Blood and Feathers (Blood and Feathers, #1)

Sep 29, 2012 Book Whales rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally posted @ Book Whales

I want to read this book because of the cover and blurb. It was creepy in good way and I love angels. I have this gut feeling that the book would be kick-ass, which it is. Blood and Feathers did not disappoint me. It was action packed and infused with shocking revelations that will blow your mind.

The story started in a gruesome way. Yep, Alice was with her father when 2 angels came to visit. Her father was killed right then and there by an invisible force (Neck was...more

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Nov 03, 2012 JJ DeBenedictis rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has pretty great prose; it slurps you in and is easy to read. I also thought the main character was nicely spirited and spunky; she's always questioning and talking back to the angels who try to tell her what to do.

Where the book failed, for me, was in how I kept feeling slightly let down by it. I kept thinking that characters were going to turn out to be more awesome than they actually did turn out to be, or I thought situations would be tenser and more explosive than they wound up be...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Madeline Knight-Dixon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is everything I wanted it to be and more. Sharp, fast-paced, intricate, and just a little heartbreaking while still incredibly funny. Angels seem to be the new area that the urban fantasy genre is really into exploring, but I think so far this is my favorite take on the subject.

The angels are probably the most accurate portrayal I’ve seen-soldiers. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe God has an opinion about your soul, but the angels don’t. Not even the fallen ones. And yet at the same t...more This book is everything I wanted it to be and more. Sharp, fast-paced, intricate, and just a little heartbreaking while still incredibly funny. Angels seem to be the new area that the urban fantasy genre is really into exploring, but I think so far this is my favorite take on the subject.

The angels are probably the most accurate portrayal I’ve seen-soldiers. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe God has an opinion about your soul, but the angels don’t. Not even the fallen ones. And yet at the same time they’re not these deceptively evil entities. Ambitious? Sure. Foolish? Sometimes. Proud? Definitely. But not evil. I think that’s the mistake these types of books tend to make. This book not only avoided that, it completely crushed those expectations I had as a reader.

The heroine is definitely someone worth cheering for. For once it isn’t the “with great power comes great responsibility and a whole lot of control over something you just realized you had” nonsense. In fact for most of the book she has no control over the power she discovers she has. The entire function of the angels is to push her into accepting this power before she is ready for it, and then throwing her into (literally) the depths of hell and expecting her to be a hero.

So naturally she’s sarcastic and bitter throughout the whole book. But as her back story unfurls you find someone so broken and vulnerable, that by the end of the book I found MYSELF proud of the choices she’s made with all she’s fighting against both internally and externally. It’s not often that you find a heroine in a book that you feel made choices you wouldn’t have been strong enough to make, and when I do find them I can’t help but love them.

This book is also refreshing because it’s urban fantasy without the over-sexed element. It’s gritty, brilliantly thought out, and without a doubt written for adults without having to throw in as much sex as possible. Definitely at the top of my list of trilogies I’m excited about the next installment.

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Jul 25, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/07/...

When Alice comes home to find two strange men in the house with her father, she doesn’t know what to think. When a pair of hands reach down from the ceiling and snap her father’s neck, all hell breaks loose. Something is coming. Something big. And it wants Alice. Luckily, she’s got Gwyn and Mallory on her side. They insist she’s in danger and can trust them, and when she sees the spread of their wings, a new reality comes...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/07/...

When Alice comes home to find two strange men in the house with her father, she doesn’t know what to think. When a pair of hands reach down from the ceiling and snap her father’s neck, all hell breaks loose. Something is coming. Something big. And it wants Alice. Luckily, she’s got Gwyn and Mallory on her side. They insist she’s in danger and can trust them, and when she sees the spread of their wings, a new reality comes crashing down on her. There’s a war brewing in the realm of the angels, and the Morningstar is at the center of it. Turns out Alice is a half-born (half angel, half human), which makes her a hot commodity (in more ways than one) to the Fallen. Gwyn is an Earthbound, which means his wings have been clipped and he’s been exiled to Earth to carry out his sentence. His crimes aren’t detailed at first, but suffice it to say he made a few bad decisions. Mallory is a Descended, which any angel that comes to Earth is called. Gwyn is assigned to watch over Mallory, much to Mallory’s chagrin, and Mallory is in charge of Alice. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Alice will need all the help she can get, and with a team of angels in her corner, what can possibly go wrong?

For years, the Fallen have been opening hellmouths and taking thousands of people, whole families, down into the depths of hell. This overabundance of souls has tipped the balance in hell’s favor, and it’s all about balance. Alice is the key to restoring balance and Mallory, Gwyn, and Co. must train her to use her powers as a half-born in order to stop the hellmouth machine and bring order back. Little does Alice know, there’s more at work here, and revelations about her mother, Lucifer, and the rest of the angels will soon come to light, and it will change the stakes. Alice won’t be going to Wonderland. Instead, she’ll be descending into the freezing depths of hell alone. A clash of fire and ice is coming, and a war will be waged at the bone gates of hell, while Alice struggles to come to terms with her power, and her destiny.

I’ll be the first to admit that so far, with the recent popularity of angel themed books, I haven’t been all that impressed with some of the offerings, but I loved this book. Mallory is a slovenly, hard drinking, gun toting, smart mouthed angel with plenty of attitude, and I loved him. Vin, her angelic bodyguard, follows a close second, and Alice is a strong, brave heroine who’s had to deal with plenty of backlash in her life because of her otherness, and has always blamed herself for her mother’s abandonment. Can you imagine the news that you will have to go to hell and use your newfound powers to restore the balance in order to save humanity? If you’re a fan of Mike Shevdon’s Courts of the Feyre series, you’ll find much to love in this wonderful debut. Lou Morgan has a gift for visuals, and the final battle with the Fallen is something to behold. She expertly weaves fantasy and horror elements into a creepy, exciting, roller coaster ride of a book. Lou Morgan’s angels aren’t warm, fluffy, and halo’d, either. They’re fiercely beautiful warriors, and distinctly “other.” The angel mythos is fascinating and rich, and the author has laid the groundwork for what promises to be an explosive sequel. Luckily, Blood and Feathers: Rebellion is out in 2013, and I’ll be the first in line for it!(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book because of the author. I’ve read a couple of her short stories and enjoyed them. I also follow her on Twitter. I find that if an author comes across as witty and smart in their tweets then I’ll probably find that in their books too. I tend not to read much YA, but when I do I am usually surprised at how much I enjoy them. There is a lesson there in not judging a book by the genre.

The story is based on the battle between Angels and The Fallen. Don’t panic if you are an atheist...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Alice isn’t having the best of days – late for work, missed the bus, and now she’s getting rained on – but it’s about to get worse.

The war between the angels and the Fallen is escalating and innocent civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire. If the balance is to be restored, the angels must act – or risk the Fallen taking control. Forever. That’s where Alice comes in. Hunted by the Fallen and guided by Mallory – a disgraced angel with a drinking problem he doesn’t want to fix – Alice will...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blood and Feathers is a confident debut from author Lou Morgan.

Working on the premise that the War between Heaven and Hell is starting to gather momentum, the main character Alice finds herself stuck smack dab in the middle of it. Far from being asked to pick a side, it becomes abundantly and immediately clear that both sides have plans for her, and neither seems overly worried about her opinion on the matter.

It’s a tricky balance, but Morgan handles the telling with aplomb. Sailing the course b...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Butterfly marked it as to-read

YES, unbelieveable but still true Katy is reading an Angel book again...to you who thought nobody could make her do that well you get it wrong 'cause I JUST DID IT !!! LOL !!!

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Aug 19, 2012 Ornella rated it 4 of 5 stars

If I had to use one word to describe this book it would Strange, but it was a good strange. The start was pretty rocky and I know a couple of people who gave up on it because of it, I only kept reading cause it was just so strange I had to find out what was going on, and that's basically what kept me going through the first half of the book.

The MC, Alice, was soo wishy washy...It's like she was in shock or something throughout most of the book, she just goes along with everything and barely que...more If I had to use one word to describe this book it would Strange, but it was a good strange. The start was pretty rocky and I know a couple of people who gave up on it because of it, I only kept reading cause it was just so strange I had to find out what was going on, and that's basically what kept me going through the first half of the book.

The MC, Alice, was soo wishy washy...It's like she was in shock or something throughout most of the book, she just goes along with everything and barely questions what is going on. I get the Angels were being incredibly evasive with everything AND underhanded, sneaky little bastards really, but mygod, everyone kept saying how important Alice was, but she just takes it anyway! She doesn't use it for her advantage. She only gets somewhat of a backbone by the last 1/3rd of the book, and her being the 'secret weapon' it makes for a very disappointing one.

Alice's lack of kick-assness for the majority of the book aside, the single most frustrating and annoying thing were the Angels. They were sneaky, evasive, underhanded, manipulative and just plain assholes. They were so bad I was rooting for the Fallen, which is saying something seeing as how they torture people for fun. I was so happy when they got what they deserved by the end :D

The turning point for me in the story was when Alice goes down to Hell, now that's when the good stuff starts (which is like halfway through the book). The descriptions of the levels of hell, the punishments, the cold gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'when hell freezes over'. This is when Morgan's unique writing style really shines, and the epic battle that takes place is pretty damn awesome. Everything more or less gets explained at the end, and it was incredibly satisfying when Micheal dishes out the punishment, it totally made up for my wanting to beat up some of them throughout the book *cough*Gywn*cough*Gabriel*cough*. Divine retribution at it's best!

So, for those of you who gave up during the first half, try to soldier on, because the second half totally makes up for it.(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Kim Heimbuch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: citybook, owned-hardcopy

Poor Alice lost her mom when she was 6 and has now just watched her dad get murdered as she stood right in front of him. Half fae half human, Alice has no idea Angels actually exist and that she holds the key to saving them all. With the Fallen angels trying to get their hands on her and the Angels trying to send her to hell, she has been give a guardian unlike no other to watch over her. Mallory is a a disgraced Angel who loves to drink and has been tasked with watching over Alice. If that does

...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Jamie Welch rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll say first that this was an alright read, somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 rating, and mostly because the beginning of this story was so convoluted and confusing I felt lost. I have a few issues with this book, mostly they are all in the first 1/3 of the book so I guess I'll just go down the line..

First, Alice was a very wishy washy character. Alice never questioned or reacted to any of the events that were u folding all around her. She never questioned, never had any intense reaction. Most no...more

I'll say first that this was an alright read, somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 rating, and mostly because the beginning of this story was so convoluted and confusing I felt lost. I have a few issues with this book, mostly they are all in the first 1/3 of the book so I guess I'll just go down the line..

First, Alice was a very wishy washy character. Alice never questioned or reacted to any of the events that were u folding all around her. She never questioned, never had any intense reaction. Most normal people who are faced with angels, devils and death would either freak out in some way. She never seemed like a believable character to me which made things difficult from the start. Even towards the end where she's supposed to be some super weapon, she seemed more like a whiny little girl, lost and confused.

The beginning was very vague for me. Where is this taking place? When is this taking place? I didn't understand what had happened to Alice's Mom/Family (yes you find out in the end, but it's like stumbling in the dark). I didn't, still kinda don't understand, where the mother and children fit into anything in the first chapter. I honestly thought that that was Alice's family because there is no transition or explanation between the first chapter and the next when we meet Alice. Is this the future? Same time? What the hell is going on?

This might be a small gripe but I found that most of the characters had little to no description. The author did very little to tell you what this characters looked like, so I mostly made it up myself, which is find, I have a healthy imagination, I just found it strange.

The conversations in the book often times didn't make any since to me. The characters, mostly the angels, would be having a conversation or giving an explanation and I only felt more confused like listening to only half a conversation. The author didn't do a very good job of explains things. Maybe you want you angels to seem vague or whatever but it left your readers confused also, not a good thing.

I also didn't get the whole references to Alice in Wonderland thing. It was just that, references. I don't get what the author was trying to do there. In no way is this book like Alice in Wonderland. At all. Going into hell is like going down the rabbit hole? I don't know if she intentionally wanted the references to Alice in Wonderland, but that story path was lost on me.

I did like the whole unique take on the whole battle between heaven and hell thing. This story is weird and I kinda like that about it. Blood and Feathers sort of reminds me of the Prophecy series (with Christopher Walkin), although a very poorly done one. The interpretation of angels in this book are unique, flawed, dangerous, sociopathic soldiers. These angels are not fluffy angels here to protect mankind, they are there to keep hell from spilling out. They fight for a purpose, and they fall, wither it be for love, belief or reason.

I guess I can say that overall, I did like this book. I had to struggle through the first maybe half and nothing seemed to make any sense until the end when everything went down. But I still like it for the weird, unique take that it was. I will most likely read the next book, solely because I am intrigued, but I just hope she does a better job of it than this one.
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Sep 23, 2012 Robert Higgs rated it 4 of 5 stars

The debut novel from Lou Morgan, 'Blood and Feathers' tells the story of Alice, who's life is changed forever when she learns her mother was an angel, and is plunged headlong into the war between the Angels and the Fallen. As a 'half-born' of both human and angel, she is a potential weapon for both sides that could tip the balance of the war in their favour. She is rescued by the Angels from being taken by the Fallen, yet these are not your usual 'harps and halos' bunch - they are soldiers of Go...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Trudi rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Supernatural, The Prophecy and Legion

Shelves: angels-and-demons, series, urban-fantasy, 2013-reads, on-my-kobo

"I can't be an angel. I'm a librarian. That's absurd."

"You? One of heaven's brutes. Unthinking drones, that's all you ever were, and all you'll ever be. A coward who didn't even have the courage to stand with us and Fall. Now look at you! Neutered. A little puppy dog waiting for its master to throw it a scrap."

I came across this one quite by accident poking around looking for something else. Anything with blood and feathers in the title is going to get my attention. Not because I have anything...more

"I can't be an angel. I'm a librarian. That's absurd."

"You? One of heaven's brutes. Unthinking drones, that's all you ever were, and all you'll ever be. A coward who didn't even have the courage to stand with us and Fall. Now look at you! Neutered. A little puppy dog waiting for its master to throw it a scrap."

I came across this one quite by accident poking around looking for something else. Anything with blood and feathers in the title is going to get my attention. Not because I have anything against birds, mind you; this has much more to do with my on-going fascination with bad-ass angels and when they get to warring with each other in a most epic way and humans are caught in the crossfire.

I could blame all the Catholic catechisms I was forced to endure as a restless child who would have much rather been reading Stephen King, but no. Quite simply, if you extract all of the awesome potential of these creatures away from the sticky, rigid confines of religious canon, what you end up with is a tremendous mythology to fuel a thousand stories and then some. Vampires? Werewolves? Fairies? Shapeshifters? Piss on that. Give me glorious, prideful, warring Angels and their Fallen Brethren any day of the week (and twice on Wednesdays when the CW's Supernatural airs).

This isn't one of the best angel/demon books I've read, but I did enjoy parts of it very much. Lou Morgan has set up her "world" and the rules that govern it quite nicely. I liked her application of angel lore. Figuring out the differences between Earthbounds, Fallen, and Descendeds kept me interested for the first half, and her vision of Hell and its frigid, demented landscape kept me turning the pages for the second half.

Where this one is lacking for me is with character and dialogue. If you're going to introduce Archangels and Lucifer, you better give them some awesome things to say. They shouldn't speak (or act) like anybody else. Just about everything that pours out of their mouths should raise the hairs on the back of your neck. There was a little touch of that, but not nearly enough for my liking. For comic relief, Vin is adorable, but I've seen his character done many times before, and done better. Alice and Mallory should have more chemistry. In fact, for all the main characters I kept expecting to feel more. Even when Alice descends into Hell itself I didn't feel worried or afraid ... just curious, as in ... this should be interesting.

The series shows promise however, and I'll probably seek out the next book. Blood and Feathers is very cinematic and plot-driven. I can see it making a decent movie.

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Jul 30, 2012 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fantasy

As we've recently established I'm a sucker for a great cover, it'll come as no surprise that I love the cover for Blood and Feathers. Pye Parr did a stunning job on this one. Lou Morgan's debut novel is my second read this year that featured angels after Chris F. Holm's Dead Harvest , only this time we were definitely on the side of the angels. However, by choosing as main viewpoint that of the ostensibly human Alice, Morgan is able to create a little doubt in the mind of the reader on whether t...more As we've recently established I'm a sucker for a great cover, it'll come as no surprise that I love the cover for Blood and Feathers. Pye Parr did a stunning job on this one. Lou Morgan's debut novel is my second read this year that featured angels after Chris F. Holm's Dead Harvest , only this time we were definitely on the side of the angels. However, by choosing as main viewpoint that of the ostensibly human Alice, Morgan is able to create a little doubt in the mind of the reader on whether the heavenly angels truly are the good guys.

One of the best things about the book for me was Morgan's intricate angelic hierarchy which ran from heaven to hell and back. From the Archangels down to the Fallen, who are of course led by Lucifer, we meet several sorts of angels. There are the Fallen, who dwell in hell; the Twelve, who are Lucifer's main generals; the Earthbounds, angels who had their wings clipped because of some trespass and need to serve out their time on earth as if they are in some sort of angelic purgatory and during their time there mentor the halfbloods; The Descended, angels who oversee the Earthbound and interact with mortals; the Travellers, angels who travel to earth to live among mortals as humans to report back to heaven about what it is like to be human. And these are not even all the sorts of angels we meet, in fact, it feels like there are even more we haven't met yet, ones that Morgan could just pull out in the next book. The angels are divided into Choirs, tribes led by the five Archangels, based on their powers. In the back of the book there are even reproductions of the sigils that mark each angel or halfblood as belong to a certain Choir, based on the Enochian script developed by Dr. Dee. Morgan has clearly done a lot of research and there is a sense we only see a fragment of the mythos she's created for her world.

This world is our modern world, though it's never quite clear where exactly the story takes place, not even whether it's the US or the UK. In a sense, the world above ground is very much only a backdrop to the story, a surface for Alice and company to walk on, to rest their heads when needed and to interact with each other. Morgan's true world building is set in hell, in the different levels we travel through and in the shape angelic, and Fallen, powers manifest. Like her creation of her angelic hierarchy, hell seems a place where a lot of detail is still hidden in shadow waiting for Morgan to reveal it at a later date. Similarly, we don't visit heaven, but if it were possible to enter a book and explore its universe on your own, we could just walk in there and find it fully formed.

In addition to some fabulous mythos-creation and world building – or should that be hell building – Morgan gifts us with some memorable heroes. Alice, the main character, is strong and despite all that happens to her certainly isn't a victim. She doesn't take her fate lying down and keeps questioning everything the angels and the Fallen tell her. I loved her spunk and her snark. She also had great chemistry with Mallory and Vin, two of the most important secondary characters. I loved their banter, they reminded me of some of my favourite snarky characters, such as Buffy and her scooby gang, Castle and Beckett and Fiddler and Hedge. And refreshingly, there was no hint of a romance, let me repeat that, no romance anywhere in the narrative. Not that I'm opposed to romance in my reading, but in urban fantasy a strong romance thread is almost cliché. There is also a lot still to discover about our protagonists, such as Mallory's history, Vin's history, and what exactly did Alice do in her past that makes her so leery of alcohol. So there is plenty of ground still to cover character-building wise in further books.

Of course, a story can't stand on background building and characters alone; they have to do something as well. Luckily, Blood and Feathers has a great plot, which kept me hostage until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, otherwise I would have finished it in a day. There were great twisty-turny happenings, though there were one or two twists I'd seen coming. From the moment Alice steps inside out of the rain until the final line of the coda, the story flies past, it never loses pace, without going so fast that it leaves the reader breathless and confused. Blood and Feathers is a great debut novel, in which Morgan displays a distinctive voice and a great sense of humour. If you're looking for a fun, smartly written read, you can't go wrong with Blood and Feathers. The book will be out from Solaris later this week.

This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Antonia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it, to begin with. First, I thought Alice was some sort of weak human, another character like many others. Well, no. She was awesome, I have to say, she had her words with her, and she was in fire! :) Mallory was my favourite. That tough Earthbound was amazing. Even Lucifer was a bit afraid of him. He was insane after all. Fighting Fallen was like drinking for him. And he was good at both.
So, Alice meets Gwyn -asshole!- and Mallory who tell her she is half angel and half human. This is...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Aleksander Cristea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blood and Feathers is one of those books I simply don’t know how to write a review of. Why, you ask? Because there is one word that to me feels like it sums up the entirety of the book: perfect. But ‘perfect’ isn’t much of a review, so I am going to have to put away my fanboy grin for a bit, and attempt to explain why I feel this way about this book.

Set in the modern world, Blood and Feathers aims—and manages—to offer a difference in a genre where detectives, wizards, vampires, and werewolves ar...more Blood and Feathers is one of those books I simply don’t know how to write a review of. Why, you ask? Because there is one word that to me feels like it sums up the entirety of the book: perfect. But ‘perfect’ isn’t much of a review, so I am going to have to put away my fanboy grin for a bit, and attempt to explain why I feel this way about this book.

Set in the modern world, Blood and Feathers aims—and manages—to offer a difference in a genre where detectives, wizards, vampires, and werewolves are usually centre stage. It tells an old story: that of the war in between Heaven and Hell. Apart from the fact that this isn’t really like any story of the war in between the two that you have ever read about.

Alice is a normal girl, at least as far as she knows, with a normal job and, as far as possible when images she can’t explain haunt her from her childhood, a normal life. But her world is about to be turned upside down when two angels turn up at her house, and she witnesses her father being murdered. She is dragged into a war that, as far as she knows, she has nothing to do with.

But Alice is a half-angel—daughter of an angel and a priest—and she has an important job to do, whether she is ready for it or not. With Hellmouths opening up everywhere, Hell is tipping the balance in its favour, and the angels, Earthbound, Descended, or otherwise, aren’t about to let that happen.

With Mallory—an Earthbound with a troubled past and a drinking problem—as her guide and mentor, Alice must come to terms with her power if she is to accomplish the task that is set in front of her. But when one must venture into Hell, there are obstacles that no one can prepare you for what you’re going to find, and Alice must face herself and her fears if she is to come outthe other side, having completed her task, without Falling once and for all.

The action takes place in an unnamed modern city, and the lack of places and dates only adds to the fantastical quality of the book. It could be happening anywhere, right outside our door, for all we know, and it adds a certain power to the story.

Alice is a wonderful character that doesn’t need tight leather or kick-ass fight scenes to take centre stage as a strong female lead. She is lost in a world she does not understand, but she does her best to adapt and understand those around her. She is human, in the best of ways; flawed and all the stronger for it.

Mallory was by far my favourite angel of the book, Earthbound and dejected, with a drinking problem and the mind of a soldier, he is Alice’s mentor as she learns to control the astonishing power she possesses. He is both kind and harsh, motivated and a little bit cynical, and more than anything he wants to be given a chance to atone for his mistakes.

Blood and Feathers is wonderfully, beautifully written, with amazing characterisation and some of the most realistic dialogues I have read in a long time. Angels aren’t all white here, but neither are the Fallen all black, and the plot is enthralling from the get-go. The main cast is colourful, diverse, and likeable, and carry the plot effortlessly forward, never breaking the pace of the book. One of the twists at the end even had me staring at the page in disbelief and anger!

Blood and Feathers is definitely one of the best books I have read this year, and definitely will be one of those stories I go back to when my mood darkens and I need a bit of a pick me up. Morgan’s debut left me enthralled, cheering, excited, and surprised, and never once disappointed. I only wish it had been longer, or that the sequel was out already, because no sooner had I turned the last page, that I already missed Alice, Mallory, and the rest of the cast around them.

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Jan 01, 2013 Shehreyar Khan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons-angels, 2013, paranormal, urban, young-adult, master-apprentice, fantasy, favorites, mythology, female-pov

This is perhaps the best angel/demon/heaven/hell book I've read to date; I don't understand why it isn't more popular. Looking forward to the second one.

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Jan 25, 2013 Jason Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels-and-demons

"Blood and Feathers" is the debut novel from Lou Morgan, and a fine debut it is. Charming, witty, and action-packed are only a few adjectives to best describe "Blood and Feathers." Coming in at 283 pages, it doesn't take long to read, and I found myself wishing it were longer. The follow-up "Blood and Feathers: Rebellion is due in August 2013, and is most definitely a book yours truly will be reading.

"Blood and Feathers" follows the story of Alice, who comes home from work one day to find two...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Motherofghosts rated it 4 of 5 stars

What to say about a book I picked up because the cover caught my eye? For starters it's a wonderful debut novel. A rollicking ride that has its ups and downs. The pacing was good, the characters believable (if not likable. I'm looking at you, Gwyn), and the plot has an excellent premise. The only thing that made me a little irritated was Alice. While I rooted for her I honestly wished she asked more questions, trusted less. She's witty and smart but those two hing sometimes fail her when they sh...more

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Aug 09, 2012 V rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow!! I started reading this novel today & didn't leave my reading perch until I'd finished. Now I have to wait until Aug. 2013 for Blood and Feathers: Rebellion to come out.

Morgan gives readers a refreshingly original twist to the Heaven vs. Hell war. This time, the war centers on half-born (half angel-half human) librarian Alice. Alice only thought her day sucked until she discovers strange men in her home & a horrifying entity kills her father. Now she must rely upon these strangers t...more

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May 08, 2013 Richard Kellum rated it 4 of 5 stars

With Blood and Feathers, Lou Morgan has delivered a witty debut novel that not only entertains but manages deftly to explore the nature of good and evil along the way. It follows Alice, who comes home one day to find herself unexpectedly mixed up with a bunch of angels—that’s right, the guys with wings who fight Lucifer and his band of fallen, most vividly portrayed, methinks, by Gustave Doré.

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Mar 12, 2013 Kerry rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who can look beyond sloppy structure

Shelves: books-i-have

3.5 stars

The beginning was really good. I was sucked in immediately. The first page even made me laugh.

I loved Mallory. He hit her! (I don't condone abuse for either sex, but it is nice to know that not just women get away with it in books!)

The plot behind this book really could have used some work. It was a fantastic idea. There was also some awesome writing done in this. But, you really didn't know what was going on. It felt like I was riding a spinning top at times, that somehow found itself...more 3.5 stars

The beginning was really good. I was sucked in immediately. The first page even made me laugh.

I loved Mallory. He hit her! (I don't condone abuse for either sex, but it is nice to know that not just women get away with it in books!)

The plot behind this book really could have used some work. It was a fantastic idea. There was also some awesome writing done in this. But, you really didn't know what was going on. It felt like I was riding a spinning top at times, that somehow found itself flying off a speed bump.
The structure was terrible. I don't have a problem jumping between character perspectives--when it is done with chapters, so you know who you're reading about. And how it was done in this book wasn't confusing in the sense that you didn't know whose perspective you were in, but that you didn't know enough, or then learn enough, about the character you were reading about. Mallory, Gwyn, Vhnori, Michael, and Gabriel were all perfect examples of this. I think that would have read smoother had there been back stories for them earlier in the book, so you had a feel for what they were thinking and doing.
This brings me to the conspiracies. They were clever--but they were not executed well.(view spoiler)

What I did like however, was Hell. It was very interesting. I liked the descriptions of how things worked and what things looked and felt like. I also liked how the angels behaved, with the lack of morals. I liked Mallory's explanations for everything to do with how the angels lives worked.
There was no romance! Well unless you count Vin and Sari. I was completely shocked. This is the second book I've read without it, and let me tell you something: I didn't miss it.

You might be thinking, considering all I mentioned above, that this book was horrible. It wasn't. If the structure had been better, and the character development/conspiracy development would have been handled better, this would have been an easy five stars.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Jan Edwards rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alice blocked out the trauma of her mother’s passing. People do that when things they cannot comprehend happen to those they love the most. She carries on her life as normally as she and her grief-stricken father can when a mother and wife has been taken from them. And then things go really bad. She gets home, wet, tired and really pissed off, to find two men who are vaguely familiar and extremely ominous.

For the full review go to:

http://piperatthegatesoffantasy.blogs...

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Aug 29, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full review at: http://emmamaree.com/reviews/emma-mar...

The hierarchy laid out in Lou Morgan's universe is gloriously detailed, with angels split into choirs under each Archangel with powers related to their choir. As a lady who's spent far too much time with her nose in books about angelic mythology, the amount of effort put into Blood & Feather's worldbuilding was great to see.

I had trouble empathising with the leading lady, Alice. She seemed to make a lot of decisions without even hinting...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Leo Elijah Cristea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hailed as “dark, enticing” and “wickedly funny”, Blood and Feathers is an urban fantasy hit that offers a classic war between good and evil, Heaven and Hell, described as “Alice in Wonderland goes to Hell”. Hardly standard fare for a genre that’s usually all about the darker underbelly of the world’s sprawling metropolises and the magic within. But that’s what’s so unbearably good about it; it offers something that feels new and exciting in a genre where the detectives, investigators, wizards an...more Hailed as “dark, enticing” and “wickedly funny”, Blood and Feathers is an urban fantasy hit that offers a classic war between good and evil, Heaven and Hell, described as “Alice in Wonderland goes to Hell”. Hardly standard fare for a genre that’s usually all about the darker underbelly of the world’s sprawling metropolises and the magic within. But that’s what’s so unbearably good about it; it offers something that feels new and exciting in a genre where the detectives, investigators, wizards and vampires have become a little old and tired.

Alice is a normal girl, with a normal life and a normal job—except that she isn’t, only she doesn’t know it until two angels turn up at her house and her father is killed. Alice loses everything and gains a whole new life; at least, that’s the theory of it. In practise, blending in with and adjusting to a new life as a half-angel (which isn’t really new, of course, since she’s always been a half-angel) isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds.

Alice has a job to do, but the angels around her are being sketchy about the details; all she’s told is—in great detail—about the war between Heaven and Hell, and how the ranks of the angels work. That’s all well and good, thinks Alice, but what about the fact that her entire life has been turned upside down, and now she’s being asked to waltz right into Hell and complete a task only she can. Surrounded by angels who are altogether less than angelic, Alice has to deal with her newly realised bloodline, whilst trying to fathom what’s going on behind the scenes and—most importantly—who she can trust.

Whether in Heaven or Hell or the space between, everyone has an agenda: angels are soldiers, politicians, schemers, whether they’re Descended, Earthbound or Fallen, and Alice is going to have a hard time just getting who’s who straight, let alone having to deal with Lucifer’s finest assassins on her trail.

Mallory, an Earthbound alcoholic with a tired smile, a weary leather jacket, and an exhausted gun is there to keep Alice safe. At least, he’s there to train her and guard her, watch over her, which amounts to the same thing—sort of. But he’s not much of a guardian angel and he doesn’t like to talk, so Alice, frustratingly finds out snippets of what’s she’s meant to do and who she is from the others around her. Gwyn, a Descended with a cold stare and a frosty attitude and Vin, another Earthbound with a pair of twin half-borns under his guidance. Then, of course, there are the Fallen. Hot on her trail and just dying to take her to Hell, the Fallen angels will stop at nothing to drag, lure, beg, steal or borrow Alice to their side.

But which side is the right side to choose? When Heaven isn’t all that heavenly, and Hell’s not what she expected, but offers secrets and choices she’s afraid she can’t refuse, which way will she fall? In a dark world, with dark characters and a gripping story that tugs and pulls, Alice needs to be careful, else she might Fall into the darkness forever. With Hellmouths appearing and the balance being tipped in Hell’s favour, Alice doesn’t have much time.

Gripping, witty, gorgeously written and eloquently told, Blood and Feathers is an astoundingly sharp and enjoyable read that is achingly original. The war between Heaven and Hell is brought to life within its pages and with fast pacing, moreish characters and a compelling plot it really is one Hell of a story.

You have never read anything as real and engaging within the urban fantasy genre as Blood and Feathers; it could be real—Alice could be your cousin, Mallory the guy at the bar with the drink in his hand and the memories at his feet. It’s vivid and captures the imagination on a truly visceral level, with perfect dialogue that makes the characters into real people, and real emotions interwoven with a devilishly good setting. Everyone wants angels and demons and magic to exist, and in Morgan’s world, poke your little toe down the rabbit hole, and everything is real.

All I can say about Blood and Feathers is that the sequel can’t come fast enough.
(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Abhinav rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, angels, demons-daemons, nightshade

You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...

Shadowhawk reviews a brand new debut title from Solaris Books, an urban fantasy about angels and demons.

“Blood and Feathers stands out proudly in a year full of stellar debuts.”~The Founding Fields

Lou Morgan is another writer I’ve discovered through Twitter this year and have interacted a fair bit with on numerous topics, as befits the informality of that social medium. I’ve had a pretty good experie...more You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...

Shadowhawk reviews a brand new debut title from Solaris Books, an urban fantasy about angels and demons.

“Blood and Feathers stands out proudly in a year full of stellar debuts.”~The Founding Fields

Lou Morgan is another writer I’ve discovered through Twitter this year and have interacted a fair bit with on numerous topics, as befits the informality of that social medium. I’ve had a pretty good experience overall with all such authors and truthfully Lou is another one for the list of authors I’m keeping, authors that folks should really watch out for. Its so surprising really when I sit down to think about it. I’ve never read so much in a single year, nor so widely either and I’m quite happy that my experiment with genre reading outside of mainstream SFF has been so successful. Alongwith Chris F. Holm’s The Collector novels, Lou’s Blood and Feathers is another novel that has given me an appreciation for urban fantasy, particularly in the sub-genre that deals with angels and demons.

Honestly, the cover wasn’t all that interesting to me, just like with Chris’ novels, which is kind of a weird comparison to draw between them but is probably just a hint of how good the novel is, all things considering. I don’t actually read a lot of reviews from the reviewers I follow on social media, but praise for authors is something that is prevalent enough that sooner or later you do get around to hearing of. Which was the case with Blood and Feathers as well so I thought why not, let’s try it.

Like I said, this is another novel about angels and demons, the third I’ve read so far this year. But it is still pretty refreshing in scope since it takes a very different approach to these characters than I’ve come across before. There are no clear good guys and bad guys here, just a bit morally gray since even the Angels are hardcases who often only care about the bottom-line. The demons (or the Fallen rather)are evil but there are ample hints that not all of them are actually that bad really. Interesting juxtapositions which set the book apart from others in the same category of novels.

The characterisation is pretty excellent where the protagonist, Alice, and her angelic companions Mallory, Vin and Gwyn. The chemistry between all of them is electric, tortured, and deeply personal. Alice is a normal twenty-something girl who gets caught up in events beyond her comprehension, events where angels and the Fallen are actually real and inhabit the same world as the people around her. She is thrust into a role as a half-angel who has great intrinsic value to both sides of the religious conflict going on since the earliest days of Christianity. Lou captures Alice’s fears, her crushed hopes for herself, and her new dreams so well that you feel as if you are right there in her head. That’s a rare thing for a debut author to get right but Lou succeeds here aplenty. Alice really is a fantastic character to read about, very memorable and endearing. She reminds me of Lyra from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, although she is a far bit older.

Mallory and Vin are both Earthbound angels who are being “punished” by their superiors for committing some transgression or the other. Its somewhat like probation, “release” pending on good behaviour. With this, Lou explores the complex angelic hierarchy of Archangel, Descended angel and Earthbound angel, contrasted against the various Fallen who call Hell home. And there are also halfbloods like Alice who are mentored by the Earthbound for acceptance into the ranks of Heaven’s armies, or, should they fall as well, into Hell’s armies. Mallory is definitely the standout character in the novel, more so than Alice. He is cynical, honest to a fault, often drunk, and with a bad case of living hygiene. None of which comes to mind when I think “angel”. But then that’s what Lou does, she breaks down preconceptions and creates an open sandbox where she can challenge those preconceptions and do something different with them. Characters like Mallory and Vin often talk about this, referring to themselves as angels who don’t sit around on clouds playing harps and such. Some delightful world-building and mythos here.(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Celeste rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-cover, can-t-get-enough-of, need-the-sequel, in-possession-of

“You’re not exactly what I’d imagine an angel would be like, you know.”

“I’d always pictured something, well, fluffier.”

Lou Morgan has recreated Hell. And I, personally, love what she's done with the place. She's taken the stereotypical fire and brimestone and changed it completely into something even more frightening: a world where everything is ice and ever-numbing cold. She's added a waterfall made of ice, a gate made of bone and on top of that, added some kick-ass characters to the mix.

Blood ...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Janice (the_red1) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels

Pretty darn good. Lou Morgan's angels are flawed and far from cherubic, but I liked them all the more for it. My only real complaint - and I'm not sure that's even the right word for it - is the lack of romance. I'm one of those readers who looks for at least a hint of romance in every book I read, and if I don't find it, I typically lose interest. Not this time, though. The story worked just fine without it. And who knows, maybe it will be there in the next book. A girl can dream, right? lol

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Apr 28, 2013 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy

Ooo-eeee, I loved this. Came across it randomly and expected it to either be crap or just about readable. Thank you Lou Morgan for proving me wrong. Alice gets drawn into the everlasting battle between the angels of Heaven and Hell, learning more about her background along the way. There are some wonderful characters in this novel and interesting descriptions of Hell. I was so glad when I got to the end and found it's the first book in the series as I didn't want it to end. I can't recommend thi...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Ade Couper rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was good.

Lou Morgan's "Blood & Feathers" is - well , describing it as an updated "Paradise Lost" could be a start....

Alice is a librarian in her early 20's . She's also half-angel, which becomes apparent the day she finds 2 angels - Mallory & Gwyn - in her front room , & sees her father get his head ripped off by a fallen angel. From this point everything changes , as we find out that as a half-angel she is a potent weapon , & that the balance of power between heaven & h...more

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