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A review by porgyreads
Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Gut wrenching tragedy littered with intense dialogue.
The stylistic choices do not eclipse the joy of the first half of this novel, in fact they emhance them. However in the second half, perhaps where most clarity is needed, it became easy to find myself lost.
I thought the choice to distinguish between internal and external thoughts worked really well as lucifer begins to challenge the world around him. Seeing how he withholds his true thoughts and feelings as they grow more erratic.
The lyrical prose which when it works WORKS devolves into a pulpy mash of poetic language that casts us out to sea at times. I found myself scrabbling for the threads of the narrative as the language became more figurative. Which took away from the achingly emotional content.
The section where uriels past is introduced and we get both his thoughts and lucifers was a hard adjust at first. But I came to enjoy it, even if I didn’t feel the payoff for the inclusion. It felt like knowing how god had treated him and his kind set uri up to have the most believable corruption arc of all the archangels, and so, not dipping back into his head more as the chaos and arson begins felt like a missed opportunity. Even if he never acted on the thoughts of vengeance lucifer inspires.
I think overall this book does what it sets out to achieve. It reminds me of paradise lost obviously but also a picture of Dorian Grey. The only difference being the purple language choice don’t always work in ABM. Even still it unfolds In a way that would make Milton shiver imo. The modern adaptation, exploration of ambition, selfhood, purpose and malice feeds into an equation that makes perfect sense to the reader, even if it is dizzying to watch it be solved. Had it not become convoluted and lost here or there I would’ve said solid 5 stars. But for the emotional poison that was the tragedy we were promised, I can’t fault it.
Lucifer is born before us, we grow to love him, we anguish for him, we want his revenge. We feel the searing pain of the final moments, of him asking Micheal why he is hurting him too and it breaks us just as entirely.
I think fans of TSOA will love this especially the first half. I wished the last third was tighter but I also know that writing is fucking hard. And experimentation is fucking hard to pull off without alienating the reader. That being said the calibre of writing displayed throughout cannot and should not go without praise. At its end you leave asking yourself over and over: “Is love meant to pierce?”
The stylistic choices do not eclipse the joy of the first half of this novel, in fact they emhance them. However in the second half, perhaps where most clarity is needed, it became easy to find myself lost.
I thought the choice to distinguish between internal and external thoughts worked really well as lucifer begins to challenge the world around him. Seeing how he withholds his true thoughts and feelings as they grow more erratic.
The lyrical prose which when it works WORKS devolves into a pulpy mash of poetic language that casts us out to sea at times. I found myself scrabbling for the threads of the narrative as the language became more figurative. Which took away from the achingly emotional content.
The section where uriels past is introduced and we get both his thoughts and lucifers was a hard adjust at first. But I came to enjoy it, even if I didn’t feel the payoff for the inclusion. It felt like knowing how god had treated him and his kind set uri up to have the most believable corruption arc of all the archangels, and so, not dipping back into his head more as the chaos and arson begins felt like a missed opportunity. Even if he never acted on the thoughts of vengeance lucifer inspires.
I think overall this book does what it sets out to achieve. It reminds me of paradise lost obviously but also a picture of Dorian Grey. The only difference being the purple language choice don’t always work in ABM. Even still it unfolds In a way that would make Milton shiver imo. The modern adaptation, exploration of ambition, selfhood, purpose and malice feeds into an equation that makes perfect sense to the reader, even if it is dizzying to watch it be solved. Had it not become convoluted and lost here or there I would’ve said solid 5 stars. But for the emotional poison that was the tragedy we were promised, I can’t fault it.
Lucifer is born before us, we grow to love him, we anguish for him, we want his revenge. We feel the searing pain of the final moments, of him asking Micheal why he is hurting him too and it breaks us just as entirely.
I think fans of TSOA will love this especially the first half. I wished the last third was tighter but I also know that writing is fucking hard. And experimentation is fucking hard to pull off without alienating the reader. That being said the calibre of writing displayed throughout cannot and should not go without praise. At its end you leave asking yourself over and over: “Is love meant to pierce?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War