I hadn’t planned on re-reading all three of the Penryn books, but I should have known better; I’ve never been able to just re-read one book in a series without wanting to re-read them all.
This one stands up exactly as well as it did the first time around. It’s good, but not awesome, and of course, the whole science fiction angle doesn’t score points with me, as it’s just not my jam. Still, the angel mythology remains compelling.
Why would Angels need science if they have magic? Why would they need human doctors? Human-derived technology? None of this is explained in either of the two books so far.
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I really liked the way the author used Raffe’s sword to share with Penryn and the reader Raffe’s POV and some of his long backstory. Also, the sword’s way of using those memories as training exercises for Penryn – not that she ever used the lessons as far as I could tell. Once past the halfway-ish mark, the story started pulling me in again. It’s no coincidence that it’s also about the same time Raffe makes his re-appearance in Penryn’s life. The two of them together are a more intriguing story to me than they are apart.
There’s a soupçon of humour in this book that was all but missing in the first one. I’m still shaking my head over ‘Pooky Bear’ but can totally appreciate the naturalness of how the name came about. Put me in the same scene in place of Penryn, and I’d have responded in much the same way to Dee/Dum. Though I’d have probably said ‘Twinkle Toes’ or something equally obnoxious.
I read somewhere that 5 books are planned for this series. If that’s the case, I predict, even though this book ends with the tides seemingly turning against the Angels, that they will rally in the third book. It’s hard to imagine stringing this out for more than 3, 4 books at the most, but I’m sure the author has much more in store for everyone.
Just please don’t let it be more science fiction.
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