It's been six weeks since the angels of apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...
Review:
Penryn and her family have just been trying to survive since the angels came to earth and the apocalypse started. They're trying to move to a safer hideout when they Penryn comes across a fight between Angels. Given the choice between being able to run and be caught, or help one of the angels and maybe keeping her family alive a bit longer it's not a surprise which choice she took - which caused her sister to be taken by one of the angels as a consequence. Now family-orientated, loyal, headstrong Penryn is pissed. And she will do anything to get her sister back - including infiltrate an angel resistance army with an angel of her own.
One thing that I adored about Angelfall were the descriptions of this desolate earth. Houses were emptied, ransacked, abandoned and everything in between. Company buildings with no one working there but the food cupboards are still stocked. The motorway with cars that had been hastily left when the occupants realised that they wouldn't be able to get very far in them. It's almost as if there is no trace of humanity left. All of the things that we couldn't imagine not having now - all gone. Chocolate is a rarity, any food at all is a rarity. Orphans have had to resort to turning to street gangs to stay alive and normal teenagers and kids have had to form street gangs in order to stay alive. It's all so beautifully devastating. "If I hadn't spent weeks secretly peering out of one of those dark windows, I might believe I was the last human on the planet". All of the surviving humans in this story are vulnerable and so completely, naively human. The angels are fast-healing and can only, really, be wounded by bullets or an angel sword itself which means that it's basically impossible for humans to defend themselves. But that doesn't mean they won't go down swinging.
The plot of Angelfall is unique, or at least I've never read a book quite like it, and it is excellently carried out. And although it would have been nice for there to have been a little bit more background on the apocalypse and how it all started, I can't find many faults with the execution of this book.
Angefall is packed solid with fierce, strong characters and I couldn't have been happier. First we have Penryn who is not only mentally strong, but physically as well and though she is described as small she sure can hold her own in a fight. Trust me. We're first introduced to Penryn with the line "*talking about her boots* Now they're my favourites because the strips make for a perfect knife holder" and that just sets the tone for both her character and the book in general. Raffe, oh my beautiful Raffe. Oh my beautiful, agnostic angel, stubborn, loyal, strong Raffe. I love you Raffe. I love you. Even Penryn's mother - who we don't see much of - is strong as HELL. With a serious hint towards a mental health issue we can tell that although Penryn's mother has demons of her own, she still wants to protect her children and keep them safe from their demons (or in this case - angels). DeeDum are two character who we're introduced to later on in the story but immediately come to life. They're the James Bond of Angelfall - although not quite as suave. If Raffe doesn't pull through then you can always count on DeeDum to bring a spark to the party. Literally.
This book, Angelfall, also homes one of my new favourite ships. Raffryn. The sexual tension between these two is unreal and it makes me want to tear my hear out that they haven't torn each others clothes off. Is it really that much of a chore guys? I know you want to. Just make sure you wear a condom. Wrap it before you tap it, as they say. "*After giving Penryn the most beautiful, sensual kiss of all time* I don't even like you". Seriously, they drive me INSANE.
I must admit, there was not a lot of action in this book - but that is usually how it is during the first of a Fantasy series. A lot of the plot in this one was world-building but the sexual tension more than made up for that so I'm not complaining. Oh, and the last few chapters of the book were absolutely astonishing. They blew my brains out. I'm still not over it and I'm halfway through World After now.
Quote: "If I was good at marketing, I'd spin you an empty story that sounds profound. But the truth is that we're all just stumbling around in the dark. Sometimes we hit something terrible."
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