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malongorose's review
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-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
4.0
bookish_withsky's review
2.0
Anything that brings religion or faith into question immediately has my attention. I think it's one of the best things to debate and argue or even just touch on in a novel and makes for wonderful story telling. That being said, this didn't quite hit the mark for me. It fell flat. The writing, though pretty good, felt very coincidental rather than 'likely'. While realizing it's fiction, I do prefer to have a sense of believability. I didn't particularly care about any of the characters either. However, there is a group of people that I could absolutely see enjoying the novella. I don't think it's bad, I think it's a matter of personal preference.
madmooney's review
4.0
This was my 1st [a:K J Parker|23168131|K J Parker|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] title, and I find myself maddened to discover that he does a great deal of worldbuilding (which is something that I love), but the degree of worldbuilding is loose and incomplete. Also, I had read elsewhere that Parker is supposedly great at character development and infusing stories with real historical events, but not so great at fantastical cartography – so all of the future details that I will be amassing as I may my way through his library will be all for nought (because he will not be as consistent as tracking the details of the PARKERLAND that he is building, as his fans would need him to be).
That said, I will still say that I enjoyed my 1st foray into Parkerland.
Pulling the Wings Off Angels takes place in the world of Chosroene, a renaissance-era country in a world that is completely built from the ground up. The main monotheistic religion here is that of the Invincible Sun, and our main character is a priest in training (who does not really believe but is in it for the mounds of trachae that he will earn and the comfortable lifestyle that career promises). Our unnamed protagonist finds himself in a bit of financial trouble with gambling debts (when the stakes are high, always fold on 4 Aces), and the criminal boss (Florio) that he owes money to is demanding only one sort of payment: access to a treasure mythological vault that was set up by his grandfather.
For you see, Florio believes that the protagonist’s grandfather somehow has captured an angel, and this is the reason for their family’s wealth. Our amoral priest not only discovers these family rumours to be true, but he finds himself stuck in the plot of aiding and abetting the continued kidnapping of said angel with broken wings.
The mechanisms in how an angel can be captured and kept from the eye of the Invincible Sun are interesting, but I will leave that for readers to discover.
I will not go much further into the plot here, but I will say that the theological/moral discussion that is derived from it feels like to be from the same source that [a:Mike Schur|30435889|Mike Schur|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] drew from when he was developing the world of The Good Place. There are plenty of discussions on what is fair and just, and why is it okay for some people to find themselves eternally damned when they try to do the right thing, and other truly evil people can get away scot-free.
The book takes place in a mundane and absurd world, so anyone who enjoys that sort of British humour will have fun with this quick read.
Below are notes that I am pulling together regarding Parkerland (from various books in the series). Feel free to ignore.
Geniuses in the while of history:
Saloninus
Prosper of Schantz (grandson of a goatherd)
Other geniuses:
Numerian
Otkel the Stutterer
Carnifex (Mirror of Various Arts)
Aimo of Boll (giant statue)
That said, I will still say that I enjoyed my 1st foray into Parkerland.
Pulling the Wings Off Angels takes place in the world of Chosroene, a renaissance-era country in a world that is completely built from the ground up. The main monotheistic religion here is that of the Invincible Sun, and our main character is a priest in training (who does not really believe but is in it for the mounds of trachae that he will earn and the comfortable lifestyle that career promises). Our unnamed protagonist finds himself in a bit of financial trouble with gambling debts (when the stakes are high, always fold on 4 Aces), and the criminal boss (Florio) that he owes money to is demanding only one sort of payment: access to a treasure mythological vault that was set up by his grandfather.
For you see, Florio believes that the protagonist’s grandfather somehow has captured an angel, and this is the reason for their family’s wealth. Our amoral priest not only discovers these family rumours to be true, but he finds himself stuck in the plot of aiding and abetting the continued kidnapping of said angel with broken wings.
The mechanisms in how an angel can be captured and kept from the eye of the Invincible Sun are interesting, but I will leave that for readers to discover.
I will not go much further into the plot here, but I will say that the theological/moral discussion that is derived from it feels like to be from the same source that [a:Mike Schur|30435889|Mike Schur|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] drew from when he was developing the world of The Good Place. There are plenty of discussions on what is fair and just, and why is it okay for some people to find themselves eternally damned when they try to do the right thing, and other truly evil people can get away scot-free.
The book takes place in a mundane and absurd world, so anyone who enjoys that sort of British humour will have fun with this quick read.
Below are notes that I am pulling together regarding Parkerland (from various books in the series). Feel free to ignore.
Geniuses in the while of history:
Saloninus
Prosper of Schantz (grandson of a goatherd)
Other geniuses:
Numerian
Otkel the Stutterer
Carnifex (Mirror of Various Arts)
Aimo of Boll (giant statue)
niiiiiinja_clem's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bunderbunder's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ravensandpages's review
4.5
I was sent a copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Tor.com!
PULLING THE WINGS OFF ANGELS was a brief, delightful read. The adventure traces a seminary student whose grandfather, according to legend, kidnapped an angel. He's sure it's a lie, but if the gangster he owes a quarter of a million in-world currency to believes it, maybe he can work with that long enough to keep himself alive — only to find himself embroiled in the middle of a theological experiment decades in the making.
I thoroughly enjoyed the craft of this novel, from the writing to the pacing, and I also enjoyed the plot and voice of the narrator. I was hooked from beginning to end, and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of K.J. Parker's work after this.
PULLING THE WINGS OFF ANGELS was a brief, delightful read. The adventure traces a seminary student whose grandfather, according to legend, kidnapped an angel. He's sure it's a lie, but if the gangster he owes a quarter of a million in-world currency to believes it, maybe he can work with that long enough to keep himself alive — only to find himself embroiled in the middle of a theological experiment decades in the making.
I thoroughly enjoyed the craft of this novel, from the writing to the pacing, and I also enjoyed the plot and voice of the narrator. I was hooked from beginning to end, and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of K.J. Parker's work after this.
mikeebeth's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
residual_sizzle's review
3.0
This was my first K.J. Parker novella and I enjoyed it - Maybe it's my religious trauma, and cynical outlook therein. But I really resonated with this work. I haven't personally ready anything like this before and I thought it was funny, and immediately went out to get Prosper's Demon.
slimygf's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence