Twisted Kingdom

This is amazing, I actually read books by the same author in the same month. Normally I can't do that, I like variety. But, I read Archangel earlier this month, and now I have just finished book two in the Samaria trilogy, Jovah's Angel. I am trying to decide if I should read another book by her, or wait until next month. If I read too much by one author, I tend to get bored. We will have to see.

From the back of the book:

In ARCHANGEL, Sharon Shinn introduced readers to a beautiful, distant future where the fate of a world rested in the voice of an angel. Her novel garnered widespread praise and added to her reputation as a daring, award-winning new voice.

Now Shinn returns to Samaria one hundred fifty years later, where great storms and floods sweep down upon the land. And even the splendid voices of the angels - raised in cannot reach the god Jovah...

You always run the risk with trilogies that book two is not as good as book one, but I found this story just as compelling as Archangel. By the end of the book, I didn't want the story to end, but at the same time, I wanted to know how it ended. I was sitting on the edge of my seat as I was finishing the last few pages.

When I wrote my review of the previous book I read of hers, it lead to a discussion of if you are not religious, will these books still be good for you. I have to say a very whole-hearted yes, especially now that I have read this one. They are more a novel questioning religion than confirming it. It is something that people go through all the time, trying to figure out what god really is and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. In this novel, the Angels are calling out to Jovah and for some reason he is unable to hear them, so they find they must try and figure out why. This results in angels and mortals alike testing their beliefs and trying to decide just what they believe in.

Alleluia is the archangel in this novel. She is the second best leader, though, because the previous archangel got her wing damaged in a storm, and lost her ability to fly. So, she is off trying to deal with the loss of her mobility, and don't worry, we see a lot of this, while Alleluia is attempting to take over the reins. Not intending to ever need to become the Archangel, it takes her quite some time to adjust to this new assignment. She also faces what Gabriel faced in Archangel; trying to find the man that Jovah wants her to marry and sing beside her at the Gloria (the big musical celebration of the unity of the people of Samaria).

This is a very interesting book, and a very interesting way to look at the effects of electricity on society and just what "god" really is. Then, there are lots of little stories in the bigger ones that are equally as interesting. Plus, it has been 150 years since we were on Samaria, so things have changed in some aspects. I must admit, I sort of wished that Gabriel and his angela were still alive. They were interesting characters, but that faded as I got into the novel. I strongly suggest this book.

4.5/5