Angel Time (The Songs of the Seraphim, #1)

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Angel Time (The Songs of the Seraphim #1)

by Anne Rice

3.19 · rating details · 2,358 ratings · 504 reviews

It’s the present day. Toby O’Dare—aka Lucky the Fox—is a contract killer of underground fame on assignment to kill once again. He’s a soulless soul, a dead man walking. His nightmarish world of lone and lethal missions is disrupted when a mysterious stranger, a seraph, offers him a chance to save rather than destroy lives. O’Dare, who long ago dreamt of being a priest,

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Hardcover, 274 pages

Published October 27th 2009 by Knopf Publishing Group

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Jan 14, 2011

Nick rated it

Being a long time Anne Rice Fan, I had looked forward to reading this book. Her religious journey, like mine, had been bumpy at best. So, I was very curious after the Christ the Lord series what she may do next...and I wasn't disappointed.

Angel Time is an exceptional novel dealing in the story of an assassin who is contacted by an angel and walked back through time through the err of his ways and how it was he became an assassin. Then, through Anne Rice's skilled writing, she take...more

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Aug 10, 2011

Vanessa rated it

Shelves: book-club

First off, I'm not an Anne Rice fan. I am reading this book because of my book club. I can't believe how repetitive she is. Her first chapter was about twenty pages stating that the main character was a hit man. I could have summed it up much quicker.

Plus the whole lute player angle, I just envision a LARPer as an assassin and laugh. I mean I just literally thought of someone dressed up as a renaissance festival nerd just did not seem plausible in my head.

Only at around page 100 di...more

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Apr 18, 2010

Ben rated it

Shelves: fantasy

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

This book was a fragmentary novel, composed seemingly in two parts. The first, where Toby O'Dare is a hitman residing at the moment in his haven, The Mission Inn, is classic Anne Rice. He is in an internal turbulence, characteristic of Rice's Vampires. This and the aesthetic conciousness given to the reader brings back fond memories of early Ricean novels. That is the praise I have.

The cons soon become obvious...when Toby comes to his spiritual r...more

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Aug 09, 2011

Aaron Carpenter added it

Angel Time is basically about a serial killer who is ready to be done with life. On his last kill, he is visited by an angel who offers him a chance to help angels answer prayers since angels are only messengers of God. "Angel Time" refers to the timelessness that angels live in, which allows them to visit any period of time during "human time" or whatever.

Overall, I really liked the book. Anne Rice is a historian, and like always, I'm learning things I never knew about hi...more

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Nov 20, 2011

June Ahern rated it

to begin with I'm not a fan of Anne Rice although she is a very good writer, her books are not my cup of tea. But! I ended up with this book and decided to give it a go since it wasn't about vampires.
I did struggled between three or two stars, but her fine writing pushed me up or perhaps it was God nudging me forward.

Again, her writing skills are strong. Not so much in the beginning where they are good, but later in the shift of the plot, the more vivid and real details and passi...more

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Oct 27, 2011

Ismail Elshareef rated it

Toby O'Dare is an assassin by choice. After suffering a harrowing ordeal in his birth city of New Orleans, he took off to New York where he got to learn about his insatiable appetite for ending lives. Such appetite drew attention from a man whom Toby grew to call, The Right Man, who fed Toby's hunger for murder and loved him all in the same measure.

Toby is twenty-eight years old and was in the process of becoming a Dominican priest back in New Orleans. Before his macabre career took o...moreToby O'Dare is an assassin by choice. After suffering a harrowing ordeal in his birth city of New Orleans, he took off to New York where he got to learn about his insatiable appetite for ending lives. Such appetite drew attention from a man whom Toby grew to call, The Right Man, who fed Toby's hunger for murder and loved him all in the same measure.

Toby is twenty-eight years old and was in the process of becoming a Dominican priest back in New Orleans. Before his macabre career took off, he was an exemplary child to a drunkard of a mother, whom he took care of restlessly, and a caring older brother to his siblings, whom he loved endlessly. In his senior year at Jesuit High, Toby fell in love with Liona--a Jewish girl that attended a nearby prep school. They were deeply in love; a love that Toby managed to sabotage.

Everything changed when left to New York.

Though he has become an impressive and adroit murderer, Toby never really gave up praying. And one night, at a moment of great despair, he prayed for an Angel of God to help and guide him.

Low and behold, an angel called Malchiah (interestingly similar to the Arabic word for angels malaika) descends and offers Toby an opportunity to redeem himself even after all the deaths he's caused. Broken and eager for redemption, Toby agrees to do whatever Malchiah asks of him and so the Malchiah takes him back in time to 13th century England.

Toby's mission is to use his intelligence and skills to help the Jewry of Norwich, England, survive an impending catastrophe that is upon them. He was sent back in time as a Dominican priest or frair (from the French word frère meaning brother) to resolve a volatile situation in which the Christians of Norwich accuse a Jewish family of murdering their own daughter after her alleged conversion to Christianity. What follows is an eye-opening narrative of the state of the Jewry in Europe and religious relations in the Medieval times.

What I found fascinating about this book was Toby himself. His character was very well developed with all its complexity and conflicts. The other fascinating thing was the history of the Jewry in 13th century England and the societal dynamics of that time.

Although not her best, Angel Time is still a good historical read. It's a little preachy and contrived at times, but that didn't bother me that much. I was completely taken by the Christian and Jewish relations at that time and how much they were governed by rigid religious beliefs, myths and hate. Sounds familiar?

The historical narrative made the book for me and for that alone I recommend it.(less)

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Sep 05, 2011

TinasBookReviews rated it

Angel Time opens with the dreary story of assassin Toby O’Dare, his thoughts are heartbreaking and numb. As we follow Toby through a murder he struggles with the inner demon always taunting him, the darkness that pushes him and always underneath this shell of man we see the wanting. We suffer with Toby and his despair to be loved and have purpose.The first half of the book focused on Toby’s past and what lead to his murdering ways. His life an echo of so many others caught in the world of bad pa...moreAngel Time opens with the dreary story of assassin Toby O’Dare, his thoughts are heartbreaking and numb. As we follow Toby through a murder he struggles with the inner demon always taunting him, the darkness that pushes him and always underneath this shell of man we see the wanting. We suffer with Toby and his despair to be loved and have purpose.The first half of the book focused on Toby’s past and what lead to his murdering ways. His life an echo of so many others caught in the world of bad parents and growing up to fast, had a haunting tragic twist. He’s an undeniably fascinating character with tremendous flaws. Rice writes him in a way where we want to see him redeemed and almost understand why he's broken to the point of no return. Although cracks of his goodness seep out on the pages it isn’t until the second half of the book where Toby basically becomes a completely different character shown in an altered light. This is where I had some problems with the story itself. In part two, Toby seems to be more of a background character and one not recognizable from the first half. I understand the new found birth of religion here but as the story progressed I was never able to connect with any of the characters after Toby travels with Malchiah to the 13th-century. I felt there was this great story with rich detail but no real substance to draw me in emotionally.

Fans of Rice will recognize her descriptive style and her ability to make you see and feel what she is writing. Her gothic trend is seen a bit in Angel Time however, many of the old Rice fans will not be impressed. Rice focuses deeply on her Catholic faith, I myself found it heartfelt and refreshing. Others looking for the old scary vampire Anne Rice will be disappointed. I’ve always enjoyed Anne Rice’s work; her new found writing devoted to her faith did not fail to please me. Lacking in some areas overall I did enjoy reading it. Rice’s writing is as always, flawless and beautifully woven together on the page. Dive deep into the historical past and depiction of broken characters struggling to reconcile matters of the heart and cultural divides of personal faith.

Org.Review Posted Jan 2010 at Blog**(less)

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Jun 27, 2011

Joel Margolese rated it

This review is a little like High School where we all complained, "Why do I have to know about the author's background". But in this case it explains everything. Anne Rice was raise a Catholic, but became an atheist at 18. Despite this, her Catholicism was clearly present in her Vampire and Mayfair Witch books (which I loved reading). (She even had God as a character.) About 10 years ago, after a series of personal tragedies she rejoined the Catholic church and apparently became ...moreThis review is a little like High School where we all complained, "Why do I have to know about the author's background". But in this case it explains everything. Anne Rice was raise a Catholic, but became an atheist at 18. Despite this, her Catholicism was clearly present in her Vampire and Mayfair Witch books (which I loved reading). (She even had God as a character.) About 10 years ago, after a series of personal tragedies she rejoined the Catholic church and apparently became deeply religious. That ended last year year when she declared that though she still follows Christ, she has left organized religion because she couldn't reconcile her faith with all the 'anti-' issues of the Church. (Feminism, birth control, gay rights, being a Democrat etc.) But it was during her religious period that she wrote Angel Time which turns out to be a tract on Salvation through Faith.

The book is really written in two parts. The first half of the book is about Toby O'Dare's doubts. He has become, after a terrible tragedy a skillful assassin. Luckily for him, an Angel comes to offer him Salvation. (So, when exactly did Heaven become a Christian Bureaucracy? God is referred to as the God of Jews & Christians, but the Catholic Theology is clearly what He supports.) In any event, now the book starts moving and Toby is sent back in history to right a wrong. In a bizarre twist, the Christian God is sending Toby back to protect some Jews from fanatical Christians. (This raises just too many ironical questions for me to get into here.) And the plan to save them turns on a Jewish girl converting to Christianity because the "Christmas Pageant was so beautiful". I'm sure there are many reasons that motivate people to convert, but to ask the reader to believe that she'd give up her life for a pageant is pretty demeaning. (And of course implies that Jewish rituals have no beauty or appeal of their own.)

So I understand her purpose in writing and I should perhaps have investigated it more before reading the book. In the end I was more offended than disappointed. I strongly suspect that Ms. Rice did not intend such a reaction, its not consistent with the rest of her life and work. So I'll chalk this book up as aberration and wait for her post-religion books.

I would also note that the cliff-hanger ending is only a surprise to people who were not paying attention. It's telegraphed pretty early in the 2nd half.(less)

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Apr 08, 2011

Supernatural Book Club rated it

This is the first Anne Rice book I have read, so I can't say how well it compares to her older books. I have heard the older books are WAY different due to Rice's recent conversion back to Christianity. Before I read "Angel Time" I had heard it was "preachy", and yeah, it is, but that's not really the issue.

Overall the book was sort of flat. I can tell that Rice is capable of telling a good story, I just don't think this is it. The story is about redemption of a pro...more

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Mar 21, 2011

AstrogirlM42 rated it

Shelves: adult, fiction, paranormal, adventure

Actual Rating: 3.5

I first fell in love with Ms Rice 20 years ago when I was a first year uni students. Her angst ridden Vampire characters of Louis and Lestat were so engaging to me that I read every book she published. However, when I finished uni, I seem to also finish with Ms Rice and stopped reading her new work. When I signed up to facebook I saw that she has a fan site and read about her return to religion. Not being religious myself, I didn't feel compelled to read her new "...more

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Mar 13, 2011

Amy rated it

It is good but I like the second book more. It is interesting to know Toby's past and how he worked as an assassin, how poor his family was, but how talented and patient he was to support the whole family only by playing flute on the street. It inspires me although I know I cannot do it because I dont have such talent. Toby was from the beginning an amazing and mature boy, I do not think anyone at that age can work so hard selflessly for others. Liona was a lucky girl to sleep with him and I und...more

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Dec 23, 2009

Trish rated it

I have read every book Anne has published and have enjoyed them all, some a very great deal (Cry to Heaven, most of the Vampire Chronicles - esp. Memnoch, The Mummy, Feast of All Saints, Christ the Lord series) and some not as much (Mayfair Witches saga, Violin, the last Beauty book, East of Eden).

I know when her name is on the cover, I'm going to get vivid characters, evocative prose, solid scholarship, and an entertaining if not completely engrossing plot. She hit all the notes ...more

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Nov 21, 2009

Aaron rated it

Anne Rice is starting off a new series entitled Songs of the Seraphim with her newest title. As you can probably guess, they will be focusing on angels. This first volume tells the table of a man called Lucky. It is not his true name, but it is the name that he goes by to protect himself since he is a hired assassin. He is visited by his guardian angel, who offers up the name Malchiah when Lucky wants to know his name. Like Lucky, angels are not supposed to share their true names, so this will j...moreAnne Rice is starting off a new series entitled Songs of the Seraphim with her newest title. As you can probably guess, they will be focusing on angels. This first volume tells the table of a man called Lucky. It is not his true name, but it is the name that he goes by to protect himself since he is a hired assassin. He is visited by his guardian angel, who offers up the name Malchiah when Lucky wants to know his name. Like Lucky, angels are not supposed to share their true names, so this will just have to do.

After their introduction to each other immediately following a hit, Malchiah tells how he has seen Lucky grow and develop into the person he is rather than living up to his one-time asperations of becoming a priest. Lucky, who was born Toby O'Dare, is offered an opportunity at redemption. It is an offer he takes up quickly.

As a result, Toby is brought back in time to the 13th century. He takes on the guise of a friar who will protect a Jewish couple being hunted down because the people in their English community believe they killed their daughter for converting to Christianity.

Rice became famous with her vampire novels largely because of interesting characters and rich descriptions of their environs, and she continues to try to do that now that she has given up the occult to focus on novels that better express her new-found faith. Her first two works in this new vein shared the tale of the early years of Jesus Christ.

While she continues to work with the same writing style, she seems to struggle a bit. Rather than just using the florid detail to place her readers in the setting, she seems to get bogged down in the detail, letting scenes (and chapters) drag on longer than they should. In fact, it takes almost the first half of the book for Toby to get Malchiah's offer.

With that said, Rice has created an interesting look at the way Jews were cheated in the Middle Ages. It is a part of history that not many may be familiar with, and the story of the Jewish family nicely parallels the journey Toby is making as he works his way back to his faith.(less)

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Nov 18, 2009

RNOCEAN rated it

Full of provocative moral reflections, this kickoff to bestseller Rice's new Songs of the Seraphim religious romance series centers on hired assassin Toby O'Dare, a one-time aspirant to the priesthood until personal tragedy unmoored his life. Guardian angel Malchiah visits Toby, who's just consummated his latest kill, and offers him redemption for his sins. After accepting the offer, Toby is whisked away to 13th-century England, where, in the guise of a Dominican friar, he becomes the protector ...more

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Nov 15, 2010

Fabian Davy rated it

· review of another edition

The first series from the 'Songs of the Seraphim', which as of this date (November 2010) has not been followed up by a sequel. Anne Rice might be cooking up a dish for the upcoming book, and I hope she'll do it as planned because the book looks promising enough to be a hit. Already on the bestsellers shelf of my local bookstores, so I know the it's doing great (this is Anne Rice we're talking about right?).

EDIT : The sequel, 'Of Love and Evil', will be released on November 30th.

...moreThe first series from the 'Songs of the Seraphim', which as of this date (November 2010) has not been followed up by a sequel. Anne Rice might be cooking up a dish for the upcoming book, and I hope she'll do it as planned because the book looks promising enough to be a hit. Already on the bestsellers shelf of my local bookstores, so I know the it's doing great (this is Anne Rice we're talking about right?).

EDIT : The sequel, 'Of Love and Evil', will be released on November 30th.

An assassin who has been given the chance of redemption by switching sides and work with the actual 'Right Man', guided by an Angel whom he had prayed to many years back before losing faith. Transported back into time, 13th Centure England as a Dominican friar - he was to assist a Jewish couple from the accusation of murdering their daughter.

Now, 1/3 of the book was spent in explaining the background of the central character. His past, his faith of God and the history of how he became an assassin. This is also the most tedious part of the whole book because it took about 100-pages in doing so. But I guess this is really necessary - especially within Book One of a series.

The rest 2/3 was about his first assignment, where things actually got interesting and in-depth. There was not a single part anywhere within this book that one can regard as suspenseful or action-packed because there was just... none. A story about an assassin might trigger us as assuming such scene exist - but not on this book. Toby O'Dare is a silent hitman that doesn't leave a big mess when he butchered somebody (if he ever butchered...).

The central theme is none other than faith. Which has been beautifully described for the character (even though at times I found it a bit... cheesy that he can lose faith and then regain it as fast from the angelic encounter). But I guess the best part of the story lies within the assignment: where a conflict of Jewish persecution of the Middle Ages, and reign of (corrupt) Christianity took place. The argument between the characters of the time was beautifully constructed and convincing. The sad tale of the accused couple really took you in in understanding how faith can either break you or mend you.

The ending is satisfactory enough for me without questioning more o "what if-s?". And of course, a hint of what's coming in Book Two.(less)

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Oct 30, 2009

Erica R Hopper rated it

Shelves: 2009, books-i-dont-own

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I was interested, entertained, and at the same time expecting some of the more homoerotic and/or gruesome detail that her old books used to contain but this book had none of it.

The book is lovely and written perfectly. Anne Rice always has a tendency to over-describe different things and dive into memories for more time than needed but I feel she worked out exactly as much 'time' as needed in this story. Each memory was presented to the degr...more

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Sep 28, 2009

Samantha rated it

I loved the old style Anne Rice. I was hoping that she was back and she is in some ways. Her descriptive style is back and her ability to make you see and feel what she is writing is back. However, her plot in this book leaves a lot to be desired. The description on Amazon, the title and the back of the book make a reader think that this book is about assassins and angels. It's not really. It's about a man who is finding himself. I was confused throughout the book about where it was going and wh...more

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Jul 23, 2011

Jeremy rated it

Shelves: pop

Rice’s narrative flow is effortless and breath-y, as always, and she manages to compel the reader along, sometimes with a whip, sometimes with a carrot, but the energy of this story really flags. There are some gear-shifts structurally, but Rice has often used this kind of technique very powerfully. What is particularly lacking is the sense of ambiguity and menace emanating from central characters. Plenty of sanctimony and undying love – enough to make you choke at some points and almost find a ...more

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Oct 02, 2010

Derek Oberg rated it

I love Anne Rice. I have pretty much read every word that the woman has ever written, and "The Witching Hour" stands as one of my all-time favorite novels.

That being said... I really struggled to get through this one. She has famously taken a Christian turn in her writing (and I would recommend her "Christ the Lord" series to anyone, they're brilliant) but this one rubbed me the wrong way.

It starts out with no less than 20 pages describing a building....more

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Nov 25, 2009

korey rated it

I knew there was going to be trouble with this book as soon as I read the main character, an assassin, is a great lute player. Uh, yeah, right. Maybe it's just that I love the old style Anne Rice, but this book found me shaking my head and saying "oh, Anne, Anne, Anne". I think her recent return to the Church made her incredible writing talent go running out the vestibule door. So sad. There wasn't anything in this story that was really believable. Characters were just so trite and so ...more

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Nov 07, 2009

Richard Szponder rated it

Anne Rice has crafted both an entertaining and educational story with Angel Time, the story of Toby O'Dare, a hitman for the government who is visited by Malchiah, an angel. For a decade, Toby has used his talents to take life, and Malchiah asks him to turn his back on that life and to give himself to God. Toby is reluctant to follow Malchiah until the angel shows him the evolution of his life from a young, talented musician obsessed with learning to play the lute who cares for his younger sib...more

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Jan 06, 2012

Chicbee rated it

Been hearing about Anne Rice but I never had the chance or the luxury of money to buy any of her book. Besides, bookstores are overwhelmed with vampire books that I cringed whenever I think I'll be reading another vampire story. Though, I know Anne Rice is way better than Stephenie Meyer (sorry, I am a fan of Twilight Saga, but hey it's the truth, eh?). Anyhow, I decided to buy one of her new book, Angel Time, to see how she write her story.

This book is truly engaging. The writing is...more

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Oct 11, 2011

Vicki rated it

Oh, I really wanted to like this book. Anne Rice was one of my all-time favorite authors back in the day. Vampires, witches, tortured souls looking for meaning in their otherness. But then she rediscovered Catholicism, and wrote two very long books about the life of Jesus Christ. Bleh.
So out comes this book, the first in a series about angels. Okay, maybe I can do this. I see glimpses of Rice's wonderful characterizations, that suck you in and make you care about her characters. But...more

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Sep 08, 2011

Joe rated it

"Christian Fiction"- That is how they list the category for this book.
Anne Rice attempts to write a book that will appeal to both Christians and Jews. Well, "he who tries to please everyone ends up pleasing no one". Well, not me at least.
I was intrigued by the subject of Angel Time and picked up this story about a hit man who is visited by an angel and given a chance to redeem himself. I was thinking that this sounds like a blend of "Highway to Heaven" mee...more

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Jul 08, 2011

Steve rated it

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy

Hadn't read any Anne Rice for years, after having read her first 15 or 16 books. Of those, I really enjoyed at least half a dozen. (My sister bought this one for me, autographed no less, so I figured I'd give Rice another try.) Alas, overall, the lion's share of the story bored me (deeply) and, if the book wasn't relatively short (and if I wasn't spending a lot of time on airplanes), I'd have given up. The "main" part of the story came across as shockingly artificial, and I wasn't t...more

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Nov 03, 2010

Merredith rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anne rice fans

Shelves: 4-or-5-stars, historical-fiction, other-supernatural

Anne Rice has been one of my favorite authors since I was a kid. I started reading the witch and vampire books when I was just 12 or something. Now she's starting a new series, and this is book #1. It's about a hit man who is visited by an angel, and recruited by him. There is your typical Anne Rice type stuff - New Orleans, tragedy, descriptions of places, churches, clothes, and the particular way that the people are, are just like the witches and vampires were. We also travel around in time. ...more

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Dec 28, 2009

Andrew Post rated it

WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

Short Review: Quantum Leap with a religious spin.

Long Review: Don't get me wrong, I like Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat were the things that got me through high school. Rice's ability to really let you not only into a character's mind, but into their very soul is what has continued to hold her in such high regard for me. Louis is who I was, Lestat is who I wanted to be. Her characters, just their names spoke...moreWARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

Short Review: Quantum Leap with a religious spin.

Long Review: Don't get me wrong, I like Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat were the things that got me through high school. Rice's ability to really let you not only into a character's mind, but into their very soul is what has continued to hold her in such high regard for me. Louis is who I was, Lestat is who I wanted to be. Her characters, just their names spoken aloud for me, was able to stir an immediate sensation of who these people were. She is the master of crafting a great character.

With Angel Time, I went into a skeptic. I went into it knowing that Rice has put behind the Vampire Chronicles and that her characters falling from grace and becoming dastardly (yet heavily cultured and, needless to say, refined) blood-suckers was behind her and that she had found her faith again and gone onto writing about Christ. Which I applaud. If you find faith, no matter how dark your subject matter was before, that's great. Good for you, honestly. Even if Clive Barker suddenly decided to hang up his yarns on demons, the undead, and those S&M pale people from another, hellish dimension--I'd applaud him as well. But I believe Anne's newfound faith overlaps with her fiction a little too heavily and instead of mopey vampires, we have mopey hitmen and angels that have similar description paragraphs that would've seemed more appropriate for describing a certain forever seventeen-year-old vampire that shall remain nameless. Perfect. Beautiful. So beautifully perfect in his perfect-perfect way. He's an angel, we get it.

Back to the past for about a hundred pages of suffering and boringness.

Back to the present and Toby O'Dare is a new man, with a new look on life, and lots of stuff to reflect on. And like a lot of Anne Rice characters, they decide to write a book about their experiences and title it whatever the title of the book you're currently reading. But his mission isn't over. His guardian angel has another project for him. And don't forget to read the last line--there's a huge twist that none of you saw coming!!

(less)

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Jul 12, 2011

Nisro rated it

· review of another edition

( be warned that this review contains few spoilers)
I have been a long time fan for Anne Rice, Her amazing imagination & her velvet, rich and poetic prose writing. Angel Time didn't sweep me off my feet as I wished it would do! Rice still keeps that velvety poetic flowing prose but while reading the novel I had a feeling as if this book is a deja vu of another book or perhaps a synthesis of other Rice's books!
The Angel visiting Toby and the journey Toby takes through time & ages reminds m...more

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Oct 04, 2010

Gene rated it

I love reading Anne Rice's books, but I'm not unaware of her faults, especially in the books written in the past decade. Like a great many of her books, Angel Time starts off painfully slowly, and I almost gave up during a long, boring flashback to the protagonist's past, which was written (purposefully, I believe) in the most generalized and impersonal manner possible. The first half of the book was a tedious slog, first detailing the alienated life of a young, successful hitman (written as a...moreI love reading Anne Rice's books, but I'm not unaware of her faults, especially in the books written in the past decade. Like a great many of her books, Angel Time starts off painfully slowly, and I almost gave up during a long, boring flashback to the protagonist's past, which was written (purposefully, I believe) in the most generalized and impersonal manner possible. The first half of the book was a tedious slog, first detailing the alienated life of a young, successful hitman (written as an account of intense loves and hates like those of a cocaine addict's), then nearly coming to a screeching halt in the neutral recitation of his history from the POV of an angel. I cannot emphasize enough how boring this flashback is -- it's pure exposition, while seemingly constructing an idealized, somewhat unbelievable character off the cuff.

But I kept going, because I've come to expect from Anne Rice that she will make something of her tiresome setup and suddenly soar. She's done this many times in previous books, particularly in her novel The Tale of the Body Thief. . . she drags the reader through seemingly endless fictional apparatus, and then open up into a fascinating tale of something ecstatic and otherworldly. ( Which is what she does here, too. The protagonist reconciles with a visiting angel, and becomes his human vessel on Earth, whenever he's needed in time.

So suddenly the protagonist has a religious conversion (naturally, given Rice's own return to Christianity this decade), and is sent back to Norwich, England in 1257 AD to come to the aid of the town's persecuted Jewry while disguised as a Dominican friar.

This tale has legs. Rice excels at breathing life into historical eras, and her Medieval England is awash in fascinating detail and vivid scenery. Suddenly there is a real plot, with dangerous consequences for the historical present and our future. (It reminded me a bit of A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline L'Engle.) I was fully engrossed and invested in the story and characters.

So much so that the return to the present, and to the protagonist's internal whining, was a letdown. Subsequent sequels are supposed to tackle other historical sojourns, so that's good, and will keep me reading the series.

The writing throughout is in Rice's usual overheated emotional style, both the boring and interesting sections, although she's simplified the prose, as she did in her Christ the Lord series. When she soars, she really does reach rapturous, rhapsodic heights, but this book stayed dully earthbound for far too long.(less)

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Feb 14, 2011

Eva rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: not-worth-it, 2010, reviewed

The back cover of Angel Time sounded quite exciting, but once I started reading I was harshly reminded of the fact that "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover".
The main character wishes salvation (as he likes to remind you every fifteen seconds or so) and after a hit (as he is a hired assassin) he meets an angel who has been watching over him. After the longest chapter I have ever read that recounts his sad past, the angel gives him a "mission" which is to stop a town ...more

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Fantasy > Supernatural

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About Anne Rice

Anne Rice is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for her Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her on...more

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Books by Anne Rice

Interview with the Vampire (Vampire Chronicles, #1)

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2)

The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1)

The Tale of the Body Thief (The Vampire Chronicles, #4)

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Angels and Fallen Angels

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last activity 19 hours, 51 min ago

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Angel Time (The Songs of the Seraphim #1)

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