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A review by gnashchick
Conspiracy of Angels by Michelle Belanger
5.0
The internet is full of advice for writers. I'm sure you've seen the top-ten list of tropes to avoid, trends that need to die and cliches that make editors crazy. For every one of these, "Don't ever do this" examples, there are authors who flip off the establishment and finish the sentence, "...but if you have to do that, here's how to do it right."
Better known as a nonfiction author, Michelle Belanger makes a smashing debut into fiction with Conspiracy of Angels. In the first chapter, A drowning man fights for life, hallucinating as he struggles to get to shore. He has no idea who he is or what the hell happened to him. The "waking up with amnesia" trope is on one of those aforementioned lists, but damned if Belanger doesn't pull it off and make it utterly riveting.
When the man finally opens his wallet and reads his driver's license, Zachary Westland realizes his only clue is the business card to a nightclub. He hitchhikes to a roadhouse and tries to get his act together. Random visions of death and violence and a police bulletin showing a man that looks like him doesn't help him at all.
It seems a lot of people know Zack, but he doesn't know himself. At the club, he meets Saliriel, an imposing transwoman who is not at all happy to see him, and Remy, who is honor-bound to help him. He doesn't trust either one of them, and his allegiances get even murkier when he encounters Lilianna, a petite redheaded bombshell whose instinct is to kill first and sort things out later.
Lil and Zack discover that an eons-old peace accord between ancient Angelic tribes is wearing thin. Zack may have known to the hows and whys, but whatever he knew is long gone, replaced by cryptic ciphers. With Remy and Lil's help, Zack sorts through the wreckage of his life, his memory and his skills to solve the riddle of who he is and what he needs to do.
This is an urban fantasy that slides right into your head and doesn't let go. This is not a romance novel dressed up in the latest paranormal fashion. It's an adventure through blood-drenched horror and action, interspersed with magical realism so convincing that I would not be surprised if some of the esoteric sources cited in the text actually exist. Belanger has published several books on paranormal subjects, so I'm reasonably sure the research is solid.
The one thing that stuck out as odd to me was the setting. I've read plenty of other urban fantasy tales set in Chicago, New York, Tokyo, London and St. Louis, but can this kind of story work in Cleveland? It's kind of off the beaten track for name recognition. As I kept reading, I realized that the characters and the story fit the setting just fine. The city becomes a minor character as the author weaves the city's locations and history into the plot. So yeah. Cleveland. Gritty, tough, and banged up a bit, just like the rest of the characters. Zack strikes me as kind of an asshole with a new-found heart of gold and I can't quite figure out Remy's connection to him, but I'm working on it. I have a soft spot for take-no-bullshit women and I can't decide if my favorite character is Saliriel or Lil.
When I finished reading Conspiracy of Angels, I had a book hangover. I didn't want to admit that the book was finished and flipped back through the chapters trying to piece together my own theories of what might happen in book 2.
I highly recommend this for fans of urban fantasy, horror, and action. If you like to take romps through territory where demons twist in the shadows and you aren't afraid to get a little blood spatter on your shoes, you need to read this.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Originally published at www.bookie-monster.com.
Better known as a nonfiction author, Michelle Belanger makes a smashing debut into fiction with Conspiracy of Angels. In the first chapter, A drowning man fights for life, hallucinating as he struggles to get to shore. He has no idea who he is or what the hell happened to him. The "waking up with amnesia" trope is on one of those aforementioned lists, but damned if Belanger doesn't pull it off and make it utterly riveting.
When the man finally opens his wallet and reads his driver's license, Zachary Westland realizes his only clue is the business card to a nightclub. He hitchhikes to a roadhouse and tries to get his act together. Random visions of death and violence and a police bulletin showing a man that looks like him doesn't help him at all.
It seems a lot of people know Zack, but he doesn't know himself. At the club, he meets Saliriel, an imposing transwoman who is not at all happy to see him, and Remy, who is honor-bound to help him. He doesn't trust either one of them, and his allegiances get even murkier when he encounters Lilianna, a petite redheaded bombshell whose instinct is to kill first and sort things out later.
Lil and Zack discover that an eons-old peace accord between ancient Angelic tribes is wearing thin. Zack may have known to the hows and whys, but whatever he knew is long gone, replaced by cryptic ciphers. With Remy and Lil's help, Zack sorts through the wreckage of his life, his memory and his skills to solve the riddle of who he is and what he needs to do.
This is an urban fantasy that slides right into your head and doesn't let go. This is not a romance novel dressed up in the latest paranormal fashion. It's an adventure through blood-drenched horror and action, interspersed with magical realism so convincing that I would not be surprised if some of the esoteric sources cited in the text actually exist. Belanger has published several books on paranormal subjects, so I'm reasonably sure the research is solid.
The one thing that stuck out as odd to me was the setting. I've read plenty of other urban fantasy tales set in Chicago, New York, Tokyo, London and St. Louis, but can this kind of story work in Cleveland? It's kind of off the beaten track for name recognition. As I kept reading, I realized that the characters and the story fit the setting just fine. The city becomes a minor character as the author weaves the city's locations and history into the plot. So yeah. Cleveland. Gritty, tough, and banged up a bit, just like the rest of the characters. Zack strikes me as kind of an asshole with a new-found heart of gold and I can't quite figure out Remy's connection to him, but I'm working on it. I have a soft spot for take-no-bullshit women and I can't decide if my favorite character is Saliriel or Lil.
When I finished reading Conspiracy of Angels, I had a book hangover. I didn't want to admit that the book was finished and flipped back through the chapters trying to piece together my own theories of what might happen in book 2.
I highly recommend this for fans of urban fantasy, horror, and action. If you like to take romps through territory where demons twist in the shadows and you aren't afraid to get a little blood spatter on your shoes, you need to read this.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Originally published at www.bookie-monster.com.