Sunday, August 28, 2011

Archangel by Sharon Shinn

Set in a kind of alternate bible-setting, angels semi live near mortals and are more of a part of daily life than they are in a the bible.  Rachel, an adopted wanderer made slave is called to be the wife of the Head Angel-to-be, Gabriel.  Her main duty is to start a yearly singing that abates the wrath of Jovah, their God.  She needs a pretty good voice for this, which she doesn't ever let anyone hear for a while.  She and Gabriel don't get along, to put it blandly, and the singing is in serious question.  Meanwhile, corruption and heresy have crept into the land because of the current/passing Head Angel.  Along with his marriage problems, Gabriel must try to heal the land.
This was a beautiful story.  I sometimes get mushy over love stuff in books and this ended up being a better one with a drastic change from loathing to can't-do-without-you love.  Some of it was slightly coryny, the theology a little annoying, the climax obvious, the end was infuriating.  Though they did say it's good to question your beliefs.  Points for that.  7 out of 10 sounds good to me.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

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