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A review by el_reads17
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
4.0
3.5/5 stars
Archangel is a frustrating yet thoughtful and creative read. Sharon Shinn succeeds in creating a world with complex and flawed religious and social structures. I found the religion, which retains certain elements of Christianity, fascinating with its singing ceremonies and angels who act as supplicants for Jovah's (the god) power. It made me think a lot about the nature of faith, skepticism, and how religions are shaped. The novel also deals with the idea of free will in the presence of an omnipotent god. The best part is that Shinn manages to do all this without preaching from the pulpit.
I have mixed feelings about the romantic elements of Archangel. It was extremely frustrating as Gabriel and Rachel are two of the most stubborn characters I've ever read about and I almost quit reading because of it. He's proud and arrogant while she's proud, emotionally scarred, and untrusting. Their "relationship" is messy and bumpy. But it felt so REAL! Trust and love isn't easy for someone like. It's very different than the average romantic storyline-- it takes a bit of a back seat, feels very realistic, and is almost the opposite of insta-love-- but oh so satisfying in the end!
A few other criticisms... I found the middle of the book very sluggish. Characters had no purpose or forward momentum. That part would have better served to flesh out the villain and his motivations. And some plot threads like Rachel's school felt incomplete.
I don't know if I'll read the other books in the Samaria series as I've heard they can considered stand-alone novels set in the same world with few overlapping characters.
Overall, Archangel is a frustrating yet rewarding fantasy read with an unconventional romance.
Notes:
I was spoiled to the ending by accident very early on the novel, but surprisingly it made me want to keep reading even when I was at the end of my rope with some of the characters.
My ebook edition had a lot of spelling errors which was annoying.
Archangel is a frustrating yet thoughtful and creative read. Sharon Shinn succeeds in creating a world with complex and flawed religious and social structures. I found the religion, which retains certain elements of Christianity, fascinating with its singing ceremonies and angels who act as supplicants for Jovah's (the god) power. It made me think a lot about the nature of faith, skepticism, and how religions are shaped. The novel also deals with the idea of free will in the presence of an omnipotent god. The best part is that Shinn manages to do all this without preaching from the pulpit.
I have mixed feelings about the romantic elements of Archangel. It was extremely frustrating as Gabriel and Rachel are two of the most stubborn characters I've ever read about and I almost quit reading because of it. He's proud and arrogant while she's proud, emotionally scarred, and untrusting. Their "relationship" is messy and bumpy. But it felt so REAL! Trust and love isn't easy for someone like
Spoiler
Rachel who's had everything she hold dear taken away from her by angel... She afraid that opening up to Gabriel, an angel, will end up in tragedy.A few other criticisms... I found the middle of the book very sluggish. Characters had no purpose or forward momentum. That part would have better served to flesh out the villain and his motivations. And some plot threads like Rachel's school felt incomplete.
I don't know if I'll read the other books in the Samaria series as I've heard they can considered stand-alone novels set in the same world with few overlapping characters.
Overall, Archangel is a frustrating yet rewarding fantasy read with an unconventional romance.
Notes:
I was spoiled to the ending by accident very early on the novel, but surprisingly it made me want to keep reading even when I was at the end of my rope with some of the characters.
My ebook edition had a lot of spelling errors which was annoying.