Annette's Book Spot: angels

Showing posts with label angels. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Book Review: Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber book cover and review

Macomber's books always put me in a good mood, and Mrs. Miracle added some Christmas spirit.

Seth is still suffering from the loss of his wife. And recently his twin boys have come to live with him after spending a long time with their grandparents. The boys are a handful, and Seth can't find a housekeeper that can handle them.

Reba is hurting and estranged from her sister after a huge betrayal that Reba cannot forgive.

Magically, a housekeeper appears on Seth's doorstep -- Mrs. Merkle -- and she is truly an angel. The boys begin to call her Mrs. Miracle.

Mrs. Miracle gives Seth the courage to approach Reba -- they have both been eyeing each other from afar. Now that Reba is in charge of the Christmas program that the twins are participating in, Seth has an "in."

So, I'm sure you see where this is going. But that's okay. We are in this for the "happily ever after." A couple side stories add to the interest. Seth's inlaws are floundering since the twins left and contemplating divorce. Harriett Foster is the church's busybody. She keeps track of perceived transgressions and dutifully reports them to the pastor. Mrs. Miracle will tackle all these issues.

If you are in the mood to start your Christmas reading, this is a good one. There's even a Hallmark movie, so you can follow up with that. And this is part of the Miracle Series, so there are three other books.

Published by HarperCollins, 1996
Copy owned -- not sure where I got it
337 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Monday, July 28, 2014

Book Review: World After by Susan Ee @Susan_Ee

World After was just as good as the first book, Angelfall. Again, it was unputdownable!

The bad angels are at it again. Penryn has found both her sister and her mother, but their togetherness is short-lived. She once again must hunt for them, and in the process puts herself in a lot of danger and also finds out the motivations for the angels' evil actions. And they are even more evil in World After.

She also hopes to find Raffe and show him that she's not dead. Aw, come on. You know you hope so too! And, they do find each other and help each other to "save the day!" There's a little luck involved too, but this story is so much fun we can overlook that.

I don't want to go into much detail, but if you enjoyed Angelfall this is just more of that same great world and great story. You will never think of angels the same way! If you haven't read Angelfall you should start there. This series is exciting, fast-paced, heartbreaking and scary. You're gonna love it.

Published by Skyscape, 2013
Purchased eBook
320 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Book Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters, by Laini Taylor @lainitaylor

What an epic ending Dreams of Gods & Monsters is to an absolutely captivating trilogy.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is over 600 pages long, and every page is important. There isn't a (beautiful) word wasted. The story is complex, with new characters and the continuation of a mythos so delicious and unique, that the reader finds himself hurtling towards the end wondering how this can possibly play out.

We have our usual main characters, Karou and Akiva, as well as Zuzana and Mik. There's a new character, Eliza, who doesn't seem to fit in, but don't worry -- she will. And every time we think things might be getting better, that they might possibly be in relative safety, all hell breaks loose again and they are back in utter peril.

Angels have appeared on Earth. About 1000 of them, led by Jael, and they want the citizens of Earth to help arm them because the angels have assured the Earth that demons are coming and they need all the help they can get.

Our beloved characters know that this is basically hogwash, and they need to find a way to stop Jael from taking over the earth, as well as Akiva's world.

Taylor does a good job of reminding us what happened in the first two books without retelling the entire story. And I needed that. Dreams of Gods & Monsters is one of those books that really makes you wonder about the mind of the author. How in the world can she come up with this stuff?

Of course there's a continuation of the romance (well, actually romances.) And I really loved the way things turned out for these couples.

It's a good, but not perfect ending. There is still much to do, and I'm wondering about a possible spin-off series? Please?

I'll read anything Taylor writes. Her world building and action-packed plotting are both superb. Some of the characters aren't really developed (too much action to have time for that) but all the important characters are well done.

I can't say enough about the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series. It is an investment, but you will not be disappointed. This is fantasy -- one of my least favorite genres -- but it's so well done, it doesn't seem like fantasy. Don't wait!

Published by Little, Brown BFYR, April 8, 2014
Personal copy
613 pages

Rating: 5/5

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Book Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

While I found Sweet Evil to be an interesting story, it just didn't stand out from the crowd.

Anna has kept her abilities a secret from everyone. She can feel others' emotions. When she is attracted to a drummer named Kaidan, her whole life changes. Kaidan immediately knows what Anna is -- and eventually she confronts her adopted mother who reveals the big secret. Anna is Nephilim. Anna's mother, who died in childbirth, was an angel. Her father, who left after her birth, is a demon. Anna is very unique, because angels and demons aren't supposed to have children.

Kaidan's father is a demon, so he can help Anna figure out what she is destined to do with her powers. And it isn't good. The Nephilim are basically slaves to their fathers. They must work to corrupt the Earth. Kaidan and Anna go on a road trip to confront Anna's father, but now all the demons are wondering about Anna and pressuring her to fulfill her purpose.

Sweet Evil kept my interest, although I found the beginning to be slow. Once they find her father, the plot picks up. There are tense moments, especially at the end, but I never really bought into the danger. I liked Anna, even though she was too good to be true, and there were some very well done steamy scenes.

I was initially attracted to this book because of the cover, which I think is gorgeous! But ... I don't really think it fits the book. I think there should be some indication of paranormal abilities on the cover, like showing their glowing badges or something.

I just felt like this is another angel/demon series. I would recommend it if you like those types of books. But, it didn't blow me away. I may read the rest of the books (Sweet Peril and Sweet Reckoning) eventually, but I'm not clamoring for them.

Published by HarperTeen, 2012
eBook purchased
464 pages

Rating: 3/5

Monday, February 10, 2014

Book Review: Angelfall, by Susan Ee @Susan_Ee

The fast pace of Angelfall made it unputdownable!

The earth has been attacked by angels. Penryn has spent the last couple months holed up, protecting her mother (a schizophrenic) and her sister (a paraplegic), but she's decided they need to move into the mountains near San Francisco where it will be safer. Nighttime is the best time to travel, but soon after they leave their home they encounter a fight among several angels. One of the angels gets his wings cut off, Penryn's sister gets taken by the angels, and she is separated from her mother.

Penryn decides to try to save the injured angel because he is the only one that can help her get her sister back. So begins a long and difficult trek to San Francisco, that involves a few dangerous detours.

Something is always happening in Angelfall. It's nonstop and tense. It's difficult to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad ones. Fortunately (or conveniently) Penryn has had significant training in self defense and martial arts. Because she's going to need to fight her way out of several scary situations. I was able to sympathize with Penryn and I really cared about her. She was so heartbroken to lose her sister and steadfast in her goal to find her again.

Rafe (the angel she saves) is very mysterious. We get to know bits and pieces about him, but it's obvious there's more to him. He's quiet and isn't giving anything up to Penryn. And the reader gets the feeling he knows more about this attack on Earth than he's willing to tell Penryn.

We don't know much about the details of what happened to get Earth to this point. That's intentional because this is the first book in a series (Penryn and the End of Days), and I'm sure more details will be revealed in future books. There were a few conveniences towards the end of the book that helped Penryn quite a bit, but I'm forgiving those. And the ending really doesn't have much closure. Penryn is in a relatively safe environment, but that's about all. There is much more to accomplish.

I'm looking forward to the second book, World After, which is already available. I'll be happy to recommend Angelfall to my teens who enjoy apocalyptic survival stories, angel stories, and dystopians.

Published by Skyscape, 2012
eBook purchased
288 pages

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Book Review: Boundless, by Cynthia Hand

Boundless is everything I could have asked for in a conclusion to the Unearthly Trilogy. There is tension and danger, with an appropriate mix of romance and friendship.

I know the big issue is "Tucker or Christian." But for me, either one of them is fine. I like the way it all played out. Clara learns more about herself and her powers. We find out more about Christian's family. All the major players appear -- even Clara's mom. I predicted that Jeffrey would cause trouble in the third book -- and I was correct.

Clara is very brave and determined, and I like that. But Christian steps up and supports her, which I liked too. I enjoyed the change of scenery -- most of the book takes place in California instead of Jackson Hole.

I guess I really don't have too much to say about the plot. It's more of the same -- good vs. evil. The Black Wings causing all kinds of trouble. But that's not a bad thing. I certainly think anyone who has started the series should definitely finish it. The world, the characters, and the plot are all strong. Overall, a great book and an end to a great series.

This one will fly off my shelves for sure. I will see that it does.

Published by HarperTeen, January 22, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
448 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Book Review: A Want so Wicked, by Suzanne Young @suzanne_young

I enjoyed A Want So Wicked just as much as A Need So Beautiful. I just really enjoy the paranormal world that Young has created.

Charlotte isn't Charlotte any more. She has a new life as Elise and doesn't remember anything of her other life. But, in this new life, she still can read what people need, and can't help but encourage them to do what's right. However, she's convinced she's going crazy.

The first "love interest" in this book is Abe. He's such a perfect catch. He seems to know exactly what Elise is thinking, and caters to her every wish. Or, is he making her wish for things? There's more to Abe than meets the eye...

Then, there's Harlin. As soon as Elise lays eyes on him, she's attracted to him. And this attraction doesn't make Abe happy.

There's an interesting character, Marceline, that helps Charlotte make sense of things. It turns out Charlotte is pretty special, even in this paranormal world.

I thought A Want So Wicked was darker than A Need So Beautiful, and I liked it. The sinister characters were even more evil. The climactic ending really had my heart pounding. And, I'm left wanting more -- Young does leave that door open, so yeah!

Young does a great job of reminding you what happened in A Need So Beautiful without a big recap or information dump. And I needed it. As I read those subtle reminders, it didn't take long for it all to come back. Remember Monroe? I really didn't -- but he's back in this one too.

If you enjoyed A Need So Beautiful, you will certainly want to read A Want So Wicked. And I recommend them both, if you haven't started this series yet.

Published by: Balzer + Bray, June 26, 2012
ARC won from Makeshift Bookmark
282 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

AudioBook Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor @lainitaylor

Laini Taylor writes a twisted web of a story in Daughter of Smoke & Bone that left me trying to catch my breath several times.

Karou isn't your ordinary teen. She's living a double life. One in Prague, as a teen in art school, and one with the demons who raised her from a baby. She doesn't really know anything about how she came to be raised by these colorful characters, but she loves them like family. Even though Brimstone (her demon "father") sends her on errands all over the world to collect all kinds of teeth from some dangerous characters. She doesn't know why these teeth are important, other than Brimstone strings them onto necklaces.

Suddenly, dark hand prints appear on all of the magical doors that Karou uses for portals to get to different parts of the world. One day, all of these doors are burning, and Karou is cut off from her demon family.

Akiva is one of the seraphs that is putting the hand prints on the doors, and after he lays eyes on Karou on one of her errands in Morocco, things are never the same. He becomes obsessed with her, and instead of killing her, like he should, he hunts her down to find out more about her. Karou has tattoos on her palms that she knows nothing about, until she holds them towards Akiva, and the power nearly kills him.

Thus begins a very strange relationship between these mortal enemies, who can't seem to resist each other. Karou is determined to find out what happened to her family, and Akiva is trying to find out why he can't stay away from Karou.

The secrets are slowly revealed, and the romantic relationship builds just as slowly.

Taylor is a master of the flashback. Her flashbacks even have flashbacks, but I was never confused. The background of our characters is revealed like untangling a web and it took me quite a while before I understood what exactly was going on. I did figure it out before Karou, but not much before, and her enlightenment was still enjoyable. And, at the very end, I finally figured out where the Daughter of Smoke & Bone title comes from.

There's so much more to Daughter of Smoke & Bone -- the magic beads, the levels of magic, Karou's sketchbooks, the best friend Zuzana, the different settings (earthly and otherwise), a character named Madrigal -- I could go on, but you just need to read it for yourself.

The audiobook narrator, Khristine Hvam, was good. All of her voices were entertaining but not too over the top. I just don't think Daughter of Smoke & Bone is the kind of book I like in an audiobook. I can't "read" it fast enough. I only listen to about 1/2 hour a day, and for an exciting, fast paced book like Daughter of Smoke & Bone, I would have enjoyed it more if I just sat down and read it in a day or two, rather than dragging it out for weeks. I like my audiobooks to be kind of slow and epic, not thrilling.

This is a complex book about teens, but I can't see why adults who enjoy a paranormal fantasy wouldn't enjoy Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I was very happy with the conclusion -- this first thread is complete without a huge cliffhanger, but we know there's much more to Karou's and Akiva's story. I can't wait to find out in Days of Blood & Starlight, which will be released in November.

Published by Little, Brown & Co., 2011 (Audiobook by Hachette)
Audiobook obtained FREE from Sync YA Literature
432 pages

Rating: 4.5/5