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pidgevorg's review
3.0
A good conclusion to the series, but may be a bit too hurried to stand on its own. I liked the idea of Amariah, the teenage messiah. I liked that she was just a girl with very specific powers, not some super-wise-beyond-her-years Mary Sue. I liked how the newspaper articles between the character POV chapters showed all the changes that were happening in the larger world, almost as a separate plot thread. And I really liked how the Dragon finally got to develop as a character and have her own storyline. It's great that an AI was a true main character, doing most of the character development and driving at least half of the plot. This was true of previous books as well, with Page's POV, but Page starts out as a "copy" of a human, whereas the Dragon is never humanoid to that extent. Between the POV of an AI and a fallen angel, most of the book ended up being told from a non-human perspective, which is refreshing. SF and Fantasy is supposed to be all about strange new worlds and creatures, but usually ends up focusing on some boring boy-next-door human. This book doesn't follow the crowd. Even if its characters are mostly human-like, they have unique non-human problems and concerns.
But that brings me to what I didn't like--the lack of consistency with Morningstar's character. If he's one of the narrators, then I don't think it's too unreasonable to expect him to disclose some of his motivations and his thought process. As it is, he does some things apparently at random, and we never really understand what's going through his head. Throughout the series, I got the sense that he's really not what anyone would call the ultimate evil--he never takes the opportunity to do acts of gratuitous evil. It simply never seems to occur to him. He's mostly a "live and let live" kinda guy. He even sometimes forgets to do the evil things that he himself threatened (like "forgetting" to cut off Mouse's connection to mouse.net even though the guy breaks a deal with him, and yet he remembers to very thoroughly remove Mouse's connection to the LINK). Yet in this book he is presented as someone trying to be good?? Why does he keep telling himself that he loves Emmaline and he should be patient with her, when it's so clear that he hates her guts? Isn't he supposed to be proud and trying to be a badass in contradiction to his angelic origins? Shouldn't he be telling himself that he's only using Em and will destroy her as soon as he can? And what about his thought process? Why doesn't he question anything when God dumps him naked in the middle of smalltown NY? And why the gloom and doom at the end? He hasn't done anything that's not in his power to wheedle out of. It's all a bit disappointing, such a missed opportunity with a wonderful character.
But that brings me to what I didn't like--the lack of consistency with Morningstar's character. If he's one of the narrators, then I don't think it's too unreasonable to expect him to disclose some of his motivations and his thought process. As it is, he does some things apparently at random, and we never really understand what's going through his head. Throughout the series, I got the sense that he's really not what anyone would call the ultimate evil--he never takes the opportunity to do acts of gratuitous evil. It simply never seems to occur to him. He's mostly a "live and let live" kinda guy. He even sometimes forgets to do the evil things that he himself threatened (like "forgetting" to cut off Mouse's connection to mouse.net even though the guy breaks a deal with him, and yet he remembers to very thoroughly remove Mouse's connection to the LINK). Yet in this book he is presented as someone trying to be good?? Why does he keep telling himself that he loves Emmaline and he should be patient with her, when it's so clear that he hates her guts? Isn't he supposed to be proud and trying to be a badass in contradiction to his angelic origins? Shouldn't he be telling himself that he's only using Em and will destroy her as soon as he can? And what about his thought process? Why doesn't he question anything when God dumps him naked in the middle of smalltown NY? And why the gloom and doom at the end? He hasn't done anything that's not in his power to wheedle out of. It's all a bit disappointing, such a missed opportunity with a wonderful character.
sarahconnor89757's review
3.0
This book is like if someone told you they could shit a rainbow. It sounds great and you're going to stick around to see it but you wont be standing too close because rainbow or not, you don't want to be shit on.
crowcaller's review
5.0
(see status updates)
YAAAAAAAAAAA
I just love these characters. Enough I can easily look through various narrative/writing flaws. I love em. I want more of them.
This book felt very fast, with a not super satisfying conclusion. It came out over 10 years ago, so I guess there isn't much hope for a sequel, but I want one. I have pitched it in my status updates (#ANGELQUEST2016)
this book was actually easily to follow than any other, only one big confusing scene for me. plus, no boring viewpoint!
again, ending isn't amazing tie up, there are problems, but I was so happy and smiling while reading- I really love these characters and their weird family.
I felt like Amariah was underused, and wished the book was longer for a lot of reasons. But really, she needed to be explored more. Her plot feels very minimal (everyone's kinda does, time flows weird). She had a very interesting backstory and sense of identity that I think would be really cool to see more of! But she kinda does nothing. Except get a cool boyfriend.
(again, please Lyda, write angelquest: the angeling, where Amariah helps counsel fallen angels, meets Page (who is whole again), and has to deal with her weird uncle, literally satan (who is torn up over a certain death, and unsure if he wants to be redeemed to heaven)
REALLY. OR ELSE I WILL WRITE IT MYSELF.
one big problematic thing... Ariel..... is Ariel trans or a crossdresser? It says Ariel IDs as trans, but later refers to (themself?) as a man? And is dating a gay man who calls them male pronouns. but Amariah once uses female pronouns. Most people just say crossdresser and Ariel doesn't seem to have a problem with this? So I guess I'm going with that, but I wish it had been clearer.
Similar, I felt like Luis obvs had a real personality for a minor character, but esp in his first scene, was a little too stereotypically gay for me. I was like, the author is gay/bi, some people ARE like this, he has other traits.... but it still did bother me
Oh well! I loved this book. I love my husband, mouse, my son, page, and the rest of my sweet beautiful family. justice for Adram 2016, he deserved better and more
YAAAAAAAAAAA
I just love these characters. Enough I can easily look through various narrative/writing flaws. I love em. I want more of them.
This book felt very fast, with a not super satisfying conclusion. It came out over 10 years ago, so I guess there isn't much hope for a sequel, but I want one. I have pitched it in my status updates (#ANGELQUEST2016)
this book was actually easily to follow than any other, only one big confusing scene for me. plus, no boring viewpoint!
again, ending isn't amazing tie up, there are problems, but I was so happy and smiling while reading- I really love these characters and their weird family.
I felt like Amariah was underused, and wished the book was longer for a lot of reasons. But really, she needed to be explored more. Her plot feels very minimal (everyone's kinda does, time flows weird). She had a very interesting backstory and sense of identity that I think would be really cool to see more of! But she kinda does nothing. Except get a cool boyfriend.
(again, please Lyda, write angelquest: the angeling, where Amariah helps counsel fallen angels, meets Page (who is whole again), and has to deal with her weird uncle, literally satan (who is torn up over a certain death, and unsure if he wants to be redeemed to heaven)
REALLY. OR ELSE I WILL WRITE IT MYSELF.
one big problematic thing... Ariel..... is Ariel trans or a crossdresser? It says Ariel IDs as trans, but later refers to (themself?) as a man? And is dating a gay man who calls them male pronouns. but Amariah once uses female pronouns. Most people just say crossdresser and Ariel doesn't seem to have a problem with this? So I guess I'm going with that, but I wish it had been clearer.
Similar, I felt like Luis obvs had a real personality for a minor character, but esp in his first scene, was a little too stereotypically gay for me. I was like, the author is gay/bi, some people ARE like this, he has other traits.... but it still did bother me
Oh well! I loved this book. I love my husband, mouse, my son, page, and the rest of my sweet beautiful family. justice for Adram 2016, he deserved better and more
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