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Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás

93 reviews

arlingtonchamberofgay's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

rafael nicolás does a beautiful job of painting Heaven as a utopian paradise alongside the perils of asking too many questions, being too different. His writing is wonderfully elegant and walks you through the creation of the angel of beauty and his long life all the way to his fall. Lucifer’s expulsion from Heaven was always going to happen, but you can’t help but pray that it doesn’t, for the angel to succeed in his fight against god and his throne.

This book is for the outcasts, the broken, the abominations. It’s for those of us who have been deemed undesirable in the eyes of god, his church and worshippers. May we create and mold new worlds out of our pains and pleasures.

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jaspilite's review

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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asteria_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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angelie_jelly's review

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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dredadonx's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⚠️Review may contain some slight spoilers‼️

This book by Rafael Nicolas is a queer retelling of the fall of Satan. The story begins as we follow Lucifer when he wakes up in a grandiloquent ambience that is set in what we know as Heaven, and he is a fledgling Angel who is trying to understand his new place there. He starts off as having very low self esteem, is petrified of how he looks, and is very emotional. As the story goes along, we start to see him grow into himself and gain confidence As he is deemed the most beautiful Angel in Heaven and God’s Favorite amongst the angels. 

The other character we meet is Michael the Archangel who is our MC’s love interest. As the two hit it off, the story goes from a cozy love story to one of tragedy, betrayal, and loss. 

Rafael Nicolas really captivated my attention throughout the entire read of this novel. It was full of adventure and character growth, but also heart wrenching tragedy. This is their debut and the first book of a trilogy (I believe?), so I could only imagine how crazy it’s going to get haha. 

20/10 recommend! 

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kangaroo1990's review

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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axel_p's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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devils_minion's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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graygarrido's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

In honor of Angels & Man releasing in 2024 I decided to reread Angels Before Man. This was one of my top reads of 2023 and as you can probably tell, one that has followed me into 2024. This Queer retelling of The Fall of Lucifer is as much of an open w*und of religious tr*uma as it is a celebration of queer joy, queer love, & queer bodies. 

Rafael Nicolás does an incredible job at making a story both light & full of achingly sweet tenderness & in the same chapter explore the darkness within Religion & the harmful ways in which Religion can be taught to young minds. 

One of my favorite themes was of queer identity & the queer Body & its relationship (or lack thereof) with Catholicism. How in this version of Paradise we are shown bodies of all shapes and sizes. Masculine and feminine blur together to create something entirely new, bodies decadently dressed in jewels from head to toe and covered in delicate fabrics. 

I saw so much of my young queer self in Lucifer and Michael. The questions, the doubts, the love, the resentment, and most of all the fear. This book is a balm to my inner queer child, & I truly cannot recommend it enough especially if you were raised Catholic like I was. 

I cannot wait to see what happens next in this world. & with that I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes: 

“So if Lucifer had ever the choice, he might've decided to inspire the Lord's hate, rather than His quiet displeasure. A hand that strikes from the dark is at least proof of a hand. It's kinder to be beaten than to be left untouched.” 

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v333spertine's review

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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