As a reader and writer, I enjoy discovering new authors, new genres and new writing styles. It was for that reason that I signed up for Blogging for Books.
*Breath of Angel* by Karyn Henley arrived last week in the mail. I opened the envelop, re-read the excerpt on the back of the book and then put it aside, having other things I needed to do.
Two days ago, being that I finally has some downtime, I picked up the book and opened to the first chapter...I didn't put the book down until I finished the last chapter about five hours after having started it.
Being an avid reader and serious book lover/nerd, I was surprised at what an easy read this book turned out to be, considering the deep themes brought up in the excerpt of the book.
Perhaps its because I'm an avid reader or perhaps because it was meant to be read that way, but *Breath of Angel* ended up having so many familiar resonating undertones from other beloved books I've read, mainly C.S Lewis' *Narnia Chronicles* and J.R.R. Tolkien's *Lord of the Rings* Trilogy.
The writing style was simple and easy to follow, the Scriptural analogies within book's fantastical theme of angel involvement within human nature easy to pick up for any trained theologian, such as myself.
The theme of the book consisted of restoration of a destroyed divine object...in the case of the book, the Stairway to Heaven. This, of course, involves opposing forces that make it difficult for those who are aiming to restore the stairway as well as those who are aiming to permanently leave the stairway destroyed.
The blood feud between the immortal brothers is the founding upon which the success or failure of restoring the stairway is build upon, which makes it a central point in the story.
The other central point within the story is the casting of the young priestess, Melaia, as the one and only answer to the restoration of the stairway, thus casting her as the Savior character for the stranded angels on earth.
Of course, the involvement of other characters, different levels of angels as well as angel hybrids, the resulting offspring of angels and humans, makes the story multi-faceted, introducing other themes, such as the budding romance between Melaia and Trevin, a hybrid much like Melaia that had originally been serving the "evil" first born brother but in the end of the book, had declared his loyalty to the Angelaeon.
This romantic strain between Trevin and Melaia make this book, to me at least, interesting to read, especially with the contradicting feelings within Melaia concerning her feelings for Trevin and her inability to trust him as being on the side of the Angelaeon.
I do recommend this book to those who enjoy books along this fantastical-Scripture undertone genres. If you enjoyed the *Narnia Chronicles* as well as the *Lord of the Rings* trilogy, you'll more than likely enjoy *Breath of Angel.*
I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series...it's an intriguing beginning to what seems to be a promising series.
Will Melaia succeed in restoring the Stairway to Heaven? Will the king, her father, be of help or a hindrance? Will Trevin's brother Dwin become a loyal follower of the Angelaeon or will he return to Lord Rejius, the evil first born, as soon as he has a chance? Will Melaia and Trevin fall in love? Will they have a chance to have a future together?
Will the Angelaeon be able to succeed without losing many of their members, such as Livia, Jarrod and Serai?
Looking forward to getting my hands on the entire series as it is released.
*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review*
No comments:
Post a Comment