
Review - Strange Angels is a novel that you find yourself reading but not becoming all that involved in. The characters are interesting enough but you can't help but wonder if information is being held back just to make the successive novels more interesting. While Dru and Graves are similarly orphans and "gifted", personality wise their interactions are quite repetitive. How many times can one hear about beautiful skin, lovely eyes and the 'first one's free'? The focus on Graves race also was concerning with the term half-breed (and other variations) being used.
Though Dru's back story is well established, a reader might wish that we'd seen more of the father before his untimely demise. Christophe's introduction was welcomed as the solitary existence of the other two was beginning to tire. The use of supernatural creatures differentiated from other fantasy novels, establishing a unique vision and mythology. It was one of the more interesting facets of the novel, along with the birthrights of specific characters.
St. Crow has created a universe with a strong character at it's core. That being said, Dru is a character who's alone for such a time that the self-introspection can become a little old hat. Dru's witty, resourceful and a bit of a curmudgeon but she's a real teddy bear underneath it all, Graves is proof of that.
Many readers have really gravitated towards Graves, as he's clearly a lovely kid with a bad case of unrequited interest. But Christophe is a character that really called to me - his ancestry, his charm and his superb fighting ability could lead to many interesting tangents in the next title. However, St. Crow's over reliance on the description of the environment becomes a little cloying after awhile. It does create a strong visual of the world but the repetitiveness does begin to irk.
Published: June 2009
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Origin: USA
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http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/the-books/strange-angels/
http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/the-books/strange-angels/
3 comments:
I haven't read this yet and am really debating if I should buy it or not. It sounds like a good premise, and I like the fantasy and romance parts of it, but reviews I've read haven't found this book amazing. I really dislike overdescription too. Thanks for the great review!
- Alex
Thank you for the review. I have been seeing mixed reviews lately so I'm unsure. But it's great to hear your input.
hello.
i'm almost halfway through it and not particularly enjoying it. i do want to find out what happens so i'll finish. i'm definitely put off by st crow's racist "half-breed" comments and her continual use of very medical or formal words (for example epicanthic - which i had to look up to know meant the folds of eyelids...used to describe asian eyes mostly) in place of ones the general population (teenage or not) would generally use.
so i am not sure. will eagerly read other's thoughts!
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