My mother would begin putting up her Christmas decorations the first weekend of December; it was a tradition. One of her favorite displays was a grouping of angels, gathered together, on a cloud of angel hair. I was always fascinated by these angels as a kid. Some were glass, some ceramic, and some had been handmade. The ones my grandmother gave her were from the 1930s and were actually candles that had never been burned! Now that my mother is gone, her collection of angels is my own. While I do have a certain fondness for these holiday cherubs, the angels I really enjoy are the ones I find in the pages of some of my favorite novels. Fallen angels, guardian angels, and vengeful angels always garner my attention, but even more so on the long, cold nights of winter when I am looking for a book to get lost in. Here are just a few of my favorites:
If you love the television series, “Midnight Texas,” and are captivated by Joe Strong, the fallen angel who resides there, then you simply must read the series by Charlaine Harris on which the show is based. Definitely start with, “Midnight Crossroad.”
Another addictive series is Becca Fitzpatrick’s “hush, hush.” There are four books in this series and I love the fact that I can read them all now back to back instead of waiting for each new book to be published as I did when I first read this series! While they are technically YA, the books are quite dark with some violence as well, so they’re perfect for adult readers. It’s the story of a fallen angel turned guardian angel and an epic battle between good and evil.
I really enjoyed “Angelfall,” by Susan Ee. Set in the post-apocalyptic San Francisco Bay Area after angels have fallen to earth and destroyed our world, one young woman will go to any lengths to save her little sister, taken by warrior angels during the siege.
Another great series began with “Fallen,” by Lauren Kate. While this series definitely has appeal for fans of the “Twilight” saga, I found it to be entertaining nonetheless as a young woman away at boarding school discovers that angels, both good and bad, live among us.
Danielle Trussoni has two books in her insanely dark, gripping series about angels and the devastatingly beautiful, yet lethal, angel-human hybrids known as the Nephilim. Trussoni researched angel lore and the biblical significance of angels for this series and her attention to detail shows as she deftly guides her readers between science, genetics, history, and religion. Fans of Dan Brown will not want to miss this series. The first book is “Angelology” and the second is “Angelopolis.” I sincerely hope that the author plans on a third book.
“The Last Hybrid: Bloodline of Angels,” by Lee Wilson is the story of a young woman who returns to college five years after losing her scholarship. Upon return, she finds herself hopelessly attracted to another student, Daniel, whose mysterious behavior will lead her to discover that angels not only walk among us, but they can control a small college town. This book is very well-written and defies the cookie-cutter mold of many books within the genre.
Finally, if you haven’t read Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments” series then you are really missing out on the best that YA has to offer for readers who love books about angels, demons, and the battle between good and evil.
Julie Bond is a voracious reader with eclectic tastes running the gamut from YA lit, to psychological suspense, and anything dog-related, of course. You can find her haunting her favorite San Francisco Bay Area indie bookstores. Email her at ObsessiveBookFanatic@gmail.com
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