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sparklingreader's review
3.0
The main character, Emma Jane Hellsbane, can sense emotions. That, along with her degree in psychology give her background she needs to be a phone-in psychic and advisor. When an old high school acquaintance, Tommy James, knocks on her door she is a little confused. They were never friends in high school. He was Mr. Popularity and she…wasn’t. He arrives sporting a gruesome wound and carrying a huge sword dripping with something black and tarry. When a demon disguised as the postman enters her home and attacks Tommy, she grabs the dropped sword and uses it to dispatch the demon. She thought she was doing a good thing in saving Tommy’s life. She had no clue she was ruining hers.
In using the sword, she’s now been marked as an illorum, half angel and half human. As a Chosen, she receives a few new gifts – not aging, the ability to heal and move faster, fight, read emotions and sense the Fallen. She's joined in a new battle of good vs. evil.
I really liked Emma Jane. She’s witty, stubborn, and a survivalist. Tommy is her perfect partner and Eli, the angel who is her mentor, is…interesting. What I didn’t like were the constant references to God and faith, almost to the point of being a religious novel. I understand they were necessary to some point, but they seemed to go overboard, especially in the beginning. I get the whole “sins of the father” aspect, but there were times when I had to stop and say “really?” I also did not like…(please do not read the spoiler if you don’t want to know)
Hellsbane is an interesting urban fantasy. The world building is well done, the characters well crafted. The story is unique and different. As pointed out above, there were things I liked (the characters and world building) and things I didn’t (almost overboard on the religious aspects), but beyond that, it was a decent story. If you like urban fantasies with angels and good vs. evil story lines, then pick this one up and give it a try.
In using the sword, she’s now been marked as an illorum, half angel and half human. As a Chosen, she receives a few new gifts – not aging, the ability to heal and move faster, fight, read emotions and sense the Fallen. She's joined in a new battle of good vs. evil.
I really liked Emma Jane. She’s witty, stubborn, and a survivalist. Tommy is her perfect partner and Eli, the angel who is her mentor, is…interesting. What I didn’t like were the constant references to God and faith, almost to the point of being a religious novel. I understand they were necessary to some point, but they seemed to go overboard, especially in the beginning. I get the whole “sins of the father” aspect, but there were times when I had to stop and say “really?” I also did not like…(please do not read the spoiler if you don’t want to know)
Spoiler
the death of Tommy. Really bummed me out.Hellsbane is an interesting urban fantasy. The world building is well done, the characters well crafted. The story is unique and different. As pointed out above, there were things I liked (the characters and world building) and things I didn’t (almost overboard on the religious aspects), but beyond that, it was a decent story. If you like urban fantasies with angels and good vs. evil story lines, then pick this one up and give it a try.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
4.0
I wasn't really sure if this was going to be a book that I would enjoy. I'm generally not one for angel books, but I was surprised by this one.
I liked Emma. She's young and somewhat naive, but she has a snarky sense of humor that I could appreciate. She had a lot thrown at her once she found out she was a naphilim, but she took it much better than I know I would.
Eli was a bit of a surprise. He has the superior quality that one would expect an angel to have, but he was also down to earth. Chalk that up to spending so much time amongst humans I guess, but that quality made him much more likeable than I'm sure he would have been otherwise.
The entire Fallen / Naphilim storyline still has me a bit confused. So we have fallen angels running around impregnating unsuspecting women and then if that unlucky soul should touch the sword of another naphilim warrior they become marked and forced into service to kill the Fallen and the demons they have released before they kill more naphilim. It was a vicious circle of WTF, but it did keep your attention. Throw into the mix the weird behavior of some of Eli's fellow angels and your head will be spinning while you're hoping Emma can figure out who is out to kill her.
While I hate the Tommy storyline (boo hiss!!), I'm hoping by then of the series Emma gets her happily ever after (I'm assured by my interview with Paige Cuccaro that she will). That said, I enjoyed this first installment and look forward to the next book to see what awaits Emma Jane.
I liked Emma. She's young and somewhat naive, but she has a snarky sense of humor that I could appreciate. She had a lot thrown at her once she found out she was a naphilim, but she took it much better than I know I would.
Eli was a bit of a surprise. He has the superior quality that one would expect an angel to have, but he was also down to earth. Chalk that up to spending so much time amongst humans I guess, but that quality made him much more likeable than I'm sure he would have been otherwise.
The entire Fallen / Naphilim storyline still has me a bit confused. So we have fallen angels running around impregnating unsuspecting women and then if that unlucky soul should touch the sword of another naphilim warrior they become marked and forced into service to kill the Fallen and the demons they have released before they kill more naphilim. It was a vicious circle of WTF, but it did keep your attention. Throw into the mix the weird behavior of some of Eli's fellow angels and your head will be spinning while you're hoping Emma can figure out who is out to kill her.
While I hate the Tommy storyline (boo hiss!!), I'm hoping by then of the series Emma gets her happily ever after (I'm assured by my interview with Paige Cuccaro that she will). That said, I enjoyed this first installment and look forward to the next book to see what awaits Emma Jane.
raeanne's review
3.0
Pros
Liked Emma immensely though she has one specific smack-able moment
the mystery and sleuthing.
Cons
Biblical sexism and slut shaming
World-building = meh. Not compelling.
Trigger Warning: contains discussion of Rape, children conceived by rape, and rape threats. It’s mostly second hand discussion about their rapist fathers but there’s a particularly poignant conversation with a rape victim who has no memory of the event. Emma’s threatened repeatedly towards closing time by our antagonist right after spouting “can’t rape the willing” bullshit regarding his victims.
Emma Hellsbane is a psychic, more or less. She makes her living off feeling emotions and giving her customers what they want. Until one fate-filled day when too popular for you jock, Thomas comes insistently knocking. Him rocking her world is what she’s always wanted but is unprepared for just how he does it.
After saving Thomas’s life, she’s on a roller coaster ride of train or die by the scores of demons and their masters now wanting her dead. With the help of their Angel magistra, aka Nephellium wrangler, Eli Emma’s new life begins to take shape. Between Thomas’s smile and Eli’s intoxicating angel aura, she’s got to get her head in the game somehow. Touched by an angel to a whole new level, but that’s war-making talk.
There’s downtime for paranormal sleuthing to find out who’s their daddy in order to gain freedom from Groundhog Day’s evil, sexy twin infested with murderous demons. This, along with Emma’s still thinking like a human moment slips, is my favorite part. Yeah, the fighting is good and all, especially with the reality of injuries thrown in (though it doesn’t last), but I love mysteries.
Training montages are kept short and interesting, the second of which will make astrology nerds explode from death by bullshit but I found it fun. Of course, it’s all made up anyways.
It’s funny of all the magical hand waving I’ve accepted, it’s always the angels and demons on Earth that’s hardest for me to shallow. Maybe it’s the holier than thou look at those sheeple aspect. Maybe it’s that some honestly believe they’re already here and the damage those people have caused. Maybe it's because no one dares to delve deeper in the mythos. Maybe living in a Judeo-Christian society that saturated with it, I just find it dull.
Rating Specifics: Overall & in general, I'd give a 2.5 but for the genre, it earns 3 ½ stars for an enjoyable tale that is above average given my experience with others of its ilk. The world-building is bleh, but I liked Emma and the action. Don't think I can stand continuing though. But major props for keeping me hooked enough to finish and not hating it. That's a first for me and the Biblical fantasy sub-genre.
Liked Emma immensely though she has one specific smack-able moment
the mystery and sleuthing.
Cons
Biblical sexism and slut shaming
World-building = meh. Not compelling.
Trigger Warning: contains discussion of Rape, children conceived by rape, and rape threats. It’s mostly second hand discussion about their rapist fathers but there’s a particularly poignant conversation with a rape victim who has no memory of the event. Emma’s threatened repeatedly towards closing time by our antagonist right after spouting “can’t rape the willing” bullshit regarding his victims.
Emma Hellsbane is a psychic, more or less. She makes her living off feeling emotions and giving her customers what they want. Until one fate-filled day when too popular for you jock, Thomas comes insistently knocking. Him rocking her world is what she’s always wanted but is unprepared for just how he does it.
After saving Thomas’s life, she’s on a roller coaster ride of train or die by the scores of demons and their masters now wanting her dead. With the help of their Angel magistra, aka Nephellium wrangler, Eli Emma’s new life begins to take shape. Between Thomas’s smile and Eli’s intoxicating angel aura, she’s got to get her head in the game somehow. Touched by an angel to a whole new level, but that’s war-making talk.
There’s downtime for paranormal sleuthing to find out who’s their daddy in order to gain freedom from Groundhog Day’s evil, sexy twin infested with murderous demons. This, along with Emma’s still thinking like a human moment slips, is my favorite part. Yeah, the fighting is good and all, especially with the reality of injuries thrown in (though it doesn’t last), but I love mysteries.
Training montages are kept short and interesting, the second of which will make astrology nerds explode from death by bullshit but I found it fun. Of course, it’s all made up anyways.
It’s funny of all the magical hand waving I’ve accepted, it’s always the angels and demons on Earth that’s hardest for me to shallow. Maybe it’s the holier than thou look at those sheeple aspect. Maybe it’s that some honestly believe they’re already here and the damage those people have caused. Maybe it's because no one dares to delve deeper in the mythos. Maybe living in a Judeo-Christian society that saturated with it, I just find it dull.
Rating Specifics: Overall & in general, I'd give a 2.5 but for the genre, it earns 3 ½ stars for an enjoyable tale that is above average given my experience with others of its ilk. The world-building is bleh, but I liked Emma and the action. Don't think I can stand continuing though. But major props for keeping me hooked enough to finish and not hating it. That's a first for me and the Biblical fantasy sub-genre.
dtrumps's review
4.0
read my review here: Gone Pecan
In the process of helping an old friend fight off a demon, Emma Jane becomes marked as a soldier in the fight against the Fallen, Angels who’ve been cast out of heaven for sinning (seducing/raping women, who then bear their children, but don’t remember it at all). The only way she can get out of it is to kill her Fallen father, but she has no idea who he is.
So, Emma comes out swinging. She has these new superpowers that help her heal quickly, move faster, and generally kick butt. Emma’s friend and fellow nepilim, Tommy, is working right along side of her and he helps her to assimilate into the lifestyle. Their mentor, Eli, is an angel on Earth, meant to be a guide, but he cannot interfere. As an angel, he is unbelievably hot and there’s a simmering chemistry between them, but he cannot act on that attraction or he will become fallen himself. But, Emma has chemistry with almost all the men in the book, I think she just needs a little loving and then maybe she won’t be trying to jump every nearby man.
Angel stories have been told before. Like vampire stories, each one is tweaked slightly to fit the author’s world. In fact, I’m in the middle of rereading the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, which also centers around Nephilim warriors, and it could not be more different than this story. This book is far more lighthearted and, though I love the MI books, doesn’t take itself quite as seriously. There are a lot of fights between Emma and the demons and peeks into possible romances, plus all the supernaturl elements, which combine to make a very entertaining book. It’s the first in a series and I will be reading the next one.
3.5/5
In the process of helping an old friend fight off a demon, Emma Jane becomes marked as a soldier in the fight against the Fallen, Angels who’ve been cast out of heaven for sinning (seducing/raping women, who then bear their children, but don’t remember it at all). The only way she can get out of it is to kill her Fallen father, but she has no idea who he is.
So, Emma comes out swinging. She has these new superpowers that help her heal quickly, move faster, and generally kick butt. Emma’s friend and fellow nepilim, Tommy, is working right along side of her and he helps her to assimilate into the lifestyle. Their mentor, Eli, is an angel on Earth, meant to be a guide, but he cannot interfere. As an angel, he is unbelievably hot and there’s a simmering chemistry between them, but he cannot act on that attraction or he will become fallen himself. But, Emma has chemistry with almost all the men in the book, I think she just needs a little loving and then maybe she won’t be trying to jump every nearby man.
Angel stories have been told before. Like vampire stories, each one is tweaked slightly to fit the author’s world. In fact, I’m in the middle of rereading the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, which also centers around Nephilim warriors, and it could not be more different than this story. This book is far more lighthearted and, though I love the MI books, doesn’t take itself quite as seriously. There are a lot of fights between Emma and the demons and peeks into possible romances, plus all the supernaturl elements, which combine to make a very entertaining book. It’s the first in a series and I will be reading the next one.
3.5/5
jasmyn9's review
4.0
Emma Jane has just learned that she's special - in a not so good way. It means that demons will be tracking her down trying to kill her before she can kill her Fallen Angel father. Not the best way to be introduced to you real genealogy. Thankfully she has her Magister, an angel appointed to train her, to help her learn the basics. It's too bad he can't just tell her who her father is so she can go take care of it and save herself a world of trouble.
Emma is a sarcastic and witty character. One that isn't afraid to talk back to the angels, and even gives them nicknames without permission. She knows they need her as much as she needs them and isn't afraid to remind them of it. In other words, she's bad ass. I love her character. She is just accepting enough to move the story forward and just stubborn enough to keep her from being another sheep in the flock.
Emma needs to learn a lot before she will have the skills to take out her father, and she hits the ground running. It was great watching her interact with Eli and Tommy. They are both fantastic character in their rights. The action was spaced out enough not to be exhausting, but often enough to really keep things interesting. Throw in a little bit of a romance to weave through it all and you have a great story.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/#sthash.bYe6v33h.dpuf
Emma is a sarcastic and witty character. One that isn't afraid to talk back to the angels, and even gives them nicknames without permission. She knows they need her as much as she needs them and isn't afraid to remind them of it. In other words, she's bad ass. I love her character. She is just accepting enough to move the story forward and just stubborn enough to keep her from being another sheep in the flock.
Emma needs to learn a lot before she will have the skills to take out her father, and she hits the ground running. It was great watching her interact with Eli and Tommy. They are both fantastic character in their rights. The action was spaced out enough not to be exhausting, but often enough to really keep things interesting. Throw in a little bit of a romance to weave through it all and you have a great story.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/#sthash.bYe6v33h.dpuf
brokebybooks's review
3.0
Pros
Liked Emma immensely though she has one specific smack-able moment
the mystery and sleuthing.
Cons
Biblical sexism and slut shaming
World-building = meh. Not compelling.
Trigger Warning: contains discussion of Rape, children conceived by rape, and rape threats. It’s mostly second hand discussion about their rapist fathers but there’s a particularly poignant conversation with a rape victim who has no memory of the event. Emma’s threatened repeatedly towards closing time by our antagonist right after spouting “can’t rape the willing” bullshit regarding his victims.
Emma Hellsbane is a psychic, more or less. She makes her living off feeling emotions and giving her customers what they want. Until one fate-filled day when too popular for you jock, Thomas comes insistently knocking. Him rocking her world is what she’s always wanted but is unprepared for just how he does it.
After saving Thomas’s life, she’s on a roller coaster ride of train or die by the scores of demons and their masters now wanting her dead. With the help of their Angel magistra, aka Nephellium wrangler, Eli Emma’s new life begins to take shape. Between Thomas’s smile and Eli’s intoxicating angel aura, she’s got to get her head in the game somehow. Touched by an angel to a whole new level, but that’s war-making talk.
There’s downtime for paranormal sleuthing to find out who’s their daddy in order to gain freedom from Groundhog Day’s evil, sexy twin infested with murderous demons. This, along with Emma’s still thinking like a human moment slips, is my favorite part. Yeah, the fighting is good and all, especially with the reality of injuries thrown in (though it doesn’t last), but I love mysteries.
Training montages are kept short and interesting, the second of which will make astrology nerds explode from death by bullshit but I found it fun. Of course, it’s all made up anyways.
It’s funny of all the magical hand waving I’ve accepted, it’s always the angels and demons on Earth that’s hardest for me to shallow. Maybe it’s the holier than thou look at those sheeple aspect. Maybe it’s that some honestly believe they’re already here and the damage those people have caused. Maybe it's because no one dares to delve deeper in the mythos. Maybe living in a Judeo-Christian society that saturated with it, I just find it dull.
Rating Specifics: Overall & in general, I'd give a 2.5 but for the genre, it earns 3 ½ stars for an enjoyable tale that is above average given my experience with others of its ilk. The world-building is bleh, but I liked Emma and the action. Don't think I can stand continuing though. But major props for keeping me hooked enough to finish and not hating it. That's a first for me and the Biblical fantasy sub-genre.
Liked Emma immensely though she has one specific smack-able moment
the mystery and sleuthing.
Cons
Biblical sexism and slut shaming
World-building = meh. Not compelling.
Trigger Warning: contains discussion of Rape, children conceived by rape, and rape threats. It’s mostly second hand discussion about their rapist fathers but there’s a particularly poignant conversation with a rape victim who has no memory of the event. Emma’s threatened repeatedly towards closing time by our antagonist right after spouting “can’t rape the willing” bullshit regarding his victims.
Emma Hellsbane is a psychic, more or less. She makes her living off feeling emotions and giving her customers what they want. Until one fate-filled day when too popular for you jock, Thomas comes insistently knocking. Him rocking her world is what she’s always wanted but is unprepared for just how he does it.
After saving Thomas’s life, she’s on a roller coaster ride of train or die by the scores of demons and their masters now wanting her dead. With the help of their Angel magistra, aka Nephellium wrangler, Eli Emma’s new life begins to take shape. Between Thomas’s smile and Eli’s intoxicating angel aura, she’s got to get her head in the game somehow. Touched by an angel to a whole new level, but that’s war-making talk.
There’s downtime for paranormal sleuthing to find out who’s their daddy in order to gain freedom from Groundhog Day’s evil, sexy twin infested with murderous demons. This, along with Emma’s still thinking like a human moment slips, is my favorite part. Yeah, the fighting is good and all, especially with the reality of injuries thrown in (though it doesn’t last), but I love mysteries.
Training montages are kept short and interesting, the second of which will make astrology nerds explode from death by bullshit but I found it fun. Of course, it’s all made up anyways.
It’s funny of all the magical hand waving I’ve accepted, it’s always the angels and demons on Earth that’s hardest for me to shallow. Maybe it’s the holier than thou look at those sheeple aspect. Maybe it’s that some honestly believe they’re already here and the damage those people have caused. Maybe it's because no one dares to delve deeper in the mythos. Maybe living in a Judeo-Christian society that saturated with it, I just find it dull.
Rating Specifics: Overall & in general, I'd give a 2.5 but for the genre, it earns 3 ½ stars for an enjoyable tale that is above average given my experience with others of its ilk. The world-building is bleh, but I liked Emma and the action. Don't think I can stand continuing though. But major props for keeping me hooked enough to finish and not hating it. That's a first for me and the Biblical fantasy sub-genre.
bookbriefs's review
4.0
This book sent me on an emotional roller coaster ride! It started out so interest. I loved the concept of her being a half angel demon fighter! And things were building up so nicely. I liked all the characters, the plot was moving at a good speed- I was a happy girl. Then, right about half way through the book Paige Cuccaro did something that ripped my heart out! I was so crushed, and I thought for sure that something would miraculously happen later on to fix this incident. So I kept reading, partly because I was so invested in the characters and partly because I wanted her to undo what she had done. Now I'm not going to tell you what happened or how the book ended, but I will tell you this: read Hellsbane and finish it through to the end because I was so glad that I did! I really enjoyed this book, and while I am still not quite over the heartbreaking parts, the story line and the characters make up for it. I have to know what is going to happen next. I have to know more about Emma Jane. So much was hinted at and I want to know what it all means.
Emma Jane is a really cool character. You know she has all this power, but I really liked that she didn't just pick it all up over night like a natural. She needed help killing demons for a while and there were people there to watch her back. I like that she didn't just pick up a sword and go at it like a pro. She had to work for it. And I also like that there is still so much that we don't know about her. I can't wait to find out what other secrets Emma Jane has! Bring on book 2 please!!
Another thing, Emma has potential guys galore. Seriously, they are everywhere she goes, and I'm not sure who I like best with her. Eli is so mysterious and hot, but he is an angel so I'm not sure I would want that for him. And then the other guys have issues too. I can't wait to see what is going to develop on the love front for our pretty little Emma Jane.
So what is my final take on Hellsbane? Were there things I would have changed about the book? YES! Well, maybe only one thing. (and it might have something to do with a certain wanna be pitcher...) But I really, really liked this book! I love how everything was described, I love the character development, I love the writing, and I love Emma's last name! Overall, Hellsbane is a well written book with an awesome plot and characters that seemed so real. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Emma Jane is a really cool character. You know she has all this power, but I really liked that she didn't just pick it all up over night like a natural. She needed help killing demons for a while and there were people there to watch her back. I like that she didn't just pick up a sword and go at it like a pro. She had to work for it. And I also like that there is still so much that we don't know about her. I can't wait to find out what other secrets Emma Jane has! Bring on book 2 please!!
Another thing, Emma has potential guys galore. Seriously, they are everywhere she goes, and I'm not sure who I like best with her. Eli is so mysterious and hot, but he is an angel so I'm not sure I would want that for him. And then the other guys have issues too. I can't wait to see what is going to develop on the love front for our pretty little Emma Jane.
So what is my final take on Hellsbane? Were there things I would have changed about the book? YES! Well, maybe only one thing. (and it might have something to do with a certain wanna be pitcher...) But I really, really liked this book! I love how everything was described, I love the character development, I love the writing, and I love Emma's last name! Overall, Hellsbane is a well written book with an awesome plot and characters that seemed so real. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
avoraciousreader68's review
5.0
4.5
*Book source ~ Many thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Emma Jane Hellsbane has always known she was different from other people. She can sense and experience their emotions as if they were her own and it took some serious practice to block them out. Though there are times she doesn’t always succeed. When former schoolmate, Tommy Saint James, shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep and he’s wielding a sword, wounded and jumpy she wonders what the heck is going on. Tommy had disappeared his Senior year, eight years ago and yet here he is not looking a day over 18. With a big ass sword. I mentioned that, right? And when Emma lets in the mailman who’s not a mailman, but a demon Tommy uses the sword to defend himself, but when he’s disarmed by the demon, Emma picks up the sword to protect him and in that very moment her life is changed. Emma thought her life was weird before. She ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Emma is a nephilim, part human, part angel and when she picks up Tommy’s sword against a demon she becomes an illorum, or warrior for God. Her mission now is to kill demons and the Fallen, but if she can kill her own Fallen father then her life can go back to normal. Easy, right? Um, not so much. In addition to Tommy we’re introduced to Tommy’s and now Emma’s magister, Elizal (or Eli), another illorum named Liam and Officer Dan. Mihir, Emma’s friend from Commencement is not in this book and I was disappointed by that fact. For a first full book in the series it does a good job of bringing everyone up to speed about Seraphim, Fallen, angels and other things that Emma needs to know in order to survive her new life. All-in-all a great book with lots of action involving swords. I love swords.
*Book source ~ Many thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Emma Jane Hellsbane has always known she was different from other people. She can sense and experience their emotions as if they were her own and it took some serious practice to block them out. Though there are times she doesn’t always succeed. When former schoolmate, Tommy Saint James, shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep and he’s wielding a sword, wounded and jumpy she wonders what the heck is going on. Tommy had disappeared his Senior year, eight years ago and yet here he is not looking a day over 18. With a big ass sword. I mentioned that, right? And when Emma lets in the mailman who’s not a mailman, but a demon Tommy uses the sword to defend himself, but when he’s disarmed by the demon, Emma picks up the sword to protect him and in that very moment her life is changed. Emma thought her life was weird before. She ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Emma is a nephilim, part human, part angel and when she picks up Tommy’s sword against a demon she becomes an illorum, or warrior for God. Her mission now is to kill demons and the Fallen, but if she can kill her own Fallen father then her life can go back to normal. Easy, right? Um, not so much. In addition to Tommy we’re introduced to Tommy’s and now Emma’s magister, Elizal (or Eli), another illorum named Liam and Officer Dan. Mihir, Emma’s friend from Commencement is not in this book and I was disappointed by that fact. For a first full book in the series it does a good job of bringing everyone up to speed about Seraphim, Fallen, angels and other things that Emma needs to know in order to survive her new life. All-in-all a great book with lots of action involving swords. I love swords.
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