Reviews

Library Journal
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In the fast-paced sequel to Trussoni's New York Times best seller Angelology, angelologist Verlaine continues to be haunted by his encounters with Evangeline, a human girl turned angel. As he combats the rising dominance of the Gregori Nephilim, their paths will cross again. In a story entangling Russia's Romanov history, modern science, and divine mysticism, listeners whirl from action sequences to unlocked secrets and back again. Trussoni takes some liberties with the traditional hierarchy of angels. Newcomers may find this confusing and should begin with the first book. Narration by Edoardo Ballerini contains numerous, believable characters and accents. verdict Recommended for larger collections, particularly where the author's previous work has been well received or where fans of Elizabeth Kostova abound. ["Trussoni's unevenly paced second offering is not quite up to the standards set by her debut novel. Exciting skirmishes and conflicts are dragged down by extensive historical explanations, and the introduction of a new major character falls flat. Despite the inconsistencies, devotees of Trussoni's first novel will enjoy this continuation of the crusade to save humankind," read the less enthusiastic review of the Viking hc, LJ 3/15/13.-Ed.]-Lisa Anderson, Omaha P.L. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Filling their ranks with trained mercenaries, the once scholarly Society of Angelologists have entered into battle with the fallen angels in this sequel set ten years after the events in Angelology. V.A. Verlaine, a fully trained angel hunter, has never forgotten his lost love, Evangeline, whose transformation into an angel is a secret Verlaine has kept throughout the years. Now, a seemingly harmless Faberge egg that has fallen into Evangeline's possession places her in jeopardy. She entrusts it to Verlaine so that he may discover its secrets. This leads him and his companions on a trek across a bleak Siberian landscape. VERDICT Trussoni's unevenly paced second offering is not quite up to the standards set by her debut novel. Exciting skirmishes and conflicts are dragged down by extensive historical explanations, and the introduction of a new major character falls flat. Despite the inconsistencies, devotees of Trussoni's first novel will enjoy this continuation of the crusade to save humankind. [See Prepub Alert, 11/12/12.]-Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Fans of Trussoni's well-received Angelology (2010), set in a world where angels are real, should be satisfied with this sequel, but those looking for a consistent, well-thought-out alternative universe may be disappointed. In the book's present, art historian V.A. Verlaine, who 10 years earlier realized that his flawed vision allowed him to "see angel wings without extensive training," witnesses a mutilated angel's last moments as she lies dying on a Paris street in "a pool of electric blue blood." On the body, Verlaine is disturbed to find the New York driver's license of Evangeline Cacciatore, "the love of his life," who had turned into the sort of rogue angel that Verlaine now hunts. This murder marks the latest chapter in a centuries-old battle between humanity and the various categories of angels. Suspenseful actions scenes compensate only in part for thin characters, contrived situations, and Verlaine's perplexing turnaround in his attitude toward Evangeline at the end. 5-city author tour. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Sequel to the best-selling Angelology (2010), wherein a dedicated cadre of Angelologists battle the beautiful yet sadomasochistically evil angel-human hybrids who've controlled human affairs since Noah's flood. In Paris, angel hunter V.A. Verlaine searches for former nun Evangeline, once a normal, wingless, red-blooded human, now somehow metamorphosed into a winged, blue-blooded, angel-powered Nephilim. Evangeline presents Verlaine with a fabulous Faberg egg before allowing herself to be captured by Eno, the blackhearted, lesser-angel servant of the Grigori family, the most powerful Nephilim. Since Eno will convey Evangeline to the panopticon, the Grigoris' vast prison/research center in Siberia where she will face torture and experimentation, the egg is an important clue. Where better to research the egg, Verlaine reasons, than the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg? The egg, it emerges, contains the secret to an elixir that may prove decisive in the struggle against the Nephilim. Another key to the elixir is found in an old album of jottings and pressed flowers left by Rasputin, but some of the plants mentioned in the recipe are now extinct. But wait! Fortunately, Noah didn't just pack all the animals aboard his ark, he also grabbed plants and seeds! So, while Verlaine climbs aboard the train to Siberia to rescue Evangeline, his colleagues head for the Black Sea, where settlements flourished before Noah's flood. The plot, of which the foregoing is barely a hint, twisting itself into knots trying, and failing, not to contradict itself, and upon which an ordinary world beyond eggs, floods, documents, battling angels, pressed flowers and what-all barely impinges. Despite the frequent violence, the action consists largely of antagonists whose main objective, seemingly, is not to defeat, kill or seriously inconvenience their opponents. Expect pages and pages of abstruse discussion about Faberg eggs, Noah, genetics and angelic anatomy. Even Angelology addicts likely face disappointment. Then again, maybe not.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*Starred Review* This is a stunning follow-up to the best-seller Angelology. Ten years have passed since Verlaine watched his lover, Evangeline, take flight from the Brooklyn Bridge as her true self, an ancient species born of human and angel parents. Verlaine has spent the last decade learning to capture and torture all angel forms. Now, in the opening pages of Angelopolis, he is next to her again, so close he can feel the air swirling around her wings, smell the sweet fragrance of her skin. He knows he must capture, if not kill, her. Then, before his eyes, Evangeline is abducted and Verlaine is left to hunting for her and her captors. As his search progresses, the unfathomable starts to reveal itself: Evangeline's abductors have taken her to Angelopolis a mythical angel paradise. Part historical novel, fantasy, love story, thriller, and mystery all tied into one book that library patrons are sure to demand. It's a must-read.--Downs, Alison Copyright 2010 Booklist