Angelology was Danielle Trussoni’s first novel and it would inspire a sequel and be named one of the New York Times Top Ten Books for the year.
The novel is basically part fantasy, thriller, mystery, history, and love story. It begins with a Sister Evangeline, a Franciscan sister who finds a letter between a deceased Mother Superior and a famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller. This will cause Evangeline to become involved with a group of half angel, half human beings called the Nephilim and their war with the human race which spans 1000 years into the past. The Seraphim are searching for four parts to a lyre that will aid them in this war. A society of Angelologists are trying to stop them from destroying mankind. Evangeline becomes involved with an art student named Verlaine who aids her in her research. The Seraphim are beautiful, ethereal, and deadly which makes them extremely ominous adversaries.
The concept of the story is intriguing and the Seraphim are interesting antagonists. The novel could have been shorter and does proceed very slowly at the beginning but the reader needs to be patient. The ending is spectacular with Evangeline being connected to the Seraphim in ways she couldn’t ever expect. Much of the novel alternates between Evangeline’s investigation in the present to her grandmother’s battle with the Seraphim in the past. The characters are vivid and interesting and the action does intensify as the novel progresses. The reader will definitely want to continue with the other book in the series to see how the surprise ending of this novel will progress. There are rumors the author will self publish a third book making this a trilogy.
Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it!)
- Van, Reference Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Angelology
GENRE: Thrillers & Suspense; Urban Fantasy
THEMES: Ancient Enigmas (The modern- day protagonist follows a trail of artifacts, codes, and mystic symbols into a centuries-old mystery, often guarded by a secret society or religious order.); Hidden Among Us (There's a whole world within the world -- under the floorboards, down an alley, maybe deep in the woods. Most humans never know they're there.); Quest for Magical Items (The objects of power are scattered -- bet it takes several books to collect them all!); Shadow Organizations (Who controls the power? Good question! It could be top secret organizations that work to create a new world order...or not.)
PACE: Fast-Paced
STORYLINE: Intricately Plotted; Plot-Driven
TONE: Bleak
SUBJECT: Angels; Codes; Conspiracies; Convents; Good & Evil; Half-Human Hybrids; Nuns; Relics; Secret Societies; Supernatural