Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her care was entrusted to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Now, at twenty-three, she discovers a 1943 correspondence between the convent's late mother superior and the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller that plunges her into a secret history stretching back a millennium: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim. Blending biblical lore, the Miltonic fall of the Rebel Angels, the apocryphal Book of Enoch, and the myth of Orpheus, Angelology is a luminous, riveting tale of ordinary people caught up in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.
My thoughts:
I read this book in two days - the first day I read about 3/4 of the book and then I realized that I didn't want it to end, so I tried to slow down a bit on the second day (only to find myself itching to get to the end to see what would happen). And this is what I found: Trussoni has written a richly detailed story about good (humans = angelologists) versus evil (Nephilim = bad angels). A book that is filled with mystery, suspense, action and OMG revelations. Truth be told, I was reminded of Dan Brown's, The DaVinci Code. Angelology has the same thrilling and quick-paced feel that Brown's book had. Except with Angelology we get so much more. Not only is it well written and obviously well researched, but it is also wildly imaginative and quite engaging. You are captivated by this idea of angels and their wicked history of enslaving humans and this society of angelologists who are always at work trying to thwart the angels' agendas by any means.
I found the novel's tone and mood to be dark, but tinged with a smidgen of hopefulness. The ease and flow of the story allowed for the readers to not only learn as much as the angelologists learned, but it also provided background information on the characters through old books, letters, and diaries. I found myself immersed in a story that details covert operations, a treasure hunt for Orpheus' lyre, lost loves, death and destruction and vivid descriptions of monsters so beautiful and compelling that you want to reach out and touch them. Honestly, I didn't want this book to end and luckily it doesn't have to. Trussoni is hard at work on the second book and let me just say how excited I am to learn that we are going to find out what will happen next for these characters and the battle between good and evil.
I know my review didn't provide much detail with regards to the plot, but that is because I don't want to give away what happens in the story. Instead I urge you to pick up a copy and enjoy getting to know Evangeline, Gabriella, Verlaine and Percival all on your own - they are characters worth investing in. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something different to read or someone who enjoys a good thriller. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and hope that you are, too.
Giveaway:
Thanks to the TLC Book Tours, I'm allowed to give away two copies of this book. All you have to do is leave me a comment with your email address and the name of your favorite book. Two winners will be chosen at random. You have until March 25, 2011. Open to the US and Canada.
