Customer Reviews

Angel's Pain (Wings in the Night)

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

 

 

I usually like Maggie Shayne, I've read several of her books. I liked the first 2 books in this spin off series. They seemed to flow a lot better than this book, this one seemed forced to me. I didn't feel the connection at all between Briar and Reaper.

If you read the prior books, you knew her story going into this book.... Briar had an extremely hard life, hooked up with Gregor which was a really bad decision on her part (but this story tells you why that happened), Gegor betrays her, Briar is extremely bitter out for revenge from everyone who has ever wronged her in her life.

It would have been nice to watch Briar's progression from bitter hateful person to someone who under her icy facade kept all these passionate strong feelings for those she cared about. While in the end she finally admits feelings for her friends and Reaper, until well into the last few chapters it's all about her being this tough hateful extremely bitter person, a cheap sex scene and being plagued with residual pain from Crisa.

I truly believed she had feelings for Crisa even when she claimed she didn't. I felt the reluctant warm feelings a few times for the rest of the gang.. but with Reaper, not even close. If you are looking for a deep romantic connection between Briar and Reaper, you will be left wanting after this book is over. I never saw the slow build from Briar feeling for Reaper the "Can't stand you even though you are sexy" to "You make me live again". It was from one extreme to another.

In the end when Briar told Reaper she loved him, it felt cheesy, it's like she blinked toward the end of the book and thought.. Oh yea.. I love you now. Completely didn't feel the love at all. And was left scratching my head as to why Reaper would literally be panting after her.

I really wanted to like Briar's story and to like Briar as a character, but not so much. I felt like Reaper was cheated.

I was so ready to read Angel's Pain. I really enjoyed Reaper and Briar's interaction in the prior two novels. While the story was good - really good in some parts there was a lack of passion between Briar and Reaper that was extremely disappointing to me. The sex scenes were quick and not very exciting. She pretty much jumps on him and that's it. I was looking for more depth more passion and a little more give towards the end of the novel from Briar. Also more anger from Reaper over the pain that Briar suffered all her life. The emotions were skimmed over in this story and it kept if from being as good as I think it could have been.

ANGEL'S PAIN BECAME MINE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THIS BOOK!
Gregor, a rogue vampire, is being pursued by so many people, mortals and vampires alike, that one tends to lose track of who and why. However, Briar and Reaper seem to be the main chasers, so we get to see and hear more about them than the others, and they are incredibly tiresome; especially Briar, who I began to detest early on in the book. While Reaper is passed off almost as if he were a Saint.

An then there is Crisa, who is somewhat retarded and apparently is the Angel of the title, only it doesn't become obvious until about half the book is read. The CIA (but of course 'my dahling')is involved and the already thick plot thickens further. I never really totally grasped the significance of the Vampire Gang that follows Reaper; like a bunch of 60's 'hippies'. Naturally it all comes out right in the end, but by the time I got there, I didn't care! I just gave myself a pat on the back for 'hanging in there'.

This is the first book that I have read by Maggie Shayne that I did not like, so I'll no doubt try the next one too!!!!

Angel's Pain finishes up the Wing in the Night series pretty much as the series started out, as an ensemble piece. Though Reaper and Briar do get their romance, they only get a modest amount of time in the spotlight since they have to share the limelight with past pairs Topaz and Jack (Lover's Bite) and Seth and Vixen (Demon's Kiss), as well as mortals Roxy and Ilyana, the mentally challenge vamp Crista, 10 yr old Matthias, a CIA agent from Reapers's past, and the villian Gregor. This means that the romance in Angel's Pain is more of a sidebar than a main focus.

Overall I enjoyed Angel's Pain, I like all the characters and loved getting to see them all again. It was fun watching Roxy and Ilyana show their vamp buddies that mortals still have a few tricks up their sleeves. But I couldn't help being a bit disappointed in Reaper and Briar's part in the story. I still love Reaper but his dangerous edge was dulled when he lost his loner status, and here he is eminently careful in his persuit of Briar who he sees as a damaged dangerous but kindred soul. Briar herself though was the biggest letdown. In the first book, Briar was an evil woman who revelled in causing pain, because she was so dead inside that she couldn't feel anything on her own. In in this book though she went to just being more prickly, defensive and closed off because of the awful abuse of her past. It makes her redemption much easier to pull off, but it feels like an entirely different Briar. While I am nit picking, the evil Gregor doesn't live up to his ultimate evil rep of the past books either, he was only moderately evil here, so his just desserts didn't engender the round of applause that one would have expected.

Still if you've been following the series, you are going to want to read this one. As a wrap up to the series, Angel's Pain does it job. All the loose ends from the previous books are tied up, and questions about Reaper's past are answered. For those of you that read Shayne's Twilight series there is a quick cameo of another of the vampires from that series. Good news for Wings in the Night fans, it felt like we were meeting a future character in Matthias and Shayne has another vampire novel Bloodlines coming out in May of 2009. There no hints on Shayne's website as to who the star of Bloodlines will be but if I had to bet, I'd lay my money on Roxy. She's a great character who deserves a story of her own.

Briar has had just a couple of things on her mind and the most important one is vengeance. She is a hard nosed and determined vampire with no heart left after the life she has lead - at least that's her thought on the subject. Briar has been doing everything possible to meet back up with her mentor Gregor and it isn't for hugs and kisses. She wants vengeance for everything he put her through while she was with him. Briar is getting closer to her goal with the group she joined up with, but then how come some of her actions seem to indicate soft feelings for them?

Reaper is a renegade from the government with his own reasons for wanting to find Gregor. Reaper would also love to get out from under the hold that the agency has on him. After getting out, he has come to collect his own ragtag group of vampires and humans who are willing to help him put an end to Gregor. He cares for all of them but his prickly Briar might just have a hold on his heart if he can ever get her to admit she has one too.

Matters are getting more and more complicated as Briar and Reaper learn more about Gregor and his past. Even the government agency seems to be more involved than it should be. With lives and hearts, both vampire and human, at stake can Briar and Reaper find the answers and defeat Gregor before everything is lost? Is Briar's vengeance really the answer?

Vampires are not supposed to have warm and fuzzy feelings - right? In Angel's Pain Briar discovers answers that turn her assumptions upside down. For me this was a "aha" book that answers or solves some of the questions that came up during the series. Briar has joined Reaper's group and quickly became someone they looked to for answers. Great just what she wanted. Reaper knows that under the toughness that Briar shows, she is hiding hurt and a tender heart that just needs to feel love. I found it fun to watch the others in Reaper's group just going along with Briar's attitude all the while knowing that she was not the big toughie. I ached for Briar as I discovered all she had been put though both as a human and as a vampire. Reaper showed persistence and love while helping Briar come to terms with her life and her desires. I totally fell for both of them and was cheering out loud by the end of the book. I also seemed to have fallen for the rest of Reaper's group and was very happy on their outcomes too. I immensely enjoyed Angel's Pain and know that it will be in my library for a long time with many re-reads.

While you can read this book as a stand alone, I believe you will go back and discover the rest of the series to get the entire picture.

Jo
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

As much as Briar tries to make everyone, including herself, believe she's emotionless, you get flashes in the novel that are quite the opposite. At the beginning of the novel, Briar finds Crisa outside, looking confused, in pain. Somethings up, and as much as Briar doesn't want to care, we believe she does.

But she's out for revenge and revenge only. From her step-father to Gregor, all she wants is her chance at pay-back. And no matter how hard she tries to prove everyone wrong, the get under her skin, and she does care for them, in her own way.

I was glad to see the entire cast of characters. The book, the end of the newest `Wings in the Night' trilogy, needed that, I think. And while Briar and Reaper are spending more time together, going after Crisa, who is certain there is a boy named Matthias out there who needs her, I was hoping to see more... and most certainly didn't get it.

Yes, action scenes were excellent, as usual. Perfectly balanced, the bad guys get what's coming to them, but I still think that Dwyer hasn't answered all the questions there is. Which makes me wonder... and I'm not sure I want to believe this is the end of the series. It may be the final book in the newest trilogy, but the trilogy is part of the series, and I can honestly say that I don't think this is truly the end. At least, I super, really hope not. Example: Reaper finds out that his wife is behind his transformation, and the trigger words that turning him into a raging, violent monster, but there are no answers for why. This better not be the end of the series... not on that note. Meanwhile, what about Roxy, Ilyanna, Matthias, - their stories haven't been told yet. And what happens to Dwyer now that he doesn't bring Reaper in like he was ordered? Too many unanswered questions for this to be the end of the series.

I think the plot was well played out... Except for Briar and Reaper. Oh, I was soooo not impressed with the novel on that part. There was no emotion - a super huge lack at that! Any time Briar and Reaper `got together', it felt like it was written too quickly, a `quickie' minus the passion. Yes, you feel Reaper's emotion when he talks about his wife, Rebecca. You feel his confusion, his remorse, then his feelings of betrayal and more confusion. Yes, you feel Briar's anger about the men in her past. And it's quite understandable. But together? None! I felt zilch! That fire you felt between them before is completely gone. I'd have liked to have seen Reaper push her further. I'd have like to see Briar really break down. This just wasn't enough.

I was disappointed... and I've never, ever said that about Shayne's novels before. But that's the only disappointing thing about it.

what happened? The first book in this series was spectacular. I rushed out to buy the next in the series and wondered if it was written by the same person. Angel's Pain wasn't that great either. I debated even reading the third installment, but I had to know the end of Briar and Reaper's story, and in my opinion it didn't do them justice at all.

I fell in love with Reaper and his gang of misfits, it was heart breaking when it came to an end.
Don't expect to find Angel anywhere in this story, my best guess is that Angel was Briar; her pain is what lead Reaper to her. It was great seeing her breaking through her shell of evil to a caring vengeful vamp. My only complain is that I want more.

I have not read the first book in this series, but I did read the 2nd book about Jack and Topaz. While the mythology of the series was thick in it, it at least had a good romance and dimensional characters. My library had this one, so I thought to go ahead and pick it up, despite the bad reviews.
It was pretty bad. There was next to no romance, a hurried sex scene or 2 w/ no real details, one dimensional characters (super bitch and remorseful man.. heck they were so one dimensional I didn't even get alot from Reaper). This book was nearly all back story, and the first 1/3 was very boring and all about Crisa.
Do yourself a favor and stay away from this one, even if you want to read more about characters you've seen before. You'll glean so little that it won't be worth it.

I've noticed that a few people are reviewing this as the '3rd book' in the series. It's actually around the 16th book in the series, give or take a few if you want to include the reprints of 3 books in 1, novellas, ect. To REALLY appreciate this series, you need to go back to the first book-- Twilight Phantasies (Silhouette Shadows Silhouette Intrigue) which can also be found in Wings in the Night: Twilight Phantasies / Twilight Memories / Twilight Illusions my personal favorite because it contains the first 3 books. Angel's Pain was not one of my favorite books in the series because it was hard for me to like Briar after such amazing characters like Rhiannon, Eric, Tamara, Roland, and others from the previous books. Still a good book worth reading, especially if you are as big of a Maggie Shayne fan as I am. Also, this is not the last book in the series. Next is Bloodline (Wings in the Night) which seemed to be a completely different world until the end, then Twilight Prophecy (Children of Twilight) and finally to conclude this AMAZING series Twilight Fulfilled (Children of Twilight) I've read and loved them all and truly hated to see the series end.