy about her new position as her critics. But her determination and willingness to try new things helps her to solve a crisis, even if she learns a few uncomfortable truths along the way.
In the 150 years since Archangel, Samaria has matured into a society that's learning about science and starting to question their system and traditions. In the midst of an industrial boom, an accident leads to the selection of a surprising new Archangel.
Alleya is as uneasy about her new position as her critics. But her determination and willingness to try new things helps her to solve a crisis, even if she learns a few uncomfortable truths along the way.
July 26, 2011
Ha! I KNEW it. I figured out what Samaria's god really is....but I'd better not spoil it. I think I figured it out back in ARCHANGEL. Still, Sharon Shinn's angel books are a real pleasure. I identified most with Alleluia, the reluctant Archangel in this book. I love how singing is more than just a performance act -- it has a purpose -- for the angels. This book brought up the highly appropriate tension between industrialization and non-technical society. And really turned up the heat when the god's identity was revealed. I also recommend the Alleluia Files (and the rest of her books).
August 24, 2012
I read this second, before I learned that it was the 5th in chronological order, but since I didn't know, it didn't matter. The story is the same high quality as the first book Archangel. Good political and cultural foundations, well explained without getting wordy. A couple of nice challenges for our heroes, and a hearty romance. Although the characters become vexed, they don't whine. And despite the "magical" aspect, the problems are resolved directly. Secondary characters are well established. I will continue to read this series.
May 4, 2020
A disappointing sequal to Archangel. Although the setting is quite different from Archangel - 150 years on, a deposed Archangel and a reluctant replacement - there is really no plot or story that is being developed. The love story is entirely predictable and timid at best, and most of the pages are taken up to describe mundane things & happenings that add nothing to the story. Yes, it does a reasonable job on world building, but what good is that if there is nothing going on?
I may continue reading the 3rd one, but my patience will be short if it is another one of these...
I may continue reading the 3rd one, but my patience will be short if it is another one of these...
November 5, 2022
Reading this book was an extremely frustrating experience.
The first 2/3rds were okay. Not nearly as good as the first book which had some actual tension in the relationships it was establishing, but still good. The pairings were quite good, though it's true that one of them is almost utterly devoid of any tension (because the resolution is utterly predictable), and the other stays mostly unexplored, even though we spend quite a lot of time with the couple in question.
The first 2/3rds were a solid 3-star read.
But then the plot twist came. And, oh boy, it was bad. Really, really bad. I have a lot of problems with it.
It's awful. I hated it
The first 2/3rds were okay. Not nearly as good as the first book which had some actual tension in the relationships it was establishing, but still good. The pairings were quite good, though it's true that one of them is almost utterly devoid of any tension (because the resolution is utterly predictable), and the other stays mostly unexplored, even though we spend quite a lot of time with the couple in question.
The first 2/3rds were a solid 3-star read.
But then the plot twist came. And, oh boy, it was bad. Really, really bad. I have a lot of problems with it.
It's awful. I hated it
October 14, 2018
I remember reading this in high school and being so floored by the resolution of everything. It's a really neat marriage between fantasy and science fiction in a way that, if I summarized the plot out loud, would sound completely ridiculous, but was actually unique and well executed. But then I love Sharon Shinn to death so hey *shrug*
October 4, 2009
The first in the series was almost mythology and it seemed like this one was more science. Very disappointed.
October 10, 2024
Wonderful story examining religion and the reality of when faith is questioned or even shattered. As usual from Shinn, a stunning love story.
October 20, 2022
The couple is actually happy together
This is a pretty solid 4.5, maybe full 5. I still rank Archangel as #1, but this by no means rests on its laurels. There’s follow-through and a wonderful love story at its center. I loved the teases from Angelica but lordy, the book ended before we got to enjoy any of the actual romance.
*full spoilers ahead!*
Caleb Augustus is a worthy protagonist and love interest. He’s a tinkering, unselfconscious nerd who falls in love with a shy bookworm nerd. His close friendship with Noah and the closeness he builds with Delilah is lovely. It’s so rare to see a male character with that type of caring, platonic relationship-building in a story.
Alleya is thrown into a leadership role she doesn’t want. I like how she grows and develops and seriously has to reckon with her god. There are two parts of her story that left me feeling like something was missing: her Kiss was never addressed. How is it that there’s a whole plot point about Caleb’s long-dead Kiss coming to life at the sound of her song, but there’s no talk about hers lighting up for him? Or of Caleb seeing hers lit in his presence? The second part is there’s no resolution about WHY Alleya’s stoic mother mated with an angel. It doesn’t really affect the story, but I wish Alleya could have eventually learned more about her father and possibly how she came to be (did Jovah bring them together to create Alleya?).
What sets this book apart from the others is that there is no pretense of restraint. In Archangel, there is tension, conflict, and longing. Angelica, so much time apart, so much longing. Alleluia Files, same thing. Angel Seeker was conflict and anguish. Jovah’s Angel is so innocent: they simply enjoy being together and do so without holding back.
Caleb is charmingly forward without being arrogant. We actually get to enjoy the romance and glimpse their future happy life together. It’s not clear when they get married or how they spend most of their days (not even Alleluia Files gives us much besides that their terrible secret made them go to great lengths to hide things), I hope it wasn’t lived in so much fear.
Neither characters are volatile or emotional, they are both endlessly curious and joyful. They are probably the healthiest relationship in all the books. AND I AM HERE FOR IT.
How is it Samuel understands who Caleb is? Why does he tell him where Alleya went? Simply because he knew her nickname? I would have liked a little more insight into it.
The god question is handled well. Just because Jehovah is a ship – does that mean there is no god? Perhaps god is not what you thought. There was also something beautiful about an atheist falling for a devout angel and becoming kinder after he discovers the truth. Before, he was willing to verbally spar about his doubts of a god, but after proof the god Samarians worshipped was false, he indulges that belief in others.
I’m also a little sad that with all of Caleb’s genius and hard work to reach Delilah through her depression and pain, the last time he speaks with her alone is when she says thank you and walks away. HER SPOUSE IS HIS BEST FRIEND. He seriously becomes THAT disconnected in the next chapter of his life that he doesn’t get to continue having a close relationship with them?
There are so many bittersweet victories/losses. Learning the truth but losing a god. Restoring Delilah but Alleya losing her place. Being the greatest engineer that ever existed but probably never getting credit for it.
That’s life, but oof. I’m reading about men with wings grafted on their backs. A little fantasy is okay.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Definitely want more. I’ll say it again: Samaria needs some dedicated fanfiction writers because there is a lot of stuff to explore.
This is a pretty solid 4.5, maybe full 5. I still rank Archangel as #1, but this by no means rests on its laurels. There’s follow-through and a wonderful love story at its center. I loved the teases from Angelica but lordy, the book ended before we got to enjoy any of the actual romance.
*full spoilers ahead!*
Caleb Augustus is a worthy protagonist and love interest. He’s a tinkering, unselfconscious nerd who falls in love with a shy bookworm nerd. His close friendship with Noah and the closeness he builds with Delilah is lovely. It’s so rare to see a male character with that type of caring, platonic relationship-building in a story.
Alleya is thrown into a leadership role she doesn’t want. I like how she grows and develops and seriously has to reckon with her god. There are two parts of her story that left me feeling like something was missing: her Kiss was never addressed. How is it that there’s a whole plot point about Caleb’s long-dead Kiss coming to life at the sound of her song, but there’s no talk about hers lighting up for him? Or of Caleb seeing hers lit in his presence? The second part is there’s no resolution about WHY Alleya’s stoic mother mated with an angel. It doesn’t really affect the story, but I wish Alleya could have eventually learned more about her father and possibly how she came to be (did Jovah bring them together to create Alleya?).
What sets this book apart from the others is that there is no pretense of restraint. In Archangel, there is tension, conflict, and longing. Angelica, so much time apart, so much longing. Alleluia Files, same thing. Angel Seeker was conflict and anguish. Jovah’s Angel is so innocent: they simply enjoy being together and do so without holding back.
Caleb is charmingly forward without being arrogant. We actually get to enjoy the romance and glimpse their future happy life together. It’s not clear when they get married or how they spend most of their days (not even Alleluia Files gives us much besides that their terrible secret made them go to great lengths to hide things), I hope it wasn’t lived in so much fear.
Neither characters are volatile or emotional, they are both endlessly curious and joyful. They are probably the healthiest relationship in all the books. AND I AM HERE FOR IT.
How is it Samuel understands who Caleb is? Why does he tell him where Alleya went? Simply because he knew her nickname? I would have liked a little more insight into it.
The god question is handled well. Just because Jehovah is a ship – does that mean there is no god? Perhaps god is not what you thought. There was also something beautiful about an atheist falling for a devout angel and becoming kinder after he discovers the truth. Before, he was willing to verbally spar about his doubts of a god, but after proof the god Samarians worshipped was false, he indulges that belief in others.
I’m also a little sad that with all of Caleb’s genius and hard work to reach Delilah through her depression and pain, the last time he speaks with her alone is when she says thank you and walks away. HER SPOUSE IS HIS BEST FRIEND. He seriously becomes THAT disconnected in the next chapter of his life that he doesn’t get to continue having a close relationship with them?
There are so many bittersweet victories/losses. Learning the truth but losing a god. Restoring Delilah but Alleya losing her place. Being the greatest engineer that ever existed but probably never getting credit for it.
That’s life, but oof. I’m reading about men with wings grafted on their backs. A little fantasy is okay.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Definitely want more. I’ll say it again: Samaria needs some dedicated fanfiction writers because there is a lot of stuff to explore.
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December 14, 2025I basically did finish this, but I was so frustrated by the last third that I skimmed a lot and stopped about 15 pages from the end because I just didn't care once the plot had resolved.
Archangel is one of my favorite fantasy romances EVER, and this second book is A Mess.
1. The pacing is frustrating beyond belief. It's a style choice, I know, but having a chapter end with an exciting plot or character moment, only to start the next chapter two weeks back with the other character and slowly have them work their way back up to the cliffhanger moment just does not work for me, especially when those two weeks are filled with the mundane details of a daily routine, food, travel, and weather (so much weather). (I'm struggling to remember if this was how book 1 was structured, and if it was, it worked then because I found the characters so compelling.)
And THEN, Shinn chooses to skip past many of the most important scenes between characters and only give brief snippets of the scenes in retrospect... while the characters are eating, traveling, finding lodgings, and dealing with weather. It's bizarre. And feels like the author didn't know which parts of the story to tell.
2. I don't know how much of this is general '90s white lady ignorance and how much is deliberate, but the ableism and the racism are pretty blatant, moreso than book 1. The world is built on the premise that a collection of people were brought to the continent from a war-torn home and settled there to create a harmonious society that's clearly modeled after the Holy Land. You've got your Christian, your Muslim, and your Jewish (Romani?) coded ethnic groups, all ruled by angels. Of course, they don't all get along. One of the central questions of the book is whether humanity can really change or if we're doomed to repeat our mistakes. But the way Shinn writes these groups is disturbing, entirely defined by a few unexamined romanticized or vilified traits. And Delilah's whole plot line about being broken and needing to be fixed in order to serve her purpose again? YIKES.
3. I don't think the main question of the book -- should we allow scientific exploration and advancing technology or will this cause the same problems we were trying to escape from -- is examined in a particularly interesting way. Due in large part to the above two issues. It feels flat and obvious, a repetition of history (and of the same conversations) instead of anything fresh.
4. The romance between Alleya and Caleb is a snore-fest, due to #1. Their chemistry doesn't build with any kind of momentum, and Alleya is so oblivious and willfully ignorant, it feels like a cheap source of conflict when she is so obviously interested in truth and reflection at other times.
All that said, I do still find this world compelling, and I couldn't give up on the book until I knew how it ended, so it kept me reading. Unsatisfying as it was. I will probably read book 3 at some point, just to see if the series rallies, as I am very interested to know how the society evolves.
Archangel is one of my favorite fantasy romances EVER, and this second book is A Mess.
1. The pacing is frustrating beyond belief. It's a style choice, I know, but having a chapter end with an exciting plot or character moment, only to start the next chapter two weeks back with the other character and slowly have them work their way back up to the cliffhanger moment just does not work for me, especially when those two weeks are filled with the mundane details of a daily routine, food, travel, and weather (so much weather). (I'm struggling to remember if this was how book 1 was structured, and if it was, it worked then because I found the characters so compelling.)
And THEN, Shinn chooses to skip past many of the most important scenes between characters and only give brief snippets of the scenes in retrospect... while the characters are eating, traveling, finding lodgings, and dealing with weather. It's bizarre. And feels like the author didn't know which parts of the story to tell.
2. I don't know how much of this is general '90s white lady ignorance and how much is deliberate, but the ableism and the racism are pretty blatant, moreso than book 1. The world is built on the premise that a collection of people were brought to the continent from a war-torn home and settled there to create a harmonious society that's clearly modeled after the Holy Land. You've got your Christian, your Muslim, and your Jewish (Romani?) coded ethnic groups, all ruled by angels. Of course, they don't all get along. One of the central questions of the book is whether humanity can really change or if we're doomed to repeat our mistakes. But the way Shinn writes these groups is disturbing, entirely defined by a few unexamined romanticized or vilified traits. And Delilah's whole plot line about being broken and needing to be fixed in order to serve her purpose again? YIKES.
3. I don't think the main question of the book -- should we allow scientific exploration and advancing technology or will this cause the same problems we were trying to escape from -- is examined in a particularly interesting way. Due in large part to the above two issues. It feels flat and obvious, a repetition of history (and of the same conversations) instead of anything fresh.
4. The romance between Alleya and Caleb is a snore-fest, due to #1. Their chemistry doesn't build with any kind of momentum, and Alleya is so oblivious and willfully ignorant, it feels like a cheap source of conflict when she is so obviously interested in truth and reflection at other times.
All that said, I do still find this world compelling, and I couldn't give up on the book until I knew how it ended, so it kept me reading. Unsatisfying as it was. I will probably read book 3 at some point, just to see if the series rallies, as I am very interested to know how the society evolves.
February 14, 2022
One hundred and fifty years have passed since the events of ARCHANGEL and Samaria is undergoing something of an industrial revolution. They are also enduring very difficult weather conditions and Jovah seemingly isn't hearing angelic requests for weather interventions.
Worst of all, the current Archangel Delilah and her escort are caught in a terrible storm which kills a number of them and damages Delilah's wing so that she can no longer fly. Alleluia, a quiet scholarly angel, is named by Jovah to be the new Archangel. She feels vastly underqualified for her new position.
When the final music player fails, she begins to hunt for an engineer to see if it can be repaired. She finds Caleb Augustus who is a man of science and who has lost his faith in Jovah as the result of an experiment with electricity the killed his father and damaged the Kiss embedded in his right arm at his birth which dedicated him to Jovah.
Meanwhile, Alleluia has to search for the man who will be her angelico and perform at the upcoming Gloria. The only problem is that the oracles are getting very vague answers when they query Jovah about him. All they are told is that he is a son of Jeremiah which isn't nearly enough to locate him in time. It does spur Alleluia's interest in the oracles and the way they communicate with Jovah. She learns the language needed and makes her own queries at Mount Sinai which no longer has an oracle based there.
Her enquiries lead her to being teleported to the ship orbiting Samaria where she learns that the people are being guided, not by a deity, but by a computer programmed to assist the settlers. And that computer is in need of repair which is why the angels aren't being heard when they pray to Jovah. Luckily, Caleb is able to make the repairs and learn even more of the technology that the settlers had abandoned.
But the discovery of the spaceship has thrown Alleluia into a crisis of faith that has dented her view of her world and her purpose on it.
This was an engaging story that neatly blends science and faith into a very compelling book. The characters, especially Alleluia, have many hard decisions to make. This is the second book in a five book series. I can't wait to find out what happens next on Samaria.
Worst of all, the current Archangel Delilah and her escort are caught in a terrible storm which kills a number of them and damages Delilah's wing so that she can no longer fly. Alleluia, a quiet scholarly angel, is named by Jovah to be the new Archangel. She feels vastly underqualified for her new position.
When the final music player fails, she begins to hunt for an engineer to see if it can be repaired. She finds Caleb Augustus who is a man of science and who has lost his faith in Jovah as the result of an experiment with electricity the killed his father and damaged the Kiss embedded in his right arm at his birth which dedicated him to Jovah.
Meanwhile, Alleluia has to search for the man who will be her angelico and perform at the upcoming Gloria. The only problem is that the oracles are getting very vague answers when they query Jovah about him. All they are told is that he is a son of Jeremiah which isn't nearly enough to locate him in time. It does spur Alleluia's interest in the oracles and the way they communicate with Jovah. She learns the language needed and makes her own queries at Mount Sinai which no longer has an oracle based there.
Her enquiries lead her to being teleported to the ship orbiting Samaria where she learns that the people are being guided, not by a deity, but by a computer programmed to assist the settlers. And that computer is in need of repair which is why the angels aren't being heard when they pray to Jovah. Luckily, Caleb is able to make the repairs and learn even more of the technology that the settlers had abandoned.
But the discovery of the spaceship has thrown Alleluia into a crisis of faith that has dented her view of her world and her purpose on it.
This was an engaging story that neatly blends science and faith into a very compelling book. The characters, especially Alleluia, have many hard decisions to make. This is the second book in a five book series. I can't wait to find out what happens next on Samaria.
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