Customer Reviews

Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim, Book One

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I just finished an advanced reading copy of Anne Rice's "Angel Time." I've never read an Anne Rice book before, and almost passed it by, but I was intrigued by the medieval aspect mentioned on the jacket blurb.

I literally held my breath throughout the entire book. It was "unputdownable." The suspension of disbelief necessary to accept the concept of an angel or "heavenly being" in an earthly reality is not so farfetched with Rice's masterful development - I could easily imagine the "songs of the Seraphim" from her detailed descriptions. The senses of character, place and time enveloped the reading. The dénouement was amazing and showed perfect symmetry; I didn't imagine - much less predict - the fantastic ending. Toby O'Dare's personal quest was the most compelling aspect, and Rice's Catholic background and research is reflected in his every thought, word and deed.

I'll make a point of reading Rice's books now, and will encourage others to do the same. Recommended for Rice fans, those interested in medieval England and France, Catholic history and concepts, angels and heavenly beings and - in an understated but very present way - the relationship of architecture to the spiritual journey.

"Angel Time" is the first novel in a new series of books entitled Songs of the Seraphim written by international bestselling author Anne Rice. Rice, best known for her "Vampire Chronicles" and "Lives of the Mayfair Witches" novels, has taken a new direction in her writing. In 1998, Anne (who had left the church many years before and become an atheist) returned to the Catholic Church and in 2002 she consecrated her writing entirely to Christ, vowing to write for Him or about Him. This abrupt change left many fans scratching their heads in complete shock and left some feeling abandoned and others, angered.

That being said and following two books about Christ ("Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" and "The Road to Cana"), and a memoir, "Called out of Darkness", Anne introduces us to Toby O'Dare; a hit man whose boss is "The Right Man." Toby, born in New Orleans to a corrupt cop father and an alcoholic mother, dreamed of becoming a priest, a scholar, a saint. Highly intelligent and musically gifted, Toby believed he could make a better life for his family and calm the demons that haunted his mother. Educated at Jesuit High School and earning a full music scholarship to The Conservatory, he had also fallen in love with Liona, a Jewish girl from a nearby school. Well on his way to making his dreams come true, his world comes crashing down when he discovers a gruesome and bloody scene that would change his life forever.

Leaving New Orleans for New York in secrecy, Toby begins a new life for himself and finds a father figure in a kindly restaurant owner, Alonso, who gives him a job and a place to live. When Alonso and his family are threatened, something snaps in Toby, thus beginning his life as a hit man known only as "Lucky the Fox". Faithless and empty inside, he kills without question or pity.

One night, after a swift kill, Toby is approached by a seraph and is offered the chance to make amends for the evil he's unleashed upon the earth since leaving New Orleans. Mythical magical and holy, Toby's Seraph calls himself Malchiah and tells him that there is a battle for his soul taking place and asks for Toby's help. Warning him that other forces are at work, he convinces Toby to accept the mission and takes him to 13th century England where Toby must protect a family threatened by a group of superstitious and ignorant people full of bigotry and greed. The lives of many hang in the balance and Toby must make the ultimate choice. Does he stay and help the innocent, or does he leave them to their own devices?

Much like the novels that catapulted Rice into stardom, "Angel Time" has many of the same elements her early works did. Only this time, instead of blood drinkers, mummies, ghosts and spell casters we have angels and saviors. And, like many of her previous novels, the reader must have a willing suspension of disbelief in order to fully enjoy the novel and be open to the idea that all things are possible, whether it's the walking dead or a heavenly creature.

Well crafted and carefully researched, "Angel Time" is destined to become a classic. Anne Rice has done it again. Captivating and enthralling, "Angel Time" belongs on the shelves of every reader.

I really like the story here and how the first and second halves of the book tied together, seeing as how they were so different. Those most familiar with Rice's earlier works may have some issues with the material being so preachy, and it didn't bother me too much, but it does hurt the story a bit in my eyes. If you are of a religious persuasion, you may enjoy it, but I'm not and it did come off a tad bit trite from my viewpoint. It is expertly written and extremely vivid, much like her earlier, more Gothic pieces, so that's definitely another plus. The pace of the book is nothing short of brilliant for the first half but it did start to drag in the second, not too bad but it was noticeable. Overall this is a great book and allows the imagination to flourish but I just couldn't get into all of the religious aspects.

I loved the old style Anne Rice. I was hoping that she was back and she is in some ways. Her descriptive style is back and her ability to make you see and feel what she is writing is back. However, her plot in this book leaves a lot to be desired. The description on Amazon, the title and the back of the book make a reader think that this book is about assassins and angels. It's not really. It's about a man who is finding himself. I was confused throughout the book about where it was going and where it really wanted to go. I felt like Ms. Rice was struggling in getting her true meaning across. I'm very conflicted about recommending this book. In some ways, I definitely want to recommend it because Toby is a fascinating character and I hope that Ms. Rice explores his life further. However, the book doesn't really make complete sense until the final two pages. It was frustrating to say the least. Of course the last couple books by Anne Rice have been frustrating to most of her fans. I would love her to continue the series to see what she has in mind.

In my twenties, I fell so in love with the characters in Anne Rice's 1995 book "Cry To Heaven" that my heart literally ached as I read the last pages. I spent the next few days wandering around in a fog as I grieved the loss of the characters in my life, so real did they become as I turned the pages of the book. I, along with a great many others, fell in love with Louis and Lestat in the Vampire Chronicles, and surrendered myself willingly to Lasher in the Mayfair Witches books. I picked up Angel Time in the hopes of yet another delicious affair with one of Anne's skillfully created characters. Unfortunately, the book does not deliver.

It seems the first half of the book is written by someone else entirely. Once the protaganist, Toby, is transported to 13th century England - a time period with which Rice is apparently more comfortable with than the present day - does the writing becomes recognizable as hers. From there the story becomes somewhat tolerable, yet still too preachy for my taste. I finished the book because I am driven to finish books, but it was more of a chore than an escape, which used to be the reason I read Anne Rice.

Angel Time is a pleasantly short read. A nice side-step from her previous novels, though staying somewhat in the periphery of her vampire classics. This novel is the first of the metaphysical thrillers that sets up a new saga (The Songs of the Seraphim).

A bit of a redemption story, the main character (Lucky the Fox) is in a constant battle of moral reflection and introspection. A contract killer by trade, his guardian angel offers a chance to redeem himself. Then comes some history (in the form of time-travel). A bit "awkward" for my taste, but the storyline remained interesting nevertheless.

The story of Lucky somewhat mirrors a similar tragic history as her other main character (ie. Louis of Interview with the Vampire). The life of an innocent young child raised by a devout catholic family, the sudden loss of family members, fighting through a wrecked and violent childhood, the temptation of dark forces, eventually succumbing to the lure that changes them into creatures of darkness (vampire or assasin).

I found the storyline to be a bit disjointed at times. Other than that, I enjoyed reading this book, and anxiously looking forward to the series.

I am a very passionate reader of Anne Rice's books, I have been a fan of hers since the "Interview with the Vampire", and I have read most of her books, I say most because there are still a few left that I haven't read, but life is long, winters here in Finland are also long and my passion for reading will never end.
"Angel Time The Song Of Seraphim" is her last masterpiece, and I have just been given it for Christmas. I started to read it immediately.

The first thing that caught my attention was the subdivision of the chapters, not just numbered but with titles. I think this is clever because as soon as you start to read that chapter you focus on that one thing , it gives a sort of chronology to what happens during the novel itself.
With this book Anne Rice returns to that which has made her famous,story telling that completely captivates the reader and sends them on a journey in time full of detailed description and high emotion, so much so that you feel like the story's main character Toby O 'Dare. You are suffering, you are confused and you are amazed.
Toby O' Dare is the main character, a young man of 28 who has dedicated the last 10 years of his life to killing people on commission, he is a serial killer who has never failed a mission. His boss is called "The Right Man". In the description of his next mission we see the protagonist's psychological shock and desperation as he must carry out his next job in "The Mission Inn", a luxury hotel where he often goes to be a "normal man" and takes refuge from the reality of what he has become. The story is mostly told in first person,so we feel his torment and we see that he may never be free from all his ghosts.
"The Right Man"is Toby's boss, and very mysterious, he is described already old at their first meeting and he is a very interesting character because whilst you are reading you keep asking yourself who is he really? Is he a demon? Is he good or is he bad? Who are those that he orders to kill, why does he want them dead?
Malchiah is the the angel Seraphim, the one who has followed and observed Toby since the very beginning and will appear to Toby as the answer to his prayers, those prayers that he doesn't know why he continues to pray, because he doesn't believe in God any more or in God's mercy. The meeting with the angel is described magnificently I think that Anne has caught exactly the kind of confusion that might occur should you meet an angel,the impossibility to think clearly, the doubt that you are losing your mind, the feeling of immense love that this figure shows, the faith in him who has sinned time and time again who is yet still prepared to forgive and redeem him. I was so moved by this episode that I had to stop reading for a bit. We see a different side of Toby.
Chapter 5 is the chapter that gives the book its title and it is the point at which we go deep into the story and we start to see what will be Toby's new mission. He must answer some prayers of a Jewish family that has been accused by Christians of the murder of their own child. Toby goes back in time to Norwich in England. He will be a Dominican brother, an important detail that is linked to his personality through his readings and his secret dream. It will be an important mission for him and he will be alone, Malchiah will only watch, it is important that he succeeds.
During this assignment the reader is put straight in to all the events and will understand why Toby has become what he has become. I found here the same emotions and the same angriness that sometimes hits me when I see that something very wrong has happened and I don't understand why God has allowed this to happen.
The greatness of the book in my opinion is this, you find a part of yourself in every character that you read.
Angel Time is a perfect title for this novel because we humans often think that time is just a line and is the same everywhere. We don't remember that time is personal and different especially if we talk about Angels and God.

Now we just have to wait for the other missions that will face Toby, and I am looking forward to the next episode of the story of Toby O 'Dare, and I am very curious to see what will happen.

I remember Anne Rice from Interview with a Vampire Days - great story! I picked up this book expecting something in a similar vein. I'll admit that I have not read an Anne Rice novel in years so perhaps I rely too much on my own expectations here. Jacket summary of book indicated an assasin/adventure type story. However, over half the book was dedicated to examining our main characters back story. I felt much of it was repetitive. I was happy to reach the "action" part of the story and felt that my patience with the first half was to be rewarded. I was left confused however, because the Angel tells Toby that he is being used as an instrument to help the Angel because of his (Toby's) special skills. Given the previous backstory I assumed that meant his ability to play the Lute and his assasin skills. All the hero does though is talk to people. My personal opinion about books, and how I approach leisure reading, is that there is an unspoken contract between Author and Reader. Author has something to say, Reader wants to be Entertained (or Educated, etc.>>) and so Author tries to write what they have to say in a manner that meets needs of the reader. I think Anne let me as a reader down with this one. I felt the book was more about her need to discuss finding religion than a story to entertain readers.

I may be in the minority here, but this novel was a complete waste. First of all, it was boring. There are long, descriptive passages that are supposed to show the sensitivity of the protagonist, but are mostly yawn-making. The story is convoluted, poorly plotted and poorly written. There are elements of the plot that seem derived from other writers. Separated twins? Shakespeare. Separated lovers and he becomes a priest? Heloise and Abelard. Any tale that includes the presence of an angel is bound to have an aura of the not-quite believable, but this is a tale of redemption in a very specific Christian sense that revolves around "saving" a community of Jews in England during the reign of Henry II. It makes no sense. But the historical topic of Jewry in England during that period is pretty interesting, so for those who care, let me recommend "Mistress of the Art of Death" as a far better better book.

I was anxious to read this because I have loved Anne Rice's work in the past. Sadly, since she 'got religion', I think she's lost her creative spark. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with faith...in fact, I greatly admire anyone whose faith enriches their life.

I simply don't care for preachy fiction.

In this story, a sad sack named Toby seems to have lived a life similar to that of the Biblical Job. He always tried to be a 'good boy', worked hard, did his best, but lousy luck just kept whacking him in the face. Finally he gave up trying and became a hit man, committing murders-for-hire on behalf of an organization he does not really know anything about. With all of this going on, though, he still carries around his favorite prayer books and he still goes to church and he prays devoutly.

Then one day God sends an angel to tell him he is still loved, in spite of everything, and then he is assigned a task to travel to the past and save a Jewish family who have been falsely accused of murder.

All in all, if you are someone who likes Christian-based fiction, you will like this. Catholic teens will probably enjoy it. I found it kinda dull.