Book Review: Angelology
Media Type: Print Book
Title: Angelology
Author: Danielle Trussoni
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: Paperback; 480
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Source: TLC Book Tours
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Intended Reading Group: Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
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HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who enjoy biblical themes.
Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Librarything / Amazon / B&N
When Sister Evangeline of the St. Rose Convent stumbles across a mysterious correspondence with Abigail Rockefeller in the archive, it reveals that angels once walked among us…and might still. This discovery plunges Evangeline into the hidden and dangerous world of the Angelologists – a secret society that battles to prevent the ascendancy of the Nephilim, the angels’ descendants on Earth. Evangeline becomes the catalyst in a race to hunt down powerful and ancient artefacts that can be used to enslave humankind. And not only is the key to finding those artefacts within her grasp – but also a secret about her own past and its links to the Angelologists. Possession of either could cost Evangeline her life…
I’ll admit that Angelology took me about a hundred pages to really get into. I’d liken the writing style to reading a classic, since there is ample use of descriptive language and the plot is slightly slow. It does build up however, and by the time I reached the middle of the book I was pretty well invested in the characters. This is a book that you really have to devote some time to, but in the end it is definitely worth it.
Danielle Trussoni has presented a beautiful book for readers that, as I said before, I would like to a modern classic.. The plot is clever, and the writing is well executed. The prose that exists on these pages is flowing, and descriptive. Trussoni knows how to weave an entire picture out of nothing but words. While I was reading I felt as though I could close my eyes and be directly transported into the story. The descriptions of the heavenly bodies themselves made me slightly shiver in anticipation of maybe someday seeing one. Angelology tackles some heavy themes and does so with grace and style.
The one problem with all this descriptive language is that it does become rather heavy after a while. The reader is presented with so many details at times that it is sensory overload and there were portions of the book that, to me, felt a bit unnecessary to the overall plot. The story would be moving along at a slow but manageable pace, when all of the sudden a chapter wrought with action would be thrown in. Of course these chapters were my favorite. Who doesn’t want to see the battle of good vs. evil? However right when I was invested in the battle, the plot line would go back to being slow. I suppose I kind of felt the whole time like I was a yo-yo. Angelology does have its fantastic parts, but the overall story might be a little slow for people who need to feel immersed in what they read.
One thing I can definitely say is that those of you who are character driven readers will rejoice in Trussoni’s style of writing. Her characters are extremely well fleshed out and I honestly came to understand, love, and obviously sometimes despise, each of them in their own way. The benefit of this book being so detail heavy is that you really do get a full picture of those who you are reading about. I was honestly heartbroken when my favorite character was killed.
I think Angelology is one of those books that you need to go into with an open mind. It isn’t like anything else that is out there right now, but that is honestly a good thing in my opinion. If you’re expecting an action filled read, you might be slightly disappointed. However if you go in looking for a well written storyline, fantastic character development and a peek into the battle of good vs. evil, you’re in for a treat. I definitely recommend this as a read!
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
