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mxsallybend's review
3.0
Dark Avenging Angel wasn't quite the novel I expected - it's something deeper, more well-rounded, and more emotionally relevant because of it. What Catherine Cavendish has crafted here is a tale of human cruelties first, and supernatural vengeance second.
Our story begins with an exploration of Jane's childhood, and a profile of her abusive father. He is a cruel and violent man who emotionally degrades her, intellectually humiliates her, and (eventually) physically abuses her. To call him a monster would be an insult to things that go bump in the night, so let's just call him what Jane calls him - a bastard. There are so many scenes here that have an impact, but the destruction of her dolls is pivotal, and her confession of "The first time my father tried to kill me" really sets the stage for what's to come.
While supernatural retribution for such human crimes is a large part of the story, along with the mortal price to be paid for such help, it's not (as I expected) the focus. Instead, this is very much Jane's story, and she's a difficult woman to read about. She's a sad, cold, somewhat pathetic young woman, and even if we completely understand how she came to be that way, you can't help but hope there's a transformation coming. The specter of her angel is what makes her intriguing, and the mystery of her dreams what makes her compelling, but Cavendish asks for some patience before it all comes together.
Make no mistake, Dark Avenging Angel is a horror novel, but it's more about suspenseful chills than outright horror. Ironically, as much as I generally dislike tidy little epilogues that tie up loose ends, I thought the 'Sad and Lonely Death' article from the Midwest Times was a fitting touch.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Our story begins with an exploration of Jane's childhood, and a profile of her abusive father. He is a cruel and violent man who emotionally degrades her, intellectually humiliates her, and (eventually) physically abuses her. To call him a monster would be an insult to things that go bump in the night, so let's just call him what Jane calls him - a bastard. There are so many scenes here that have an impact, but the destruction of her dolls is pivotal, and her confession of "The first time my father tried to kill me" really sets the stage for what's to come.
While supernatural retribution for such human crimes is a large part of the story, along with the mortal price to be paid for such help, it's not (as I expected) the focus. Instead, this is very much Jane's story, and she's a difficult woman to read about. She's a sad, cold, somewhat pathetic young woman, and even if we completely understand how she came to be that way, you can't help but hope there's a transformation coming. The specter of her angel is what makes her intriguing, and the mystery of her dreams what makes her compelling, but Cavendish asks for some patience before it all comes together.
Make no mistake, Dark Avenging Angel is a horror novel, but it's more about suspenseful chills than outright horror. Ironically, as much as I generally dislike tidy little epilogues that tie up loose ends, I thought the 'Sad and Lonely Death' article from the Midwest Times was a fitting touch.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
100pagesaday's review
4.0
Jane grew up as a child abused by her father and constantly put down, giving her low self-esteem in school and life. In Jane’s misery a mysterious, dark woman appears and promises to avenge those who hurt her, three souls in return for anything she ever wanted. At the time, Jane calls her an angel. The first name for the list is her father, but vengeance isn’t immediate. Jane grows up and manages to carve out a normal life for herself. When the angel comes again to remind Jane of their deal, she refuses to give the angel a third name and Jane comes to see exactly what her angel is.
This was a surprising novella. At first, as Jane describes her life growing up, the constant abuse and bullying took its toll and I kept waiting for Jane to fight back. When Jane finally meets her angel and realizes what power she holds, things become much more interesting. I loved when Jane began to stand up to her misogynistic boss and became her own person. The twist with the deceased singer and Jane’s dream world gave made Jane and her angel even more engrossing. Trying to figure exactly what Jane’s angel was and the motives behind what she wanted became darker and darker as Jane grew up and the fight between Jane’s well-being and seeking justice comes to a head. A surprising ending wrapped up this thrilling and quick read.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This was a surprising novella. At first, as Jane describes her life growing up, the constant abuse and bullying took its toll and I kept waiting for Jane to fight back. When Jane finally meets her angel and realizes what power she holds, things become much more interesting. I loved when Jane began to stand up to her misogynistic boss and became her own person. The twist with the deceased singer and Jane’s dream world gave made Jane and her angel even more engrossing. Trying to figure exactly what Jane’s angel was and the motives behind what she wanted became darker and darker as Jane grew up and the fight between Jane’s well-being and seeking justice comes to a head. A surprising ending wrapped up this thrilling and quick read.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
booksandladders's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Books and Ladders
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to lie, that was the weirdest thing I have ever read. Like good weird until the very end.
Jane lived a pretty crappy life. I don't begrudge her for her choices because in similar circumstances I would have done the same thing. But at about 54% of the way through, every single character in the book seemed to collectively lose their humanity. I understand that it was a bad world and that it was difficult for women to make their way in the working world while Jane was growing up and becoming a notable woman in the workforce. But it seemed like the characters did a 180 after Stuart and Jane have their scene in the photocopy room.
And I get it, not everyone is what they seem but for Jane to be able to have three people in her life who deserved to die this horrendous death seemed a little far fetched to me. It was too convenient that all these things happened in her life and she got off scot-free. I think the dreams is where it got a bit murky for me. They didn't seem to add up to what I was anticipating and didn't really add a lot to the story imo. Except when we got the semi-info dump at the end to explain everything under the sun. It was almost as if the author wanted to make sure the reader understood all the foreshadowing and little hints that had been dropped along the way and came to the "right" conclusion. Which is fine, it's always good to confirm. I just wasn't a fan of the way it was actually done.
Otherwise, this was one hell of a ride and I was completely enthralled. It was a definite page turner and if you want something that will keep you interested and turning the pages until the very end, I would pick this one up.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. I'm not sure what to think tbh but I did enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to lie, that was the weirdest thing I have ever read. Like good weird until the very end.
Jane lived a pretty crappy life. I don't begrudge her for her choices because in similar circumstances I would have done the same thing. But at about 54% of the way through, every single character in the book seemed to collectively lose their humanity. I understand that it was a bad world and that it was difficult for women to make their way in the working world while Jane was growing up and becoming a notable woman in the workforce. But it seemed like the characters did a 180 after Stuart and Jane have their scene in the photocopy room.
And I get it, not everyone is what they seem but for Jane to be able to have three people in her life who deserved to die this horrendous death seemed a little far fetched to me. It was too convenient that all these things happened in her life and she got off scot-free. I think the dreams is where it got a bit murky for me. They didn't seem to add up to what I was anticipating and didn't really add a lot to the story imo. Except when we got the semi-info dump at the end to explain everything under the sun. It was almost as if the author wanted to make sure the reader understood all the foreshadowing and little hints that had been dropped along the way and came to the "right" conclusion. Which is fine, it's always good to confirm. I just wasn't a fan of the way it was actually done.
Otherwise, this was one hell of a ride and I was completely enthralled. It was a definite page turner and if you want something that will keep you interested and turning the pages until the very end, I would pick this one up.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. I'm not sure what to think tbh but I did enjoy it.
jamiebooksandladders's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Books and Ladders
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to lie, that was the weirdest thing I have ever read. Like good weird until the very end.
Jane lived a pretty crappy life. I don't begrudge her for her choices because in similar circumstances I would have done the same thing. But at about 54% of the way through, every single character in the book seemed to collectively lose their humanity. I understand that it was a bad world and that it was difficult for women to make their way in the working world while Jane was growing up and becoming a notable woman in the workforce. But it seemed like the characters did a 180 after Stuart and Jane have their scene in the photocopy room.
And I get it, not everyone is what they seem but for Jane to be able to have three people in her life who deserved to die this horrendous death seemed a little far fetched to me. It was too convenient that all these things happened in her life and she got off scot-free. I think the dreams is where it got a bit murky for me. They didn't seem to add up to what I was anticipating and didn't really add a lot to the story imo. Except when we got the semi-info dump at the end to explain everything under the sun. It was almost as if the author wanted to make sure the reader understood all the foreshadowing and little hints that had been dropped along the way and came to the "right" conclusion. Which is fine, it's always good to confirm. I just wasn't a fan of the way it was actually done.
Otherwise, this was one hell of a ride and I was completely enthralled. It was a definite page turner and if you want something that will keep you interested and turning the pages until the very end, I would pick this one up.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. I'm not sure what to think tbh but I did enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to lie, that was the weirdest thing I have ever read. Like good weird until the very end.
Jane lived a pretty crappy life. I don't begrudge her for her choices because in similar circumstances I would have done the same thing. But at about 54% of the way through, every single character in the book seemed to collectively lose their humanity. I understand that it was a bad world and that it was difficult for women to make their way in the working world while Jane was growing up and becoming a notable woman in the workforce. But it seemed like the characters did a 180 after Stuart and Jane have their scene in the photocopy room.
And I get it, not everyone is what they seem but for Jane to be able to have three people in her life who deserved to die this horrendous death seemed a little far fetched to me. It was too convenient that all these things happened in her life and she got off scot-free. I think the dreams is where it got a bit murky for me. They didn't seem to add up to what I was anticipating and didn't really add a lot to the story imo. Except when we got the semi-info dump at the end to explain everything under the sun. It was almost as if the author wanted to make sure the reader understood all the foreshadowing and little hints that had been dropped along the way and came to the "right" conclusion. Which is fine, it's always good to confirm. I just wasn't a fan of the way it was actually done.
Otherwise, this was one hell of a ride and I was completely enthralled. It was a definite page turner and if you want something that will keep you interested and turning the pages until the very end, I would pick this one up.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. I'm not sure what to think tbh but I did enjoy it.
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