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halynah's review against another edition
4.0
It was pretty nice. I liked an offbeat version of angels and the fact, that it didn't take place nowadays. I wasn't fan of Helen, but all the male characters were interesting. Good read for fans of angels' paranormal genre.
sparklingreader's review against another edition
2.0
I was really looking forward to reading this...unfortunately, for me, the story didn't live up to the hype. While the writing is well done, flows nicely and has intriguing aspects, there were also parts where I had to sit back and say "huh?"
What I liked:
The setting - Victorian London - with steampunk aspects. Intriguing and fun.
The premise - interesting and different - especially with the steampunk aspects thrown in.
What I didn't like:
* The characters. They were just to stereotypical. You had the heroine who, at times, was too over the top damsel in distress. The older brother bad boy, Darius - grumpy, sarcastic. The younger brother, good guy - just a little too good. Come on, griff, at least get a little angry. The really bad boy, Raum - dark, nasty past that leaves him broken. Sweet heroine, Helen, who's beautiful and independent, except when she's not - which happens a lot.
* The plot - moved kind of slow until the end.
* Lack of information - other than a couple of "Well, as you know..." scenes, we really don't get much information about the parties involved in the epic war. (more below in the spoiler)
I also had problems with the love triangle. Both Helen & Griffin fall for each other almost immediately. A little more development would have been preferred. Plus I didn't like the attraction to Raum - I'm sorry, but the guy was responsible for the death of her parents and the deaths of all the other Keepers and she's just going to let that all pass and go for him? 'Fraid I'd have felt more like Darius in that case.
Overall - it wasn't a bad story, but did have some parts that I just didn't care for. Still, it is YA steampunk set in Victorian London, so it is unique and different. I'd recommend it for girls who enjoy paranormal stories with heroines who aren't necessarily kick-ass and who fall for guys they shouldn't.
What I liked:
The setting - Victorian London - with steampunk aspects. Intriguing and fun.
The premise - interesting and different - especially with the steampunk aspects thrown in.
What I didn't like:
* The characters. They were just to stereotypical. You had the heroine who, at times, was too over the top damsel in distress. The older brother bad boy, Darius - grumpy, sarcastic. The younger brother, good guy - just a little too good. Come on, griff, at least get a little angry. The really bad boy, Raum - dark, nasty past that leaves him broken. Sweet heroine, Helen, who's beautiful and independent, except when she's not - which happens a lot.
* The plot - moved kind of slow until the end.
* Lack of information - other than a couple of "Well, as you know..." scenes, we really don't get much information about the parties involved in the epic war. (more below in the spoiler)
Spoiler
Although the Dictata is supposedly a powerful group who help the Keepers, they do almost nothing to stop the slaughter. They don't even try to hide the families. I certainly wouldn't want to be a Keeper under their protection. Also, even though they know the Demon who wants to devastate the world and all humanity, they make excuses rather than go after him. Yes, the premise of the book is for the heroine and hero(s) to take care of everything, but it just didn't ring true for me.I also had problems with the love triangle. Both Helen & Griffin fall for each other almost immediately. A little more development would have been preferred. Plus I didn't like the attraction to Raum - I'm sorry, but the guy was responsible for the death of her parents and the deaths of all the other Keepers and she's just going to let that all pass and go for him? 'Fraid I'd have felt more like Darius in that case.
Overall - it wasn't a bad story, but did have some parts that I just didn't care for. Still, it is YA steampunk set in Victorian London, so it is unique and different. I'd recommend it for girls who enjoy paranormal stories with heroines who aren't necessarily kick-ass and who fall for guys they shouldn't.
_camk_'s review against another edition
2.0
I must disagree with the blurb. A Temptation of Angels is not a page-turning epic romance.
The concept of the story is interesting and had great potential yet it was ruined by cringe worthy romance and an uninteresting characters.
Zink's characters lacked the spark of originality that is needed to have a character stand out in YA fiction.
You have Helen, the over-zealous and in my opinion dim, girl who thinks she is indestructible. She is the bold and beautiful girl who boys like yet she does not see why. Although, she has been trained and insists on joining the boys she is dead weight that just needs saving. She is stubborn and not in the respectable way. The only aspect of Helen I liked is her retorts to Darius.
Then you have the boys, grumpy Darius, the golden boy Griffin and of course, the mysterious Raum. Again, the lack any real originality.
My real problem with the book is the pacing. It was terrible. With the terrible comes the insta-love romance and by speedy romance I mean, they knew each other days and he (I shall not say which one) was confessing his undying love to Helen. Damn boy, I am not sure who is dimmer you or Helen? She just lost her home, her parents, her world has been turned upside down and she is worrying about boys.
With all that negativity right there, Zink got one thing right and that is the writing. A Temptation is well written. It was fluid and elegant and that deserves recognition.
The concept of the story is interesting and had great potential yet it was ruined by cringe worthy romance and an uninteresting characters.
Zink's characters lacked the spark of originality that is needed to have a character stand out in YA fiction.
You have Helen, the over-zealous and in my opinion dim, girl who thinks she is indestructible. She is the bold and beautiful girl who boys like yet she does not see why. Although, she has been trained and insists on joining the boys she is dead weight that just needs saving. She is stubborn and not in the respectable way. The only aspect of Helen I liked is her retorts to Darius.
Then you have the boys, grumpy Darius, the golden boy Griffin and of course, the mysterious Raum. Again, the lack any real originality.
My real problem with the book is the pacing. It was terrible. With the terrible comes the insta-love romance and by speedy romance I mean, they knew each other days and he (I shall not say which one) was confessing his undying love to Helen. Damn boy, I am not sure who is dimmer you or Helen? She just lost her home, her parents, her world has been turned upside down and she is worrying about boys.
With all that negativity right there, Zink got one thing right and that is the writing. A Temptation is well written. It was fluid and elegant and that deserves recognition.
princess_buttercup's review against another edition
3.0
I will start off by saying that I did actually enjoy the book. I also think the writing style of Michelle Zink is very fluid and pleasing to read. I wasn't left with a lot of questions about what was really going on with regard to plot or interactions between the characters. What I did find myself asking questions about was the concept of the Dictata, such as their role in the world and how they relate to the Keepers and demons. Zink skimmed over these points giving the reader a brief understanding of them, but I felt as though they could have been given a richer history. With more development given o the background, the whole battle between the keepers and demons could have been much more engaging.
I've seen others complaining about the use of cookie cutter characters in this book, which I will agree that the use of these characteristics in YA lit is overdone. At the same time, these seem to be the characters that teens and young adults enjoy so don't expect too much to change if you pick up a YA book.
shelvesofsecrets's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a bit disappointing for me, but I'm having trouble pinning down exactly why. I think most of my issues lie with the world building. I was so confused while reading it and I'm still confused now that I've finished it. What is a Keeper actually super to do? Just keep the world in order? How did they come about? I think this was mentioned briefly, but a lot of the book was spent with me trying to figure out what was going on and why. And for having angels in the title, I really didn't get an angel-y feeling. Or a temptation feeling for that matter.
My other issue was with the characters.I never felt a real connection with Helen. I didn't dislike her, I just didn't like her either. She seemed at times to have this major drive to be useful, but I wasn't always buying it. And her connection with Raum drove me crazy. You can't fix a guy that broken! And Griffin, the love interest, was nice, but a little boring. I'm sure I'd love him if I met him in real life, but as a character, he was a bit flat for me. And the romance wasn't quite right either. It felt a bit like Helen thought "Oh, he's nice to me. I must be in love with him!" Darius and Raum had a bit more to offer as characters I felt.
The writing was well done, but the plot felt a bit slow for me. Like I read 400 pages of what could have been done in 250. I don't want to bash this book too hard though, because it wasn't terrible. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. I think it just lacked the things that make me fall in love with a book.
My other issue was with the characters.I never felt a real connection with Helen. I didn't dislike her, I just didn't like her either. She seemed at times to have this major drive to be useful, but I wasn't always buying it. And her connection with Raum drove me crazy. You can't fix a guy that broken! And Griffin, the love interest, was nice, but a little boring. I'm sure I'd love him if I met him in real life, but as a character, he was a bit flat for me. And the romance wasn't quite right either. It felt a bit like Helen thought "Oh, he's nice to me. I must be in love with him!" Darius and Raum had a bit more to offer as characters I felt.
The writing was well done, but the plot felt a bit slow for me. Like I read 400 pages of what could have been done in 250. I don't want to bash this book too hard though, because it wasn't terrible. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. I think it just lacked the things that make me fall in love with a book.
kristid's review against another edition
5.0
oh my god that was INCREDIBLE! there is more right?!? i mean there HAS to be more! I need more! oh my! sooo good!
Michelle Zink continues to leave me spellbound! A Temptation of Angels the perfect blend of historical fiction & romance with a supernatural twist! I loved the characters, I loved the story.... I loved it all!
-------------
Imagine being woken up in the middle of the night by a frantic mother and then being thrust into a secret passage in your bedroom wall…. with the instructions to find an address. That’s what happens to Helen.
Not only does she loose her parents and everything she know, she is thrust into this world that she never knew she belonged to. And if you are anything like me, you won’t be able to flip the pages fast enough to discover this world (and the boys in it!) along with her.
Michelle Zink continues to leave me spellbound! A Temptation of Angels the perfect blend of historical fiction & romance with a supernatural twist! I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved it all!
Michelle Zink is such a talented writer. I remember when I started reading A Temptation of Angels and being reminded of that talent! Wondering how I could forget something like that. Michelle is one of those writers that can easily transport you to a different world or a different time. It doesn’t feel forceful as it can in some novels.
I was intrigued by the first chapter. Who is this girl and who is trying to kill her?! I know you will be flipping the pages just as fast as I was.
Helen is a strong female protagonist. She’s stubborn, smart, fearless & fearful at the same time. Everything that I as a reader enjoy in a character and more. It’s not only Helen who makes such a lasting impression. All the characters in A Temptation of Angels are realistically portrayed. No matter if we were only introduced to them for a short time.
There is also a bit of a love triangle, as you know I’m a sucker for those! I am still undecided whom is the better choice for Helen. As I feel most readers will be too!
An absolutely beautiful story! I only hope there is more to come! There is more, right?
Michelle Zink continues to leave me spellbound! A Temptation of Angels the perfect blend of historical fiction & romance with a supernatural twist! I loved the characters, I loved the story.... I loved it all!
-------------
Imagine being woken up in the middle of the night by a frantic mother and then being thrust into a secret passage in your bedroom wall…. with the instructions to find an address. That’s what happens to Helen.
Not only does she loose her parents and everything she know, she is thrust into this world that she never knew she belonged to. And if you are anything like me, you won’t be able to flip the pages fast enough to discover this world (and the boys in it!) along with her.
Michelle Zink continues to leave me spellbound! A Temptation of Angels the perfect blend of historical fiction & romance with a supernatural twist! I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved it all!
Michelle Zink is such a talented writer. I remember when I started reading A Temptation of Angels and being reminded of that talent! Wondering how I could forget something like that. Michelle is one of those writers that can easily transport you to a different world or a different time. It doesn’t feel forceful as it can in some novels.
I was intrigued by the first chapter. Who is this girl and who is trying to kill her?! I know you will be flipping the pages just as fast as I was.
Helen is a strong female protagonist. She’s stubborn, smart, fearless & fearful at the same time. Everything that I as a reader enjoy in a character and more. It’s not only Helen who makes such a lasting impression. All the characters in A Temptation of Angels are realistically portrayed. No matter if we were only introduced to them for a short time.
There is also a bit of a love triangle, as you know I’m a sucker for those! I am still undecided whom is the better choice for Helen. As I feel most readers will be too!
An absolutely beautiful story! I only hope there is more to come! There is more, right?
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
5.0
A Temptation Of Angels will please both fans of angel stories and fans of Michelle Zink's first trilogy, Prophecy Of The Sisters. This is no traditional angel story and readers will be pleasantly surprised by the unique history of these angels!
A Temptation Of Angels is set in historical London. The exact time period is not mentioned but it's not necessary. The feel of the setting is what matters and it is fabulous. The speech, the dress, the appropriate behavior of women; it all transports you back to that time. It was one of the best parts of the book.
Another fabulous thing about the book was Helen. She was scared, alone, and grieving but she pulled through. She teamed up with the Channing brothers and went looking for the one responsible for her parents deaths. She was not fragile and weak. She was brave, strong, and resilient. She also had some great new allies. Darius and Griffin Channing were there to help show her the ways of being a Keeper. Darius was sarcastic and sometimes rude but he was a good guy at heart. Griffin was a total sweetheart although there were a few glimpses of a darker side. There were also Anna and Galizur. Anna was another girl who didn't let the restrictions of her gender stop her from doing what she could to help the Keepers. She was a bit more fragile than Helen but still very brave and capable. Galizur, Anna's father, was quirky, eccentric, and totally lovable. He was a bit of a mad scientist with all of his crazy inventions. There was quite a cast of characters in A Temptation Of Angels and it's definitely one readers will love.
The plot started off strong, faded a little in the middle, and the picked right back up. Helen is thrust into a strange world of angels and demons and a plot that puts her and her new friends in grave danger. The mystery of who is behind it all keeps readers enthralled but after that is revealed things slowed down a bit. However things picked right back up and it didn't slow enough to draw me away from the book.
Overall, Michelle Zink has a way with historical fantasy and I have high hopes for a sequel. Definitely check this one out!
A Temptation Of Angels is set in historical London. The exact time period is not mentioned but it's not necessary. The feel of the setting is what matters and it is fabulous. The speech, the dress, the appropriate behavior of women; it all transports you back to that time. It was one of the best parts of the book.
Another fabulous thing about the book was Helen. She was scared, alone, and grieving but she pulled through. She teamed up with the Channing brothers and went looking for the one responsible for her parents deaths. She was not fragile and weak. She was brave, strong, and resilient. She also had some great new allies. Darius and Griffin Channing were there to help show her the ways of being a Keeper. Darius was sarcastic and sometimes rude but he was a good guy at heart. Griffin was a total sweetheart although there were a few glimpses of a darker side. There were also Anna and Galizur. Anna was another girl who didn't let the restrictions of her gender stop her from doing what she could to help the Keepers. She was a bit more fragile than Helen but still very brave and capable. Galizur, Anna's father, was quirky, eccentric, and totally lovable. He was a bit of a mad scientist with all of his crazy inventions. There was quite a cast of characters in A Temptation Of Angels and it's definitely one readers will love.
The plot started off strong, faded a little in the middle, and the picked right back up. Helen is thrust into a strange world of angels and demons and a plot that puts her and her new friends in grave danger. The mystery of who is behind it all keeps readers enthralled but after that is revealed things slowed down a bit. However things picked right back up and it didn't slow enough to draw me away from the book.
Overall, Michelle Zink has a way with historical fantasy and I have high hopes for a sequel. Definitely check this one out!
joyousreads132's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a little tired.
I wouldn't say that this book had so much promise that it didn't deliver. It's just...I'm a little tired of the angel lore, that's all. This book also had a love triangle, ergo, the chances of me gushing over it was on the unlikely side.
A Temptation of Angels had Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices air to it, so the steampunk element has that going for it, at least. However, one of the problems that I encounter with steampunk is, the period tends to squander my interest quite easily. The book would have to do a lot to keep my attention, meaning, the book had to be steep with action and, or romance. Well, this book faltered on both.
The main character, Helen showed very little emotions. The deaths of her parents didn't seem to affect her one bit. She seemed intent on replacing her grief with vengeance, which to a certain point, I truly got. But the absence of tears as she learned that her parents perished in a deliberate house fire didn't help with my ability to connect with her.
The romance between her and Griffin seemed forced and awkward. I couldn't see him as worthy love interest, to be honest. But this might have something to do with personal preference (I'm into misunderstood bad boys). It didn't take long for Helen to develop some feelings for him - which I found odd considering she couldn't even garner enough emotions in her to shed a tear or two for her parents. I was excited to read about Raum and the circumstances with which they were connected. I decided to read the next book to the series just because I want to see how far - if in fact, it would - the relationship would go. Unfortunately, she also admitted to loving him. Some could argue that Helen have loved Raum longer than that but I don't really think it counts - especially if Helen had always thought he was an 'imaginary friend' growing up.
The action was few and far between. The author didn't really show any of Helen's training as a Keeper. Instead, she wrote that the she was already trained. It's a bit hard to see her as someone who could defend herself from wraiths and murderous, vindictive defectors of the good angels, simply because I didn't really have an insight to her strengths. All I know was that she was incredibly good at holding back her tears.
Over all, I think that Ms. Zink did a fantastic job in re-writing the tiresome angel lore by giving it a more-developed myth. I just can't get into it any longer.
I wish there's a big ol' suggestion box somewhere in Good Reads for authors about what can no longer be exploited when writing stories.
L O V E T R I A N G L E would be written on mine in big, black, bold letters. Seriously. I'm just tired of it.
I wouldn't say that this book had so much promise that it didn't deliver. It's just...I'm a little tired of the angel lore, that's all. This book also had a love triangle, ergo, the chances of me gushing over it was on the unlikely side.
A Temptation of Angels had Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices air to it, so the steampunk element has that going for it, at least. However, one of the problems that I encounter with steampunk is, the period tends to squander my interest quite easily. The book would have to do a lot to keep my attention, meaning, the book had to be steep with action and, or romance. Well, this book faltered on both.
The main character, Helen showed very little emotions. The deaths of her parents didn't seem to affect her one bit. She seemed intent on replacing her grief with vengeance, which to a certain point, I truly got. But the absence of tears as she learned that her parents perished in a deliberate house fire didn't help with my ability to connect with her.
The romance between her and Griffin seemed forced and awkward. I couldn't see him as worthy love interest, to be honest. But this might have something to do with personal preference (I'm into misunderstood bad boys). It didn't take long for Helen to develop some feelings for him - which I found odd considering she couldn't even garner enough emotions in her to shed a tear or two for her parents. I was excited to read about Raum and the circumstances with which they were connected. I decided to read the next book to the series just because I want to see how far - if in fact, it would - the relationship would go. Unfortunately, she also admitted to loving him. Some could argue that Helen have loved Raum longer than that but I don't really think it counts - especially if Helen had always thought he was an 'imaginary friend' growing up.
The action was few and far between. The author didn't really show any of Helen's training as a Keeper. Instead, she wrote that the she was already trained. It's a bit hard to see her as someone who could defend herself from wraiths and murderous, vindictive defectors of the good angels, simply because I didn't really have an insight to her strengths. All I know was that she was incredibly good at holding back her tears.
Over all, I think that Ms. Zink did a fantastic job in re-writing the tiresome angel lore by giving it a more-developed myth. I just can't get into it any longer.
I wish there's a big ol' suggestion box somewhere in Good Reads for authors about what can no longer be exploited when writing stories.
L O V E T R I A N G L E would be written on mine in big, black, bold letters. Seriously. I'm just tired of it.
cjyu's review against another edition
2.0
UPDATE:
Upon revision after two years, I realized that it was so unmemorable I forgot everything it was about. And I have a solid memory for most books I read. So I'm dropping the rating to two stars.
******************************************************************************
There was so much potential in this book that was wasted. Through out the book, I kept thinking how the book could've been cut down a bit more and added more action, mystery and suspense to intensify the plot, and the characters. Dear God. They are not like characters you want to like slap in the face... But they were so dull and flat, and cliche. I just could not believe this. And somehow, Helen just did not hit home with me. She irked me off at points. And then, the ending, I was like: THAT'S IT. WHAT. I can see this book spinning off into so much more, even potentially a series. I enjoyed the writing, but as you can see the plot was a bit to flat for my taste (because the idea could've been so much more intensified.) and the characters just did not work for me. At points, I agree with what my friend, Summer said that it reminds me so much of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I mean, half humans/angels fighting demons in a underground society in Victorian London with a love triangle? THE INFERNAL DEVICES GUYS, not to mention the special weapons (which was another that irked me off cause they never really explained what it WAS.)
Well, I guess I should be kind of glad this is a standalone... But honestly it mighty have been better as a series.
Upon revision after two years, I realized that it was so unmemorable I forgot everything it was about. And I have a solid memory for most books I read. So I'm dropping the rating to two stars.
******************************************************************************
There was so much potential in this book that was wasted. Through out the book, I kept thinking how the book could've been cut down a bit more and added more action, mystery and suspense to intensify the plot, and the characters. Dear God. They are not like characters you want to like slap in the face... But they were so dull and flat, and cliche. I just could not believe this. And somehow, Helen just did not hit home with me. She irked me off at points. And then, the ending, I was like: THAT'S IT. WHAT. I can see this book spinning off into so much more, even potentially a series. I enjoyed the writing, but as you can see the plot was a bit to flat for my taste (because the idea could've been so much more intensified.) and the characters just did not work for me. At points, I agree with what my friend, Summer said that it reminds me so much of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I mean, half humans/angels fighting demons in a underground society in Victorian London with a love triangle? THE INFERNAL DEVICES GUYS, not to mention the special weapons (which was another that irked me off cause they never really explained what it WAS.)
Well, I guess I should be kind of glad this is a standalone... But honestly it mighty have been better as a series.