Reviews

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

thea's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars! it's masterful and a nod to her craft how rebecca roanhorse weaves a murder mystery in a debaucherously gritty world that centers on mining the remains of a fallen angel. the themes were expansive, ranging from the automatic condemnation of a race due to a set prejudice to the false security of having freedom of expression. but, i have to say, my favorite theme this novella had was the corruption of devotion — how too much of a good thing will inevitably lead to ruin.

celeste is not cruel, but is ruthless. nothing matters above clearing her sister' name, morphing her journey into one of manipulation and desperation — a spiral of shame of her own making. i enjoyed her passionate character, despite the mixed feelings her journey made me feel, eventually transforming my raging frustration into breathless, resigned helplessness. i did not give this five stars because of the obvious plot twists that were used, but i still found the conclusion to my satisfaction. despite celeste's status in society as half-fallen (meaning, she has roots to lucifer's rebellion), i felt that, more than anything, her self-made fall from grace truly clarified her state of morality — which was brilliantly, satisfyingly wrapped up in this novella's last sentence.

before i wrap this up, i feel compelled to mention celeste's ex-lover, abraxas — a demon lord with crimson eyes that, when resting comfortably upon celeste's face, show fervent love and devotion. i laughed so hard when i figured out why they broke up because it was so hilariously, obviously demon-like. i am not god's strongest soldier because i would've caved into abraxas's "impossible" (claims celeste) request immediately. i, a hopeless romantic, screeched and wailed with emotion whenever these two were in the same room together. however, i do have a brain and know i cannot trust rebecca roarhorse with my fragile hopeless romantic heart, which saved me from heartbreak (phew). this is a tale of the inescapable, self-destructive trap of consuming devotion, desire, and loyalty. enjoy the ardent rush of lust and love, but do not disrespect this book by prioritizing an amorous, idealistic future above all else — the romance section is over there.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for sending me an arc for my honest review!

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I really liked it. The characters, their dynamics, the world building based on Angel and Demon lore, the magic, the murder mystery and court case, the complicated siblings relationship. I liked that it was so short and fast-paced but would have read a longer version of the story, too. And would definitely read more stories from this world. It has so much potential. 

emhildeb's review against another edition

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I liked it, but it didn't surprise me. The flaws of the characters is what stands out the most. 

blulibrarian's review

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Oh, what a treat! Wild west seasoned with the angelic and the demonic. I could not stop. An investigation against the ticking trial clock, with the lead growing more and more desperate to save her sister, her only family member left to her. I enjoyed this deeply and will be reading more of Roanhorse's work as soon as I get mybhands on copies!!

tagoreketabkhane31's review

5.0

This was a great novella, and an original story that was not set in any of Rebecca Roanhorses previous universes. I loved the romance, the action, the mystery, the cast of characters, allegory of racial relations, and the second world nature of a mixture of our world and a fantasy world at the same time. Also, oddly enough, I am happy with the story ending the way the novella did, without too much added information on the characters. This is a must read!

hardlyknowem's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

jlynnelseauthor's review

3.0

I feel like this story would have been better served as a full-length novel. I absolutely LOVED "Black Sun" by Ms Roanhorse. This story lacked in emotional depth and intriguing characters. Instead, our MC ends up alienating those around her as her focus surrounding freeing her sister completely overcomes her better judgment. While a story in itself about selfishness and obsession, in the end, there just wasn't enough development of Celeste to care about how things were spiraling for her. There's only so many times you want to smack a character over the head until you resign yourself to what's happening.

Of the setting, I was completely fascinated and really wanted more on the mining and demon descendants walking the earth. This world was fascinating, and I wanted more immersion in it from differing points of view, much like Roanhorse did with "Black Sun." The world felt unique, and its what initially drew me to the book. Yet all those captivating elements were mere passing mentions than anything. In the end, I was left wanting more but in a frustrated sort of way. SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL!

pale_faced_fear's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

tastybooks916's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

ririsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

"is there strong character development" 
Well... she did develop... she just got worse 

the characters in this book were definitely a strong point. they were very layered and well thought out. Angels and Demons
Fallen and Virtues
and how each is capable of good and bad