Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

27 December, 2011 Reviews 9 comments

The morning beckons and when I turn over the book I finished, in the midnight hours, is beside me.  The fantasy world is slipping away, unable to follow me into the light.  Reality creeps in with the rising dawn, but I’m reluctant to meet it.  I want that world, character or emotion back but it’s over.  Time to find a new one in a new book and so the hunt is on but the sadness at leaving a good friend remains.

I feel that sadness this morning.

Ee has done something amazing here and not just because she’s written probably one of the best post-apocalypse fantasies of the year.  But that would be a big part of it, yes.

And you too can experience the goodness for just 99 cents on Amazon’s kindle!

Angelfall is a remarkable book, because if I were to tell you the synopsis, it would be so unspectacular, so typical of the genre, so… ordinary!  But this book is anything but ordinary.

Penryn’s sister is captured by angels who’ve brought war and apocalypse to the human world.  She finds an angel to help her retrieve her sister and they embark on a journey to get his wings back and rescue the young girl.

Simple, right?  That’s what I thought too.  I thought I was just embarking on a ridiculous bandwagon that was being indulgent of an unusually good indie fic.

There are one or two issues I have with the novel but they are completely eclipsed by the brilliant story telling, characters and writing.

I loved Penryn so completely; believed in her and championed her.  This book is a brilliant journey of great character and spirit.  Full of the weird and wonderful.  Ee has a great imagination and a gift for story telling.

I know after I finish writing this review I will go and hunt down my next read.  Yet I will get increasingly aggravated and depressed because nothing I see is what I want.  Because what I want is Angelfall #2 and none of those books will be that.

Go ahead.  Jump on the bandwagon.

After all, you too could be waking up tomorrow wishing desperately that reality would just give you a little more time in this world, and with these characters, that Ee has created.

9 Responses to “Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee”

  1. Marg @ Clockwork Reverie

    My friend actually brought this book to my attention a few months ago. She was all like "Read it. Read it. READ. IT. NOW!!" At the time, I told her she needs to chill the frak out and that I'll consider adding it to my TBR pile (mostly because I tend to be a bit leery when it comes to self-published books). But now after seeing rave reviews popping up left & right, I finally decided to hop on over to Amazon and get myself a copy. Fingers crossed that I'll enjoy it as much as you did. I totally have a soft spot for post-apocalyptic stories as well as non-traditional badass angels. So I'm hopeful & optimistic.

  2. CuddleBug

    I think you'll really enjoy it, Marg. There are way worse things to spend 99cents on!n like FarmVille for example!

  5. Anonymous

    For a self-published book, the quality of editing in Angelfall put a lot of what I've been reading from authors with major publishing house deals to shame. Sad, but true.Angelfall was pretty much impeccable. I want the next one!

  8. AnnieIsOkay

    That’s exatly how I felt like when I read that book! Very well constructed Post- Apocalyptic setting that left me craving for more =3 I love Raffe! Gods, that ending! That ending had me on my knees for more epically awesome romance and adventure. Sniff sniff. For now, just waiting on that second book that keeps running away from me.