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Angelfire #2
Wings of the Wicked
Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.
She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.
She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.
She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.
She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.
516 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2012
About the author
Courtney Allison Moulton
12 books2,265 followersCourtney Allison Moulton lives in rural Michigan with her family, horse, donkey, and a flock of spoiled sheep. When she isn't studying ancient civilizations or writing about magic and monsters, she's busy with farm chores. Her debut novel ANGELFIRE was published when she was just 24 years old.
For more information about Courtney, visit her online at www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com.
For more information about Courtney, visit her online at www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com.
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March 3, 2013
95% of the people who read this book and message/tweet/email me: "Courtney, Wings of the Wicked made me sob like a baby and I'll likely need years of therapy!"
Me:
Me:
May 8, 2012
SPOILERS BELOW
You've been warned
Oh, and sorry for the bad language in advance!
First of all, let me get one thing straight. This book was
I know, it's not the newest book in the stores, but I got my signed copy *proud* last week, and you know
for waiting for it.
And it's over
but I'm writing this anyway.
So, in the beginning, I mean in the very beginning all that sexual tension was bearable. Really. But then when the room was getting hotter Ava had to arrive and freeze everything. No, not because she is so cool, but because she is so totally frigid that even thinking about her makes my teeth chatter, so I was like
I remind you, this was in the beginning. As the story went on, things changed. Right, what a surprise, I'm so smart for writing such a statement. Whatever. So as we went on, my hatered toward her diminished. No, I'm not saying I grew to like her, but I don't have any problems with her and I'm not thinking
when she is on.
Sorry for the random order, but now come the sad parts of the wonder that Courtney gave us, and yes, by wonder I mean her novel. I know there wasn't really an important character to die in Angelfire - yes, you know Ragnuk wasn't all that important regarding everything what's going on here - but really, was this necessary? Our dear author killed 2 kind-of-main characters, plus one who was just sweet to have, so I'm telling you
First Ellie's mom died
I could handle that, I'm tough. But then came Nathaniel and it broke my heart into tiny shards and as Will lost his head Courtney was just stomping on the pieces until only dust was left of my dearest organ.
When Bastian died... Well I can't just say to
but... I don't know. I know I should have been kind of happy that the enemy died, but I was more sad than content, to be frank.
Oh yeah, one thing I gotta say. Either I'm so freaking smart, or I don't know, but how the Hell did I figure out that a) Cadan was Bastian's son and b) so was Will? Because I don't think it was that obvious. I know Courtney wanted it to be so extremely surprising, and yeah, if she'd dropped that bomb in the previous book, then I would have been surprised, but here... Nope. Call it women's intuition or whatever you'd like, but after the first time Cadan was involved, I would have bet he was Bastian's son. And around the half of the book, when Bastian was on the spot, and I went to bed to sleep, I was thinking about the last chapter I'd read, and the Will-part just popped into my head in that "what if... sort of way. I wasn't even totally serious as I think I was half asleep already, but maybe that was the key to solve it. And when Bastian revealed the truth, I was laughing in myself, because he just proved what a smartass I am. So yeah, it was good the way it was written, I'm just delusional. Though I really would have appreciated it if Ellie had told Will the truth.
And now we arrived to the part where pink ponies neigh lullabies and uhh
Just quickly. Ellie is the character who is standing the closest to me. No, I don't mean in the book, I mean in literature on average. She is almost perfectly like me, except for some tiny details including that I'm not some kind of super warrior kicking reapers' asses and I don't have an unbelievably pefect Guardian, which is kind of fortunate considering that I would have to carry a bucket all day long to drool into. But she makes the decisions I would, she always changes her mind about things like I do, and! she didn't let Cadan kiss her, and I'm so so so SO grateful for that Courtney that you didn't make them kiss
Because that would have been just
and totally cliché.
Oh and last but not least, Will
I swear Will's were the most difficult parts to read. Why? Because I was constantly getting my hands burned by the steaming hotness coming from the pages and wondering
Seriously. That sexuality was overwhelming. And he doesn't even know about it. I mean how freaking perfect and sexy that is? Pulling it off just like that?
And when things are about to turn really really interesting Ellie turns him down.
If Will was horny and wanted to sleep with me
So you see, I wouldn't want to wait for anything... Unfortunately I'm not Ellie, so these things are just in my imagination and sweet dreams
But let me also express you how cute he is and even though sometimes I feel like he should be less perfect, it's just good this way I guess, because he doesn't make me believe that such guys exist in our world, so
instead of the cruel reality.
But then... One thing I really didn't expect
I knew something would happen because it was the calm time before storm, but THIS???
That reaper bit him!!!
And now he is dying
And they only have one week to save him
And something tells me they will only be able to do so in the very last moment. Because he cannot die. That's impossible. I would be
in a moment. And Cadan has to be the one to help? Why do I have such a bad feeling about this one? If he puts his things anywhere near Ellie...
But all in all, WotW can join my shelf of favourites of course, because it was freaking awesome! Thank you Courtney!
You've been warned
Oh, and sorry for the bad language in advance!
First of all, let me get one thing straight. This book was
I know, it's not the newest book in the stores, but I got my signed copy *proud* last week, and you know
for waiting for it.
And it's over
but I'm writing this anyway.
So, in the beginning, I mean in the very beginning all that sexual tension was bearable. Really. But then when the room was getting hotter Ava had to arrive and freeze everything. No, not because she is so cool, but because she is so totally frigid that even thinking about her makes my teeth chatter, so I was like
I remind you, this was in the beginning. As the story went on, things changed. Right, what a surprise, I'm so smart for writing such a statement. Whatever. So as we went on, my hatered toward her diminished. No, I'm not saying I grew to like her, but I don't have any problems with her and I'm not thinking
when she is on.
Sorry for the random order, but now come the sad parts of the wonder that Courtney gave us, and yes, by wonder I mean her novel. I know there wasn't really an important character to die in Angelfire - yes, you know Ragnuk wasn't all that important regarding everything what's going on here - but really, was this necessary? Our dear author killed 2 kind-of-main characters, plus one who was just sweet to have, so I'm telling you
First Ellie's mom died
I could handle that, I'm tough. But then came Nathaniel and it broke my heart into tiny shards and as Will lost his head Courtney was just stomping on the pieces until only dust was left of my dearest organ.
When Bastian died... Well I can't just say to
but... I don't know. I know I should have been kind of happy that the enemy died, but I was more sad than content, to be frank.
Oh yeah, one thing I gotta say. Either I'm so freaking smart, or I don't know, but how the Hell did I figure out that a) Cadan was Bastian's son and b) so was Will? Because I don't think it was that obvious. I know Courtney wanted it to be so extremely surprising, and yeah, if she'd dropped that bomb in the previous book, then I would have been surprised, but here... Nope. Call it women's intuition or whatever you'd like, but after the first time Cadan was involved, I would have bet he was Bastian's son. And around the half of the book, when Bastian was on the spot, and I went to bed to sleep, I was thinking about the last chapter I'd read, and the Will-part just popped into my head in that "what if... sort of way. I wasn't even totally serious as I think I was half asleep already, but maybe that was the key to solve it. And when Bastian revealed the truth, I was laughing in myself, because he just proved what a smartass I am. So yeah, it was good the way it was written, I'm just delusional. Though I really would have appreciated it if Ellie had told Will the truth.
And now we arrived to the part where pink ponies neigh lullabies and uhh
Just quickly. Ellie is the character who is standing the closest to me. No, I don't mean in the book, I mean in literature on average. She is almost perfectly like me, except for some tiny details including that I'm not some kind of super warrior kicking reapers' asses and I don't have an unbelievably pefect Guardian, which is kind of fortunate considering that I would have to carry a bucket all day long to drool into. But she makes the decisions I would, she always changes her mind about things like I do, and! she didn't let Cadan kiss her, and I'm so so so SO grateful for that Courtney that you didn't make them kiss
Because that would have been just
and totally cliché.
Oh and last but not least, Will
I swear Will's were the most difficult parts to read. Why? Because I was constantly getting my hands burned by the steaming hotness coming from the pages and wondering
Seriously. That sexuality was overwhelming. And he doesn't even know about it. I mean how freaking perfect and sexy that is? Pulling it off just like that?
And when things are about to turn really really interesting Ellie turns him down.
If Will was horny and wanted to sleep with me
So you see, I wouldn't want to wait for anything... Unfortunately I'm not Ellie, so these things are just in my imagination and sweet dreams
But let me also express you how cute he is and even though sometimes I feel like he should be less perfect, it's just good this way I guess, because he doesn't make me believe that such guys exist in our world, so
instead of the cruel reality.
But then... One thing I really didn't expect
I knew something would happen because it was the calm time before storm, but THIS???
That reaper bit him!!!
And now he is dying
And they only have one week to save him
And something tells me they will only be able to do so in the very last moment. Because he cannot die. That's impossible. I would be
in a moment. And Cadan has to be the one to help? Why do I have such a bad feeling about this one? If he puts his things anywhere near Ellie...
But all in all, WotW can join my shelf of favourites of course, because it was freaking awesome! Thank you Courtney!
December 13, 2011
Hah. More like Wangst of the Wicked! I kid, I kid.
I made a comment about the first book being Buffy Season One: Disney Channel Version. Well, the sequel jumped straight into Buffy Season Six territory. It's dark, sexy, and witty. Much more so than the first.
Admittedly, I wasn't too impressed with Angelfire, the first book in this series, but Wings of the Wicked is abundantly more fun than it's predecessor.
The characters are starting to get into a comfort zone with each other and the chemistry between them is coming alive. The straight forward no-frills prose carries you right into the action and drama.
The Rundown
With the help of her guardian Will, Ellie battles the forces of darkness. She is the Preliator, the only one in the world who wields awesome reaper-slaying, sickle-shaped swords that are infused with the heavenly flame of Angelfire, and she's getting even better in battle. Things have gotten complicated with angelic Will, and he and Ellie fight the feelings they have for each other. A demonic reaper named Cadan begins to make advances toward Ellie, but can she trust him? Now a strong force of darkness is rising up and it will take everything the Preliator and her friends have got to face this new evil.
Characterization and Romance
In the first book, even though it's written in first person, I never felt like I was getting to know Ellie because of her Mary Sue tendencies. Yet somehow, I've really grown to care about her in the sequel, as have many of the other characters. There is Love Triangle. I know what you're thinking: Noooooooooooooooo! Or maybe: Yes, yes, YES! But I actually really liked both of the boys.
First, there's Will. (Why does every book have a Will these days?) His mouth says, "I love you but I can't be with you." But his eyes say, "I can't stay away."
Then there's Cadan. His mouth says, "I love you whether or not want to be with me." But his eyes say, "I'm gonna lock you in my basement."
Guess which one she goes for? NOT the creepy stalker guy. Oh wait, they're both kind of stalkers. Well, they call themselves "guardians" or "protectors" but we all know what that means.
One thing I appreciated: Ellie considers having sex before marriage. Gasp!! Blasphemy! As long as no one puts a fanged supernatural baby in her, I'm fine with it. And PHEW! There were some hot scenes. Ellie was much less chaste and she liked it!
Shockingly, this book took a turn for dark. Several important characters are lost. And man... The characters in this book truly know how to grieve. It's not at all like other similar YA books where close friends or family members die and no one seems to care. So many intense moments of pain and rage fill these pages. They scream, they cry, they bawl their eyes out. Their agony is so believable in those moments.
The characterization is infinitely better in this book. I looked forward to the exchanges between Ellie and almost everyone this time around. Whereas the first book was mainly Ellie being confused and asking questions and being all "Woe is me," our heroine really came into her own in Wings of the Wicked.
The World-Building
This book threw in even more aspects of Buffydom, namely patrolling, which was not an aspect of the first book due to the whole "getting to know you" phase that Ellie was going through with Will and the new world unfolding around her. Patrols were always a important part of the storylines in Buffy, but I had mixed feelings about them being brought into the Angelfire series. Don't the two share quite a bit of similarities as it is? It makes me wonder what's next: turning Ellie's bestie, Kate, into an evil black-eyed witch lesbian?
Still - I have to admit that I ended up enjoying seeing the patrols included. It brought a sense of familiarity to it, complemented by the fact that the characters began to vibe with each other so well in battle.
Despite the obvious similarities to other series, the world was intense and more evolved this time around. They delve a bit deeper into Ellie's past and the specifics around it, but still left a lot to be learned in the upcoming books.
The Verdict
The plotline revolves strongly around action and romance and seems to be setting up for tons of love triangle tension in the next book, which I am greatly looking forward to. Though the writing is "filled to the brim" with cliche, it didn't matter. I found myself reading compulsively with a stupid grin on my face the whole time.
If you're a fan of angel mythology and looking for that next thing, this series just might be it! If you read the first book and are unsure about continuing, let me assure you that I greatly enjoyed it and did not regret it for one second.
As much as I liked this one, I still can't give it five stars, mainly because of an excess of cheesy lines and cliche. However, I enjoyed this one exponentially more than the first book. In fact, I wouldn't have believed how much better it is if I hadn't read it with my own two eyes.
Much less Seventh Heaven (When I see their happy faces smiling back at me-eeee. Yep, now it's going to be stuck in your head. Bwuahahahaha!) and much more Buffy and Supernatural. Really. It was like watching some sort of bizarre crossover spin-off of the two shows and I LOVED it.
September 11, 2012
Actual final rating: 4.5 stars. But I rounded up. Because it lost half a star on a technicality only.
So the other night I had this dream.
It was the beginning of the new high school year after graduation. Me and my graduating class were chilling in this weird white room that looked kind of like the lunch rooms in Cellblock 6: Female Lock Up and watching, through a set of Perspex windows looking out into the front hall, as the new Grade 12 kids march in to their uncertain fate.
This guy I know (he graduated at the same time as me. Why was he returning in my dream? Dafuq?) was one of those people walking in for the new year. I actually lol'd in my dream because he randomly lost his footing when he was walking down the hall and spontaneously smashed his face off the display case, but he was fine, no harm, no foul.
After a while we get bored of this, and head to some kind of weird cafeteria after-party where everyone from my old school in the UK is there too. Across the lunch room I lock eyes with this guy I was totes in love with when I was like fifteen and OMG! It's like a fairytale with Roma Pizza and inappropriate Happy Birthday! napkins.
Gaiz, srsly. I have absolutely no idea why this guy appeared in my dream. Sure, when I was fifteen it was deep and it was real. I went there: I really did. I wrote his name in all of my notebooks and tore girls' hair out to get the seat behind him in class so I could talk to him and fuck, I was all on imagining what our wedding would be like.
Hopefully, you can all appreciate the growth and change I've thankfully gone through since the days of yore.
But I left for Canada, and I've had no contact with the guy for literally years. I haven't thought about him for a long, long time. And then suddenly he pops up in the dreamscape lunchroom. What's a girl to do?
So we get all cozy and he kisses my forehead like Edward Cullen. Naturally, I get distracted by the nearby hotdog stand, which is basically a fish tank full of hotdog buns. Where's the meat, I ask? Fifteen Boy points to this steel door behind me and--oh, yeah. We're suddenly outside now, and it's got that dream lighting. You know, like the lighting in Sleepy Hollow? This is when I realize some creepy shit is going on.
So he takes two hotdog buns (I also take two) and heads for the steel door seemingly leading to nowhere. I go after him and we head up through this elevator to a weird compound that's round, outdoors but enclosed with a ring of high-rise stores above. Each of the stores is numbered one to thirteen.
(I swear to SHIVA. This is not a rickroll.)
Suddenly the guy is gone and one of my best friends (in Canada) is with me. She seems largely unimpressed, but she's like that in real life. She's the most calm, chill, easygoing Jamaican person ever. It's such bliss hanging out with her. You don't even need to make conversation.
You just have to be.
So anyway I figure I'd better get an actual hotdog to put in the bun. (Innuendo not intended.) There are rainforest trees all around this compound and the air is kind of humid--if any of you have ever been to the aviary in Niagara-on-the-Lake and been through that bit with all the waterfalls and the hilarious red birds with pipe cleaner legs, then you'll have a rough idea of the terrain here.
So my friend runs off to one of the big doorways in the side of the compound (kind of like the opening into the ruins at the beginning of Tomb Raider: Anniversary except without the flesh-eating wolves) and I stop by the entrance, because there's this little button you need to press to make the elevator inside the walkway, up to the shops above, work. My friend waves me in and I follow her, but she gets into the elevator before I do and then I'm stuck there like a spanner with my empty hotdog buns.
I head back out to the button. It sits like a catherine wheel, colored orange and yellow, and you have to spin it to the right number of shop you want to get to, then press the Go! button in the center.
(I promise you guys, I am not fucking with you. This is the serious truth.)
So I spin it to shop number four, but I'm not fast enough to get into the elevator. I have to go back and press it again, and then I leap into the elevator just in time.
Let me explain to you what this elevator was like.
The doors opened vertically, and were made of wire and wood. When you jumped inside, you landed at the bottom of this wet, muddy slope, and then you somehow were pushed up that slope at lightning speed, and there were all these trees and rocks and shit and a voice came over the intercom telling you to curl up in the fetal position to avoid hitting any of the crap on the track.
Swear it.
So I reach the top, and I'm literally thrown off this slope, right into the air. I'm headed for this Super-Marioesque mushroom cap, pink with yellow spots, where my friend is waiting for me. Suddenly my dog is with me, and she's being carried by this weird bug that I swear is one of the monster companions in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and then we're dropped and we land on the mushroom cap, which is all light because it's inside this room with all these windows around it. There are a few other people there, and they all have dogs with them, but my friend is allergic to dogs so she doesn't have one. I say she can share mine.
Even in my dreams, I'm a giving soul.
(Lol.)
So then all of a sudden this GI Joe guy comes blasting out of nowhere and he orders us to do this massive obstacle course before we can get our tiny insignificant fucking hotdog. Like, what the fuck? It's a fucking hotdog, not a Nobel Prize. I just wanted my hotdog, dammit!
Anyway, we have to do the obstacle course riding on our dogs' backs like horses. My dog is relatively small (she's a spaniel) but somehow I managed to get upon my steed and we start the obstacle course, which is kind of like those challenges you have to do in Super Mario Sunshine if you go through the green pipe looking for a cheat of a Shine Sprite.
So anyway, me and my dog NAIL it and we win. We veer off course a little because it's like playing a video game, with controls like the fucking painful ones you have to grapple with when you're on the hang-glider in Assassin's Creed: Revelations getting pulled along by Sophia. Anyway, we win, and then tra-la-la!
The dream is over.
And I never got my hotdog.
Wings of the Wicked is just like my dream. No, it's not about Ellie's tormented quest for a hotdog, but it is about a whole lot of weird, scary, colorful and bizarre happenings that somehow, for some reason, come together to make sense.
Let me explain.
Like my dream, Wings leaps into the plot from the very first chapter. I went straight for the hotdogs; Ellie goes straight for the reapers. And it was this that I appreciated. Any of you who know me are probably aware that Angelfire is definitely not my favorite book in the world for two staple reasons: Ellie, and the writing.
In Wings, Ellie grows from a little sapling that can be annihilated by one peck from a chicken to a sword-wielding foxglove (foxgloves can stop your heart with their poison. DON'T GO NEAR THEM. DON'T!). Where as the Ellie from the first book would make a joke of her duties, this Ellie is absolutely serious about them. She still takes time out for partying and homework and shit, but a wake-up call is all it takes for her to realize that shit just got real, and you have to stop giggling when something tries to gut you with their fingernail.
Will gained a little more favor with me here. I wasn't that chuffed about him in the first book either, but in Wings he gains a little more depth and backstory, enough for him to prism from a piece of cardboard to an actual character. I loved the revelation that he slept with Ava. It gave him this fabulous, human quality, a real weakness and a mistake from the past that negated the whole "perfect love interest" trope that's been sniffing around YA of late.
Speaking of Ava: um, hello, Favorite Character! I fucking love this woman. She's amazing. She has so much depth and interest to her, so much so that I was desperate to find out more about her. I wanted to get inside her head and find out a little more about her story (which was heart-breaking, but added to her resilience).
A pretty large portion of this book revolves around the deaths of secondary characters, and being aware that people would die before I started reading this book assured me of two things:
(a) There is every chance in the world that these deaths will wind up being oddly funny rather than sad.
(b) There is every chance in the world that these deaths will make me want to die too. From grief. And lack of hotdogs.
It was pretty much a B all round.
Seriously, the deaths in this book took it out of me. I do feel like you have to have a certain kind of relationship in your own life to really connect with the deaths in Wings, and I'm one of the lucky ones.
Let's look at this: I was reading the portion where Ellie's mom dies when we were driving along the highway, headed for some Swedish fun at IKEA. The horrific torment of reading the death scene haunted me for the rest of the day, so much so that I did the whole tourist thing and held on to my mom's bag strap all the way around the store. I did not want to let go of my mother, ever, because then a reaper would get her, and fuck, that can't happen.
That is literally what this book did to me. It made me terrified.
And that's awesome.
Nathaniel's death was an absolute blindside. I was sobbing, yelling at the book, slapping myself, comfort eating my weight in chocolate muffins...
Just why, Courtney? Why'd that have to happen?
As if it wasn't enough that I was a blubbering mess, the characters in Wings really mourn with you. Remember Katniss when Finnick died, how she made it all about herself and then forgot about him as if "fuck, it's just a death of my friend, at least it wasn't me, because I'm the most important one!" Well, Wings is nothing like that. NOTHING. It's brutal. Ellie and the gang wear themselves out mourning over the friends they lose. They go crazy, they scream, they cry, they ask God why, because that's what happens when people you love die.
This book has this honest, human, emotional aura that I couldn't shake. It was like a coming-of-age story. Trials and tribulations from a group of relatable characters. Awesome.
The romance was the romance: sweet, cute and yes, a little sexual. I like that. There is entirely too much no-sex-before-marriage dogma in YA today, and the fact that Ellie was planning to sleep with Will after prom (it's only interrupted by Will getting poisoned and ending up on the brink of death. Shame, dat) is just...honest. It's refreshing and true and warmed me to the characters I'd previously been so detached from.
Look. I won't say it was perfect, because it wasn't. As much as I liked the Ellie/Will dynamic in this book, I really wish Ellie had battled as hard as Will did. She didn't. She could have, but she didn't. I don't know why that is. I guess I felt like in battle Will was either in the way and a liability, or leading the charge. Ellie is the one with the angelfire: she is the one who ought to be heading up the war against the reapers. She was far too idle.
The Ellie/Will partnership isn't the reason why I dropped the half-star, because it's not really a fair test of Ellie's prowess. In the first half of the book, she kicked so much ass I was cheering, so I suppose her lack of that same prowess in the second half was perhaps due to her losing her mother and Nathaniel and still being in a state of downtrodden grief.
The technical reason why I took off half a star is that the Rule of Abeko* was broken by this book. It was broken spectacularly, and no book that breaks the Rule of Abeko can ever be a true five stars for me. That's just the way it has to be, I'm afraid. And no book is an exception.
On the plus side, the plot and writing of this book thrilled me. The action scenes were hardcore awesome and the plot, which accelerates at breakneck speed with just enough time in between to sweeten the characters, made me physically tense. I also love Court's mythology. With the exception of the Rule of Abeko, her blending of Eastern religion with rather tired Judeo-Christian lore is really refreshing. What I love about this series is its unpredictability: curveballs come at you like gnats in the summertime. You heard it here, kids.
Is there anything else I have to say? I don't think so, but I would definitely recommend this book. Even if you hated Angelfire, you should at least take a stab at this one. It's killer. I swear.
*The "Rule of Abeko" states that Lilith is evil only because Biblical patriarchy declares her to be so. It also states that the imagery of Lilith being a baby-eater and a destroyer of virginal maidens is only in place because she must be Biblically demonized for (a) not being a baby-making machine and (b) not being meek.
Breaking this rule would be to represent Lilith as evil, a baby-eater or a raging jealous bitch. Examples of Rule breakers include Supernatural, the Fallen series, the latter half of the Mortal Instruments series, and many more than I can't be fucked finding.
So the other night I had this dream.
It was the beginning of the new high school year after graduation. Me and my graduating class were chilling in this weird white room that looked kind of like the lunch rooms in Cellblock 6: Female Lock Up and watching, through a set of Perspex windows looking out into the front hall, as the new Grade 12 kids march in to their uncertain fate.
This guy I know (he graduated at the same time as me. Why was he returning in my dream? Dafuq?) was one of those people walking in for the new year. I actually lol'd in my dream because he randomly lost his footing when he was walking down the hall and spontaneously smashed his face off the display case, but he was fine, no harm, no foul.
After a while we get bored of this, and head to some kind of weird cafeteria after-party where everyone from my old school in the UK is there too. Across the lunch room I lock eyes with this guy I was totes in love with when I was like fifteen and OMG! It's like a fairytale with Roma Pizza and inappropriate Happy Birthday! napkins.
Gaiz, srsly. I have absolutely no idea why this guy appeared in my dream. Sure, when I was fifteen it was deep and it was real. I went there: I really did. I wrote his name in all of my notebooks and tore girls' hair out to get the seat behind him in class so I could talk to him and fuck, I was all on imagining what our wedding would be like.
Hopefully, you can all appreciate the growth and change I've thankfully gone through since the days of yore.
But I left for Canada, and I've had no contact with the guy for literally years. I haven't thought about him for a long, long time. And then suddenly he pops up in the dreamscape lunchroom. What's a girl to do?
So we get all cozy and he kisses my forehead like Edward Cullen. Naturally, I get distracted by the nearby hotdog stand, which is basically a fish tank full of hotdog buns. Where's the meat, I ask? Fifteen Boy points to this steel door behind me and--oh, yeah. We're suddenly outside now, and it's got that dream lighting. You know, like the lighting in Sleepy Hollow? This is when I realize some creepy shit is going on.
So he takes two hotdog buns (I also take two) and heads for the steel door seemingly leading to nowhere. I go after him and we head up through this elevator to a weird compound that's round, outdoors but enclosed with a ring of high-rise stores above. Each of the stores is numbered one to thirteen.
(I swear to SHIVA. This is not a rickroll.)
Suddenly the guy is gone and one of my best friends (in Canada) is with me. She seems largely unimpressed, but she's like that in real life. She's the most calm, chill, easygoing Jamaican person ever. It's such bliss hanging out with her. You don't even need to make conversation.
You just have to be.
So anyway I figure I'd better get an actual hotdog to put in the bun. (Innuendo not intended.) There are rainforest trees all around this compound and the air is kind of humid--if any of you have ever been to the aviary in Niagara-on-the-Lake and been through that bit with all the waterfalls and the hilarious red birds with pipe cleaner legs, then you'll have a rough idea of the terrain here.
So my friend runs off to one of the big doorways in the side of the compound (kind of like the opening into the ruins at the beginning of Tomb Raider: Anniversary except without the flesh-eating wolves) and I stop by the entrance, because there's this little button you need to press to make the elevator inside the walkway, up to the shops above, work. My friend waves me in and I follow her, but she gets into the elevator before I do and then I'm stuck there like a spanner with my empty hotdog buns.
I head back out to the button. It sits like a catherine wheel, colored orange and yellow, and you have to spin it to the right number of shop you want to get to, then press the Go! button in the center.
(I promise you guys, I am not fucking with you. This is the serious truth.)
So I spin it to shop number four, but I'm not fast enough to get into the elevator. I have to go back and press it again, and then I leap into the elevator just in time.
Let me explain to you what this elevator was like.
The doors opened vertically, and were made of wire and wood. When you jumped inside, you landed at the bottom of this wet, muddy slope, and then you somehow were pushed up that slope at lightning speed, and there were all these trees and rocks and shit and a voice came over the intercom telling you to curl up in the fetal position to avoid hitting any of the crap on the track.
Swear it.
So I reach the top, and I'm literally thrown off this slope, right into the air. I'm headed for this Super-Marioesque mushroom cap, pink with yellow spots, where my friend is waiting for me. Suddenly my dog is with me, and she's being carried by this weird bug that I swear is one of the monster companions in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and then we're dropped and we land on the mushroom cap, which is all light because it's inside this room with all these windows around it. There are a few other people there, and they all have dogs with them, but my friend is allergic to dogs so she doesn't have one. I say she can share mine.
Even in my dreams, I'm a giving soul.
(Lol.)
So then all of a sudden this GI Joe guy comes blasting out of nowhere and he orders us to do this massive obstacle course before we can get our tiny insignificant fucking hotdog. Like, what the fuck? It's a fucking hotdog, not a Nobel Prize. I just wanted my hotdog, dammit!
Anyway, we have to do the obstacle course riding on our dogs' backs like horses. My dog is relatively small (she's a spaniel) but somehow I managed to get upon my steed and we start the obstacle course, which is kind of like those challenges you have to do in Super Mario Sunshine if you go through the green pipe looking for a cheat of a Shine Sprite.
So anyway, me and my dog NAIL it and we win. We veer off course a little because it's like playing a video game, with controls like the fucking painful ones you have to grapple with when you're on the hang-glider in Assassin's Creed: Revelations getting pulled along by Sophia. Anyway, we win, and then tra-la-la!
The dream is over.
And I never got my hotdog.
Wings of the Wicked is just like my dream. No, it's not about Ellie's tormented quest for a hotdog, but it is about a whole lot of weird, scary, colorful and bizarre happenings that somehow, for some reason, come together to make sense.
Let me explain.
Like my dream, Wings leaps into the plot from the very first chapter. I went straight for the hotdogs; Ellie goes straight for the reapers. And it was this that I appreciated. Any of you who know me are probably aware that Angelfire is definitely not my favorite book in the world for two staple reasons: Ellie, and the writing.
In Wings, Ellie grows from a little sapling that can be annihilated by one peck from a chicken to a sword-wielding foxglove (foxgloves can stop your heart with their poison. DON'T GO NEAR THEM. DON'T!). Where as the Ellie from the first book would make a joke of her duties, this Ellie is absolutely serious about them. She still takes time out for partying and homework and shit, but a wake-up call is all it takes for her to realize that shit just got real, and you have to stop giggling when something tries to gut you with their fingernail.
Will gained a little more favor with me here. I wasn't that chuffed about him in the first book either, but in Wings he gains a little more depth and backstory, enough for him to prism from a piece of cardboard to an actual character. I loved the revelation that he slept with Ava. It gave him this fabulous, human quality, a real weakness and a mistake from the past that negated the whole "perfect love interest" trope that's been sniffing around YA of late.
Speaking of Ava: um, hello, Favorite Character! I fucking love this woman. She's amazing. She has so much depth and interest to her, so much so that I was desperate to find out more about her. I wanted to get inside her head and find out a little more about her story (which was heart-breaking, but added to her resilience).
A pretty large portion of this book revolves around the deaths of secondary characters, and being aware that people would die before I started reading this book assured me of two things:
(a) There is every chance in the world that these deaths will wind up being oddly funny rather than sad.
(b) There is every chance in the world that these deaths will make me want to die too. From grief. And lack of hotdogs.
It was pretty much a B all round.
Seriously, the deaths in this book took it out of me. I do feel like you have to have a certain kind of relationship in your own life to really connect with the deaths in Wings, and I'm one of the lucky ones.
Let's look at this: I was reading the portion where Ellie's mom dies when we were driving along the highway, headed for some Swedish fun at IKEA. The horrific torment of reading the death scene haunted me for the rest of the day, so much so that I did the whole tourist thing and held on to my mom's bag strap all the way around the store. I did not want to let go of my mother, ever, because then a reaper would get her, and fuck, that can't happen.
That is literally what this book did to me. It made me terrified.
And that's awesome.
Nathaniel's death was an absolute blindside. I was sobbing, yelling at the book, slapping myself, comfort eating my weight in chocolate muffins...
Just why, Courtney? Why'd that have to happen?
As if it wasn't enough that I was a blubbering mess, the characters in Wings really mourn with you. Remember Katniss when Finnick died, how she made it all about herself and then forgot about him as if "fuck, it's just a death of my friend, at least it wasn't me, because I'm the most important one!" Well, Wings is nothing like that. NOTHING. It's brutal. Ellie and the gang wear themselves out mourning over the friends they lose. They go crazy, they scream, they cry, they ask God why, because that's what happens when people you love die.
This book has this honest, human, emotional aura that I couldn't shake. It was like a coming-of-age story. Trials and tribulations from a group of relatable characters. Awesome.
The romance was the romance: sweet, cute and yes, a little sexual. I like that. There is entirely too much no-sex-before-marriage dogma in YA today, and the fact that Ellie was planning to sleep with Will after prom (it's only interrupted by Will getting poisoned and ending up on the brink of death. Shame, dat) is just...honest. It's refreshing and true and warmed me to the characters I'd previously been so detached from.
Look. I won't say it was perfect, because it wasn't. As much as I liked the Ellie/Will dynamic in this book, I really wish Ellie had battled as hard as Will did. She didn't. She could have, but she didn't. I don't know why that is. I guess I felt like in battle Will was either in the way and a liability, or leading the charge. Ellie is the one with the angelfire: she is the one who ought to be heading up the war against the reapers. She was far too idle.
The Ellie/Will partnership isn't the reason why I dropped the half-star, because it's not really a fair test of Ellie's prowess. In the first half of the book, she kicked so much ass I was cheering, so I suppose her lack of that same prowess in the second half was perhaps due to her losing her mother and Nathaniel and still being in a state of downtrodden grief.
The technical reason why I took off half a star is that the Rule of Abeko* was broken by this book. It was broken spectacularly, and no book that breaks the Rule of Abeko can ever be a true five stars for me. That's just the way it has to be, I'm afraid. And no book is an exception.
On the plus side, the plot and writing of this book thrilled me. The action scenes were hardcore awesome and the plot, which accelerates at breakneck speed with just enough time in between to sweeten the characters, made me physically tense. I also love Court's mythology. With the exception of the Rule of Abeko, her blending of Eastern religion with rather tired Judeo-Christian lore is really refreshing. What I love about this series is its unpredictability: curveballs come at you like gnats in the summertime. You heard it here, kids.
Is there anything else I have to say? I don't think so, but I would definitely recommend this book. Even if you hated Angelfire, you should at least take a stab at this one. It's killer. I swear.
*The "Rule of Abeko" states that Lilith is evil only because Biblical patriarchy declares her to be so. It also states that the imagery of Lilith being a baby-eater and a destroyer of virginal maidens is only in place because she must be Biblically demonized for (a) not being a baby-making machine and (b) not being meek.
Breaking this rule would be to represent Lilith as evil, a baby-eater or a raging jealous bitch. Examples of Rule breakers include Supernatural, the Fallen series, the latter half of the Mortal Instruments series, and many more than I can't be fucked finding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'interested'
April 26, 2016More Cadan this time,please!
October 20, 2012
This book is everything that is wrong with books. Possibly ever. In the existence of the world. I caught very few usage and spelling errors...so I guess it got that right. Here's what's wrong with the book:
1) The plot. There isn't one. Most books have one of these. This one, for some odd reason, went another way...of meandering endlessly.
2) The main character. Let's see . . . seldom does she actually kick butt, even though, supposedly, she has some sort of super human powers. Waiting on those. She whines. Endlessly. She's stupid. She's not funny. She's short. She's redheaded (I wouldn't count it against her...but this character deserves more knocks). She's pathetic. Unlikable. Snotty. Stuck up. I could pretty much go on forever.
3) The love interest. He's boring. His personality is thus: "I fight bad guys. I love Ellie. I fight bad guys. I love Ellie." It's really not much. I can't even fathom how this nothing personality guy likes her. Not sure which character that reflects worse on.
4) The supporting cast. All bad. Snotty, rude friend. Check. Brainy guy. Check. Funny (but not really) guy. Check. Gorgeous girl to be jealous of. Check. Other love interest who is somewhat interesting but makes no sense because he's only in 5 short scenes in the book and spends the whole time saying he's in love (inexplicably) with main girl who he has spent about 5 minutes with, and she cares about him too. Check. Pointless parents. Check.
5) The bad guys. They apparently hate executing their evil scheme. They like to give Ellie huge breaks and chunks of time to party and do school and makeout with Will. "Nah," they say, "Let's raise Lillith and Sammael tomorrow. Don't you know Ellie has a bowling party tonight? Too. Important."
6) The fight scenes. So abominable that I actually didn't read them. yup. Skipped 'em.
7) The parties. Oh. My. Gosh. Let's see...the world is going to become Hell, and all of the humans will be banished to Hell forever...and 80% of this book is parties, school, and Ellie and Will making out.
Okay. I have to stop. I could go on forever. The book was so bad. Don't even glance at it in passing. I'm pretty sure that more people reading this book is a scarier apocalypse than the whole Hell on Earth situation.
1) The plot. There isn't one. Most books have one of these. This one, for some odd reason, went another way...of meandering endlessly.
2) The main character. Let's see . . . seldom does she actually kick butt, even though, supposedly, she has some sort of super human powers. Waiting on those. She whines. Endlessly. She's stupid. She's not funny. She's short. She's redheaded (I wouldn't count it against her...but this character deserves more knocks). She's pathetic. Unlikable. Snotty. Stuck up. I could pretty much go on forever.
3) The love interest. He's boring. His personality is thus: "I fight bad guys. I love Ellie. I fight bad guys. I love Ellie." It's really not much. I can't even fathom how this nothing personality guy likes her. Not sure which character that reflects worse on.
4) The supporting cast. All bad. Snotty, rude friend. Check. Brainy guy. Check. Funny (but not really) guy. Check. Gorgeous girl to be jealous of. Check. Other love interest who is somewhat interesting but makes no sense because he's only in 5 short scenes in the book and spends the whole time saying he's in love (inexplicably) with main girl who he has spent about 5 minutes with, and she cares about him too. Check. Pointless parents. Check.
5) The bad guys. They apparently hate executing their evil scheme. They like to give Ellie huge breaks and chunks of time to party and do school and makeout with Will. "Nah," they say, "Let's raise Lillith and Sammael tomorrow. Don't you know Ellie has a bowling party tonight? Too. Important."
6) The fight scenes. So abominable that I actually didn't read them. yup. Skipped 'em.
7) The parties. Oh. My. Gosh. Let's see...the world is going to become Hell, and all of the humans will be banished to Hell forever...and 80% of this book is parties, school, and Ellie and Will making out.
Okay. I have to stop. I could go on forever. The book was so bad. Don't even glance at it in passing. I'm pretty sure that more people reading this book is a scarier apocalypse than the whole Hell on Earth situation.
Want to read
January 3, 2012I hope her writing improved.
ETA: This just in: I no longer care.
ETA: This just in: I no longer care.
May 27, 2012
Not even posting the synopsis for this one. It doesn't deserve it. I'm still pissed that GR doesn't offer a minus stars option. Just...WHAT? How does stuff this bad actually get on SHELVES? Is everyone in the publisher on drugs?
Basically, after I ranted to a bunch of my friends about the awful first book in this series (ANGELFIRE) some of them read it too. I ended up feeling much better about the whole thing after we'd all laughed ourselves into hiccuping puddles over how dire it was. So then we decided to give this book a try because, after all, it had to have gotten better, right? Surely everyone concerned would be doing their best to improve on the balls-taped-to-the-cement-and-smashed-with-a-brick HORROR of the first one?
Nope. Apparently the horror quotient wasn't high enough yet. I'm convinced at this point that this series is some kind of an experient on the part of HarperCollins. They want to see just how crappy they can go and still get money out of people. It's the only explanation.
From the moment (in the first few pages) that Ellie, having been thrown to the ground by a giant Reaper, lies there with her eyes closed for several minutes recapping the previous book while the Reaper that threw her obediantly stands waiting (alert enough to growl, drool and make threats, but not actually bite her head off with its huge motherfreaking teeth) and Ellie's boytoy Will battles with another one unaided, I could see that things had actually managed to get worse. The laughably bad dialogue between Ellie and the Reapers was pretty much a surety after that. Then we get to Ellie's reaction to being grabbed by one of these monstrous beasts that she's supposedly been created to fight. Let's see - you're superstrong and fast, and you have two huge flaming swords, and a mission from heaven to kill Reapers. A Reaper attacks you. What do you do? Well, if you're Ellie:
1) Drop swords
2) Scream for help
3) Allow yourself to be grabbed by the monster's talons
4) 'squirm' and 'struggle' helplessly in said talons while said monster flies off with you because it's not like you're some kind of badass that could snap a talon in half, kick this bastard in the face and jump down before it gained altitude or anything
5) Scream for help AGAIN
6) Get saved and in the process crush your boytoy almost to death
Yeah, that's Ellie. She's the one standing between the humans of the world and eternal damnation.
WE ARE ALL DOOMED.
And the publishing industry is doomed too, if it keeps producing these sort of slimy scrapings as its lead titles. My five year old niece could come up with better shit than this armed only with a sippy cup of juice, the back of a cereal packet and an orange crayon. I'm 100% serious. And I'm 100% done with this crappy ass book.
Basically, after I ranted to a bunch of my friends about the awful first book in this series (ANGELFIRE) some of them read it too. I ended up feeling much better about the whole thing after we'd all laughed ourselves into hiccuping puddles over how dire it was. So then we decided to give this book a try because, after all, it had to have gotten better, right? Surely everyone concerned would be doing their best to improve on the balls-taped-to-the-cement-and-smashed-with-a-brick HORROR of the first one?
Nope. Apparently the horror quotient wasn't high enough yet. I'm convinced at this point that this series is some kind of an experient on the part of HarperCollins. They want to see just how crappy they can go and still get money out of people. It's the only explanation.
From the moment (in the first few pages) that Ellie, having been thrown to the ground by a giant Reaper, lies there with her eyes closed for several minutes recapping the previous book while the Reaper that threw her obediantly stands waiting (alert enough to growl, drool and make threats, but not actually bite her head off with its huge motherfreaking teeth) and Ellie's boytoy Will battles with another one unaided, I could see that things had actually managed to get worse. The laughably bad dialogue between Ellie and the Reapers was pretty much a surety after that. Then we get to Ellie's reaction to being grabbed by one of these monstrous beasts that she's supposedly been created to fight. Let's see - you're superstrong and fast, and you have two huge flaming swords, and a mission from heaven to kill Reapers. A Reaper attacks you. What do you do? Well, if you're Ellie:
1) Drop swords
2) Scream for help
3) Allow yourself to be grabbed by the monster's talons
4) 'squirm' and 'struggle' helplessly in said talons while said monster flies off with you because it's not like you're some kind of badass that could snap a talon in half, kick this bastard in the face and jump down before it gained altitude or anything
5) Scream for help AGAIN
6) Get saved and in the process crush your boytoy almost to death
Yeah, that's Ellie. She's the one standing between the humans of the world and eternal damnation.
WE ARE ALL DOOMED.
And the publishing industry is doomed too, if it keeps producing these sort of slimy scrapings as its lead titles. My five year old niece could come up with better shit than this armed only with a sippy cup of juice, the back of a cereal packet and an orange crayon. I'm 100% serious. And I'm 100% done with this crappy ass book.
August 12, 2011
I am so lucky I got to read an ARC of Wings! How incredibly beautiful is the love story, the complicated plot of heaven vs. hell (i.e., the war of endless battles between good and evil), and the archangel Gabriel in all her Glory! Will's courage, devotion and undying love/affection was more than I could ask for. Plus the hot/sexy...LOL!
Review to come...in Feb. 2012 when the book is actually released.
CAM - I am your little crazed-sessed REAPER! Came on board with my lil sis, Momo! Absolute must-have novel...all you angel fans, get ready for one helluva ride! ;)
Review to come...in Feb. 2012 when the book is actually released.
CAM - I am your little crazed-sessed REAPER! Came on board with my lil sis, Momo! Absolute must-have novel...all you angel fans, get ready for one helluva ride! ;)
March 7, 2012
When I started reading this book, I was hoping that after her many near-death experiences, Ellie would have grown up, you know, gotten better at prioritizing what's important. For example: saving the world is a heck of a lot more important than partying and having a picture-perfect teen life. But... no, Ellie is every bit as whiny, selfish, annoying, make-me-want-to-rip-my-hair-out as she was in the first book.
I mean, I already hated her when I started, so I assumed that it honestly couldn't get much worse, but oh... it does. If I was to make a list of the top-ten things I would never do as the Preliator, especially knowing that I'm an angel on top of that, getting drunk (which impairs judgement and much needed fighting skills) would be at the top of my list. In that list would also include going to movie nights instead of training/ fighting and whining every ten seconds because life isn't fair.
Another thing that bugged me was the plot twist with Ellie's dad. Why? Well for the first book I was completely siding with him for the majority of the time. I know, I know, he was horrible to Ellie but from his perspective, she kinda deserved it. Example: Her "awful" dad buys her a 40,000 dollar car (wish my dad was that awful) and she crashes it after having it for like a week. Her grades are sucking and at her birthday party she was drinking (at 17) and crashed through the window. Another thing that hurt poor wittle Ellie's feelings was when he called her a slut on Halloween, although ELlie, when you leave the house looking like this
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=slutty...
you've gotta be able to withstand the comments. So when ELlie's dad reveals himself to be a
And there are more reasons why I didn't quite like this book, but, well, I'm pretty sure you get the picture,and I'm lazy. For a good angel-related book I would recommend the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand and for books with an actually badass heroine I would recommend [book; Hunger Games]and Vampire Academy (starting book 2, because Rose bugs me in book 1).
I mean, I already hated her when I started, so I assumed that it honestly couldn't get much worse, but oh... it does. If I was to make a list of the top-ten things I would never do as the Preliator, especially knowing that I'm an angel on top of that, getting drunk (which impairs judgement and much needed fighting skills) would be at the top of my list. In that list would also include going to movie nights instead of training/ fighting and whining every ten seconds because life isn't fair.
Another thing that bugged me was the plot twist with Ellie's dad. Why? Well for the first book I was completely siding with him for the majority of the time. I know, I know, he was horrible to Ellie but from his perspective, she kinda deserved it. Example: Her "awful" dad buys her a 40,000 dollar car (wish my dad was that awful) and she crashes it after having it for like a week. Her grades are sucking and at her birthday party she was drinking (at 17) and crashed through the window. Another thing that hurt poor wittle Ellie's feelings was when he called her a slut on Halloween, although ELlie, when you leave the house looking like this
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=slutty...
you've gotta be able to withstand the comments. So when ELlie's dad reveals himself to be a
And there are more reasons why I didn't quite like this book, but, well, I'm pretty sure you get the picture,
February 5, 2012
2.5 stars - Some spoilers
Ellie is struggling to balance her normal human life with her duties as the archangel Gabriel. She won't give up her school, friends or social life seeing that they are the only things keeping her sane. Ellie and her guardian, Will are trying to stay one step ahead of the demonic reaper, Bastian who wants to unleash hell on Earth. They are also patrolling the streets at night, fighting demons and fighting their feelings for each other. Will is reluctant to have a relationship with Ellie since finding out she is actually the archangel Gabriel. Meanwhile Ellie is contending with her jealousy as Will's ex lover, Ava - an angelic reaper makes an appearance to help fight the good fight. Caden, the demonic reaper who helped Ellie stop Bastian in Angelfire, is still around and he's quite predictably taken a shine to Ellie.
Will is written as being utterly devoted and madly in love with Ellie for the 500 years they've worked together but this is contradicted by having Will's ex lover turn up, not to mention the talk of his previous girlfriends. Will having previous lovers is fine, but to then to write that Will has this epic love and one a kind devotedness to Ellie just makes it seem untrue.
Ellie is slightly more tolerable in this installment but she's still weak and needy. She whimpers, screams and cries in every difficult situation. I think it's good when someone fights for their love, but Ellie begs Will over and over to be with her and frankly it was pathetic.
Will was annoying, he just kept sending Ellie mixed signals, he said they couldn't be together yet he didn't allow her to move on. There's some suprises when Will finds out about his mother's past and who his father is.
Ellie's best friend Kate was a great character - fun, loyal and understanding. Ava, Will's ex lover was also written very well - she was thoughtful, tough and focused. Both Kate and Ava are better characters than Ellie.
The love triangle between Will-Ellie-Cadan was unnecessary as Ellie only had eyes for Will and Cadan was already siding with good so his love for Ellie wasn't needed for Cadan to help the good guys.
On the plus side there was more action and loss, which kept things entertaining. There is also insight into Ellie's past lives and it's revealed that Ellie has descendants. I'm hoping this will be explored in the next book and that we get to meet Ellie's great-great-great-etc-grandchildren because maybe that would give Ellie's character some gravitas, instead of Ellie just being all about Will and their super-speshul-one-of-a-kind-undying-lovely-love.
Ellie is struggling to balance her normal human life with her duties as the archangel Gabriel. She won't give up her school, friends or social life seeing that they are the only things keeping her sane. Ellie and her guardian, Will are trying to stay one step ahead of the demonic reaper, Bastian who wants to unleash hell on Earth. They are also patrolling the streets at night, fighting demons and fighting their feelings for each other. Will is reluctant to have a relationship with Ellie since finding out she is actually the archangel Gabriel. Meanwhile Ellie is contending with her jealousy as Will's ex lover, Ava - an angelic reaper makes an appearance to help fight the good fight. Caden, the demonic reaper who helped Ellie stop Bastian in Angelfire, is still around and he's quite predictably taken a shine to Ellie.
Will is written as being utterly devoted and madly in love with Ellie for the 500 years they've worked together but this is contradicted by having Will's ex lover turn up, not to mention the talk of his previous girlfriends. Will having previous lovers is fine, but to then to write that Will has this epic love and one a kind devotedness to Ellie just makes it seem untrue.
Ellie is slightly more tolerable in this installment but she's still weak and needy. She whimpers, screams and cries in every difficult situation. I think it's good when someone fights for their love, but Ellie begs Will over and over to be with her and frankly it was pathetic.
Will was annoying, he just kept sending Ellie mixed signals, he said they couldn't be together yet he didn't allow her to move on. There's some suprises when Will finds out about his mother's past and who his father is.
Ellie's best friend Kate was a great character - fun, loyal and understanding. Ava, Will's ex lover was also written very well - she was thoughtful, tough and focused. Both Kate and Ava are better characters than Ellie.
The love triangle between Will-Ellie-Cadan was unnecessary as Ellie only had eyes for Will and Cadan was already siding with good so his love for Ellie wasn't needed for Cadan to help the good guys.
On the plus side there was more action and loss, which kept things entertaining. There is also insight into Ellie's past lives and it's revealed that Ellie has descendants. I'm hoping this will be explored in the next book and that we get to meet Ellie's great-great-great-etc-grandchildren because maybe that would give Ellie's character some gravitas, instead of Ellie just being all about Will and their super-speshul-one-of-a-kind-undying-lovely-love.
May 22, 2012
I swear to god, after reading this, I'm convinced there is a conglomerate of authors that all write the exact same story. "Hey! It's a YA book! Feisty female protagonist with super powers/paranormal abilities/angelic strengths/magical abilities. Priorities? Why, the exact same priorities as any regular old girl, of course! She wants to be popular, be liked, have a boyfriend, and get good grades. Why would any of these different abilities affect their priorities? Don't ask stupid questions! Make her clumsy/too cute/too popular/too rich for a character flaw, and don't forget, she has to struggle with something we all know teenagers can never grasp: responsibility!"
600 hundred year old archangel reincarnated into the body of a human girl … and her priorities are parties and boys? Really? And while I'm on the subject, why do people keep using Biblical mythology when we all know none of them are brave enough to bring up the real big bad: Lucifer. Never in a million years, cause that would land you on the banned books list for being controversial. And god forbid you actually challenge status quos or something; it's just fantasy, right? No, Miss Moulton, you'd just rather talk down to your audience the same way beauty product commercials do. "Girls like pink, right? And boys? Put that in there. And don't forget the only viable way a woman solves her problems is like a man. Come on, come on, this is taking all day!"
I really don’t know how much more of this insulting YA I can read. It's like the exact same stories are being churned out over and over, Hollywood-movie style, smoothly marketable with no variation or originality whatsoever. How is this character different from Clary from Mortal Instruments? From Ever from the Immortals series? How about Tory from the Virals series? They're all exactly the same! WHY? Why didn't the author explore some real deep and intimate truths about what being an archangel would do to one's psyche, one's emotional well-being, one's sense of identity, instead of what it would do to one's social life? The point of any storytelling is to tell the truth, and I cannot for one second believe that the responsibility of taking the world's existence on one's shoulders would make you prioritize like Elli did, not when I've seen teenagers shoulder adulthood over something like domestic abuse, something that is comparably mild to the whole freaking world. This story is a joke, written by an author who apparently thought being a lying liar who lies is the same thing as penning a meaningful tale about coming-of-age and responsibility.
600 hundred year old archangel reincarnated into the body of a human girl … and her priorities are parties and boys? Really? And while I'm on the subject, why do people keep using Biblical mythology when we all know none of them are brave enough to bring up the real big bad: Lucifer. Never in a million years, cause that would land you on the banned books list for being controversial. And god forbid you actually challenge status quos or something; it's just fantasy, right? No, Miss Moulton, you'd just rather talk down to your audience the same way beauty product commercials do. "Girls like pink, right? And boys? Put that in there. And don't forget the only viable way a woman solves her problems is like a man. Come on, come on, this is taking all day!"
I really don’t know how much more of this insulting YA I can read. It's like the exact same stories are being churned out over and over, Hollywood-movie style, smoothly marketable with no variation or originality whatsoever. How is this character different from Clary from Mortal Instruments? From Ever from the Immortals series? How about Tory from the Virals series? They're all exactly the same! WHY? Why didn't the author explore some real deep and intimate truths about what being an archangel would do to one's psyche, one's emotional well-being, one's sense of identity, instead of what it would do to one's social life? The point of any storytelling is to tell the truth, and I cannot for one second believe that the responsibility of taking the world's existence on one's shoulders would make you prioritize like Elli did, not when I've seen teenagers shoulder adulthood over something like domestic abuse, something that is comparably mild to the whole freaking world. This story is a joke, written by an author who apparently thought being a lying liar who lies is the same thing as penning a meaningful tale about coming-of-age and responsibility.
February 2, 2012
Once I started Wings of the Wicked I honestly could not put it down. I was an emotional roller coaster through out so much of this book. Ellie is facing some of the hardest things ever and she has too much at stake. One wrong move could have disastrous effects. It doesn't help being an archangel she only half remembers and having so many human emotions. Ellie sacrifices so much in this book and not everyone comes out of it alive.
I could not put this down. There was just so much going on and never a dull moment. Every page felt so intense. There is the forbidden relationship between Ellie and Will, that both try to fight because if they let their feelings surface it could mean death. There is also the fact that some close to Ellie turn out not to be who she thought they were. There is that small thing to that almost every night monsters are trying to kill her and destroy the earth. And through out everything she has to try to deal with the fact she is Gabriel an archangel reincarnated for thousands of years and she is also just Ellie a human who goes to high school. Ellie learns more about her past lives, we meet some new characters and we lose some too. Oh and the ending... Its not to crazy of a cliffanger but its enough to make you need the next book asap.
I really liked Angelfire but I am in love with Wings of the Wicked. This book was just everything I admire in a Ya novel, it had non stop action, a forbidden love, and a brilliant story that kept me glued to each and every page. If you haven't yet go check out Angelfire and then come devour Wings of the Wicked!
March 19, 2015
Last year I read, and very much enjoyed, Angelfire by local (to me) author Courtney Allison Moulton. I have since been awaiting the sequel, Wings of the Wicked, with much anticipation. I was hoping it would live up to the promise of the first book. I'm very pleased to say that it has.
Since discovering that she is the Preliator, things for Ellie have become very straight forward, and very confusing at the same time. She spends her nights chasing down demonic reapers with her guardian Will, who has been at her side for centuries, despite her many reincarnations. Now their relationship is platonic, which is difficult for them both, especially since they have expressed their feelings for one another. But these things must be swept aside - an ancient evil stirs and war is upon them. Will Ellie be able to balance everything and not lose herself, or, worse, her soul?
I found the sequel to Angelfire to be better than the first one...almost. I add a caveat because I had one problem with the ending of the book that skewed my enjoyment a touch. For the first 400+ pages the book was absolutely incredible, dark and intense. The plotting was pitch perfect and the character interactions were funny and compelling and sad...and then one big plot point/reveal happened around, oh, 100 pages away from the end and that was where I wanted it to end. But it did not. It kept going and going. I feel that the end after that major point could have had about 50 pages trimmed out and the flow would have been much better, but, as it is, I grew weary. It's a little disappointing, but only in a minor way. I think the book would have been an absolute 5 if it were not for this one small detail.
Other than that one gripe, wow. This was a great read. There are a lot of things that happen to Ellie and company that make this book stunning; Ellie particularly. She goes through some major life changing events in this book, as does Will. I was glad to see Moulton broaden the scope of her characters by that much depth. It makes them well rounded interesting individuals to read. Moulton does manage to defeat the dreaded middle-book-sucking scenario, despite my displeasure with the last few chapters. I really did love this book. A lot. The world is wonderful, the mythology is engaging, and the characters will stay in my brain for a while.
Also, I'm completely happy that Moulton added a scene in East Lansing. That made my day. Here's hoping for a smidge more in the next book.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com
July 12, 2014
1.5 stars, in the middle of the book I almost thought I was too harsh on Wings of the Wicked, but the ending is too much of a WTF-ery for any more star to be allowed.
Plus I died a little when I saw at the back of the Chinese version of this book, they insisted that "Ellie is unlike those YA damsels in distress who pitifully wait for the male leads to save them", are you kidding me!? Ellie always needs Will or other male characters to save her or lift her out of danger! Stop painting her as a strong heroine for Hell's sake!
Plus I died a little when I saw at the back of the Chinese version of this book, they insisted that "Ellie is unlike those YA damsels in distress who pitifully wait for the male leads to save them", are you kidding me!? Ellie always needs Will or other male characters to save her or lift her out of danger! Stop painting her as a strong heroine for Hell's sake!
December 13, 2014
Oh… and now what?
As you’ve seen from my Angelfire review, there is something about this story that really grabbed me. Not sure if it is the angel involvement, or the monster killing action set, but I liked the series and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Except for the teenage drama (that at some point got to be a bit tiresome), this book was (as well) really entertaining.
There was plenty of action, tons of monsters to fight, many characters to care about and the ending left me speechless.. That’s not the way to end it.. How will I be able to wait so long for the resolution?
CHARACTERS:
Ellie
Is that kind of character that you might like or dislike in an instant. She is quite undecided and naive at times - for example she wants Will when he doesn't want her (..to want him o_O) and she has second thoughts when he is finally decided – and this adds a bit to the unnecessary drama. Still I liked some of their moments (definitely not the one with the ‘caveman’, but others were cute) and when she was in the mood to fight I liked her even more.
I think she was tougher through the first book, but after all that happened with her I can understand that she might be a bit shaken and vulnerable.
But, there is always a 'but', when she became too whinny and girlish I wanted to yell at her: what’s wrong with you, you need to save the world, who cares about your needs to go to parties and have a ‘normal’ life, you are so NOT ‘normal’ to start!
Will
I have a soft spot for him and I understand him - seeing the girl you love die a hundred times, be with that person for a bit and then feel that awful loneliness for almost 20 years (or even more), not knowing if she's coming back after all, searching for her all over the world and trying to protect her at every cost… This can do no good to a person, human or not. Still, he was way too serious.
He needed to relax a bit and enjoy life… Too bad that when he decided to do that the ending left us hanging and there was no more time for having fun.
Cadan
..is fun to be around. I'm not sure what role will he play in the next book, but I have a pretty good idea and I am not loving it.
Anyways, I liked him in this book, even though I am not convinced about his reasons. All that he did was a bit too much. In these kind of stories good people are good, bad people are just bad, there are no gray shades, so there must be something that I’m missing here.
The dad factor
I saw almost all of them coming - but the truth is that even though the story was a bit predictable, I still did enjoy it. I love to guess when something good is happening, and I like to be surprised when something bad is changing the course of things... So this was all right. The next book might bring us some more surprises and I am eagerly waiting for them all.
Nathaniel
..was cute from the beginning and I still have some questions about him, not sure if I’ll get my answers, but I really cared about him. He is one of those characters that leave an imprint on the others, and I liked all the moments with him.
All in one, this was a great transition from the fist book to the last one. I hope that you will like it as well :)
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As you’ve seen from my Angelfire review, there is something about this story that really grabbed me. Not sure if it is the angel involvement, or the monster killing action set, but I liked the series and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Except for the teenage drama (that at some point got to be a bit tiresome), this book was (as well) really entertaining.
There was plenty of action, tons of monsters to fight, many characters to care about and the ending left me speechless.. That’s not the way to end it.. How will I be able to wait so long for the resolution?
Mark me well, for you will lose everything you love most dear before you finally lose your soul.
CHARACTERS:
Ellie
Is that kind of character that you might like or dislike in an instant. She is quite undecided and naive at times - for example she wants Will when he doesn't want her (..to want him o_O) and she has second thoughts when he is finally decided – and this adds a bit to the unnecessary drama. Still I liked some of their moments (definitely not the one with the ‘caveman’, but others were cute) and when she was in the mood to fight I liked her even more.
I think she was tougher through the first book, but after all that happened with her I can understand that she might be a bit shaken and vulnerable.
But, there is always a 'but', when she became too whinny and girlish I wanted to yell at her: what’s wrong with you, you need to save the world, who cares about your needs to go to parties and have a ‘normal’ life, you are so NOT ‘normal’ to start!
"Nice to see you again, Preliator."
I snarled, pulling on my chains. "I'll say the same to you when you're dead at my feet."
Will
I have a soft spot for him and I understand him - seeing the girl you love die a hundred times, be with that person for a bit and then feel that awful loneliness for almost 20 years (or even more), not knowing if she's coming back after all, searching for her all over the world and trying to protect her at every cost… This can do no good to a person, human or not. Still, he was way too serious.
He needed to relax a bit and enjoy life… Too bad that when he decided to do that the ending left us hanging and there was no more time for having fun.
I need you to trust me. I need you. And I love you. I want you. You know I do. I will never stop doing those things until the day I die for you.
Cadan
..is fun to be around. I'm not sure what role will he play in the next book, but I have a pretty good idea and I am not loving it.
Anyways, I liked him in this book, even though I am not convinced about his reasons. All that he did was a bit too much. In these kind of stories good people are good, bad people are just bad, there are no gray shades, so there must be something that I’m missing here.
The dad factor
I saw almost all of them coming - but the truth is that even though the story was a bit predictable, I still did enjoy it. I love to guess when something good is happening, and I like to be surprised when something bad is changing the course of things... So this was all right. The next book might bring us some more surprises and I am eagerly waiting for them all.
Nathaniel
..was cute from the beginning and I still have some questions about him, not sure if I’ll get my answers, but I really cared about him. He is one of those characters that leave an imprint on the others, and I liked all the moments with him.
All in one, this was a great transition from the fist book to the last one. I hope that you will like it as well :)
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October 7, 2011
Courtney doesn't miss a beat with this follow-up to the Angelfire trilogy.
I was pulling my hair out with every page, my heart ached for Will and Ellie as they battled with their relationship. This story was heartbreakingly beautiful and devastatingly sad with a cliffhanger that will leave you screaming for the final book!
Saying it was "fantastic" wouldn't be a good enough description to how much I completely adored this book.
**I'll post my full review early next year (2012**)
I was pulling my hair out with every page, my heart ached for Will and Ellie as they battled with their relationship. This story was heartbreakingly beautiful and devastatingly sad with a cliffhanger that will leave you screaming for the final book!
Saying it was "fantastic" wouldn't be a good enough description to how much I completely adored this book.
**I'll post my full review early next year (2012**)
March 31, 2012
OMG....I...WHAT?!?!?!!!!!????? THAT. DID. NOT. JUST. HAPPEN!!!! asdfjklwoeirnafsldfjownads I can't even speak or think right now and my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I have no words for this book. It was unbelievable.
February 1, 2012
Talk about needing to catch my breathe... Wings of the Wicked is a non stop, action packed, thrilling sequel that's sexy, dark, and emotionally gripping. Courtney Allison Moulton pulls out all the stops in this book and I have no idea how she's going to top this sequel with book #3. I don't think I've ever read over 500 pages this quickly before. There is so much that happens that I literally was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Between the plot twists, the battles and those who get killed off, this is one book that will appeal to readers who enjoy endless action.
I loved the characters in this sequel, and was really blown away with how much Ellie changes. She deals with some very realistic concerns. She's the Preilator, she's powerful, she's being hunted and she also wants to enjoy just being human. I understood the range of emotions she deals with. The time has come for her to embrace her true self and sacrifice one life for the other... the angel side or the human side. As readers will learn, when the two worlds collide it's costly for her and all involved. The things between Will and Ellie really heat up and their chemistry is smoking in this sequel. Their scenes together were some of the ones that emotional grabbed me. There's so much history between the two of them, an undeniable love, and danger. Courtney couldn't have written their relationship any better than she does in this book. I can't even begin to sum up what is developed and revealed between Will and Ellie. It's so fitting for their history and the way the story line goes.
Along with Will, whom I adore, is Caden. I seriously have fallen in love with Caden, though not as much as I have with Will. He shows up when you least except it and delivers quite the plot twist when he does. When he's around it's hard to tell if there's something he's hiding or if he's really the guy you'd least except to fall for. There's plenty of swoon worthy and gut retching moments that will leave you clinging to the pages of this book. There's an epic battle though I'm sure this isn't the last one we'll witness in this series. I liked that there were times Ellie had to decipher where the fine line between good and evil stood. There's betrayal, unlikely allies and plenty of scenes that will leave you thinking, "I can't believe she just went there." Oh Courtney definitely goes there and it's fabulous!
This is a fantastic sequel and one I highly recommend picking up. There is an underage drinking scene, an attempted rape scene, plenty of butt kicking scenes that obviously contain violence, the subject of domestic violence, very mild language, grief, guilt and the actions that can stem for those. I will say Courtney does a great job in the way she handled each of those topics in her story. Due to some of the content, I think this is a book older YA fans will enjoy the most. If you loved Angelfire just wait till you read Wings of the Wicked! If you're looking for a book that will sweep you off your feet, is full of brilliant writing, breathtaking romance and a well developed storyline than this is one you need to read. Now that I've caught my breathe I may need to sit and read it again. I can't wait to read the next book in this exciting trilogy.
I loved the characters in this sequel, and was really blown away with how much Ellie changes. She deals with some very realistic concerns. She's the Preilator, she's powerful, she's being hunted and she also wants to enjoy just being human. I understood the range of emotions she deals with. The time has come for her to embrace her true self and sacrifice one life for the other... the angel side or the human side. As readers will learn, when the two worlds collide it's costly for her and all involved. The things between Will and Ellie really heat up and their chemistry is smoking in this sequel. Their scenes together were some of the ones that emotional grabbed me. There's so much history between the two of them, an undeniable love, and danger. Courtney couldn't have written their relationship any better than she does in this book. I can't even begin to sum up what is developed and revealed between Will and Ellie. It's so fitting for their history and the way the story line goes.
Along with Will, whom I adore, is Caden. I seriously have fallen in love with Caden, though not as much as I have with Will. He shows up when you least except it and delivers quite the plot twist when he does. When he's around it's hard to tell if there's something he's hiding or if he's really the guy you'd least except to fall for. There's plenty of swoon worthy and gut retching moments that will leave you clinging to the pages of this book. There's an epic battle though I'm sure this isn't the last one we'll witness in this series. I liked that there were times Ellie had to decipher where the fine line between good and evil stood. There's betrayal, unlikely allies and plenty of scenes that will leave you thinking, "I can't believe she just went there." Oh Courtney definitely goes there and it's fabulous!
This is a fantastic sequel and one I highly recommend picking up. There is an underage drinking scene, an attempted rape scene, plenty of butt kicking scenes that obviously contain violence, the subject of domestic violence, very mild language, grief, guilt and the actions that can stem for those. I will say Courtney does a great job in the way she handled each of those topics in her story. Due to some of the content, I think this is a book older YA fans will enjoy the most. If you loved Angelfire just wait till you read Wings of the Wicked! If you're looking for a book that will sweep you off your feet, is full of brilliant writing, breathtaking romance and a well developed storyline than this is one you need to read. Now that I've caught my breathe I may need to sit and read it again. I can't wait to read the next book in this exciting trilogy.
February 6, 2012
To be honest, I'm torn. Part of me want to gives this book at 2 and then other part of me wants to give it a 4. I really liked some parts. I wanted to pull my hair out at others.
What I liked:
- The world here is pretty intriguing. The concept in good - good versus evil, angelic reapers vs demonic, fallen angels versus well... essentially Gabriel/Ellie. I really like all the effort that's been made with the demonic reapers. Overall, the author has done a pretty good job in creating something interesting, different, and I really like how some things aren't so black and white.
- Will is, for the most part, a compelling male lead / love interest. I loved what we learned toward the end of this book. That added a little something extra... even though I do think more could have been done there.
- Sometimes I like Ellie. I'll get to her in the next part.
- The secondaries are great in this book. I really, really liked Cadan. He's fantastic, even though I'm not certain I understand his motivations.
- Good villains.
- GREAT action sequences. I love the fights, even though Ellie's performance seems to be a little hit and miss.
What I didn't like / thought needed some work:
- Ellie. Okay, I get she's supposed to be 17. But grow the eff up. She can be utterly and completely asinine sometimes. I just want to strangle her. She's Gabriel and she is here to save the world, not worry so much about parties. Please let her grow up. And ffs, STOP with all the crying. My God. This girl cries every other page. I'd like to see a much stronger protagonist out of her.
- Too much distracting, unimportant stuff in this book. There are all these little scenes that frankly, don't progress the plot. The whole plot needs tightening up.
- Too many coincidences and stuff just popping up out of nowhere. Azrael's appearance? Where did THAT come from??? Come on! Bastion's sudden revelation? Cadan just somehow being in love with her? The Rikken bite? Lots of little things that just seemed to appear with no foreshadowing or set up.
- Ava. Okay, this honest to God, made me almost throw my damned kindle. That bit where we learn about Will and Ava was COMPLETELY unnecessary and distracting and counter to one of the main themes in the book - this forever, undying devotion and love Ellie and Will share. What was that? Why was it even there? Why do ALL of these freaking angel books pull this stupid, contrived angst bullshit device? WHY? What does it accomplish? Other than pissing me off. Just unnecessary and it diminished the theme. Fail on that one. BTW this is why I loved the Guardian Trilogy by Laury Falter. None of that bullshit.
Yeah, overall not bad. Parts made me roll my eyes. Parts made me want to chuck my kindle. Parts I really liked. So... tough to rate. Looking forward to where this is going.
What I liked:
- The world here is pretty intriguing. The concept in good - good versus evil, angelic reapers vs demonic, fallen angels versus well... essentially Gabriel/Ellie. I really like all the effort that's been made with the demonic reapers. Overall, the author has done a pretty good job in creating something interesting, different, and I really like how some things aren't so black and white.
- Will is, for the most part, a compelling male lead / love interest. I loved what we learned toward the end of this book. That added a little something extra... even though I do think more could have been done there.
- Sometimes I like Ellie. I'll get to her in the next part.
- The secondaries are great in this book. I really, really liked Cadan. He's fantastic, even though I'm not certain I understand his motivations.
- Good villains.
- GREAT action sequences. I love the fights, even though Ellie's performance seems to be a little hit and miss.
What I didn't like / thought needed some work:
- Ellie. Okay, I get she's supposed to be 17. But grow the eff up. She can be utterly and completely asinine sometimes. I just want to strangle her. She's Gabriel and she is here to save the world, not worry so much about parties. Please let her grow up. And ffs, STOP with all the crying. My God. This girl cries every other page. I'd like to see a much stronger protagonist out of her.
- Too much distracting, unimportant stuff in this book. There are all these little scenes that frankly, don't progress the plot. The whole plot needs tightening up.
- Too many coincidences and stuff just popping up out of nowhere. Azrael's appearance? Where did THAT come from??? Come on! Bastion's sudden revelation? Cadan just somehow being in love with her? The Rikken bite? Lots of little things that just seemed to appear with no foreshadowing or set up.
- Ava. Okay, this honest to God, made me almost throw my damned kindle. That bit where we learn about Will and Ava was COMPLETELY unnecessary and distracting and counter to one of the main themes in the book - this forever, undying devotion and love Ellie and Will share. What was that? Why was it even there? Why do ALL of these freaking angel books pull this stupid, contrived angst bullshit device? WHY? What does it accomplish? Other than pissing me off. Just unnecessary and it diminished the theme. Fail on that one. BTW this is why I loved the Guardian Trilogy by Laury Falter. None of that bullshit.
Yeah, overall not bad. Parts made me roll my eyes. Parts made me want to chuck my kindle. Parts I really liked. So... tough to rate. Looking forward to where this is going.
April 3, 2012
--------- Read my review here ---------
Guys, breaking news, Courtney is now officially one of my all-time favorite authors. She amazed me with Angelfire but with Wings of the Wicked, she blew me away! It was fantastic in every aspect: the heart-pounding fights, the sizzling romance (Oh good God was it hot), those jaw-dropping twists, and the brilliant cast of characters.
The plot was just so good, up to the point where it's just indescribable. There were some very dark, emotional scenes in this book that you do not see coming. I don't want to spoil anything but in one word, it was heartbreaking. I didn't realize that by the time I finished one of the chapters, tears were pouring out of my eyes. Worry not though, this book wasn't all doom and gloom. It had some light hearted moments which I really enjoyed.
In Wings, I must admit that the romance was probably one of my favorite parts. After reading Angelfire and seeing the sweet, innocent love between Will and Ellie, I was so shocked that the romance in Wings was anything but that! Not that it wasn't sweet and heartfelt, it was just a lot more steamier and appealed more to my...let's say "bad side" of me. ;)
Jokes aside, the relationship between Ellie and Will is just so adorable. It only strengthens and deepens in this novel, and it never ceases to make me squeal with giddiness when Will just does...anything! He's devoted to the girl he loves and is determined to make her happy whenever he can, he's the perfect guy! (Plus, he's oh so very sexy when he tries.)
Warning though, the ending may kill you. With a cliffhanger ending like this, I was ripping my hairs out! I'm still dying to know what's going to happen next, but I guess I'll have to wait till early 2013. :( That's right, you heard me. EARLY 2013. I think Courtney's trying to indirectly kill her fans here.
Heed my advice: If you haven't read Angelfire, you should because it's just that good (in fact, read my review). If you have read Angelfire and thought it was so-so, read Wings and you will be stunned. If you have read Angelfire and thought it was great, then why the heck have you not picked up a copy of Wings?! Buy a copy immediately!
Guys, breaking news, Courtney is now officially one of my all-time favorite authors. She amazed me with Angelfire but with Wings of the Wicked, she blew me away! It was fantastic in every aspect: the heart-pounding fights, the sizzling romance (Oh good God was it hot), those jaw-dropping twists, and the brilliant cast of characters.
The plot was just so good, up to the point where it's just indescribable. There were some very dark, emotional scenes in this book that you do not see coming. I don't want to spoil anything but in one word, it was heartbreaking. I didn't realize that by the time I finished one of the chapters, tears were pouring out of my eyes. Worry not though, this book wasn't all doom and gloom. It had some light hearted moments which I really enjoyed.
In Wings, I must admit that the romance was probably one of my favorite parts. After reading Angelfire and seeing the sweet, innocent love between Will and Ellie, I was so shocked that the romance in Wings was anything but that! Not that it wasn't sweet and heartfelt, it was just a lot more steamier and appealed more to my...let's say "bad side" of me. ;)
Jokes aside, the relationship between Ellie and Will is just so adorable. It only strengthens and deepens in this novel, and it never ceases to make me squeal with giddiness when Will just does...anything! He's devoted to the girl he loves and is determined to make her happy whenever he can, he's the perfect guy! (Plus, he's oh so very sexy when he tries.)
Warning though, the ending may kill you. With a cliffhanger ending like this, I was ripping my hairs out! I'm still dying to know what's going to happen next, but I guess I'll have to wait till early 2013. :( That's right, you heard me. EARLY 2013. I think Courtney's trying to indirectly kill her fans here.
Heed my advice: If you haven't read Angelfire, you should because it's just that good (in fact, read my review). If you have read Angelfire and thought it was so-so, read Wings and you will be stunned. If you have read Angelfire and thought it was great, then why the heck have you not picked up a copy of Wings?! Buy a copy immediately!
March 1, 2012
*Slight Spoilery!* This is one of those times where I'm seriously mad about the next year release date for the next book.
...I seriously...seriously... LOVED this book. IT WAS SO EMOTIONAL, I COULDN'T STAND IT. But I did, and it seriously left a bruise on my heart. xD
Will is so sweet. I mean, ugh. He's number one on my top five favorite male heroines in books. AND HE'S BADASS. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOOOR? And then Cadan? WHY DID YOU ACT THAT WAY? Damn it all if I didn't fall for him too! -_-' They were both so freakin' sweet. I don't think I've ever read about a (TWO) guy that's that caring and...and...and...UGH. *_*
There was definitely some sad parts in this book. One in particular that I just...felt so hurt over. I didn't cry, I just felt hurt. I think all the "sad" parts in there I just felt hurt over. Especially for Ellie and Will. It was back and forth that I felt sorry for. I know in one part with Ellie and her Dad. And can I just say that I was not excepting what happened with him. I was like...o_o... And then when Ellie lost it, I thought it was hella badass. ;D
I reeeeeally loved the action scenes in WotW. It was definitely detailed and intense. I couldn't stop reading them. o.o BRUTAL, MAN. You can tell Ellie is getting better and better at her fighting strategies. I don't know if it means shes coming into her Gabriel state even more, or if it's just in her nature since she is Gabriel. (Sorry if I gave that away. D:)
I think the almost heart attacks that I had when I read this book is enough for me to send CA Moulton my medical bills. Especially that one I had in the last few pages of the book. YOU PULLED A CASSANDRA CLARE ON US, CA. D:< Buuuut I won't because I'm a nice person, and I want the next book. :3
...I seriously...seriously... LOVED this book. IT WAS SO EMOTIONAL, I COULDN'T STAND IT. But I did, and it seriously left a bruise on my heart. xD
Will is so sweet. I mean, ugh. He's number one on my top five favorite male heroines in books. AND HE'S BADASS. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOOOR? And then Cadan? WHY DID YOU ACT THAT WAY? Damn it all if I didn't fall for him too! -_-' They were both so freakin' sweet. I don't think I've ever read about a (TWO) guy that's that caring and...and...and...UGH. *_*
There was definitely some sad parts in this book. One in particular that I just...felt so hurt over. I didn't cry, I just felt hurt. I think all the "sad" parts in there I just felt hurt over. Especially for Ellie and Will. It was back and forth that I felt sorry for. I know in one part with Ellie and her Dad. And can I just say that I was not excepting what happened with him. I was like...o_o... And then when Ellie lost it, I thought it was hella badass. ;D
I reeeeeally loved the action scenes in WotW. It was definitely detailed and intense. I couldn't stop reading them. o.o BRUTAL, MAN. You can tell Ellie is getting better and better at her fighting strategies. I don't know if it means shes coming into her Gabriel state even more, or if it's just in her nature since she is Gabriel. (Sorry if I gave that away. D:)
I think the almost heart attacks that I had when I read this book is enough for me to send CA Moulton my medical bills. Especially that one I had in the last few pages of the book. YOU PULLED A CASSANDRA CLARE ON US, CA. D:< Buuuut I won't because I'm a nice person, and I want the next book. :3
February 7, 2012
I love the action in this book! It keeps going and sends you on an emotional rollercoaster!!! What I hate is ELLIE!!! She has got to be the worst character. She is bratty, selfish, and very immature. She knows that being around her friends and family is dangerous, but all she really wants to do is party and ignore what she truly is: the Preliator!! In the battles, she is WORTHLESS. She is either staring after Will, ignoring the reaper about to attack her, or she is getting her a$$ handed to her. Her back and forth emotions are too much for me. Her throwing herself at Will, and then pulling away gets annoying. The running away and then coming back gets redundant. There is too many scenes that are unnecessary. This book probably could have been chopped down to about 300 pages, and been much better. The fact that Ellie wants to party all the time even **SPOILER ALERT** after Sammael is released and planning to destroy THE ENTIRE WORLD, doesn't stop her from, hey, lets go back to school and party. Yay! Um...NO! Get your butt out there and destroy the bad guys!! Sheesh! Will is another peeve of mine. He is too emotional in this one. The whole "Im dark and filled with rage" gets old, and the fact that he follows Ellie around like a puppy is annoying. He is clearly stronger than her since he is CONSTANTLY saving her butt, and that just makes everything confusing. Also ***SPOILER ALERT*** why is it that she can become "evil Ellie" and rip the vir to shreds when her mom is killed, but she can't do any of that when Nathanial dies, and Will almost bites it??? She is kicked around so back by Kalaeno and Merodach, it's almost like she is just a normal human and not this all powerful Preliator. It's contradictory. The only reason I give this 3 stars is for the action.
May 4, 2012
As seen on: The Pie Bookery
She’s done it again! Courtney is brilliant! I read Wings of the Wicked right after I finished Angelfire. Very well done sequel. It kept the amazing plot running full speed with more added conflicts between Ellie and Will, Will and himself, Ellie and the world of Reapers and the list just goes on! The plot never slowed down which made for a fast read. (Another all-nighter). The romantic tension between Will and Ellie was awesome! I was cheering for them out loud anytime things got a bit steamy! Courtney puts into play what seems like a love triangle between Ellie, Will and Cadan, but assures us, Will and Ellie will stay Will and Ellie. I could tell no matter how hot Cadan’s moves were or how hot he is, Ellie stayed true to her Guardian.
The battle/action scenes were fantastic! It makes me want to learn how to fight hand to hand and with two swords and kick some demon butt! If this ever got turned into a movie, those action scenes would be awesome! (Given the right special effects so it didn’t look like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or whatever it’s called.)
Courtney kept me on the edge of my seat (er-uh pillow) the entire time. I was sad to see it end. Especially the way it ended!!! Ahh talk about leaving me hanging there not knowing what was going to happen!
Definitely a sequel that lives up to the first in the series, it was almost better!
But if you don’t like emotional roller coasters from the main character, don’t read. I was pulled into Ellie’s grief and pain and I felt like I was experiencing it with her. That’s how good of a writer Courtney is! Love, Love this book!
She’s done it again! Courtney is brilliant! I read Wings of the Wicked right after I finished Angelfire. Very well done sequel. It kept the amazing plot running full speed with more added conflicts between Ellie and Will, Will and himself, Ellie and the world of Reapers and the list just goes on! The plot never slowed down which made for a fast read. (Another all-nighter). The romantic tension between Will and Ellie was awesome! I was cheering for them out loud anytime things got a bit steamy! Courtney puts into play what seems like a love triangle between Ellie, Will and Cadan, but assures us, Will and Ellie will stay Will and Ellie. I could tell no matter how hot Cadan’s moves were or how hot he is, Ellie stayed true to her Guardian.
The battle/action scenes were fantastic! It makes me want to learn how to fight hand to hand and with two swords and kick some demon butt! If this ever got turned into a movie, those action scenes would be awesome! (Given the right special effects so it didn’t look like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or whatever it’s called.)
Courtney kept me on the edge of my seat (er-uh pillow) the entire time. I was sad to see it end. Especially the way it ended!!! Ahh talk about leaving me hanging there not knowing what was going to happen!
Definitely a sequel that lives up to the first in the series, it was almost better!
But if you don’t like emotional roller coasters from the main character, don’t read. I was pulled into Ellie’s grief and pain and I felt like I was experiencing it with her. That’s how good of a writer Courtney is! Love, Love this book!
February 3, 2012
Wow. Dark and compelling, full of action and romance. The writing is so rich and enticing, it draws you in. Beautifully written, engaging and seductive.
My only real complaint was the sex issue. They've been in love for 500 years and are completely commited to each other for God's sake! Why can't they have sex? What do you mean she's not ready???? I get so irritated with YA novels that do this. People in love want to make love. Why does that have to be wrong or dirty? Yes the kissing was hot, but I was very disappointed and irritated, and, okay, maybe a little bit mad that she said 'I'm not ready.' That's so unrealistic and ridiculous it's laughable.
I didn't see the ending coming and it made me very excited and anxious for the next book in the series. I think the author has an amazing way with words, so incredibly expressive I felt like I was watching a movie!
My only real complaint was the sex issue. They've been in love for 500 years and are completely commited to each other for God's sake! Why can't they have sex? What do you mean she's not ready???? I get so irritated with YA novels that do this. People in love want to make love. Why does that have to be wrong or dirty? Yes the kissing was hot, but I was very disappointed and irritated, and, okay, maybe a little bit mad that she said 'I'm not ready.' That's so unrealistic and ridiculous it's laughable.
I didn't see the ending coming and it made me very excited and anxious for the next book in the series. I think the author has an amazing way with words, so incredibly expressive I felt like I was watching a movie!
Want to read
July 7, 2011I like the picture on the cover, but the font seems... almost childish? Like something you would see on a children's book. And this summary makes me nervous, I didn't love the first book and I'm not sure I'll like where this is going.
June 25, 2020
This review has faint spoilers:
This book is so far somewhat annoying mostly because of ellie and her constant whining and having to depend on will as well as her making stupid choices: and not caring about the fact that she's putting her loved ones lives in danger. Another thing I'm having a trouble with is the fact that there's no diversity in this series what so ever except for Lauren being Asian.
That's it. And let's not forget Ellie and her daddy issues(which in my opinion is so overused in YA nowadays. I mean whats wrong with dads actually being with their daughters. In real life, not every mom is there for her daughter so stop with the crap already on that. It's really getting old and there should be different types of relationships in YA instead of the crappy mom's always there for her daughter bs.
Note to everyone: MS.MOULTON NEEDS TO REWRITE HER STORY. NO ONE WANTS TO CONSTANTLY HEAR ABOUT ELLIE GOING ON AND ON ABOUT WANTING TO PARTY, DRINKING AND DOING A BUNCH OF STUPID CRAP SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO! She's not taking her actions into consideration at all. Shes nearly a Mary-sue and Will, her friends, and her mom are just babying her. She's needs to get a grip on herself by book 3 or else I may end up dropping this series.
Ugh there is so much I want say about this book but I want to finish it first and see if it gets better. I swear it's like authors don't want to change how YA is written at all. They just want to keep using the same crap over and over again and it frustrates people. Another thing that Ms. Moulton is doing wrong is adding in scenes that doesnt need to be in the book: parties, drinking etc. and she's telling us what's going on instead of showing it which also aggravates me, example: when ellie met marcus etc.
Not to mention she's not describing the characters in a way that we can picture them on our heads which I think is unfair. How are we supposed to get a feel for the characters if we don't now what they look like as well as show us how they feel?
Ms. Moulton doesn't get that just like there are different types of boys there are also different types of girls. Why can't we teenagers be represented in a way that's true to us instead of just using stereotypes to describe us? It's no different then there being different types of people in the world. Teenagers are all shapes, sizes and skintones but are we represented in a way that's true to us?
NO NEVER AND IT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL. But I hope this series will get better with time. I really think ms. Moulton should've edited her book more before she got it published but that's just my opinion.
Update: 4/5/13-WARNING THE FOLLOWING HAS RANTING AS WELL AS HORRIBLE EXCUSES FOR SPELLING OR GRAMMAR DUE TO ME BEING TOO LAZY TO TYPE CORRECTLY! I AM NOT BASHING MS. MOULTON OR HER CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, I'M JUST STATING MY OPINIONS ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE SERIES. THIS ALSO CONTAINS SPOILERS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Okay so...What I've decided to do regarding this series is to read it in 1st person present tense (since I don't get why most books in 1st person r written in past tense instead of telling the story like its happening right now), with more showing instead of telling. UGH seriously why do people insist on telling us what happens instead of just showing us what's happening or how the characters feel throughout the story? Example in point: It was just told to me and that annoyed me.
And don't get me started on lack of character description! I mean got damn, why does this keep happening in writing nowadays?! Also why wasn't there more diversity! I mean come on why is Lauren the only character that isn't white? It's like 'Hello Ms. Moulton, u could've made all the cast different ethnic groups?!
SO WHY DIDN'T SHE DO THIS?
My answer: I have no darn clue what so ever. *shrugs shoulders and sighs*
My second topic of annoyance: Kate! She's not a best friend I'm sorry but she just isn't! And here are my reasons why....Once again BEWARE OF SPOILERS! If you haven't read Angelfire then ignore everything I'm saying please...if you want to.
A) she lets Elie get drunk at her own party and doesn't even try to stop her. Mind you she's the one that brought and offered the alcohol.
My Thoughts: Really Kate? You couldn't have drank the liquor while Ellie's parents were around at least that way, she wouldn't have gotten drunk and neither would you or anyone else. Ugh rich people must have it easy. *rolls my eyes in annoyance*
B) she almost lets Elie get raped because of a party she wanted to go to. (KEYWORDS ARE: PARTY SHE WANTED TO GO TO. KATE NOT ELLIE! I mean seriously who leaves the room when a college boy is about to rape their best friend?! That's so damn stupid.
C) she doesn't even try to see things from will's side. She just goes off on him for saving Elie's dumbass from being raped. What friend does that too?!
My thoughts: HEAR THE GUY OUT BEFORE YOU START BITCHING AT HIM WOMAN!
All and all I don't like Elie or Kate and can't believe their best friends at all!
And now my main topic of annoyance: *bangs on my desk as drumroll* Ellie!
Elie isn't a relatable heroine at all and here's why and yes I know there are a lot of people that have ranted about this series that have probably already said what I'm about to say but I'm contributing to this craziness anyway so bite me! Not literally!
A. Her personality (or lack there of): She's irresponsible, whiny and she's a selfish brat.
Examples:
1. She doesn't even question why her dad would smell like blood or why he's acting weird. This happens in Angelfire just in case you either haven't read the books or you don't remember (OR want to remember) what happened.
My thoughts: WTF ELIE! Ugh I so glad she just assumes he's being a jerk on purpose! *Note sarcasm* And then when she finds out the truth she wants to have a fit only about her mom! One word: AGAIN WTF ELIE. U JUST FOUND OUT UR DAD WAS KILLED BY A DEMONIC REAPER AND THAT THE SAME REAPER THAT KILLED HIM HAS BEEN LIVING WITH U AND UR MOM THIS WHOLE TIME AND U DON'T EVEN CARE?! What the hell?!
Secondly: how can she get mad at Will for anything. What a moron! Will has only tried to be there for her and she doesn't even care. What a conceited brat. She only cares when he's saving her butt or taking her abuse. Will deserves better then her.
Thirdly: her friends should kick her butt for being such a bitch. They shouldn't just agree to everything she says or does like the little groupies they are. That's not being a true friend at all. I'm not getting into the whole friends statement because for anyone that has good friends or people they close with, they should know what being a true friend/companion/person you can etc is. I feel like their only there to make her look good and that's it. *Cough cough Bella Swan cough cough*
Fourthly: Elie's attitude towards a lot of stuff is screwed up.
Examples:
1. She cares about parties and hanging out with all the time with her friends. AS IF SAVING THE WORLD'S SOULS FROM REAPERS ISN'T IMPORTANT!
My thoughts: She shouldn't care about parties and hanging out all the time with her friends. If I was her (mind you I'm darker skinned then her, I'm not obsessed with my looks or whether or not being popular or well-liked at school is my main priority. In my opinion, the author makes her seem really skinny *cough too skinny cough* no offense.
EX. of what I mean: "My boobs kind of spilling out, but the sheath shape of the dress made my hips and legs look like I had hips and legs."-chapter 19, pg. 245 of the paperback of Angelfire.
Okay first of all this quote was stupid and second of all, I really don't see any teenage girl saying so crap like this about herself at all. ESPECIALLY, WEARING A SEXY NURSE COSTUME!
I mean compared to Elie, I don't worry about half the crap she worries about: parties, drinking, wanting to be popular or whatever etc. Anyway if I was her, I would want to know more about my past lives and actually how to fight instead of it just being given to me. I would focus more on how being Gabriel's reincarnation effects me mentally, physically and emotionally instead of socially like Elie does. I would kick reaper butt instead and try to save as many people as I can but sadly I'm not Elie but I'm sure I wouldn't be concerned about make-up, shopping and everything she's feels is a life crisis to her.
Lastly I don't like how just because she's rich she gets away with almost everything and no reprimands her for it (namely her pushover mommy, and every character in the book excluding Cadan and her "dad".) and she doesn't even try to think about the choices she makes.
REALITY CHECK: REAL TEEN GIRLS THINK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS; NOT PARTYING, BEING POPULAR AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD GO SHOPPING. And even if their home life is bad they don't always bitch about it. They try to deal with it or if they need help then they ask for help not always have someone to come save them like they can't do anything by themselves like weak little princesses! They fight and kick butt just by being normal middle or lower class teen girls not semi-rich Barbie perfect brats who don't know how to save their own asses.
And another thing teens have blemishes and acme and stuff. Our skin is never flawless ever!
Yes I admit Elie has a right to be whiny because her parents died and everything but the rest of her behavior is uncalled for and I wish she would've acted differently instead of how she did as well as people actually got on her case about her bitchyness. She's not a relatable teenager. She's just the author trying to be perfect and give us bs about how she's not rich and how she wishes she could be Elie and she made up a stupid reason for Elie and will not to be together but it's fine for her to be with human boys?! Whatever!
Don't get me wrong I love the series but I don't like a lot of the characters because their just there to be Elie's bullcrap listeners and fans and there's no real relationships with any of them and she doesn't care about anyone but herself and the characters weren't given personalities or good enough backstory/relationships with her to be actually friends or family. Also will should've got on her case about a lot of things she said or did instead of just taking her crap. He's supposed to be her guardian but he's not supposed to her crouch. Just like he said in book 1.
There should've been more flashbacks of her actually being a good fighter and also meeting all the people she meets like Nathaniel, Marcus and some of the reapers or angels and stuff not just it being told to the readers like we wouldn't understand what was going on if it was shown to it us. All and all Elie is a horrible heroine and her relationships with people needs major work as well as her personality needs major work too if she's supposed to be this kickass warrior angel along with more diversity/ characterization should've been shown too instead of what was given to the readers.
Sorry for the long comment but I'm seriously mad at the author for all of her mistakes with this series that's all. There was just a lot I had to get off my chest that's all.
This book is so far somewhat annoying mostly because of ellie and her constant whining and having to depend on will as well as her making stupid choices: and not caring about the fact that she's putting her loved ones lives in danger. Another thing I'm having a trouble with is the fact that there's no diversity in this series what so ever except for Lauren being Asian.
That's it. And let's not forget Ellie and her daddy issues(which in my opinion is so overused in YA nowadays. I mean whats wrong with dads actually being with their daughters. In real life, not every mom is there for her daughter so stop with the crap already on that. It's really getting old and there should be different types of relationships in YA instead of the crappy mom's always there for her daughter bs.
Note to everyone: MS.MOULTON NEEDS TO REWRITE HER STORY. NO ONE WANTS TO CONSTANTLY HEAR ABOUT ELLIE GOING ON AND ON ABOUT WANTING TO PARTY, DRINKING AND DOING A BUNCH OF STUPID CRAP SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO! She's not taking her actions into consideration at all. Shes nearly a Mary-sue and Will, her friends, and her mom are just babying her. She's needs to get a grip on herself by book 3 or else I may end up dropping this series.
Ugh there is so much I want say about this book but I want to finish it first and see if it gets better. I swear it's like authors don't want to change how YA is written at all. They just want to keep using the same crap over and over again and it frustrates people. Another thing that Ms. Moulton is doing wrong is adding in scenes that doesnt need to be in the book: parties, drinking etc. and she's telling us what's going on instead of showing it which also aggravates me, example: when ellie met marcus etc.
Not to mention she's not describing the characters in a way that we can picture them on our heads which I think is unfair. How are we supposed to get a feel for the characters if we don't now what they look like as well as show us how they feel?
Ms. Moulton doesn't get that just like there are different types of boys there are also different types of girls. Why can't we teenagers be represented in a way that's true to us instead of just using stereotypes to describe us? It's no different then there being different types of people in the world. Teenagers are all shapes, sizes and skintones but are we represented in a way that's true to us?
NO NEVER AND IT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL. But I hope this series will get better with time. I really think ms. Moulton should've edited her book more before she got it published but that's just my opinion.
Update: 4/5/13-WARNING THE FOLLOWING HAS RANTING AS WELL AS HORRIBLE EXCUSES FOR SPELLING OR GRAMMAR DUE TO ME BEING TOO LAZY TO TYPE CORRECTLY! I AM NOT BASHING MS. MOULTON OR HER CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, I'M JUST STATING MY OPINIONS ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE SERIES. THIS ALSO CONTAINS SPOILERS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Okay so...What I've decided to do regarding this series is to read it in 1st person present tense (since I don't get why most books in 1st person r written in past tense instead of telling the story like its happening right now), with more showing instead of telling. UGH seriously why do people insist on telling us what happens instead of just showing us what's happening or how the characters feel throughout the story? Example in point: It was just told to me and that annoyed me.
And don't get me started on lack of character description! I mean got damn, why does this keep happening in writing nowadays?! Also why wasn't there more diversity! I mean come on why is Lauren the only character that isn't white? It's like 'Hello Ms. Moulton, u could've made all the cast different ethnic groups?!
SO WHY DIDN'T SHE DO THIS?
My answer: I have no darn clue what so ever. *shrugs shoulders and sighs*
My second topic of annoyance: Kate! She's not a best friend I'm sorry but she just isn't! And here are my reasons why....Once again BEWARE OF SPOILERS! If you haven't read Angelfire then ignore everything I'm saying please...if you want to.
A) she lets Elie get drunk at her own party and doesn't even try to stop her. Mind you she's the one that brought and offered the alcohol.
My Thoughts: Really Kate? You couldn't have drank the liquor while Ellie's parents were around at least that way, she wouldn't have gotten drunk and neither would you or anyone else. Ugh rich people must have it easy. *rolls my eyes in annoyance*
B) she almost lets Elie get raped because of a party she wanted to go to. (KEYWORDS ARE: PARTY SHE WANTED TO GO TO. KATE NOT ELLIE! I mean seriously who leaves the room when a college boy is about to rape their best friend?! That's so damn stupid.
C) she doesn't even try to see things from will's side. She just goes off on him for saving Elie's dumbass from being raped. What friend does that too?!
My thoughts: HEAR THE GUY OUT BEFORE YOU START BITCHING AT HIM WOMAN!
All and all I don't like Elie or Kate and can't believe their best friends at all!
And now my main topic of annoyance: *bangs on my desk as drumroll* Ellie!
Elie isn't a relatable heroine at all and here's why and yes I know there are a lot of people that have ranted about this series that have probably already said what I'm about to say but I'm contributing to this craziness anyway so bite me! Not literally!
A. Her personality (or lack there of): She's irresponsible, whiny and she's a selfish brat.
Examples:
1. She doesn't even question why her dad would smell like blood or why he's acting weird. This happens in Angelfire just in case you either haven't read the books or you don't remember (OR want to remember) what happened.
My thoughts: WTF ELIE! Ugh I so glad she just assumes he's being a jerk on purpose! *Note sarcasm* And then when she finds out the truth she wants to have a fit only about her mom! One word: AGAIN WTF ELIE. U JUST FOUND OUT UR DAD WAS KILLED BY A DEMONIC REAPER AND THAT THE SAME REAPER THAT KILLED HIM HAS BEEN LIVING WITH U AND UR MOM THIS WHOLE TIME AND U DON'T EVEN CARE?! What the hell?!
Secondly: how can she get mad at Will for anything. What a moron! Will has only tried to be there for her and she doesn't even care. What a conceited brat. She only cares when he's saving her butt or taking her abuse. Will deserves better then her.
Thirdly: her friends should kick her butt for being such a bitch. They shouldn't just agree to everything she says or does like the little groupies they are. That's not being a true friend at all. I'm not getting into the whole friends statement because for anyone that has good friends or people they close with, they should know what being a true friend/companion/person you can etc is. I feel like their only there to make her look good and that's it. *Cough cough Bella Swan cough cough*
Fourthly: Elie's attitude towards a lot of stuff is screwed up.
Examples:
1. She cares about parties and hanging out with all the time with her friends. AS IF SAVING THE WORLD'S SOULS FROM REAPERS ISN'T IMPORTANT!
My thoughts: She shouldn't care about parties and hanging out all the time with her friends. If I was her (mind you I'm darker skinned then her, I'm not obsessed with my looks or whether or not being popular or well-liked at school is my main priority. In my opinion, the author makes her seem really skinny *cough too skinny cough* no offense.
EX. of what I mean: "My boobs kind of spilling out, but the sheath shape of the dress made my hips and legs look like I had hips and legs."-chapter 19, pg. 245 of the paperback of Angelfire.
Okay first of all this quote was stupid and second of all, I really don't see any teenage girl saying so crap like this about herself at all. ESPECIALLY, WEARING A SEXY NURSE COSTUME!
I mean compared to Elie, I don't worry about half the crap she worries about: parties, drinking, wanting to be popular or whatever etc. Anyway if I was her, I would want to know more about my past lives and actually how to fight instead of it just being given to me. I would focus more on how being Gabriel's reincarnation effects me mentally, physically and emotionally instead of socially like Elie does. I would kick reaper butt instead and try to save as many people as I can but sadly I'm not Elie but I'm sure I wouldn't be concerned about make-up, shopping and everything she's feels is a life crisis to her.
Lastly I don't like how just because she's rich she gets away with almost everything and no reprimands her for it (namely her pushover mommy, and every character in the book excluding Cadan and her "dad".) and she doesn't even try to think about the choices she makes.
REALITY CHECK: REAL TEEN GIRLS THINK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS; NOT PARTYING, BEING POPULAR AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD GO SHOPPING. And even if their home life is bad they don't always bitch about it. They try to deal with it or if they need help then they ask for help not always have someone to come save them like they can't do anything by themselves like weak little princesses! They fight and kick butt just by being normal middle or lower class teen girls not semi-rich Barbie perfect brats who don't know how to save their own asses.
And another thing teens have blemishes and acme and stuff. Our skin is never flawless ever!
Yes I admit Elie has a right to be whiny because her parents died and everything but the rest of her behavior is uncalled for and I wish she would've acted differently instead of how she did as well as people actually got on her case about her bitchyness. She's not a relatable teenager. She's just the author trying to be perfect and give us bs about how she's not rich and how she wishes she could be Elie and she made up a stupid reason for Elie and will not to be together but it's fine for her to be with human boys?! Whatever!
Don't get me wrong I love the series but I don't like a lot of the characters because their just there to be Elie's bullcrap listeners and fans and there's no real relationships with any of them and she doesn't care about anyone but herself and the characters weren't given personalities or good enough backstory/relationships with her to be actually friends or family. Also will should've got on her case about a lot of things she said or did instead of just taking her crap. He's supposed to be her guardian but he's not supposed to her crouch. Just like he said in book 1.
There should've been more flashbacks of her actually being a good fighter and also meeting all the people she meets like Nathaniel, Marcus and some of the reapers or angels and stuff not just it being told to the readers like we wouldn't understand what was going on if it was shown to it us. All and all Elie is a horrible heroine and her relationships with people needs major work as well as her personality needs major work too if she's supposed to be this kickass warrior angel along with more diversity/ characterization should've been shown too instead of what was given to the readers.
Sorry for the long comment but I'm seriously mad at the author for all of her mistakes with this series that's all. There was just a lot I had to get off my chest that's all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2013
NOTE: I apologise for the ultra-long review. Some ranting was involved...
I was so disappointed with Wings of the Wicked. I really enjoyed Angelfire, so I was expecting a lot from this book, and while it wasn’t terrible, it just was not as good as it could have been. I’ll probably still read the third book because I like Will and want to know what happens to him, but I’ve sort of lost interest in a lot of other parts of the story now.
My main problem was Ellie. I don’t generally like to pull the “annoying” card because women seem to get called “annoying” all the time just for the sake of being female and expressing their opinion. But I feel like this really is an example of just a truly annoying character, and if Ellie were male I’d say the exact same thing about her. But honestly. She was so goddamn annoying. If you thought she was annoying in book one, hahaha. Please. That was nothing compared to this. I don’t even know where to start. First of all, all she did in the entire book was bitch and moan. She whined when people tried to help, she whined when they didn’t, she whined in the middle of a freaking battle – she was driving me insane! She was childish, cried all the time, (or “sobbed”, should I say, as that word was used like, a million times) was so selfish and generally acted like a five year old having a tantrum. And as the Preliator, and angel Gabriel in human form, she was supposed to be this amazing fighter that was ten times stronger than anyone else – HAHAHAHA. She was so useless! She got herself into trouble with reapers and everything else because she was so stupid and then she couldn’t save herself and had to be rescued by someone else. She trained and trained and was apparently at a high fighting level, but she barely did anything. She just pranced around doing nothing while people died fighting for her. She seemed to value going to parties more than the lives of her friends and family, she incessantly tried to be “normal”, even after she remembered all her past lives – which I didn’t understand at all. If she had remembered everything, would the appeal of some stupid little high school party have been that great? She seemed EXACTLY the same, like her memories of hundreds and hundreds of years hadn’t affected her at all. How does one remain so unchanged after that? She just seemed like some whiny high school girl whose main concern was having a good time. She always had to be saved and it annoyed the hell out of me that she was made out to be some fightyfighter warrior girl when she wasn’t. I would have preferred it if she were just portrayed as a normal girl with little experience of fighting if this was how it was going to turn out. There’s nothing wrong with heroines that AREN’T amazing strong fighters, they can be just as awesome. Ellie was just a big contradiction, and that’s what annoyed me.
Luckily, Will was more tolerable and I actually quite liked him. While he loved Ellie and was willing to do anything for her, he knew sacrifices had to be made. He knew things couldn’t go the way you wanted them to all the time and sometimes you had to do things you never thought you’d do. And for that, Ellie treated him like crap. He was trying to stay away from Ellie because she was an angel, yet Ellie ignored this and seemed to forget that he could DIE if he tried to pursue a relationship with her. I know she wanted to be with him, but did she not care at all about the consequences of them being together? (Speaking of these consequences, they made no sense. So the archangel Michael didn’t want a divine being such as Ellie to be with a mere reaper like Will as it’s wrong, but he was completely fine that she married mortal men and had CHILDREN in her past lives? Oh yeah, perfectly reasonably angel logic there.) At least Will TRIED to think about it. Plus she whined and shouted at him all the time, I felt so bad that he had to put up with her. I can only assume Ellie wasn’t so annoying in her past lives, otherwise I don’t get why Will would love her so much. But he seemed to care so much about her and I can only hope that he one day gets to live in peace with Ellie, because if anyone deserves happiness, it’s Will.
Plot-wise, it was very mixed for me. I liked some scenes a lot, including some of the fighting scenes and the romancey scenes between Ellie and Will (lots of tension and stuff and I liked it when they were being funny together too). I really liked Ava, one of the new reapers (I think I would prefer a book from Ava’s POV, to be honest, she sounds like she’d have an awesome story to tell), Ellie’s friend Kate, and Will’s friend Marcus too, so I enjoyed most of the scenes they were in as well. A lot of the plot was predictable, however (there were a few twists, some that were sad and unexpected, but most I was able to guess). I guessed about Ellie’s father, called it from book one. I guessed about Will, I guessed about Cadan (and Cadan’s character went downhill for me, so much so that he only gets these few lines. He was not as funny, not as bold or sly and was just...sappy. I hope he regains his sense of humour in the next book, because we have enough sappy characters as it is), and I guessed the ending. And I also didn’t understand how EVERYONE (including all the reapers and Will’s reaper friends) knew that Ellie was Gabriel. Will and Ellie only discovered this at the end of book one, but the way everyone was shouting about it, I’m surprised they didn’t know before. Seriously, EVERYONE seemed aware of this fact. Plus, there was one point in the book where Ellie was defenceless and almost raped and Will came to save her (and she was for some reason mad at him, but that’s not the point), and this scene was poorly handled. In fact, it was almost offensive. The whole thing was just brushed over. I couldn’t believe it. The guy who tried to rape her was forgotten about after a few pages. Nothing was done about him, and what happened to Ellie was never mentioned again. I know that rape is a serious topic, but if you’re not going to bother addressing it properly in the book, why include it at all? To me, that scene felt like it was there just so Will could come in and save Ellie and they could make up and restore their relationship. That isn’t acceptable to me.
I also feel it’s important to point out that I sort of sympathised with the villains more than the good guys. I didn’t blame Lilith for wanting revenge. She was treated really unfairly and I could get how she felt. And I didn’t blame Bastian for envying humans, because after all, they would reach Heaven and he never could (through no fault of his own, I may add, but due to genetics). Pretty unfair if you ask me, but as it’s based on mythology, I can’t really blame the book for this.
Overall, this book was disappointing. I know this review sounds really negative, but it wasn’t that bad. The writing was fairly good, there was humour and I was generally intrigued by what was happening. It pushed the story along and I want to know what happens to Will after that cliffhanger. To be honest, he’s the character I’m most invested in. Hopefully Ellie will pull herself together in the next book (which I’ll probably read, though I won’t be rushing out to buy it the day it releases). So yes. If you really really loved Angelfire, then read this book. Otherwise, read some more reviews before you decide to pick up this book/start the series.
I was so disappointed with Wings of the Wicked. I really enjoyed Angelfire, so I was expecting a lot from this book, and while it wasn’t terrible, it just was not as good as it could have been. I’ll probably still read the third book because I like Will and want to know what happens to him, but I’ve sort of lost interest in a lot of other parts of the story now.
My main problem was Ellie. I don’t generally like to pull the “annoying” card because women seem to get called “annoying” all the time just for the sake of being female and expressing their opinion. But I feel like this really is an example of just a truly annoying character, and if Ellie were male I’d say the exact same thing about her. But honestly. She was so goddamn annoying. If you thought she was annoying in book one, hahaha. Please. That was nothing compared to this. I don’t even know where to start. First of all, all she did in the entire book was bitch and moan. She whined when people tried to help, she whined when they didn’t, she whined in the middle of a freaking battle – she was driving me insane! She was childish, cried all the time, (or “sobbed”, should I say, as that word was used like, a million times) was so selfish and generally acted like a five year old having a tantrum. And as the Preliator, and angel Gabriel in human form, she was supposed to be this amazing fighter that was ten times stronger than anyone else – HAHAHAHA. She was so useless! She got herself into trouble with reapers and everything else because she was so stupid and then she couldn’t save herself and had to be rescued by someone else. She trained and trained and was apparently at a high fighting level, but she barely did anything. She just pranced around doing nothing while people died fighting for her. She seemed to value going to parties more than the lives of her friends and family, she incessantly tried to be “normal”, even after she remembered all her past lives – which I didn’t understand at all. If she had remembered everything, would the appeal of some stupid little high school party have been that great? She seemed EXACTLY the same, like her memories of hundreds and hundreds of years hadn’t affected her at all. How does one remain so unchanged after that? She just seemed like some whiny high school girl whose main concern was having a good time. She always had to be saved and it annoyed the hell out of me that she was made out to be some fightyfighter warrior girl when she wasn’t. I would have preferred it if she were just portrayed as a normal girl with little experience of fighting if this was how it was going to turn out. There’s nothing wrong with heroines that AREN’T amazing strong fighters, they can be just as awesome. Ellie was just a big contradiction, and that’s what annoyed me.
Luckily, Will was more tolerable and I actually quite liked him. While he loved Ellie and was willing to do anything for her, he knew sacrifices had to be made. He knew things couldn’t go the way you wanted them to all the time and sometimes you had to do things you never thought you’d do. And for that, Ellie treated him like crap. He was trying to stay away from Ellie because she was an angel, yet Ellie ignored this and seemed to forget that he could DIE if he tried to pursue a relationship with her. I know she wanted to be with him, but did she not care at all about the consequences of them being together? (Speaking of these consequences, they made no sense. So the archangel Michael didn’t want a divine being such as Ellie to be with a mere reaper like Will as it’s wrong, but he was completely fine that she married mortal men and had CHILDREN in her past lives? Oh yeah, perfectly reasonably angel logic there.) At least Will TRIED to think about it. Plus she whined and shouted at him all the time, I felt so bad that he had to put up with her. I can only assume Ellie wasn’t so annoying in her past lives, otherwise I don’t get why Will would love her so much. But he seemed to care so much about her and I can only hope that he one day gets to live in peace with Ellie, because if anyone deserves happiness, it’s Will.
Plot-wise, it was very mixed for me. I liked some scenes a lot, including some of the fighting scenes and the romancey scenes between Ellie and Will (lots of tension and stuff and I liked it when they were being funny together too). I really liked Ava, one of the new reapers (I think I would prefer a book from Ava’s POV, to be honest, she sounds like she’d have an awesome story to tell), Ellie’s friend Kate, and Will’s friend Marcus too, so I enjoyed most of the scenes they were in as well. A lot of the plot was predictable, however (there were a few twists, some that were sad and unexpected, but most I was able to guess). I guessed about Ellie’s father, called it from book one. I guessed about Will, I guessed about Cadan (and Cadan’s character went downhill for me, so much so that he only gets these few lines. He was not as funny, not as bold or sly and was just...sappy. I hope he regains his sense of humour in the next book, because we have enough sappy characters as it is), and I guessed the ending. And I also didn’t understand how EVERYONE (including all the reapers and Will’s reaper friends) knew that Ellie was Gabriel. Will and Ellie only discovered this at the end of book one, but the way everyone was shouting about it, I’m surprised they didn’t know before. Seriously, EVERYONE seemed aware of this fact. Plus, there was one point in the book where Ellie was defenceless and almost raped and Will came to save her (and she was for some reason mad at him, but that’s not the point), and this scene was poorly handled. In fact, it was almost offensive. The whole thing was just brushed over. I couldn’t believe it. The guy who tried to rape her was forgotten about after a few pages. Nothing was done about him, and what happened to Ellie was never mentioned again. I know that rape is a serious topic, but if you’re not going to bother addressing it properly in the book, why include it at all? To me, that scene felt like it was there just so Will could come in and save Ellie and they could make up and restore their relationship. That isn’t acceptable to me.
I also feel it’s important to point out that I sort of sympathised with the villains more than the good guys. I didn’t blame Lilith for wanting revenge. She was treated really unfairly and I could get how she felt. And I didn’t blame Bastian for envying humans, because after all, they would reach Heaven and he never could (through no fault of his own, I may add, but due to genetics). Pretty unfair if you ask me, but as it’s based on mythology, I can’t really blame the book for this.
Overall, this book was disappointing. I know this review sounds really negative, but it wasn’t that bad. The writing was fairly good, there was humour and I was generally intrigued by what was happening. It pushed the story along and I want to know what happens to Will after that cliffhanger. To be honest, he’s the character I’m most invested in. Hopefully Ellie will pull herself together in the next book (which I’ll probably read, though I won’t be rushing out to buy it the day it releases). So yes. If you really really loved Angelfire, then read this book. Otherwise, read some more reviews before you decide to pick up this book/start the series.
June 14, 2012
After my love/hate review of Angelfire, I immediately picked this book up to get it over with. It kept me turning the pages for a while and the first few hundred pages held my interest tight. Whenever I stopped to read I thought to myself, "Hmm, this is good, this is good." But ultimately I put it at the same generous 3 stars because it wasn't any worse than its predecessor and frankly, there were a few things I didn't like.
The good:
A.) The writing seems infinitesimally better in this novel, at least in the beginning. While it's not some literary work of art, it wasn't straight dialogue like the first book. We get to hear more of Ellie's inner voice, and albeit not particularly riveting all the time, it was certainly better than 20 questions and answers via conversation between her and Will. Although there were a lot of repeated descriptions and dialogue covered in cheese, it felt more substantial than Angelfire.
B.) There were a few new cool characters. Marcus and Ava were a nice addition. It was great to see a little more into some of the Reapers' backgrounds, particularly Will, although I found him quite annoying in Wings of the Wicked, as opposed to in Angelfire where I enjoyed his character. Ellie's grandmother was sort of a surprise, too. And of course, Cadan. I truly like him the most of all the characters.
C.) I liked the evil demons Moulton chose to include and I thought their descriptions were fairly intimidating. Sammael wearing the skulls and bones of children was creepy enough. I'm a little disappointed about Bastian, but whatever. Sounds like there are bigger fish in the pond now. Maybe Lucifer will show up next?
D.) Lastly, I will admit that I really am drawn into the world of angels and demons. This theological premise is what keeps me holding onto these books.
The bad:
1.) Ellie. Ohh, Ellie.
Why save the world when you can party hard and get wasted and be an IDIOT?
On the one hand, I tried to remember that she is still a seventeen-year-old girl, regardless of the fact that she is also Gabriel. Sometimes she's a "fierce warrior"... sometimes (barely, really). But most of the time she's a foolish teenager who wants to be, well, a foolish teenager. She hangs onto this and constantly throws herself in situations to feel "normal". That's sort of understandable to a point, but it's not very deep. I wish that the author focused more on how this really could affect someone. If you were suddenly thrown into the life of the Preliator, unable to remember that you've been a warrior for thousands of years when all you know is being human, and you find out that you are Gabriel and you have to prevent the Apocalypse... well, how would you react? Not only that, but how would you really feel deep down? What would be going through your mind? I know I wouldn't give a shit about my social life. Or about going to school, or to college, or anything because I'd be able to see the bigger picture, and that is the APOCALYPSE, which Ellie doesn't grasp. Ever. I'd probably long for a normal life at times too, but it's called prioritizing and not acting a fool when the fate of humanity rests on your shoulders.
And hell. Going to a college party when you're in high school and nearly getting raped? We have to draw the line somewhere. You see, it's hard to feel sorry for Ellie. I tried hard to empathize with her, and for a few pages I thought I may have been. But it's hard to put yourself in a jackass's shoes. And then she has the nerve to get angry at Will when he pulls her out of that situation.
Oh, and that's another thing. Ellie didn't fight very much. This is the Left Hand of God we're talking about, and yet her Guardian was incessantly saving her ass. I don't understand how one minute Ellie is able to fight, and then the next she is too weak and "not ready" to handle a bunch of Reapers. This is an archangel whose memories have finally made their way back to her brain. There's no excuse why she can't fight. So why is it that when Bastian, Lilith, and Sammael finally show up, all of a sudden Ellie has to be saved by Will? What kind of strong female ARCHANGEL protagonist needs to be saved almost 100% of the time?
2.) The plot... I'm not sure what it was. I have found that the author appears to focus more on the overallness of the trilogy rather than how each individual book fares on its own. And most of this seems to be romance, which, okay, a lot of people enjoy. But it's not the only thing that keeps a book interesting; and in this case the romance wasn't very interesting. You have a light attempt at a love triangle thrown in, but it seems pointless to me because Will and Ellie have been in love for 600 years. Just because Cadan waltzes in and declares his love for Ellie doesn't mean that will change. It's stupid. There's also the issue of Will being everywhere Ellie goes. I get it, he's her Guardian. But him always being around is really not helping her grow as a character. He's like a safety net. Every time she screws up he's there to save her. Hence, we see no development in her role as the Preliator. This is a problem when you're 2/3 the way through a trilogy. For once I would like to see Ellie venture somewhere, without being dragged off by a Reaper and chained, and truly discover something instead of Will or Nathaniel or someone else finding out off-scene and telling her about it. Not only does she NOT do this, but she doesn't seem to show any initiative in finding things out for herself. For me, it's putting a damper on the story's pace.
3.) Why does Nathaniel use a gun? I'm sorry, if that was an attempt to make him cooler, it was just fail. I can't seriously read a book about angels that use guns. It seems so incongruous.
4.) I don't particularly get how a Reaper could have been living with Ellie for so long and yet for some reason nobody knew this guy was evil, including her Guardian, who can smell Cadan's scent on his girl but not a big, bad Reaper under his nose. HELLO?
5.) The name of the novel kind of made me cringe. This is kind of petty, I know. But it just sounds like a bad romance you'd buy in the $5 bin at KMart or something, and the cover doesn't help. "Angelfire" was much cooler and the cover was better.
The so-so:
A.) The action was descriptive, I'll give it that. However I find every action scene to be completely and utterly the same. It gets boring. The evil reapers do the same thing, deliver the same corny lines, and most of the time it was Will doing the fighting, not Ellie.
2.) The love scenes were presented almost similarly. I breezed through a lot of Will and Ellie's more intimate moments because they were getting to be so... I can't even describe it. It's like we were seeing all this closeness between them, and yet their relationship was just not getting anywhere. It was the same conversations between them, the same angst... it's just slow. It's not terrible, but it makes me yawn.
$.) The cliffhanger at the end was alright. It didn't leave me dying to know what was going to happen next but at the same time it leaves me hopeful that Ellie will finally start taking matters into her own hands. I'm also quietly suspicious of Cadan; what I'm very much looking forward to is seeing how his character plays out.
Hopefully the final installment will have Ellie actually doing more for herself, and maybe, just maybe, a little less cheese, corn, and cliche.
The good:
A.) The writing seems infinitesimally better in this novel, at least in the beginning. While it's not some literary work of art, it wasn't straight dialogue like the first book. We get to hear more of Ellie's inner voice, and albeit not particularly riveting all the time, it was certainly better than 20 questions and answers via conversation between her and Will. Although there were a lot of repeated descriptions and dialogue covered in cheese, it felt more substantial than Angelfire.
B.) There were a few new cool characters. Marcus and Ava were a nice addition. It was great to see a little more into some of the Reapers' backgrounds, particularly Will, although I found him quite annoying in Wings of the Wicked, as opposed to in Angelfire where I enjoyed his character. Ellie's grandmother was sort of a surprise, too. And of course, Cadan. I truly like him the most of all the characters.
C.) I liked the evil demons Moulton chose to include and I thought their descriptions were fairly intimidating. Sammael wearing the skulls and bones of children was creepy enough. I'm a little disappointed about Bastian, but whatever. Sounds like there are bigger fish in the pond now. Maybe Lucifer will show up next?
D.) Lastly, I will admit that I really am drawn into the world of angels and demons. This theological premise is what keeps me holding onto these books.
The bad:
1.) Ellie. Ohh, Ellie.
Why save the world when you can party hard and get wasted and be an IDIOT?
On the one hand, I tried to remember that she is still a seventeen-year-old girl, regardless of the fact that she is also Gabriel. Sometimes she's a "fierce warrior"... sometimes (barely, really). But most of the time she's a foolish teenager who wants to be, well, a foolish teenager. She hangs onto this and constantly throws herself in situations to feel "normal". That's sort of understandable to a point, but it's not very deep. I wish that the author focused more on how this really could affect someone. If you were suddenly thrown into the life of the Preliator, unable to remember that you've been a warrior for thousands of years when all you know is being human, and you find out that you are Gabriel and you have to prevent the Apocalypse... well, how would you react? Not only that, but how would you really feel deep down? What would be going through your mind? I know I wouldn't give a shit about my social life. Or about going to school, or to college, or anything because I'd be able to see the bigger picture, and that is the APOCALYPSE, which Ellie doesn't grasp. Ever. I'd probably long for a normal life at times too, but it's called prioritizing and not acting a fool when the fate of humanity rests on your shoulders.
And hell. Going to a college party when you're in high school and nearly getting raped? We have to draw the line somewhere. You see, it's hard to feel sorry for Ellie. I tried hard to empathize with her, and for a few pages I thought I may have been. But it's hard to put yourself in a jackass's shoes. And then she has the nerve to get angry at Will when he pulls her out of that situation.
Oh, and that's another thing. Ellie didn't fight very much. This is the Left Hand of God we're talking about, and yet her Guardian was incessantly saving her ass. I don't understand how one minute Ellie is able to fight, and then the next she is too weak and "not ready" to handle a bunch of Reapers. This is an archangel whose memories have finally made their way back to her brain. There's no excuse why she can't fight. So why is it that when Bastian, Lilith, and Sammael finally show up, all of a sudden Ellie has to be saved by Will? What kind of strong female ARCHANGEL protagonist needs to be saved almost 100% of the time?
2.) The plot... I'm not sure what it was. I have found that the author appears to focus more on the overallness of the trilogy rather than how each individual book fares on its own. And most of this seems to be romance, which, okay, a lot of people enjoy. But it's not the only thing that keeps a book interesting; and in this case the romance wasn't very interesting. You have a light attempt at a love triangle thrown in, but it seems pointless to me because Will and Ellie have been in love for 600 years. Just because Cadan waltzes in and declares his love for Ellie doesn't mean that will change. It's stupid. There's also the issue of Will being everywhere Ellie goes. I get it, he's her Guardian. But him always being around is really not helping her grow as a character. He's like a safety net. Every time she screws up he's there to save her. Hence, we see no development in her role as the Preliator. This is a problem when you're 2/3 the way through a trilogy. For once I would like to see Ellie venture somewhere, without being dragged off by a Reaper and chained, and truly discover something instead of Will or Nathaniel or someone else finding out off-scene and telling her about it. Not only does she NOT do this, but she doesn't seem to show any initiative in finding things out for herself. For me, it's putting a damper on the story's pace.
3.) Why does Nathaniel use a gun? I'm sorry, if that was an attempt to make him cooler, it was just fail. I can't seriously read a book about angels that use guns. It seems so incongruous.
4.) I don't particularly get how a Reaper could have been living with Ellie for so long and yet for some reason nobody knew this guy was evil, including her Guardian, who can smell Cadan's scent on his girl but not a big, bad Reaper under his nose. HELLO?
5.) The name of the novel kind of made me cringe. This is kind of petty, I know. But it just sounds like a bad romance you'd buy in the $5 bin at KMart or something, and the cover doesn't help. "Angelfire" was much cooler and the cover was better.
The so-so:
A.) The action was descriptive, I'll give it that. However I find every action scene to be completely and utterly the same. It gets boring. The evil reapers do the same thing, deliver the same corny lines, and most of the time it was Will doing the fighting, not Ellie.
2.) The love scenes were presented almost similarly. I breezed through a lot of Will and Ellie's more intimate moments because they were getting to be so... I can't even describe it. It's like we were seeing all this closeness between them, and yet their relationship was just not getting anywhere. It was the same conversations between them, the same angst... it's just slow. It's not terrible, but it makes me yawn.
$.) The cliffhanger at the end was alright. It didn't leave me dying to know what was going to happen next but at the same time it leaves me hopeful that Ellie will finally start taking matters into her own hands. I'm also quietly suspicious of Cadan; what I'm very much looking forward to is seeing how his character plays out.
Hopefully the final installment will have Ellie actually doing more for herself, and maybe, just maybe, a little less cheese, corn, and cliche.
January 31, 2012
After learning the shocking truth about who she really is and what her purpose is, Ellie Monroe still wants to try to live a normal life – go to school, go to prom, graduate and go to college. But with Bastian sending even more bloodthirsty reapers after her, trying to be normal is becoming nearly impossible.
When she learns that his plan to destroy all of humankind has been set in motion, and that she is an integral part of that plan, she will do everything within her power to stop him. Even if it means putting her trust in someone she isn’t sure she can trust. Even if it means forging an alliance with someone whose motives may not be entirely pure.
And even if it means tapping into her powers and becoming someone she’s not sure she wants to become.
Because if Bastian were to succeed, not only would it be her life that is forfeit but everyone’s. And the result would be hell on earth. Literally.
***
Wings of the Wicked is an utterly mind-blowing sequel that is packed full of heart-stopping action, tension, suspense and heartbreak. With an opening that shoves readers right back into this deadly world where angelic and demonic reapers battle for supremacy and where the Preliator is tasked with ensuring human safety, this book will be unputdownable.
The battles are fiercer, the dangers greater, the enemies deadlier and the heartbreak more devastating than ever before in this second book in the Angelfire series.
As Ellie desperately searches for answers on how to stop Bastian before his plan becomes a reality, she is forced to defend herself against an onslaught of even more lethal opponents that Bastian has sent to retrieve her. And with their attacks becoming much more public, she’s finding it extremely difficult to keep that part of her life a secret.
To complicate matters, things between her and Will have been strained since he found out who she was, Cadan keeps surprising her with unexpected visits warning her of Bastian’s actions, she still hasn’t been able to recall all of her memories, and life at home hasn’t been getting any easier.
Courtney Allison Moulton has yet again written a story that is positively addictive. Readers will be riveted by this incredibly fast-paced, emotional rollercoaster of a story as Ellie faces her enemies in battle, is tormented over her relationship with Will, experiences a heartbreaking loss, is at risk of losing herself, and tries to recover her memories before it’s too late – to save herself, to save her friends, to save all of humanity.
Wings of the Wicked is unquestionably a must read for fans of the first book in the series as well as for readers who are looking for an exciting story, with a unique world, lovable characters and a cliffhanger ending that will make waiting for the next installment in the series absolute torture.
On a personal note:
I didn’t think I could love the sequel more than the original. I really didn’t. Meeting Ellie, Will and Cadan for the first time and learning about who they were, what they could do and taking that journey with them was flipping amazing. There was no way a sequel could top it. Yeah, I was so wrong. I don’t think I could possibly have been more wrong.
I was worried when I started reading Wings of the Wicked because it had been so long since I read Angelfire and I was fuzzy on some of the details from that first book. And while I wanted to re-read Angelfire I didn’t get the chance to and had to just dive right in.
I think I was lost for about thirty seconds, if that. While not everything was spelled out, and most of it not immediately, the little reveals throughout the book made everything come rushing back in… much like Ellie’s memory.
I loved Ellie, Will and Cadan equally in Angelfire, even though Cadan was the bad boy and they’re usually my favorite characters to read about and fall head-over-heels in love with. But in Wings of the Wicked I loved Cadan so much more, even with all the surprising new things there are to know about him. And even with the very different side of him that is revealed.
I am definitely worried about just where things are headed with Ellie in the next book in the series, because she was very emotional throughout this book. She had a lot to be upset about and a ton of things to be heartbroken over, but she seemed more fragile somehow. And that makes me nervous. Even though I know just how strong she can be.
And Will. Oh Will. Half the time I wanted to hug him, the other half I wanted to smack him. He was all sorts of maddening and yummy and he twisted me up inside, made my heart drop right into the pit of my stomach and he put me through the wringer over and over and over again.
But it was those demonic reapers and the even scarier bad dudes and the oh so dark direction the story was headed that made me practically speed-read through this book. There were pages I was dying to devour so quickly that I had to actually go back and re-read them just in case I might have missed something in my haste to see how a scene ended.
Yes this book kept me on edge. I was a total wreck. From everything that was happening between Ellie and Will, to the unwelcome appearance of Ava, to the situation with Ellie’s Dad, to Ellie’s still missing memories, to the constant threat of the demonic reapers, to the even greater danger posed by the Enshi, I was tortured right up to that last page.
Speaking of being tortured, as if that build-up to the end wasn’t enough, the way this book ends was so unbelievably cruel. I just knew it. I just knew the end would be tormenting and torturous and heartbreaking. In fact, there was heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak in this five hundred some-odd page novel. I’m not sure I actually survived. I may just be a ghost of myself right about now.
I would love to re-read Angelfire and get to experience both books back-to-back without that long wait between reads. I’m super curious to see just who I’d love more – Will or Cadan – after a second read. And I wonder if reading both books again would change who I think is more perfect for Ellie, who I believe is hotter and whether I’d still believe that Ellie made the right choice.
So what does Wings of the Wicked have? Everything. It’s got a kick-a** heroine. It’s got two swoonworthy boys. It’s got action, action and more action – those battles are seriously insane. It’s got heartbreak and despair and anguish. And then it adds in some more heartbreak and quite a bit more anguish. It has a mystery or two or three. And that ending…. Calling it killer would be way too nice.
So, yes. I loved this book. Yes, I definitely plan on re-reading it. And yes, I’m sad that I can’t re-read it right now.
When she learns that his plan to destroy all of humankind has been set in motion, and that she is an integral part of that plan, she will do everything within her power to stop him. Even if it means putting her trust in someone she isn’t sure she can trust. Even if it means forging an alliance with someone whose motives may not be entirely pure.
And even if it means tapping into her powers and becoming someone she’s not sure she wants to become.
Because if Bastian were to succeed, not only would it be her life that is forfeit but everyone’s. And the result would be hell on earth. Literally.
***
Wings of the Wicked is an utterly mind-blowing sequel that is packed full of heart-stopping action, tension, suspense and heartbreak. With an opening that shoves readers right back into this deadly world where angelic and demonic reapers battle for supremacy and where the Preliator is tasked with ensuring human safety, this book will be unputdownable.
The battles are fiercer, the dangers greater, the enemies deadlier and the heartbreak more devastating than ever before in this second book in the Angelfire series.
As Ellie desperately searches for answers on how to stop Bastian before his plan becomes a reality, she is forced to defend herself against an onslaught of even more lethal opponents that Bastian has sent to retrieve her. And with their attacks becoming much more public, she’s finding it extremely difficult to keep that part of her life a secret.
To complicate matters, things between her and Will have been strained since he found out who she was, Cadan keeps surprising her with unexpected visits warning her of Bastian’s actions, she still hasn’t been able to recall all of her memories, and life at home hasn’t been getting any easier.
Courtney Allison Moulton has yet again written a story that is positively addictive. Readers will be riveted by this incredibly fast-paced, emotional rollercoaster of a story as Ellie faces her enemies in battle, is tormented over her relationship with Will, experiences a heartbreaking loss, is at risk of losing herself, and tries to recover her memories before it’s too late – to save herself, to save her friends, to save all of humanity.
Wings of the Wicked is unquestionably a must read for fans of the first book in the series as well as for readers who are looking for an exciting story, with a unique world, lovable characters and a cliffhanger ending that will make waiting for the next installment in the series absolute torture.
On a personal note:
I didn’t think I could love the sequel more than the original. I really didn’t. Meeting Ellie, Will and Cadan for the first time and learning about who they were, what they could do and taking that journey with them was flipping amazing. There was no way a sequel could top it. Yeah, I was so wrong. I don’t think I could possibly have been more wrong.
I was worried when I started reading Wings of the Wicked because it had been so long since I read Angelfire and I was fuzzy on some of the details from that first book. And while I wanted to re-read Angelfire I didn’t get the chance to and had to just dive right in.
I think I was lost for about thirty seconds, if that. While not everything was spelled out, and most of it not immediately, the little reveals throughout the book made everything come rushing back in… much like Ellie’s memory.
I loved Ellie, Will and Cadan equally in Angelfire, even though Cadan was the bad boy and they’re usually my favorite characters to read about and fall head-over-heels in love with. But in Wings of the Wicked I loved Cadan so much more, even with all the surprising new things there are to know about him. And even with the very different side of him that is revealed.
I am definitely worried about just where things are headed with Ellie in the next book in the series, because she was very emotional throughout this book. She had a lot to be upset about and a ton of things to be heartbroken over, but she seemed more fragile somehow. And that makes me nervous. Even though I know just how strong she can be.
And Will. Oh Will. Half the time I wanted to hug him, the other half I wanted to smack him. He was all sorts of maddening and yummy and he twisted me up inside, made my heart drop right into the pit of my stomach and he put me through the wringer over and over and over again.
But it was those demonic reapers and the even scarier bad dudes and the oh so dark direction the story was headed that made me practically speed-read through this book. There were pages I was dying to devour so quickly that I had to actually go back and re-read them just in case I might have missed something in my haste to see how a scene ended.
Yes this book kept me on edge. I was a total wreck. From everything that was happening between Ellie and Will, to the unwelcome appearance of Ava, to the situation with Ellie’s Dad, to Ellie’s still missing memories, to the constant threat of the demonic reapers, to the even greater danger posed by the Enshi, I was tortured right up to that last page.
Speaking of being tortured, as if that build-up to the end wasn’t enough, the way this book ends was so unbelievably cruel. I just knew it. I just knew the end would be tormenting and torturous and heartbreaking. In fact, there was heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak in this five hundred some-odd page novel. I’m not sure I actually survived. I may just be a ghost of myself right about now.
I would love to re-read Angelfire and get to experience both books back-to-back without that long wait between reads. I’m super curious to see just who I’d love more – Will or Cadan – after a second read. And I wonder if reading both books again would change who I think is more perfect for Ellie, who I believe is hotter and whether I’d still believe that Ellie made the right choice.
So what does Wings of the Wicked have? Everything. It’s got a kick-a** heroine. It’s got two swoonworthy boys. It’s got action, action and more action – those battles are seriously insane. It’s got heartbreak and despair and anguish. And then it adds in some more heartbreak and quite a bit more anguish. It has a mystery or two or three. And that ending…. Calling it killer would be way too nice.
So, yes. I loved this book. Yes, I definitely plan on re-reading it. And yes, I’m sad that I can’t re-read it right now.
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