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ash_ton's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 !!!
Let it be known that this didn't take me a long time to read because it sucked. It was actually really good; college is just kicking my ass. š
Most of the characters seemed like they were well thought out, but Alastor kind of seemed like a generic villain with no substance behind him, and Raum didn't really get any time to shine. I think that's why I didn't get why Helen had such strong feelings towards him. Darius may have been a dick, but I liked him more than Raum. It was obvious that there was going to be a relationship between Helen and Griffin, but I liked that there was, because they mesh well together. Also, I like that it didn't happen immediately. It was over the course of like a week, but it didn't seem like insta-love.
Let it be known that this didn't take me a long time to read because it sucked. It was actually really good; college is just kicking my ass. š
Most of the characters seemed like they were well thought out, but Alastor kind of seemed like a generic villain with no substance behind him, and Raum didn't really get any time to shine. I think that's why I didn't get why Helen had such strong feelings towards him. Darius may have been a dick, but I liked him more than Raum. It was obvious that there was going to be a relationship between Helen and Griffin, but I liked that there was, because they mesh well together. Also, I like that it didn't happen immediately. It was over the course of like a week, but it didn't seem like insta-love.
abwright's review against another edition
3.0
I hate giving it a 3 star when there really is nothing wrong with the book. It was well written - although sometimes she drug out some scenes - usually when climbing up a ladder or down a rope or something about climbing. There wasn't enough action and I didn't really feel like I sympathized or understood the characters.
Some people love this book - it just wasn't my.cup of tea.
Some people love this book - it just wasn't my.cup of tea.
islandgeekgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Without her knowledge, Helen's parents have been training her for her destiny of being a Keeper through lessons like fencing and games like 'find all the exits'. When her house is attacked, her mother hides Helen in a secret passage in the wall and tells her to find the Channing brothers. Her parents sacrificed themselves so that she could live and Helen wants revenge. It gets complicated when she learns that her childhood friend Raum is involved in murdering the Keepers and she finds that she can't hate him like the Channing brothers do.
It's different from most other Angels books. There's no reading about the characters having wings and flying. Instead they can 'jump' using light and are well-trained to fight against wraiths and other creatures.
Because Helen hadn't reached the age of Enlightment, when it's revealed that she's a Keeper, she knows next to nothing about who she is. All she has to go on is her parents' lessons, which are helpful, and her instincts.
The innocent romance between Helen and younger brother Griffin is sweet, her back and forth with older brother Darius is amusing, and her sympathy for Raum is understandable. She goes from being unsure about anything with a need to prove she won't be a burden to the brothers, to being an important part of their team to take down the demon Alsorta/Alastor.
It's different from most other Angels books. There's no reading about the characters having wings and flying. Instead they can 'jump' using light and are well-trained to fight against wraiths and other creatures.
Because Helen hadn't reached the age of Enlightment, when it's revealed that she's a Keeper, she knows next to nothing about who she is. All she has to go on is her parents' lessons, which are helpful, and her instincts.
The innocent romance between Helen and younger brother Griffin is sweet, her back and forth with older brother Darius is amusing, and her sympathy for Raum is understandable. She goes from being unsure about anything with a need to prove she won't be a burden to the brothers, to being an important part of their team to take down the demon Alsorta/Alastor.
bstaats's review against another edition
4.0
There's no shortage of angel paranormal books in YA right now, but there's something special about A Temptation of Angels; it's an addictive, fascinating, page-turner that's remarkably refreshing for its genre.
I haven't read Michelle Zink's first series, Prophecy of the Sisters, yet but this reading her newest release has made me immensely curious to pick up those books!
A Victorian setting:
I LOVE Victorian settings and books that can take that a step further by incorporating a paranormal twist are even better! A Temptation of Angels isn't the only book to do this (it's in good company with excellent books like Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series and Lia Habel's Dearly, Departed among others) but this is the first one I've read about angels.
A fast-paced story:
As far as I'm aware, this book's a stand alone and one that moves along rather quickly. With only one book to develop characters and a story, it can be very tricky to create such a detailed idea with only so many pages. But I was immediately drawn into the world, and I had a hard time putting this book aside for anything! The first few pages are in your face, bringing with them all sorts of excitement and riveting twists. And it just doesn't stop until it's over!
Cute romance with a sweet boy:
A Temptation of Angels is very clearly a YA paranormal romance - if you aren't interested in a romantic relationship developing and being a fairly key part of the plot, then I wouldn't recommend you try this one. But if you're like me, and you always enjoy a good romance then I think you'll truly appreciate the one that Helen finds in A Temptation of Angels... or at least partially.
It isn't a heavy paranormal:
I was expecting the paranormal aspect to be the driving force behind the story, so imagine my surprise when it really didn't strike me that way. Instead, the story focuses much more on a mystery aspect
Now all that being said... I also felt that too much was squeezed into this one book. It easily could have been spread out over two or three books and I think it would have been better if the story had been spread out that way. But it wasn't, yet it still featured just about all familiar aspects of a YA paranormal romance but all in one book. That led to some characters being less developed, and some relationships came off as unconvincing as well. I was especially expecting more from Raum, but easily felt that the story would have been better without him. He just came across as somewhat forced, and I don't think he was actually as important to the plot as the reader is led to believe.
And the book was so rich in details and history (which I loved) except for how confusing it came across at times; I would LOVE more explanation and a better look into the world that Michelle so creatively imagined and wrote about here. I just had so many questions and not enough answers to feel fully satisfied.
ARC received from Penguin Canada
I haven't read Michelle Zink's first series, Prophecy of the Sisters, yet but this reading her newest release has made me immensely curious to pick up those books!
A Victorian setting:
I LOVE Victorian settings and books that can take that a step further by incorporating a paranormal twist are even better! A Temptation of Angels isn't the only book to do this (it's in good company with excellent books like Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series and Lia Habel's Dearly, Departed among others) but this is the first one I've read about angels.
A fast-paced story:
As far as I'm aware, this book's a stand alone and one that moves along rather quickly. With only one book to develop characters and a story, it can be very tricky to create such a detailed idea with only so many pages. But I was immediately drawn into the world, and I had a hard time putting this book aside for anything! The first few pages are in your face, bringing with them all sorts of excitement and riveting twists. And it just doesn't stop until it's over!
Cute romance with a sweet boy:
A Temptation of Angels is very clearly a YA paranormal romance - if you aren't interested in a romantic relationship developing and being a fairly key part of the plot, then I wouldn't recommend you try this one. But if you're like me, and you always enjoy a good romance then I think you'll truly appreciate the one that Helen finds in A Temptation of Angels... or at least partially.
It isn't a heavy paranormal:
I was expecting the paranormal aspect to be the driving force behind the story, so imagine my surprise when it really didn't strike me that way. Instead, the story focuses much more on a mystery aspect
Now all that being said... I also felt that too much was squeezed into this one book. It easily could have been spread out over two or three books and I think it would have been better if the story had been spread out that way. But it wasn't, yet it still featured just about all familiar aspects of a YA paranormal romance but all in one book. That led to some characters being less developed, and some relationships came off as unconvincing as well. I was especially expecting more from Raum, but easily felt that the story would have been better without him. He just came across as somewhat forced, and I don't think he was actually as important to the plot as the reader is led to believe.
And the book was so rich in details and history (which I loved) except for how confusing it came across at times; I would LOVE more explanation and a better look into the world that Michelle so creatively imagined and wrote about here. I just had so many questions and not enough answers to feel fully satisfied.
ARC received from Penguin Canada
sjessup26's review against another edition
2.0
It could have been so much better.
Personally, I felt as though the story was not super unique. The relationships in this book felt rushed and somewhat insta-love. Overall, this book was meh.
Personally, I felt as though the story was not super unique. The relationships in this book felt rushed and somewhat insta-love. Overall, this book was meh.
ceuran's review against another edition
3.0
Iām sad to use the first few words of this review to say that A Temptation of Angels was a bit of a let-down for me. I am quite a fan of Zinkās Prophecy of the Sisters series (at least the first two that I read), and I was very excited to read her fourth novel for that reason.
Although, one would never be able to guess that this was Zinkās fourth book from the way it was written. The writing style was extremely simple, there wasnāt much explanation to why the Keepers existed and the plot was mediocre at best.
During the beginning of the novel I kept rolling my eyes at Helen and her foolishness. Her trust in the brothers came all too quickly and easily, and even though she claimed her words never failed her she was often contradicting herself when she couldn't help but stumble over them.
At the beginning of the book her attraction to Griffin was a little creepy, more so because I pictured her as a 13 or 14 year old girl and him as a 20-something year old man. Ew. *shivers*
Also, the romance of this novel became highly annoying towards the end. Just after declaring she only loved one of the boys as a āfriend,ā when earlier she declared that she loved the other, not too far from then she found herself ādesiringā the first one. THIS. IS. REDICULOUS. YA romance, WHY U MAKE NO SENSE?!?!
However, the letter that she received from her father was very cute and heart-warming and I really liked it. I also really liked how much of an influence the parents had on Helen throughout the entire novel. So while this book was a bit of a disappointment for me, I still liked it enough to give it a 3/5 rating.
Although, one would never be able to guess that this was Zinkās fourth book from the way it was written. The writing style was extremely simple, there wasnāt much explanation to why the Keepers existed and the plot was mediocre at best.
During the beginning of the novel I kept rolling my eyes at Helen and her foolishness. Her trust in the brothers came all too quickly and easily, and even though she claimed her words never failed her she was often contradicting herself when she couldn't help but stumble over them.
At the beginning of the book her attraction to Griffin was a little creepy, more so because I pictured her as a 13 or 14 year old girl and him as a 20-something year old man. Ew. *shivers*
Also, the romance of this novel became highly annoying towards the end. Just after declaring she only loved one of the boys as a āfriend,ā when earlier she declared that she loved the other, not too far from then she found herself ādesiringā the first one. THIS. IS. REDICULOUS. YA romance, WHY U MAKE NO SENSE?!?!
However, the letter that she received from her father was very cute and heart-warming and I really liked it. I also really liked how much of an influence the parents had on Helen throughout the entire novel. So while this book was a bit of a disappointment for me, I still liked it enough to give it a 3/5 rating.
owlishbookish's review against another edition
4.0
Check out this and other reviews on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter.
Since I received this ARC back in December, I have been highly anticipating getting the chance to read this book. This is my first experience reading anything by Michelle Zink, so I had no preconceptions whatsoever with regard to what I should expect. As it turns out, A Temptation of Angels was a great introduction to Michelle Zink's work. I was treated to an engrossing tale that was every bit as entertaining as it was detailed.
Helen is an interesting character. She is somewhat reserved when it comes to certain emotions, although she is also stubborn, naive, and caring. When the book begins, we are introduced to Helen as she faces immediate danger. Early on, one can begin to get a sense of just who Helen is based upon how she faces her struggles. It is who she comes to be, however, that I found most intriguing. While some of her actions may seem foolhardy at best, you have to admire her tenacity and spirit. Griffin, one of the primary male characters and a source of attraction for Helen, is also an enjoyable character to get to know. He is debonair, kind, and adventurous all at once, which makes for a great counterpart to Helen, as well as a pretty swoon-worthy male lead. The character I felt most conflicted about, however, was not Darius, Griffin's sardonic brother, but Raum, the mysterious boy from Helen's childhood. I didn't know whether I found him abhorrent or someone to be pitied. Even by the end, he was as much of a mystery to me as when he first appeared in the book.
The construct of A Temptation of Angels is very absorbing. It moves along at a nice clip and provides enough background information without causing an overload. The premise is fresh and entertaining and has a nice helping of romance. However, there is a love triangle involved, which I just don't feel so inclined toward. For me, it detracts from Helen's decisiveness and the concept of love triangles overall is beginning to wear on my patience. In the end, however, it doesn't effect my overall enjoyment of the book, nor does it put a damper on my desire to read more.
A Temptation of Angels is a great book that I will not hesitate to recommend in the future. It is probably high on my list of angel books that I enjoy and I really hope to see more books set in this world in the future. Michelle Zink has created a wonderfully imaginative take on the battle between angels and demons that will set your imagination alight. If you enjoy books centered around angels and the theme of good vs. evil, then A Temptation of Angels would be a great choice.
Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge via the publisher through Library Thing Early Reviewers. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
Since I received this ARC back in December, I have been highly anticipating getting the chance to read this book. This is my first experience reading anything by Michelle Zink, so I had no preconceptions whatsoever with regard to what I should expect. As it turns out, A Temptation of Angels was a great introduction to Michelle Zink's work. I was treated to an engrossing tale that was every bit as entertaining as it was detailed.
Helen is an interesting character. She is somewhat reserved when it comes to certain emotions, although she is also stubborn, naive, and caring. When the book begins, we are introduced to Helen as she faces immediate danger. Early on, one can begin to get a sense of just who Helen is based upon how she faces her struggles. It is who she comes to be, however, that I found most intriguing. While some of her actions may seem foolhardy at best, you have to admire her tenacity and spirit. Griffin, one of the primary male characters and a source of attraction for Helen, is also an enjoyable character to get to know. He is debonair, kind, and adventurous all at once, which makes for a great counterpart to Helen, as well as a pretty swoon-worthy male lead. The character I felt most conflicted about, however, was not Darius, Griffin's sardonic brother, but Raum, the mysterious boy from Helen's childhood. I didn't know whether I found him abhorrent or someone to be pitied. Even by the end, he was as much of a mystery to me as when he first appeared in the book.
The construct of A Temptation of Angels is very absorbing. It moves along at a nice clip and provides enough background information without causing an overload. The premise is fresh and entertaining and has a nice helping of romance. However, there is a love triangle involved, which I just don't feel so inclined toward. For me, it detracts from Helen's decisiveness and the concept of love triangles overall is beginning to wear on my patience. In the end, however, it doesn't effect my overall enjoyment of the book, nor does it put a damper on my desire to read more.
A Temptation of Angels is a great book that I will not hesitate to recommend in the future. It is probably high on my list of angel books that I enjoy and I really hope to see more books set in this world in the future. Michelle Zink has created a wonderfully imaginative take on the battle between angels and demons that will set your imagination alight. If you enjoy books centered around angels and the theme of good vs. evil, then A Temptation of Angels would be a great choice.
Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge via the publisher through Library Thing Early Reviewers. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
cjmichel's review against another edition
3.0
This was between good and very good. I doubt I would keep up with the series if there was one though.
angelcwrites's review against another edition
1.0
You can find this review and many more at Mermaid Vision Books!
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: When I was sixteen years old, I was incredibly naive, idealistic and a bit reckless. I certainly couldn't have been placed in the position of saving an entire race, and I definitely would not have had two gorgeous boys fighting over lil' ol' me. Why? Probably because I was sixteen, incredibly naive, idealistic and a bit reckless. Also, I wasn't the "heroine" of a YA paranormal romance series.
More and more, the trends in YA fiction veer towards these soaring feats of power and dramatic escapes from death. Both the Harry Potter and Twilight series tell stories of great power discovered in oneself, though we can all agree to disagree as to which one is actually great literature. The point is, teens are in a very precarious position: they are given responsibility, but (hopefully) not enough of it to ruin themselves. They are expected to know better than their younger siblings, but they are still dismissed as "too young." Books provide them with an escape hatch from the roller coaster of adolescence, and I certainly don't blame anyone for enjoying that. But where do we draw the line between escape and harmful idealism?
The plotline of A Temptation of Angels is pretty standard for a YA paranormal story: girl is in trouble, girl meets mysterious boy, girl discovers she has super special secret powers, girl meets even more mysterious bad boy, girl saves the world, girl is still torn (*sob!*) between boys. Let's switch it up, shall we? What happens if we put the boy in the girl's place? Wouldn't so-called feminists rail at the audacity of this boy? "He can't be in love with two girls, that's not fair! He needs to pick one! He's a manwhore and a jerk!" And yet, it's perfectly fine for a girl to lead both boys along? Oh, but see, she's beautiful. She's absolutely gorgeous, and she's smart, and she's good-hearted AND the best part? She has no idea that she's this amazing. Helen isn't a relatable heroine. She's a Barbie doll, upon whom young impressionable girls will attach all their insecurities and dreams and wishes.
The term heroine is thrown about so often these days that it's begun to lose its meaning. The dictionary defines it as:
Not once is appearance mentioned. Can you name a YA bestseller with a less-than-gorgeous heroine? I am sure they exist, but I certainly don't hear about them. Covers depict beautiful models in flowing gowns, men who look nothing like the usual score of high school boys. As a Fine Arts student, I understand the need for aesthetics, but I also think that it does readers a disservice. We are led to believe that every heroine needs to look like that, that it's the only way to find men like that, and frankly, I do feel a little insulted. Helen asks some questions for which the answers are rather obvious, and yet we're expected to see her as this perfect person? Forgive me if I found myself getting up close and personal with my desk again and again. The reader is also asked to believe that Helen's "courage and noble qualities" are natural traits, but considering every time Griffin has to save her because of a reckless decision, I don't quite see her that way. Courage is also knowing when to fight.
Speaking of fighting, Helen's two love interests are, at best, lackluster copies of Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes (Gone With the Wind). They love her, oh how they love her. But...why? I don't subscribe to the belief that real love is something you can develop in a few days, and I just didn't see enough evidence of it in this book to suspend my disbelief. These kids may have great powers, but they are still kids. Contrary to popular opinion (at least in a bookstore's YA section), falling in love is not something you enter into lightly. It's also important to consider the tropes that Helen "falls in love" with. Griffin is a good boy, Raum is bad. She's known them for a few days at best, and yet she's swept away by...what exactly? Passion is not equal to love. I feel passionately for my bookshelf, but I don't love it and I certainly don't expect it to love me. Helen is sixteen, and I find it patently ridiculous that I am asked to accept her adventures as just another YA story, when they don't seem to be based in any reality I can understand. Yes, I do expect common sense and you know, a desire to stay alive and be safe to exist in YA books. Whether they are set in Timbuktu or the farthest regions of outer space, I expect characters to rise above their tropes and give readers something to invest in and ponder beyond the last page.
You can love all the problematic stories you can find. That's totally fine, and I don't expect everyone to throw off things they enjoy just because there are flaws. But in light of the trends that are dominating the YA scene and its target audience, it becomes even more important to address those issues and provide venues to discuss them and their effect on society. Personally, I am unable to ignore those social issues when I find them, which can make it difficult to enjoy a lot of the books that are being released. I am very disappointed that I couldn't enjoy A Temptation of Angels, especially since I loved Ms. Zink's previous work.
The Final Say: A Temptation of Angels won't be finding its way on any of my recommendation lists any time soon. Paranormal romance fans will find much to love, but should they attempt to pick the story and themes apart, the illusion will be shattered.
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: When I was sixteen years old, I was incredibly naive, idealistic and a bit reckless. I certainly couldn't have been placed in the position of saving an entire race, and I definitely would not have had two gorgeous boys fighting over lil' ol' me. Why? Probably because I was sixteen, incredibly naive, idealistic and a bit reckless. Also, I wasn't the "heroine" of a YA paranormal romance series.
More and more, the trends in YA fiction veer towards these soaring feats of power and dramatic escapes from death. Both the Harry Potter and Twilight series tell stories of great power discovered in oneself, though we can all agree to disagree as to which one is actually great literature. The point is, teens are in a very precarious position: they are given responsibility, but (hopefully) not enough of it to ruin themselves. They are expected to know better than their younger siblings, but they are still dismissed as "too young." Books provide them with an escape hatch from the roller coaster of adolescence, and I certainly don't blame anyone for enjoying that. But where do we draw the line between escape and harmful idealism?
The plotline of A Temptation of Angels is pretty standard for a YA paranormal story: girl is in trouble, girl meets mysterious boy, girl discovers she has super special secret powers, girl meets even more mysterious bad boy, girl saves the world, girl is still torn (*sob!*) between boys. Let's switch it up, shall we? What happens if we put the boy in the girl's place? Wouldn't so-called feminists rail at the audacity of this boy? "He can't be in love with two girls, that's not fair! He needs to pick one! He's a manwhore and a jerk!" And yet, it's perfectly fine for a girl to lead both boys along? Oh, but see, she's beautiful. She's absolutely gorgeous, and she's smart, and she's good-hearted AND the best part? She has no idea that she's this amazing. Helen isn't a relatable heroine. She's a Barbie doll, upon whom young impressionable girls will attach all their insecurities and dreams and wishes.
The term heroine is thrown about so often these days that it's begun to lose its meaning. The dictionary defines it as:
A woman admired or idealized for her courage or noble qualities.
Not once is appearance mentioned. Can you name a YA bestseller with a less-than-gorgeous heroine? I am sure they exist, but I certainly don't hear about them. Covers depict beautiful models in flowing gowns, men who look nothing like the usual score of high school boys. As a Fine Arts student, I understand the need for aesthetics, but I also think that it does readers a disservice. We are led to believe that every heroine needs to look like that, that it's the only way to find men like that, and frankly, I do feel a little insulted. Helen asks some questions for which the answers are rather obvious, and yet we're expected to see her as this perfect person? Forgive me if I found myself getting up close and personal with my desk again and again. The reader is also asked to believe that Helen's "courage and noble qualities" are natural traits, but considering every time Griffin has to save her because of a reckless decision, I don't quite see her that way. Courage is also knowing when to fight.
Speaking of fighting, Helen's two love interests are, at best, lackluster copies of Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes (Gone With the Wind). They love her, oh how they love her. But...why? I don't subscribe to the belief that real love is something you can develop in a few days, and I just didn't see enough evidence of it in this book to suspend my disbelief. These kids may have great powers, but they are still kids. Contrary to popular opinion (at least in a bookstore's YA section), falling in love is not something you enter into lightly. It's also important to consider the tropes that Helen "falls in love" with. Griffin is a good boy, Raum is bad. She's known them for a few days at best, and yet she's swept away by...what exactly? Passion is not equal to love. I feel passionately for my bookshelf, but I don't love it and I certainly don't expect it to love me. Helen is sixteen, and I find it patently ridiculous that I am asked to accept her adventures as just another YA story, when they don't seem to be based in any reality I can understand. Yes, I do expect common sense and you know, a desire to stay alive and be safe to exist in YA books. Whether they are set in Timbuktu or the farthest regions of outer space, I expect characters to rise above their tropes and give readers something to invest in and ponder beyond the last page.
You can love all the problematic stories you can find. That's totally fine, and I don't expect everyone to throw off things they enjoy just because there are flaws. But in light of the trends that are dominating the YA scene and its target audience, it becomes even more important to address those issues and provide venues to discuss them and their effect on society. Personally, I am unable to ignore those social issues when I find them, which can make it difficult to enjoy a lot of the books that are being released. I am very disappointed that I couldn't enjoy A Temptation of Angels, especially since I loved Ms. Zink's previous work.
The Final Say: A Temptation of Angels won't be finding its way on any of my recommendation lists any time soon. Paranormal romance fans will find much to love, but should they attempt to pick the story and themes apart, the illusion will be shattered.
yohina1989's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5!!
See my full review at:
http://readingbykindlefire.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-temptation-of-angels-by-michelle.html
After reading several reviews (positive and negative), I wasnāt sure if I was going to like this one. I was kind of expecting the worst, but I was surprised by how much I liked this book!
First, Michelle Zink has a very elegant yet simple style of writing that made everything flow easily and reading it was such a pleasure. There was no jarring of sentences or sudden changes of tenses that threw me out of the story.
Secondly, the book started out at a fast-paced and never really stopped. There were breathers here and there, but I felt those were necessary to let the readers absorb the information they were given and reflect about the events that happened. In other words, the pacing was very well done.
The rest of the review will be a mixture of things I liked and didnāt like, because itās hard to talk of one without the other. Let me start with Helen. Helen for all intents and purposes is a young girl whoās had a perfect childhood despite the strangeness of it. For someone like that to be thrust into the midst of tragedy, she stood strong. I had a bit of a problem with her lack of grief at the beginning but that was solved very nicely later and was a great wrap-up for the book.
However, I do feel that she is kind of naĆÆve. She seemed to believe everything too easily. I had trouble with the logic that just because her childhood was ānormalā by any means indicates that thereāre angels and demons and that sheās a Keeper. There could be other reasons for her strange childhood. That just wasnāt a good enough explanation for me. Sheās also a bit too quick to trust Raum, for reasons Iāll explain later.
I like that sheās not the usual kick-ass heroine whoās ready to take on the world. Instead, sheās slowly learning about fighting and trying to improve. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her growth and slow acceptance of her situation. However, for someone whoās still learning, she really shouldnāt be insisting on going on these dangerous missions knowing that sheās a liability, or go off by herself without a weapon knowing full well the dangers waiting for her outside.
Now I come to Raum. I love that Michelle Zink made such a gray character! On the one side, I canāt forgive him for everything heās done, but on the other side, I understand where Helenās coming from. My problem with Helenās argument is that her forgiveness came a bit too quickly. If a year or two has passed, or ten years, that forgiveness may make sense, but in the length of one or two weeks, itās not really believable. As for Raum, if all it took for him to stop murdering people was Helen, then his motivation for murdering people in the first place was too weak, so I canāt forgive him.
As for the world-building, I just wish there was more of it. The setting is in London (Victorian?), I donāt really know. The concept is unique, but there wasnāt much information given except the bare minimum to get the story moving from one point to the next. I still have several questions after reading this. What do the Keepers do exactly? And how do they do it? Where is the Dictata? Do they live in the human realm or some other realm? If the Dictata had the power to see the past, present, and future, why did they let the murders occur?
Lastly, the love interest. I really enjoyed how Helenās relationship developed with Griffin. While there is a tiny bit of insta-love to it since it happened in a few days, but it was still different in that they got to know each other first. The romance was cute and sweet. My only problem is with the love triangle, but thatās because I have a problem with love triangles in general. The word love always loses its power when it comes to a love triangle. Perhaps itās because I remember being a teen (not that long ago) when if you think you love someone, thatās the only person you see and care about. You donāt love two people at once, teenage attention span being what it is. Also, Iām a strong believer in soul-mates and thereās one person for each of us out there, so the fact she loves two of them is hard for me to accept.
So now Iām finally at the end of the review. Iām giving this one a 3.5. Some of you might wonder how itās not a lower rating since I had so many ādislikesā, but honestly I had fun reading the book in general and really liked it. These ādislikesā only came out as I reflected about the book when writing my review.
See my full review at:
http://readingbykindlefire.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-temptation-of-angels-by-michelle.html
After reading several reviews (positive and negative), I wasnāt sure if I was going to like this one. I was kind of expecting the worst, but I was surprised by how much I liked this book!
First, Michelle Zink has a very elegant yet simple style of writing that made everything flow easily and reading it was such a pleasure. There was no jarring of sentences or sudden changes of tenses that threw me out of the story.
Secondly, the book started out at a fast-paced and never really stopped. There were breathers here and there, but I felt those were necessary to let the readers absorb the information they were given and reflect about the events that happened. In other words, the pacing was very well done.
The rest of the review will be a mixture of things I liked and didnāt like, because itās hard to talk of one without the other. Let me start with Helen. Helen for all intents and purposes is a young girl whoās had a perfect childhood despite the strangeness of it. For someone like that to be thrust into the midst of tragedy, she stood strong. I had a bit of a problem with her lack of grief at the beginning but that was solved very nicely later and was a great wrap-up for the book.
However, I do feel that she is kind of naĆÆve. She seemed to believe everything too easily. I had trouble with the logic that just because her childhood was ānormalā by any means indicates that thereāre angels and demons and that sheās a Keeper. There could be other reasons for her strange childhood. That just wasnāt a good enough explanation for me. Sheās also a bit too quick to trust Raum, for reasons Iāll explain later.
I like that sheās not the usual kick-ass heroine whoās ready to take on the world. Instead, sheās slowly learning about fighting and trying to improve. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her growth and slow acceptance of her situation. However, for someone whoās still learning, she really shouldnāt be insisting on going on these dangerous missions knowing that sheās a liability, or go off by herself without a weapon knowing full well the dangers waiting for her outside.
Now I come to Raum. I love that Michelle Zink made such a gray character! On the one side, I canāt forgive him for everything heās done, but on the other side, I understand where Helenās coming from. My problem with Helenās argument is that her forgiveness came a bit too quickly. If a year or two has passed, or ten years, that forgiveness may make sense, but in the length of one or two weeks, itās not really believable. As for Raum, if all it took for him to stop murdering people was Helen, then his motivation for murdering people in the first place was too weak, so I canāt forgive him.
As for the world-building, I just wish there was more of it. The setting is in London (Victorian?), I donāt really know. The concept is unique, but there wasnāt much information given except the bare minimum to get the story moving from one point to the next. I still have several questions after reading this. What do the Keepers do exactly? And how do they do it? Where is the Dictata? Do they live in the human realm or some other realm? If the Dictata had the power to see the past, present, and future, why did they let the murders occur?
Lastly, the love interest. I really enjoyed how Helenās relationship developed with Griffin. While there is a tiny bit of insta-love to it since it happened in a few days, but it was still different in that they got to know each other first. The romance was cute and sweet. My only problem is with the love triangle, but thatās because I have a problem with love triangles in general. The word love always loses its power when it comes to a love triangle. Perhaps itās because I remember being a teen (not that long ago) when if you think you love someone, thatās the only person you see and care about. You donāt love two people at once, teenage attention span being what it is. Also, Iām a strong believer in soul-mates and thereās one person for each of us out there, so the fact she loves two of them is hard for me to accept.
So now Iām finally at the end of the review. Iām giving this one a 3.5. Some of you might wonder how itās not a lower rating since I had so many ādislikesā, but honestly I had fun reading the book in general and really liked it. These ādislikesā only came out as I reflected about the book when writing my review.