Customer Reviews

The Angel Within

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you like plentiful angst then this will probably appeal, and it even has some depth. Sunnie grows up in a stubbornly backwards and strictly religious rural community, ignorant of just about everything except his own difference from others. Things go wrong, then an outsider rescues him for less than altruistic reasons. Sunnie has to come to terms with the world outside his own, narrow society. The process is pretty realistic, by the standards of slash at least. So far, so good, but from here on the novel is less well developed. We don't see too much of the guy Sunnie will end up with, nor is there much of their relationship when it finally comes about. Still, I enjoyed reading this and I thought Sunnie was a well-developed character, even if the others tend to be a bit vague. I'm glad I bought it.

I was quite relieved that I didn't shell out a single cent for this horrid piece of trash. While I love the idea of slash fanfiction authors branching out into original fiction, some authors just don't have the ability to craft original characters or a fictional world with any degree of talent.

There was not a single decent character in the entire novel. Sunnie, our supposed protagonist, was so completely laughable I thought I was reading a parody for the first few chapters. Scott Rohan (brilliant character naming, too) is just bafflingly terrible. Even the knight in shining armor is nothing short of a caricature. I can't say much of the story other than it was trite, boring, and slogged along with the worst narrative I have ever seen.

I thought it may be worth it for the sex. Not even. Bland and boring. No sizzle, no interest.

If you're curious enough to read this thing, try to con a friend into buying it for you. Actually, I would almost seriously recommend getting yourself a copy, as a perfect example of what not to do when writing an erotic novel.

This book is as wonderful as her other fiction has been. I am very glad to have invested in this book.

This story is an insightful look into the human psyche, societal constraints and religion in our society. The story weaves a tale of love and passion interwoven with lies and deceit that is bound by the laws of God and the community.

Kracken's tale of the life of a young, abused boy, Sunnie, learning to be a man in an alien world, and adapting to the changes of a different society, is a mirror to this world, where people different from the norm have to escape or be persecuted by their communities. Sunnie has to take refuge in an alien society with a complete stranger, who tells him all the things he learned were sinful as a child are normal and acceptable. Sunnie is dependent on this new stranger who has turned his world upside-down, but has to learn to understand the world through his own eyes. The reader sees Sunnie's struggle to adapt his religious beliefs with the rest of his new society.

I hope that others enjoy this book as much as I have.

I'd found this book almost by accident and, encouraged by the reviews, I took a chance on it. I've never left a review before, but I really felt I should this time.

This book was such an utter disappointment; if I could give it zero stars, I would. I followed up on this author a little and it appears her background is in fanfiction and I now suspect that the previous reviews were done by her fanfic followers. Be wary before you choose this book.

Characterization is a huge catalyst for a story. A character who interests you, who you care about, will pull you into a book, keep you invested and even forgive a few technical writing errors. It took me a long time to finish this book because I've never read a more annoying main character. Sunnie (the uber-repressed, yet with an irrepressible smile) is supposed to be male. You wouldn't know it if the author didn't tell us. The argument might be that he's been abused and, therefore, fearful, but even with that background you still want to read about a character who, in spite of those abuses, is interesting and finding his bravery. There is nothing interesting or brave about a man--even a gay man--who covers his face in embarrassment at the sight of women's breasts--covered breasts, no less.

I wish I could say something positive, but there's nothing to say. As far as the writing itself goes, it's at times clunky and confusing. Some descriptions had me laughing out loud and I'm quite certain that's not what the author intended at that moment.

I'm always looking for quality gay fiction and this wasn't it. Unless you like your main characters as dynamic as a wet rag (and your dialogue as absurd as a President Bush speech), then don't waste your energy on this book.

Kracken is a wonderful writer as proven by the great number of stories she has written and posted on her site over the years. Her stories are some of the best out there and in some genera's, they surpass all others. Naturally, therefore, I had high hopes for her novel when I learned of there being one. I wasn't disappointed. Her novel, The Angel Within, is just as wonderful. Not only does she use wonderful description but the reader can get a very vivid mental image of the events told in the story as well as what the characters look like. Thorough her descriptive narrative, one is able to connect on a mental level with the main character, Sunnie, as well as others in the novel. The author also has an uncanny ability to get the reader to like certain characters and through the course of the book, can get one to hate them slowly overtime. This gradual transition is not something that many writers can accomplish in their novels. Through wonderful character development where one can really get to know the characters, development that makes them come alive and living forces all their own, and through wonderful description of mental and physical trauma that the main character has to go trough and overcome, this is definitely the best novel I have read in a good long time. And that is really saying something.
If there is something negative to say about the book it would be that the main character goes through a lot of hell before he is finally happy. Overcoming cultural differences is always hard. If they are ingrained in such a way where differences are beaten into the mind as a sin, then overcoming obstacles is even harder. The author does a wonderful job of narrating such a conflict that the main character must go through. And while at the end of the novel, he is not fully over the inhabitations he faces because of his past and upbringing, he makes a strong headway, leaving the reader knowing that everything will be fine at the end. This is also a novel that can hold it's own. One where the reader cannot put it down but will, after the book is over, not wonder if everything will be all right or not. Somehow one just knows everything will be fine in the end, although through the course of the story, one could begin to really wonder if there will be a happy ending for the character, Sunnie, or not. He certainly deserves one.
So, in short, this book is definitely one worth getting for all readers that look all over for a good story that will not let them down at the end. One that has wonderful description and narration; where the characters are more than just two dimensional text letters on a page, but ones that really feel real and alive. On getting this book, one will not be disappointed. It is definitely worth every penny.

In the grande tradition of Ursela LeGuine, Kraken has created a whole new world that is fantastical and very familiar all at the same time. I managed to not only truly feel for these characters, but for some of them, I honestly felt conflicted about, something that I usaly only can feel about real people. THat story is a non stop emotional rollercoaster and I couldn't have been happier with it. I've already recommended this book to all my friends, and REALLY look foward to anything else by this author.

I enjoy "The Angel Within" tremendously. The story is beautifully rendered and immensely moving, at times poignant. I love Sunnie and this lovely character certainly deserves more in life. "The Angel Within" is much more than a rommantic sci-fi fantasy. There is a harsh reality in it which sounds all too familiar in this world of ours when a society rejects and hates those who does not fit into its norms. Heart felt and deeply touching, Sunnie and his story will linger long in my memory. My only complaint is that it is too short and I am not able to find another story by Kracken.

I absolutely love this original work of fiction. It's a dazzling tale of angst and pain and the ability to over come it all. Sunnie is a delightful character that is very realistic and I can't help but feel sorry for him throughout the story. Jhai's compasssion helps Sunnie see there is more to life than abuse and his love for Sunnie shines through and makes Sunnie see how beautiful he really is. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a story that has no bounds when love and friendship teach life lessons and teach us to accept what we truly are.

This book was everything I expected of Kracken: solid storytelling full of detail and emotion. Though there were a few missed typos, it was easy to see past them and enjoy the interaction of the characters, as well as seeing the main character flesh out from a boy to a man.