Tagged: michael
Sins of the Warrior by Linda Poitevin
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Heaven and Hell are at war
The clock is ticking
Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis’s niece is missing and pregnant with Lucifer’s child, her sister has descended into madness, and the human race has begun a relentless spiral toward self-destruction that Alex is desperate to stop. Now Michael, the Archangel she holds responsible for Earth’s plight, has returned—and he’s demanding her help to track a missing god.
Heaven is losing
Fighting for the very survival of his own realm—and that of humanity—Michael’s only chance to defeat Hell lies in returning Heaven’s long-lost daughter to her throne before it’s too late. But first he’ll have to convince Alex to help him—and to keep her out of Seth’s clutches long enough for her to do so.
There can be no right choices
In a desperate bid to save both their worlds, Alex and Michael must put aside their animosity and find a way to work together in the face of increasingly impossible decisions…and unimaginable sacrifices.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
One of the things I’ve found in a lot of books is that if the main character’s ‘soulmate’ dies, they come back by some miracle or were never actually dead in the first place. But oddly enough, the Grigori Legacy doesn’t play with those rules as it’s not the sort of book to have a cut-and-dry good versus evil plot. It definitely doesn’t follow the conventions of the urban fantasy genre and despite missing the ‘soulmate’ in question, I personally wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sins of the Warrior is the darkest book yet in a series of quite dark books. Alex has to make some awful choices: does she pursue the daughter of God as asked by Michael in order to balance Seth’s power or does she try to focus on saving humanity, starting with her niece who has only days to live? It’s a brutal push-and-pull dynamic and Alex has to make absolutely unthinkable decisions. I can’t go into much detail without spoiling some of the shocking twists, but needless to say she has to choose between a) saving humanity in exchange for a possible eternity in Hell if Seth nabs her and b) letting the angels and the Fallen battle it out without her so she can save her niece from certain death. Again, if you’ve read the previous two books it’s not that hard to predict what Alex chooses, especially given her current state of mind.
The thing I love about Linda Poitevin’s Grigori Legacy is that despite the whole Heaven and Hell existing thing, there is no clear good and evil. Her God (a woman, no less) is a benevolent creator who gave people free will but arguably takes it a little too far when it comes to not monitoring what Lucifer plots in Hell because she loves him so much. Her Heaven is one where angels had free will before the fall but had it give it up (along with their soulmates) afterward because God couldn’t bear more of her angels defecting to Lucifer. Poitevin’s God isn’t one who is cruel or overly nice; she simply is. And she has flaws of her own, just like her creations. These are some fascinating characterizations that I’m sure will be very controversial among certain sects but they’re refreshing nevertheless.
Alex goes through a lot in this book. With her newly gained immortality that she never wanted and the end of the world looming over her as the Naphilim grow, she’s teetering on the edge of insanity. Yet she still soldiers through with seemingly no regard for her own welfare in a desperate attempt to save everyone that she can, even if it means working beside those she despises, like Michael. We also get to see some chapters from Michael’s perspective as he wrestles with keeping Alex sane while knowing if she loses her sanity it may be the kindest thing for her because of what she (and the rest of humanity) faces. Michael was never a sympathetic character in the first three books but Linda Poitevin does an amazing job with his characterization in this last book. He too goes through quite a bit by the end of the novel.
Basically, if you’ve read the first three books, you’ll probably love Sins of the Warrior. I know I did. You’ll be up reading into the wee hours of the morning much like I was in an attempt to find out how Alex’s story finally does end.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Sins of the Son by Linda Poitevin
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis sees a photo of Seth Benjamin on a police bulletin, she knows that Heaven’s plan to halt Armageddon has gone terribly wrong. As the only mortal who knows of Seth’s true nature, only she can save him. Aramael was a hunter of Fallen Angels until a traitor forced him into earthly exile. Now, with no powers and only a faint memory of Alex, his mortal soulmate, he will stop at nothing to redeem himself-even if it means destroying Seth in the name of the Creator…
[Full disclosure: I was originally supposed to review this for the Sins of the Lost blog tour, but my books got lost in the postal system. So now I’m reviewing it after the tour and, as always, my review is honest.]
After that massive cliffhanger at the end of Sins of the Angels I was very, very eager to get my hands on the second book. I had to know what happened to Alex and Aramael. Would they get back together and if they did, could it ever be the same for the two? Seeing as I’m actually emotionally invested in this novel, particularly the relationship between the two, I just had to know.
I wasn’t disappointed in Linda Poitevin either. She manages to juggle a couple of different viewpoints while at the same time writing a complicated story, plot-wise and character-wise. Seeing as I’m a huge fan of characters with depth, I’ll start with the latter.
Alex is a very different person from the one we met at the beginning of Sins of the Angels. Her love for Aramael changed her and honestly, it’s for the better. Despite the fact that he’s been banished and she may never see him again, she’s a much more accepting and tolerant person. The patience she showed with Seth later on would never have occurred at the beginning of Sins of the Angels. I was just astonished by how much she really does change throughout the novel because she goes through some pretty awful things. Still, Alex stays true to herself and I love her for that.
Aramael is changed as well. He’s immortal but without his powers and so he ends up on the receiving end of quite a few of the Fallen’s wrath. He gets kicked around and killed frequently in the beginning, until the enigmatic archangel Michael is introduced. From there on, Aramael’s character is so changed it’s almost like he’s a different person, more devoted to his mission to find Alex. I can’t say much more without giving things away, but Aramael is not perfect and sometimes his emotions get in the way of doing what’s best in a given situation.
I’m the sort of person that tries to predict the ending of books about halfway through. Usually I’m right, but in Sins of the Son I had no idea what was going to happen. Linda Poitevin had so many twists and turns in the plot that I was left reeling from the emotional shock by the end. She spares her characters no pain and has obviously planned the trilogy out well because all of the plot twists make sense.
If you read the first book and loved it, I’d highly recommend Sins of the Son. If you haven’t read the first book yet, go out and buy it now! If you love romance, awesome characters, great world-building and unpredictable plots you can’t go wrong with this trilogy.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
From the Ashes by K.L. Kerr
(Cover picture courtesy of K. L. Kerr’s website.)
For a simple eternity, all Michael Roman has to do is let it all go: the mystery surrounding his maker’s murder, the memory of his mortal life, and the basic idea that killing is wrong.
“From the Ashes” chronicles Michael’s early vampire life spent fighting on the Tournament circuit and falling for another vampire’s familiar.
This is a Blood of Ages Companion Novel. It can be read independently of or in addition to the Blood of Ages series by K.L. Kerr; if reading as part of the series, it is advised to read at any point after “The Genesis (Blood of Ages, #1)”.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
In The Genesis we got to see Fox through the eyes of another person. But in some ways I actually like the companion novel From the Ashes even better because we get to see Michael’s evolution from regular guy to Fox, the toughened Tournament fighter.
The plot is not exactly fast-paced in the beginning because it focuses more on Michael’s character and his transformation to a vampire. Of course in the beginning he has no idea he’s a vampire until the mysterious Vincent rescues him from a police officer determined to turn him in to the ACA. After that the plot is a little slow while Michael gains his bearings in this terrifying new world of vampires. But then the plot starts to pick up when Vincent decides it’s time Michael became useful and throws him into the Tournaments to prove his fighting capabilities.
It’s there that poor Michael meets Amy, who is the familiar of Chino, the Tournament organizer. Falling for another vampire’s familiar isn’t exactly the greatest thing to do and it explains why Michael is so distant toward Catrina in The Genesis. Sometimes companion novels or novellas don’t really add any backstory or greater understanding of the world of the original novels, but this is certainly not the case with From the Ashes.
Sure, I suppose you could read From the Ashes before you read The Genesis, but then The Genesis won’t be nearly as awesome if you already know Fox’s tragic backstory. I don’t think reading From the Ashes will be required to understand the second book in Blood of Ages, but it certainly gives Fox and Dayson city a lot more depth. If you loved the first book, I highly recommend reading this companion novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
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Ignite by Erica Crouch
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.
As Hell prepares for war – spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army – the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.
With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
I had mixed feelings about Ignite. On one hand, Erica Crouch overturned many old YA tropes in the course of her novel, especially ones about Heaven and Hell. On the other hand, she used a trope that I’m really starting to get tired of: immortals behaving like awkward teenagers.
Okay, so Michael is the archangel who comes back to life after being killed and having his soul trapped in Hell for a long time. Pen is a demon who is tasked with keeping him busy while her brother Azael helps Lilith start the apocalypse on Earth. Naturally, this leads you to assume that Pen and Michael will fall in love with each other and I don’t think it’s that big of a spoiler to say that yes, they fall in love. And yes, I know it’s okay for Michael to be so awkward because he has no memories of his past life but there’s no excuse for Pen. Yes, it’s her first time in love, but she’s thousands of years old! You would think she’d be a little less naive.
So other than the whole unbelievable forbidden romance angle, Pen was a decent enough character. She’s flawed but her love for her brother makes her sympathetic, even if her naivete is frustrating at times. I would have liked to see her struggle more over her changing views of Heaven and Hell, but I think that’s more of a personal preference than anything. Her backstory and her actions make her reasonably believable, though.
What I really enjoyed about Ignite is how Erica Crouch dissected some of the old Heaven and Hell tropes, particularly about the nature of the battle between the two. She raises questions about what led to Lucifer’s rebellion without really taking one side or the other, which was a nice change. She also managed to write about the looming threat of the apocalypse without making it feel like one of the many terrible documentaries the History Channel airs regularly about the apocalypse. For that alone, I love her writing.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.