It's Book Review Wednesday again, and boy do I have a treat for you! This is probably one of the best books I have read since the last installment of the Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch. Definitely worth your time!

Angels to Ashes

Barnabas, a Demon of Pride with the predatory heart of a salesman, defies the will of the Inferno. Kalyndriel, an Avenging Angel, staggers beneath the weight of her own sin. Walter, a damned human, witnesses the impossible, both on Earth and below. Three unlikely allies unite against a terror beyond good and evil. Threads of desperation bind their worlds together: Hell, Heaven, and Earth. The emptiness before time gives birth to an abomination ... one who dreams of unraveling the tapestry of the God who abandoned His children. Angels and Demons, alike, dance in the darkness as the world of man trembles beneath them. A mystery is born of a simple professor’s death: a trail that unveils the depravity in the souls of God’s firstborn. All reap the wages of sin. All betrayals become inevitable over the course of eternity. All is ashes.

My Review: 5 Stars

Let's get the bad over with: 1. Too many adverbs. It makes the narrative a bit clunky, overdone, and contrived. I feel like the author could have cut 10 to 20% of the narrative and still had a solid book. 2. A few things were odd. For example, Adam said he refused to be "a puppet". I didn't know there were puppets in the Garden of Eden. 3. The "villain" was introduced a bit too early on. The Void is introduced in the third chapter or so, which sort of gives it all away. There's a point at roughly the half-way mark where it would have made the PERFECT reveal. Up until that point, it's all angels versus demons. It would have been amazing to reveal that the ultimate villain was the Void at that point. 4. The interludes were a bit unnecessary. 5. Head hopping issues. When it's from the demon's POV, it talks about the angel's feelings, and vice versa. Now for the good: I love anything that takes a different approach to "common belief". This concept of Heaven vs. Hell, good vs. bad was brilliant! The way some of the demons are actually "good" or "doing right" and the angels are "bad" or "doing wrong" was very well done, and I loved how the author wasn't afraid to turn Christian beliefs upside down or inside out and look at it from another angle. I cannot say how much I LOVED the descriptions of demons and angels. The depiction of Heaven was a bit iffy, but Hell was VERY well done. I loved how the different angels and demons were portrayed. The perspective on the Fall of Man was highly intriguing. I won't say more to give it away, but it was definitely food for thought. In this book, Armageddon is presented as the Christian version of the Viking Ragnarok. A unique twist I found enjoyable. No "end of the world", just the "end of an age". All of the characters in this book were well written, with no cutout or two-dimensional characters. Even the demons--the ones you encounter randomly throughout--have depth to them. DEFINITELY a book worth reading!

Here's a Taste:

I watched him consider my words. His past, his dreams, and his future collided on a troubled face. I witnessed the weight of his monumental pride struggle against the fears and doubts. He trudged toward the wet bar in his office in a firm that had no future for him or his pathetic regrets. The inevitability of his damnation built in the atmosphere like a thunderstorm. Humans were always the same. George poured himself a drink and shambled back to the desk that was too large for him. He sipped in silent contemplation. While each moment in the office was heavy with portent, the outside world barely moved. George’s secretary had barely taken three breaths during our discussion; time on Earth moved differently once Demons or Angels got involved. George finally raised his gaze. There was resignation, and desperate need, in his haunted stare. He knew he was already damned, and now I all had to do was make it official. “What are your terms?” I smiled widely — the smile of the prowling shark, the last flash of white before everything became darkness: the hungry grin of a predator. Abyssal wings snapped open with a crack. “You shall have: a partnership at this firm, worldly success, good health, monetary wealth, and wonderful relationships with your children and loved ones. I’ll even throw in a pretty young thing to go with your renewed success. I shall have: one eternal soul, originally belonging to George Clarence McCoy, payable upon your death.” I leaned forward, hand outstretched. The lights in the office dimmed. Daylight died. George McCoy exhaled a tremulous breath. He steeled himself for damnation and a headlong plunge into the fiery pit. Heaven would not miss his soul, but it would be welcome in Hell. That was his destination before we even met. He raised his eyes, met mine bravely, and stood. He grasped my hand. The burn of my Demonic touch was momentary, but the inferno to come would never end. The bargain was struck. He belonged to me.

About the Author:

Drew Foote is 32 years old and currently lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He works full-time as a defense contractor and served 14 years in the United States Air Force. For more information, visit www.drewfoote.com Find the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Ashes-Drew-Foote-ebook/dp/B00UC7NIWS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8 Read Drew's thoughts on his website: www.drewfoote.com Connect with him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drewbfoote?ref=bookmarks