Monday, 22 April 2013

Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly


Series: Angel, Book Two
Publisher: Usborne
Format: Paperback
Published: 1st October 2011

Number of Pages: 720
Book: Bought
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Thriller, Suspense, Action-Adventure, YA
Recommended Age: 13+
Contains: Violence, Death, Swearing, Alcohol, Smoking and Sexual References
No Drug References
Author's Site: L.A. Weatherly

Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels, and they will stop at nothing to destroy her.  Willow isn’t alone, though.  She has Alex by her side – a trained Angel Killer and her one true love.
But Willow will always be a half-angel, and when Alex joins forces with a group of AKs, she’s treated with mistrust and suspicion.  She’s never felt more alone… until she meets Seb.  He’s been searching for Willow his whole life – because Seb is a half-angel too.

Completely irresistible, Angel Fire is a stunning story of loyalty, conflict and love.  

                                                                   Review:
Willow is half-human, half-angel.  She’s not meant to exist.  Only she does.  And now that the angels know about her… now that there are even more of them than ever before…  Well, they are not happy about Willow’s existence – not happy at all.
But she has Alex, the boy she loves by her side.  As an Angel Killer, he's the best person to keep her safe as the Church of Angels ruthlessly hunt for her. 
And it's only going to get worse.  Among the second wave of angels were The Twelve: the oldest, most powerful angels around – the original angels.  And they will stop at nothing to kill her. 
So Willow and Alex head for Mexico, looking to start up a new band of Angel Killers.  It's there they find and join forces with the few surviving AKs... and it's there he two start to drift apart.  The AKs don't trust her, and Willow is struggling with her inner angel.  
And then she meets Seb.  He has been looking for Willow his whole life, desperate to find her and only her, desperate not to be alone anymore. 
Because Seb is a half-angel too.  And he believes that he and Willow belong together. 
Will the band survive long enough to kill The Twelve?  And If they do, will they all make it our alive - and with their hearts fully intact...?
I finished Angel and instantly bought Angel Fire.  The second it landed on my doorstep, I leaped on it like it was a book made of chocolate.  And I was just instantly hooked, two-hundred-and-fifty pages through before I even knew it.  It was so, so addictive.  I can't even really put my finger on why it was so hooking, but it was.  I gobbled it up in one go: it was so much fun!  And yes, there were niggles, but it really had more good points than bad ones.  And even the bad ones, somehow, didn’t bother me overly.
Like the love triangle.  Love triangles are like my biggest pet peeve in the world.  They always seem so needless, a way of adding suspense and plot when normally it isn't needed.  And then there's the whole teams thing, and I often end up being on the other side than my friends.  I remember years ago, my best friend and I arguing over Twilight Teams.  I, being firmly Team Edward, argued strongly about his merits, while she argued Jacob’s.  After many arguments, the only thing I conceded to was that in the movies, Jacob has his top off more and has lots of muscles.  I think she gave in to the fact that Edward would never hit on a girl who was with someone else.  Which leads to my other hatred: I hate the idea of someone getting hurt, even if they are just fictional.  And someone always gets hurt.  Always always always.  Angel Fire... no different.  Hurt.  God, too much hurt...  *sigh*
Now, those of you who've read my Angel review will know that I adore Alex.  God, he's just so... yum.  So Alex.  I just love him – his strength and determination and sweetness...  Just everything about him.  And how hard everything was on him just broke my heart.  I wanted to give him a big hug; I just love him so much
But nonetheless, I also really, really loved Seb.  He'd had such a hard life and he was so... Seb.  I admired the way he handled the situation, how sweet and funny he was.  His cheeky fictional tales killed me!  He was just really sweet and a brilliant character and I loved him too, though I’m still Team Alex…
Willow, I felt, came into her won in this one.  She was kinda more kickbutt and harder.  More willing to do the hard things that needed doing.  She was also sweet as ever and always there for Alex. I felt so bad, the way those others were treating her.  I was just like, ‘Hey! She's better than any of you gits!’  Cause it's true.  She is.  She’s such a sweet and great female lead.
But all the other characters...  Well, not a fan.  I absolutely hated all the other AKs because they were just so horrid to Willow, even though she'd done nothing wrong, ever.  It was like: ‘Oh, you were born like this so we hate you even though that's not who you really are.’  Kara in particular rubbed me up the wrong way.  As for the main baddie Raziel... well.  I hated him.  He was terrifying.  Dangerous.  Oddly petty for an ancient supernatural being...  *shudder*
But the relationship between Willow and Alex in this one... I preferred it, issues aside.  It was more real, more believable.  Slightly less sickly.  I just love the two of them – they just belong together, are so freaking cute together... Sigh.  The cuteness could kill me, though it was a lot better in this one... 
As for Willow and Seb.  Well, I hate love triangles and insta love but it all seemed to work in Angel Fire. I really liked the bond between the two of them: it was sweet, touching.  And you could get why the just click connected when you remember they are the only two of their kind ever (that we know off...).  And yes, I hated the triangle because I knew one of them would get hurt but in an odd way I can't imagine it being different.  As for how it turned out...  Well.  You're just gonna have to read and find out. 
Weatherly's writing is too awesome.  I love split perspectives and we had so many again in this!  First person Willow and then third person from Alex, Seb and Raziel, the angel we don't like at all. It was fascinating, reading from all their POVs: I loved it.  And Weatherly's writing is gorgeous too, though the split thing trumps that. 
The plot... well, it was slightly slower, often with loads of conflicted moments that were more of a psychological nature rather than a suspense one.  But when the action kicks off, when all the suspense starts, when everything got going... I dare you to put it down.  If you can, you have more willpower than I do, that's for sure.  As for that ending... Oh.  My.  Freaking.  God.  When is Angel Fever out?  Cause I need it so freaking bad it's untrue. 
But again may I just say how I love this world.  Angels that are bad, harmful, evil... I haven't come across anything so original since the zombies in the Revenant series or the vampires in VA.  It's just so freaking awesome!  Squee and yay to Weatherly's world!  I could literally happy dance for how refreshing and different and awesome it is!
So yes, Angel Fire had its setbacks just like Angel did.  But it also had believable and wonderful character growth, an awesome and exciting plot, gorgeous and addictive writing, and the coolest angel world ever known to man.  Plus, it’s fun.  So, so, so much fun.  And, really, that’s all you want in a paranormal isn’t it?  Besides, that suspense, that excitement, those characters.  Oh, I could just gobble it all up.  Hey, I did!  I read this seven hundred page bad boy in a matter of sittings.  And I so recommend it to everyone.  All paranormal lovers everywhere.  Just get past the niggles and enjoy.  Cause it's awesome!  Now when's Angel Fever out?  Gimme gimme gimme! 
Man.  I so badly have angel burn… 

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5




Read this book if you liked:
Shadows by Paula Weston
Immortal City by Scott Speer
Fallen by Lauren Kate
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Revenants by Amy Plum



Challenges It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading
Megan

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I want to read "Angel fire" :) Could you tell me how many chapters has got this book? :)
Great review!