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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: Death, blood, oppression
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse is a novella inspired by Christian mythology set in an Old Western mining town. I've been enjoying this type of mythology lately. I've recently started watching Lucifer and enjoy the different take on angels and demons. Like with a lot of novella's I wish there had been more! I would have liked to learn more about this town and the structure of oppression of the Fallen.
We follow Celeste, a Fallen woman who is determined to prove her sister Mariel is innocent of murder. In this world, the battle between the seraphim of Heaven and the demons of Hell ended when Abbadon fell, and his body was left to rot in the mountains creating a new element called Divinity that is being mined. The only people with the ability to see Divinity are the descendents of those demons, called the Fallen. The Fallen are second class citizens, and must put up with discrimination and oppression, and are considered a necessary evil.
Celeste is a Fallen that can "pass" for an Elect, a non-Fallen person, while her sister cannot. Celeste has spent her whole life looking after Mariel, denying herself the things she wants, and fooling herself about the kind of person her sister really is. This was a great take on the "tragic mulatto" trope, and you can see the comparisons to what life was like for mixed raced people who could "pass" for white versus those who could not, and the struggle and difficulties it posed to both sets of people.
I just wish we got to see more from Abraxas and the other Fallen. I wanted more descriptions and a bit more world-building, but such is the nature of novellas. It was still a great story with a good twist, and morally gray characters. I love the trope of the angels not necessarily being the good guys.
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse is a novella inspired by Christian mythology set in an Old Western mining town. I've been enjoying this type of mythology lately. I've recently started watching Lucifer and enjoy the different take on angels and demons. Like with a lot of novella's I wish there had been more! I would have liked to learn more about this town and the structure of oppression of the Fallen.
We follow Celeste, a Fallen woman who is determined to prove her sister Mariel is innocent of murder. In this world, the battle between the seraphim of Heaven and the demons of Hell ended when Abbadon fell, and his body was left to rot in the mountains creating a new element called Divinity that is being mined. The only people with the ability to see Divinity are the descendents of those demons, called the Fallen. The Fallen are second class citizens, and must put up with discrimination and oppression, and are considered a necessary evil.
Celeste is a Fallen that can "pass" for an Elect, a non-Fallen person, while her sister cannot. Celeste has spent her whole life looking after Mariel, denying herself the things she wants, and fooling herself about the kind of person her sister really is. This was a great take on the "tragic mulatto" trope, and you can see the comparisons to what life was like for mixed raced people who could "pass" for white versus those who could not, and the struggle and difficulties it posed to both sets of people.
I just wish we got to see more from Abraxas and the other Fallen. I wanted more descriptions and a bit more world-building, but such is the nature of novellas. It was still a great story with a good twist, and morally gray characters. I love the trope of the angels not necessarily being the good guys.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
kbairbooks's review
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well, this is definitely a thing. I don’t think the timing of when I read this novella was the greatest. That and the huge Christianity plot points was… interesting for me to absorb at this time. Short read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Death, Classism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
stacyaj's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
broomsticksandmagick's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
'Tread of Angels' by Rebecca Roanhorse is an inventive fantasy that deserves a full book length to be fleshed out.
The story centers on Celeste who works in a mining town where she lives with her sister. Their town is caught up in the political fallout of a war that included demonkind. When her sister is accused of murdering a doctor who is part of the ruling class, Celeste has to go out of her way to prove her sister's innocence. To do this, she will even go back to a past demon lover of hers that she has sworn to stay away from.
Roanhorse creates such engaging worlds and this is no different in 'Tread of Angels.' Her world building instantly sucked me in but how short the story was meant that it was never able to fully flex its wings. There are a number of characters in this story, all of whom are fascinating but never given enough room to become fully fleshed out. The ending felt a little bit rushed for this reason as well. I hope that Roanhorse will return to this world in the future because there is clearly so much to explore. This story really deserved more room to grow and I think that its short length does it a disservice.
The story centers on Celeste who works in a mining town where she lives with her sister. Their town is caught up in the political fallout of a war that included demonkind. When her sister is accused of murdering a doctor who is part of the ruling class, Celeste has to go out of her way to prove her sister's innocence. To do this, she will even go back to a past demon lover of hers that she has sworn to stay away from.
Roanhorse creates such engaging worlds and this is no different in 'Tread of Angels.' Her world building instantly sucked me in but how short the story was meant that it was never able to fully flex its wings. There are a number of characters in this story, all of whom are fascinating but never given enough room to become fully fleshed out. The ending felt a little bit rushed for this reason as well. I hope that Roanhorse will return to this world in the future because there is clearly so much to explore. This story really deserved more room to grow and I think that its short length does it a disservice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Murder
azrah786's review against another edition
3.75
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, gore, murder, death, animal death, confinement, infidelity, alcohol, vomit, toxic relationship, pregnancy, classism
--
Tread of Angels is a fun little novella following 2 sisters and a murder mystery set in a world featuring the descendants of angels and demons.
It definitely gave me A Dead Djinn in Cairo vibes but was something entirely new.
Roanhorse’s writing is as captivating as expected, perfectly depicting the noir/western atmosphere of the story and mining town setting. Society in this town is segregated with the upper Elect class - those descended from Angels – always looking down upon the Fallen – those descended from Demons. And we follow Celeste who is of a mixed background, as she sets out to save her sister Mariel (Fallen) after she is accused of murdering someone of the ruling Virtue class.
We get snippets of the history and the happenings of this fascinating world that Roanhorse has imagined as well as brilliant commentary on class disparities, morality and the corruption of power throughout the story. The primary plot fit perfectly for the length, fast moving and page turning in the best way however, there is always the case of a novella leaving you with wanting more and this one is no different.
We’re introduced to a intriguing cast of characters but moments between them are fleeting. Our protagonist goes through some interesting developments however, I found myself not knowing enough about her, enough about anyone in the story. By the end everything is wrapped up in a satisfying way but you also feel like you’ve been on a journey with amazing moments but not enough time to fully appreciate them.
Hence I would reeeally welcome additional stories in the future to expand on this world and all its details but this bite sized piece of it was enjoyable all the same.
Final Rating - 3.75/5 Stars
CW: violence, blood, injury, gore, murder, death, animal death, confinement, infidelity, alcohol, vomit, toxic relationship, pregnancy, classism
--
Tread of Angels is a fun little novella following 2 sisters and a murder mystery set in a world featuring the descendants of angels and demons.
It definitely gave me A Dead Djinn in Cairo vibes but was something entirely new.
Roanhorse’s writing is as captivating as expected, perfectly depicting the noir/western atmosphere of the story and mining town setting. Society in this town is segregated with the upper Elect class - those descended from Angels – always looking down upon the Fallen – those descended from Demons. And we follow Celeste who is of a mixed background, as she sets out to save her sister Mariel (Fallen) after she is accused of murdering someone of the ruling Virtue class.
We get snippets of the history and the happenings of this fascinating world that Roanhorse has imagined as well as brilliant commentary on class disparities, morality and the corruption of power throughout the story. The primary plot fit perfectly for the length, fast moving and page turning in the best way however, there is always the case of a novella leaving you with wanting more and this one is no different.
We’re introduced to a intriguing cast of characters but moments between them are fleeting. Our protagonist goes through some interesting developments however, I found myself not knowing enough about her, enough about anyone in the story. By the end everything is wrapped up in a satisfying way but you also feel like you’ve been on a journey with amazing moments but not enough time to fully appreciate them.
Hence I would reeeally welcome additional stories in the future to expand on this world and all its details but this bite sized piece of it was enjoyable all the same.
Final Rating - 3.75/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Death, Confinement, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy
heartbrekker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
One of the toughest things about writing a novella is that the author has to get readers hooked in a short amount of time while simultaneously concluding it a hundred or so pages later. While I wish Tread of Angels was longer to grow relationship dynamics, I’d still say this was a solid read.
Tread of Angels is an angels and demons fantasy that leans heavily into Christian influences. Celeste is considered a half-breed, having been born both an Elect and Fallen, and she’s dedicated a lot of her life to protecting her Fallen younger sister Mariel. One morning her sister is dragged out by soldiers after being accused of murdering a Virtue, and Celeste will stop at nothing to clear Mariel’s name, including becoming her voice in court aka advocatus diaboli. Readers follow Celeste as she tries to piece together the mystery of what really happened to the dead Virtue, and the truth will ultimately rock her world.
What I loved most about this book is its themes on biased perceptions. Our emotions are so strong when tied to our beliefs that we will rather look at the sun than directly at the mirror, which is the truth/ reality of the situation. Tread of Angels is also a book about relationships from siblings to lovers to government officials. Celeste destroys herself a bit more with every interaction because she refuses to take herself into account and rather jumps straight into the deep end. It’s a reminder that everyone is their own individual, and we gotta allow them to make their own decisions and deal with those consequences. Readers may have mixed feelings on Celeste because she’s an unreliable narrator, and I found myself interested in side characters more than her—Abraxas and Ibrahim specifically—which isn't a particularly good sign. I feel like Celeste's character arc was only just beginning in this book, so it fell a bit flat for me because we don't get to see the ramifications of the ending and its effect on her.
Again, I wish Tread of Angels were longer. It reminded me of those early 2010 years with angels and demons but in an adult and murder mystery lens. I really wish this could’ve been a great standalone that lasted way longer than 200ish pages. The history and world building of this world were just so fascinating that I didn’t want it to end.
Anyway, thank you to Saga Press for sending me a finished copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
10/31: Apparently, the ARC has a slightly different ending, so if any of you know of it, please tell me. I’m going to do a deep dive on here to try to figure out what it is.
Tread of Angels is an angels and demons fantasy that leans heavily into Christian influences. Celeste is considered a half-breed, having been born both an Elect and Fallen, and she’s dedicated a lot of her life to protecting her Fallen younger sister Mariel. One morning her sister is dragged out by soldiers after being accused of murdering a Virtue, and Celeste will stop at nothing to clear Mariel’s name, including becoming her voice in court aka advocatus diaboli. Readers follow Celeste as she tries to piece together the mystery of what really happened to the dead Virtue, and the truth will ultimately rock her world.
What I loved most about this book is its themes on biased perceptions. Our emotions are so strong when tied to our beliefs that we will rather look at the sun than directly at the mirror, which is the truth/ reality of the situation. Tread of Angels is also a book about relationships from siblings to lovers to government officials. Celeste destroys herself a bit more with every interaction because she refuses to take herself into account and rather jumps straight into the deep end. It’s a reminder that everyone is their own individual, and we gotta allow them to make their own decisions and deal with those consequences. Readers may have mixed feelings on Celeste because she’s an unreliable narrator, and I found myself interested in side characters more than her—Abraxas and Ibrahim specifically—which isn't a particularly good sign. I feel like Celeste's character arc was only just beginning in this book, so it fell a bit flat for me because we don't get to see the ramifications of the ending and its effect on her.
Again, I wish Tread of Angels were longer. It reminded me of those early 2010 years with angels and demons but in an adult and murder mystery lens. I really wish this could’ve been a great standalone that lasted way longer than 200ish pages. The history and world building of this world were just so fascinating that I didn’t want it to end.
Anyway, thank you to Saga Press for sending me a finished copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
10/31: Apparently, the ARC has a slightly different ending, so if any of you know of it, please tell me. I’m going to do a deep dive on here to try to figure out what it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Police brutality, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Abortion
caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.75
Thanks to Saga Press for the free copy of this book.
- TREAD OF ANGELS is a reimagined fantastical Wild West story, drawing on Biblical and mythological elements.
- As with many novellas, I was left wanting to know more about this world, but Roanhorse still managed to pack in a ton of worldbuilding and quite an array of characters.
- I think a lot of readers might be put off by Celeste's prickliness. I liked that her story arc was essentially about being headstrong and unlikeable, though (and yet, I think a lot of people will be mad at the ending!)
- TREAD OF ANGELS is a reimagined fantastical Wild West story, drawing on Biblical and mythological elements.
- As with many novellas, I was left wanting to know more about this world, but Roanhorse still managed to pack in a ton of worldbuilding and quite an array of characters.
- I think a lot of readers might be put off by Celeste's prickliness. I liked that her story arc was essentially about being headstrong and unlikeable, though (and yet, I think a lot of people will be mad at the ending!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Gore, Infidelity, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Death, and Murder
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