Customer Reviews

Archangel

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I typically stay away from science fiction, avoid books centered around romance, and scoff at the idea of angels and other religious matters. I picked this up only because I had liked Shinn's The Shape-Changer's Wife and was badly in need of something to read. Needless to say, no one was more astonished than I was to find that I loved Archangel. It definitely ranks among my favorite five books.

Part of Archangel's appeal for me is inexplicable, but some can be attributed to the incredibly rich and intriguingly different world building (complete with legends, religion and economy) that never feels pointlessly detailed. Another factor was that Rachel is the one character in all my reading with whom I have best identified. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the romance very much; it is done with extreme skill, which is a major change from multitudinous, anonymous bodice-rippers. For whatever reason, Archangel deeply affected me, and I am still thrilled every time I read it. Now all I want is to hear Rachel and Gabriel's duet...

The latter two books (Jovah's Angel, The Alleluia Files) do not match the brilliance Archangel achieves, but they are still well worth reading.

Sharon Shinn has an interesting entry in the fantasy genre with Archangel. The book jacket gives away a little bit more than the novel does (though there are hints at something else going on behind the scenes), but some six hundred years ago God/Jovah brought humans to Samaria along with the angels which can pray to God for intercession. Since then the Archangel rules over all the angels and over all of Samaria. This year Gabriel will sing the Gloria, a yearly event which must take place or Jovah will smite the world, but he must sing it with his wife, the angelica. There is perhaps six months until the Gloria and Gabriel has not taken the time to learn the identity of who Jovah selected for his wife and when he finally locates her he learns that she has been a slave for the past five years and before that was part of a tribe which isn't known for orthodox beliefs regarding God and the angels. Her name is Rachel. She wants nothing of Gabriel, the angels, or Jovah. She is an angry woman, and understandably so.

Readers of Archangel who are familiar with the Bible will see plenty of names which have Old Testament meaning and importance. Nearly all of the important angels during the past six hundred years and the humans who worked with the angels are biblically based and some of their actions reflect those of their Old Testament counterparts, but this is not a biblical retelling in a fantasy setting. How Sharon Shinn mixes the biblical into a believable fantasy setting is impressive. She builds a real story for Gabriel and Rachel and their relationship. It is something of a love story, but it is completely dysfunctional and it is very well written. Shinn's descriptions of the angels and their lives and how they pray for intercession from Jovah is more than overt Christianity. It fits into the context of the world and is more storytelling than preaching. This isn't a Christian novel and I do not believe it is intended to be. It's a well told story. Period.

Since this is the first volume in a series of five books, it does an excellent job at setting up the nature of the world as well as hinting at other aspects of the world which are yet to be officially revealed. This is a self contained story and I do not know which characters future volumes focus on and so it may not be the continuation of this story. Then again, it may. Regardless, this is a world and an author I will revisit next with Jovah's Angel.

-Joe Sherry

This book is a love song. A song of romantic love and a love song to the god that the author has created to watch over her fictional world. As a singer, I was drawn into the power of singing that Shinn invokes in Archangel. If you are reading my review before you read the book and want a spoiler alert, DON'T READ THE BACK COVER OF THE BOOK. I was a little upset when I did so because a VERY important fact is revealed there that is not revealed in the book. I can only assume that it is revealed in part 2 or 3 of the trilogy which I will certainly read. Now that I have read it, I can appreciate what Shinn is calling the reader to ponder: What is prayer?, what is god?, what is love? I found myself considering these questions in the journey of this book. Shinn heightens the anticipation toward the end making this a real page-turner.

I enjoyed the book generally, I just couldn't stand Rachel the main female character, she was so childish , she does something and expects a certain reaction from Gabriel and if doesn't occur as she anticipates she goes on with her accusation and Tantrum.
She mislead him never opened up to him and yet blamed him constantly.
She is one of the worst female character's i have ever read . She Ruined the Plot.

IF you get irritated easily DO NOT READ THE BOOK.

A romance-fantasy (SF if you're paying attention) hybrid, whose plot will raise eyebrows in neither genre: Gabriel, the next Archangel of Samaria, needs to find his god-given consort to lead the Gloria in praise of the god Jovah (which also marks G's takeover from the corrupt Raphael) in order to avert the god's wrath. Rachel the angelica isn't remotely grateful to be plucked from slavery; the couple squabbles; Raphael twirls his mustache and strokes his fluffy cat; and it all goes down at the Gloria. So far, so zzz.

Samaria itself is easily the best feature of the novel; a Biblical-feel setting screams "EPIC" to virtually every reader in the Western world. Once used, it seems like an obvious source to draw from, but it's fresh in a genre saturated with medieval knock-offs. Too bad the allusion doesn't go any deeper than the presence of angels and the use of Old Testament names; the book poses theological questions for the Samarians, but not for its readers. Shinn's scene-setting is limited to introductory blocks of exposition, and her various cultures are in 390 pages shown only superficially: Edori are innocent, Jansai are cruel, Manadavvi are avaricious, the end. It's difficult to say for sure even what the average level of technology is, but the atmosphere is implausibly cosmopolitan; no visit to a city is complete without a little shopping, followed by lunch at the cafe. So much for science fiction.

As for the romantic plot, it desperately needs more of Gabriel's perspective, for two reasons: Rachel is too ulcer-inducingly irritating to read about any more than absolutely necessary; and if he falls for her I need first-hand knowledge why. I definitely shouldn't feel really, really sorry for the guy when (in a laughable scene) he gets his happily ever after. Romantic tension is sustained entirely by histrionic Big Misunderstandings; and her creator indulges Rachel's psychoses long after I wanted to beat her with the clue stick. (Just think, I liked her initially.) Our heroine is a selfish, irrational hypocrite; run far away from her.

ARCHANGEL is followed by JOVAH'S ANGEL, THE ALLELUIA FILES, ANGELICA, and ANGEL-SEEKER; check them out to see the development of Samaria and mercifully nothing of Rachel. For a richer science-fiction (and emotional) experience snag Meredith Ann Pierce's young adult Darkangel Trilogy: THE DARKANGEL, A GATHERING OF GARGOYLES, and THE PEARL OF THE SOUL OF THE WORLD.

I am not a usual Fantasy-genre reader, but my friend loaned me this book and promised I'd like it. I read it, trying to figure out if this new world was supposed to be a retelling of the Israelites or what, but then I finally stopped looking for political/religious overtones and got down to enjoying the story. It's a great story of a romance and a new, fabulous world.

I want to send out a warning to other potential readers of this book--my friend warned me not to read the FIRST page of "Archangel" because it has a plot summary (publisher's blurb) that gives away a plot twist in the sequel, "Jovah's Angel." And now that I have read "Jovah's Angel," I can promise you that you definitely do not want to read that page. I was so happy that I got to find out the plot twist naturally because if I had read it in "Archangel" it would've colored the experience of reading both books.

Also be warned that other Amazon reviews for this book give away the plot twist. Honestly, why do people try to ruin the surprise?

I highly recommend both "Archangel" and "Jovah's Angel."

I began reading this without very high expectations, and it quickly surprised me. I still can't understand how Sharon Shinn managed to write something so wonderful. It's amazing.

First of all, the plot is so engrossing that you won't be able to put it down. Gabriel is to be the next Archangel of Samaria, a world where angels can sing to Jovah (their "god") in order to change weather. They can cause rain to fall or not fall. They can cause waters to rise. They can cause lightning to fall and destroy. The Archangel is the head angel, who can be either male or female. This angel leads the Gloria, an annual day of singing that tells Jovah that harmony reigns on Samaria. If they don't sing, the god will destroy the world with a bolt of lightning.

Rachel is a slave-girl in the house of a wealthy merchant. She is also the chosen bride of the Archangel Gabriel, picked out by Jovah through the oracles. Against her will, she is taken to Eyrie to marry Gabriel and become his angelica. And so the story begins. With surprises and plenty of action, the plot unfolds.

If the plot is great, then the character development that is intricately twisted into the story is better. Rachel struggles with her new position and her relationship with Gabriel, whom she hardly talks with, except to argue. She also attempts to improve the lives of the abandoned children in Velora, a city by Eyrie. Meanwhile, Gabriel tries to fill his position as Archangel and get along with Rachel. He hopes for a smooth transition between Archangels, especially since Raphael (the former Archangel) seems to have other plans.

The setting, the different types of people in Samaria, and the traditions, religion, and history of the planet are well done, too. Somehow, Sharon Shinn manages to create a setting that is so believable that the reader actually slips into the fantasy world, becoming part of the story.

This is, by far, one of the best books I have ever read. I have tried writing a few books, and to see a masterpiece like this just amazes me. To anyone who has read this review: get it from your library, buy it (because it is definitely worth the money), whatever. Just read it, because you are missing out on something if you don't.

If I could, I would rate this much more than five stars. It's worth it. Unfortunately, the scale is 1-5, so I can only put 5, although I consider it to be far above that number. Archangel is one of the best books I have ever read.

**Sharon Shinn has written many other books, including Jovah's Angel and The Alleluia Files, which are the second two installments in the Samaria Trilogy. I have read a few other of her books, all the ones I could get my hands on, and they are also good. I consider the Samaria Trilogy to be the best of her work, though. But that's me. She is a wonderful author, one of the best.

First of all, concerning all those who believed this book was incorrectly labeled a Sci-Fi--you need to continue with the trilogy. SHINN is only starting with the bases of her story of this world and has a lot more to say. Secondly, I truly enjoyed this novel. Before reading Archangel, I would never lift a romance book or fantasy or Sci-Fi. The cover was so lovely and well done, I thought to give it a try. With in a matter of a two weeks I read the entire trilogy and ordered everything else she has ever written to devour in my spare time. Each book in the trilogy is different with unique characters and settings, yet all on the same world. I found it imaginative and engrossing.

The author has created a world of colonists, where angels are mortal and communicate with God by singing in the upper atmosphere; oracles work with PCs; and a variety of groups exist within the social structure.

The new Archangel, Gabriel, is destined to marry Rachel, whom he has waited too long to seek out. His predecessor, Raphael, an evil sort disinclined to give up power, has done his best to make things difficult. Rachel has some ideas of her own, and is not completely pleased with the arrangements.

Gabriel must contend with both Rachel and Raphael as he prepares to meet a deadline for a religious ceremony. The story holds your attention as it moves towards an action filled conclusion.

I stumbled across the book Archangel as a result of wandering around aimlessly at my local bookstore and somehow finding myself, not in the romance section, but instead in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre. In no time at all I had read this book, its sequel, and much of Sharon Shinn's backlist, which is, unfortunately, not nearly long enough. Sharon Shinn is a buried treasure and someone to watch. She writes beautifully and thoughtfully, and her books are equally satisfying to both fantasy and romance readers. Archangel is an excellent example of her storytelling prowess.

Archangel-elect Gabriel is preparing to begin his twenty-year term as ruler of Samaria, and he has any number of problems to solve. Under current Archangel Raphael's rule, the country has become divided into factions; the rich have grown richer and the poor poorer. Also a repugnant slave trade has arisen and prospered, and many disenfranchised peoples are being murdered, or captured and sold as a result of it. It also looks like Raphael may not be so eager to step down from his position of power. But most pressing, Gabriel must locate his wife-to-be, his angelica, because he must marry her before the next Gloria, the ceremony at which he will officially become Archangel. Every year all of Samaria gathers to sing praises to the god, Jovah, to prove that Samaria is still in harmony so that Jovah will not destroy it.

Up until this point Gabriel has had enough on his mind without having to deal with a wife not of his choosing. But the angelica is required to lead the singing at the Gloria, and the Gloria is only six months away, so he goes to see the oracle to find out who she is. He expects that she will be of noble blood, of angel lineage and easy enough to find and woo. What he doesn't expect is that Rachel, the bride Jovah has chosen for him, is of low station, and even more disconcerting, she's nowhere to be found.

Rachel has been laboring as a slave in a rich merchant's house for the past five years. Her life has been marked by tragedy, and she is very angry and bitter what has happened to her. She has no love for anyone and most especially not for the angels. So when Gabriel finally locates her and announces that she is to occupy the most exalted female role in Samaria, she is not inclined to accept his proposal. But she has no choice because Gabriel and all of Samaria depend on her obedience to Jovah's will. Thus a complicated marriage of convenience is begun.

This book succeeds on so many levels. It is written in such beautiful, lyrical prose that reading it is just a joy. With the enchantment of her words Shinn draws you into her world and entices you to stay. I've read this book several times now, slowly and lingeringly, savoring the experience.

The world of Samaria is lovingly portrayed; it resembles the Old Testament kingdom of Israel, and most of the characters have biblical names. Samaria is richly drawn, and Shinn does not skimp on its characterization. The richness of the portrayal is undoubtedly aided by the its biblical overtones. There are faint echoes of Bible stories throughout - stories of Saul and David, Rachel and Leah, Esther, Judas and Lucifer. It is not surprising that Samaria seems magical, a place where miracles occur and Good and Evil are personified and locked in bitter struggle.

The strongest and most enjoyable part of this book is found in the characters of Rachel and Gabriel. They are both stubborn, intense, noble and complex. Gabriel is a hero's hero, the kind of man whose bedrock is his faith and his integrity, the kind of man who would unhesitatingly lay down his life for his people. He is rigid and dogmatic and sure of his own opinion. He is also rather misanthropic and uncomfortable with any sort of familiarity. But he is a leader extraordinaire and absolutely devoted to the cause of right in Samaria. He's difficult, but thoroughly good. And meeting and loving Rachel humbles him and shakes him to the core because all of the wonderful things he has to give are the things she doesn't want.

Rachel is harder to like. She's Prickly with a capital P. Over and over she thwarts Gabriel and the other angels just because she can and because it suits her to do so. But underneath her hard exterior is a woman who is yearning to love yet no longer trusts love or good fortune. And she is devoted to the poor and outcast and to making a difference in Samaria. She's such an interesting character, and it's fascinating to see her sort things out and affect change in her own life.

The book does have a few flaws. The lyrical prose occasionally slows down the narrative, and Rachel and Gabriel do spend quite a bit of the book apart. Also I wanted to smack Rachel toward the end of the story when she was choosing to be difficult just because. But it's impossible to grade this as anything less than a DIK read. It's so well written and thoughtful, it's layered with history and theology and symbolism, and it has one of the best, most romantic endings I've ever read.

If you like fantasy or science fiction mixed in with your romance, I couldn't recommend any author more than Sharon Shinn, and reading this book would be an excellent way to introduce yourself to her work.

Sharon Shinn's Samaria Series (in order):
Archangel
Jovah's Angel
The Alleluia Files
Angelica
Angel-Seeker
"Fallen Angel": An anthology in the book To Weave a Web of Magic