Angel of Destruction [Paperback]

Susan R. Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2001

"[Matthews] brilliantly uses science fiction's freedom of creation." (The Denver Post)

"Matthews will stand out in a field dominated (in numbers if not in stature) by mediocre imitators." (Analog)

A stand-alone novel set in Susan R. Matthews's critically acclaimed "Judiciary" universe, Angel of Destruction focuses on Bench officer Garol Vogel and his attempts to make peace with the Langsarik people-the people his own Judiciary drove into a life of piracy...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Langsariks, a culture of space-living mercantile raiders, have been brought to heel by the governing power known as the Judiciary. Confined to a single spaceport town and deprived of their fleet, the Langsariks have to serve eight years of probation before they can be truly free again. A series of brutal raids now leaves evidence of being planned and carried out by Langsariks officers. Garol Vogel, the Judiciary Bench investigative officer who organized the amnesty that allowed the Langsariks to honorably surrender, has to discover the truth about their involvement in the raids. Meanwhile, a narrative window into the mind of the true perpetrator reveals a thoroughgoing conspiracy to destroy the Langsariks. When a witness to one of the raids escapes to take sanctuary rather than bearing construed false witness about the Langsarik family he hopes to marry into, a religious organization, the Malcontent, must join forces with the Bench to prevent another bloody attack. A chilling and engaging novel of false accusation and the power of personal responsibility. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Roc (October 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451458494
• ISBN-13: 978-0451458490
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,348,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but I missed Andrej, November 20, 2001

By 

A Reader (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angel of Destruction (Paperback)

A while ago I wrote a review expressing the wish that Miss Matthews would write a book focusing more on the Bench Federation itself; and here it is. I wasn't disappointed, and the only reason I haven't given this engaging book 5 stars is because Koscuisko makes only the briefest appearance in it...
Garol Vogel (the powerful Bench Intelligence Specialist first encountered in 'Hour of Judgement') has arranged for the Langsariks, an outlaw race, to come into the Bench fold. However, outside forces are working against the Langsariks, attempting to frame them for unspeakable crimes against Jurisdiction. Vogel has to track down the guilty parties before the Bench turns its considerable might against the Langsarik settlement.
This is an intelligent, sometimes gripping read and, because this is the Bench we're talking about, you can't be sure until the very end whether or not there'll be a happy ending. Admittedly, there's less emotional depth than in the three previous books, but there's perhaps more story; it's likely to appeal to people who were put off by the violence of the Koscuisko books.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well crafted, October 10, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Angel of Destruction (Paperback)

The Langsarik fleet was powerful, trustworthy, and cemented in their loyalty to one another, making it very difficult for the Judiciary to hunt them down. The Langsarik were pirates whose own home planet refused to recognize them so eventually their leader, Walton Agnes negotiated with Garol Vogel to seek decent terms of surrender.

The five thousands members of the Langsarik fleet were put on probation and forced to live on land in Port Charid, a space port dominated by the Dolgrukij Combine. After a certain amount of years they would be allowed into space once again as law abiding citizens of the Judiciary. However there is an element on Port Charid who hate the Langsarik and is willing to stage bloody raids on other ports to get the Langsark's probation revoked. It is up to Vogel, who has put together a last ditch desperate plan, to see that justice is carried out.

ANGEL OF DESTRUCTION is space opera of the first caliber. The tale is fast paced, with plenty of action and adventure and the various sub-plots add depth to a very complex story line. The characters are three-dimensional so that the readers can truly understand them and their motivations even if they don't approve all their actions. Susan R. Matthews is a fine storyteller who is not afraid to meet social issues heads on.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent addition to the Judiciary universe, December 31, 2001

By 

Michael Curry (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Angel of Destruction (Paperback)

I had been looking forward to this book since I first heard that Susan Matthews was going to do a novel that centered around Bench specialist Garel Vogel. Not only did I find him to be an interesting character during his appearance in HOUR OF JUDGMENT, but I was also looking forward to finding out more about the Judiciary universe, and from a viewpoint other than Andrej's.

ANGEL OF DESTRUCTION didn't disappoint, and in fact I think it is some of the author's best work. The plot is complex and very well laid out, and Ms. Matthews avoids the easy shortcuts that some writers occasionally resort to in order to keep their stories moving forward. In addition, the book features several engaging and well-written characters, my favorites being Vogel and the newly introduced Cousin Stanoczk (who I hope we'll be seeing more of in the future). I enjoyed ANGEL immensely, and anxiously await the arrival of Susan's next novel.