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Angelfire (Angelfire #1)

by Courtney Allison Moulton (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 13,643 ratings · 1,486 reviews

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthda...more

Hardcover, 453 pages

Published February 15th 2011 by HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books

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City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

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Community Reviews

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Jan 25, 2013 Courtney Moulton rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-books, young-adult

Rating my own book

136 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 Kat Kennedy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-deserve-painful-death, death-by-paranormal-romance, kat-s-book-reviews, kat-s-rants, to-ya-or-not-to-ya, ya-pnr-maddness

I’ve thought long and hard to determine if there was a single aspect of this book that I even liked.

The characters, the story-telling, the writing, the themes… was there anything?

No. I tried but this book was painfully bad. I am not at all exaggerating when I report that I fell asleep twice within the first twenty pages. This book was highly reminiscent of both Buffy and Bleach. So what? Pretty much half the things published in YA these days are reminiscent of Buffy. Unfortunate...more

126 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2012 Annie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, urban-fantasy, young-adult, unfinished, pseudo-tough-heroine, angels

“Meanwhile, I was reduced to staring at the wiry, gray chest hair puffing out of Mr. Meyer’s polo shirt like overgrown steel wool and wondering whether or not he had ever considered waxing”.

Well that’s an ... interesting way of describing something.

“As I looked at him, I felt a certain fondness deep in my heart, but I shook the feeling off.”

Damn it, she sees a pretty guy for the first time, describes his appearance and clothing in detail, and she has a “special bond” with him. Fantastic.

“A...more

53 likes · like · see review

Jan 11, 2012 Kira rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome-mythology, made-no-sense, lost-the-will-to-live, not-amazing-but-not-shit, sentimental-value, ya, will-read-the-next-one, rule-of-abeko-you-broke-it, so-action-packed-i-peed, could-have-been-worse

See comments for why my original review is gone. No fear; it's nothing sinister. Unless my laziness is sinister. Then I guess it is sinister.

Sinister.

...

So the other day my sister and I were having a veg on the couch in our PJs. She was flicking through the channels, which is dangerous, because my sister is a nurse and she likes to watch shit like All She Ever Wanted and cries at those ads about life insurance for elderly people.

So eventually we settle for Titanic - or she does, because I can't...more

35 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2010 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, own-it, signed-by-author, ya-paranormal

I don't want to put up my full review yet since this book is several months away from being published. I just want to say that THIS BOOK BLEW ME AWAY. It is ridiculous how good it is.

I was pretty excited to read it, but I had absolutely no idea how freakin' fantastic it would be. Seriously. Just a few minutes after I read the last page, I was telling April @ Good Books & Good Wine that the book came at a good time. Once Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead are re...more

27 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Lyndsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-angels-fallen-etc, need-to-read-first, romance-love-triangle, about-religion-or-religious-subtext, content-alcohol-use, past-tense, 1st-person, pov-primarily-female, reviewed-2011, reviewed-3-stars, about-super-special-chosen-one, series-1st-book, series

You know how with some books, every few words you're like,"Ooooh, ostentatious, that's a good word. Oh, guttersnipe, that's another good word."

Well, this isn't one of those books.

Not like that's a bad thing. I just mean that it's a very quick and easy read. Prose that's not exactly lyrical, but also not anywhere near boring.

The Rundown

"Into every generation she is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the ~~vampires, demons, and the f~~...more

51 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those looking for an action-packed book centered around angels

Shelves: left-me-feeling-conflicted, left-me-with-mixed-feelings, should-have-loved-it-but-didn-t, 2011-reads, could-have-been-better, disappointing-books, reviewed

As much as I hungered to learn more about my past, I was afraid of learning other things too--mostly about death and despair, and dark corners of the globe. I prayed that those memories wouldn't come back to me, because I felt in my bones that some things were too frightening to remember.

Elisabeth "Ellie" Monroe is no ordinary girl -- but she doesn't know that. Before her seventeenth birthday, her world was defined by an existence strewn with only school worries, friend drama, family woes, and t...more

34 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2011 faeriemyst rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, young-adult-paranormal, amazon-vine, cannae-make-it, brain-damaging-fluff, abandoned-series

Normally I wouldn't write a review if I didn't read at least half of the book in question, but I'm obligated by Amazon Vine to give my honest opinion about a product. I yielded at 170 pages and refuse to force myself to read something I am not enjoying in the least.

First off I cannot feel sympathy for the protagonist, Ellie, which is essential in a book like this. She's a shallow character who wasn't brought to life in the pages I read. It's hard to relate to a girl who has everything she could...more

15 likes · like · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19-arc-ebook, 17-angels

With a refreshing new take on the lately popular Angel subject, Angelfire tells the story of 17-year old Ellie, a seemingly ordinary human girl who suddenly finds out that she’s not so ordinary after all but actually a heavenly creature, reborn into a human shell, destined to fight the monsters from hell.

Ellie is basically your average teenager which in my opinion was really nice for a change. She’s not one of those tortured heroines we usually encounter in the field of paranormal YA literature....more

30 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Reviewed by Laura for Book Chick City.

I have to say as a self confessed bookaholic, there's something super exciting about being able to get my mitts on a book before it's even released. It gives me a warm feeling inside ;)

Seventeen year old Ellie is your typical American teenager. Until she begins to have strange dreams and visions and then one night hears unusual noises in the dark. She learns of the existence of reapers. Evil beings that kill and steal people's souls.

This coincides with the a...more

9 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Benni rated it 1 of 5 stars

http://www.rantingdragon.com/angelfir...
Angelfire is the first book in the Angelfire Trilogy. The beautiful girl on the cover is seventeen-year-old Ellie, who has begun having nightmares about past lives where she fights reapers. Ellie notices a boy stalking her, but since he’s handsome, she is intrigued. The stalker, Will, turns out to be her immortal guardian, and she turns out to be the Preliator, Latin for “warrior.” Every time she dies, she eventually reincarnates into another human body, b...more http://www.rantingdragon.com/angelfir...
Angelfire is the first book in the Angelfire Trilogy. The beautiful girl on the cover is seventeen-year-old Ellie, who has begun having nightmares about past lives where she fights reapers. Ellie notices a boy stalking her, but since he’s handsome, she is intrigued. The stalker, Will, turns out to be her immortal guardian, and she turns out to be the Preliator, Latin for “warrior.” Every time she dies, she eventually reincarnates into another human body, but Will has to wait until she’s seventeen to activate her memories and her power.

An uninspired love interest
If you guessed that despite Will’s immortality, he looks about twenty, then kudos. If you thought seventeen, sorry; that’s Twilight (which I liked much more than Manon). Will is the kind of immortal who never bothered over his years to learn the meaning of humor or levity, because (1) how else would a girl know that this guy is ancient and “wise” unless he’s also unfunny? and (2) this reaper threat is serious business. Serious, but not urgent, it seems, since he has to wait for his Ellie, who sometimes bides her time in the reincarnation process and must grow to the ripe age of seventeen before her powers are activated. Since there’s no competing love interest, all that’s keeping the lovebirds apart is Will’s sense of… honor? I’m not completely sure. After a half-twist reveal, though, I suppose I would also feel uncomfortable if they were to become an official couple.

More (unrequited) romance than adventure
Ellie’s girl friend proclaims that girls are hardwired to desire nothing more than a shining white knight, a sentiment that proves unfortunately sincere in Angelfire. However kickass Ellie may turn out as the series progresses, it will remain secondary to her love for Will and his oh-so-noble sacrifices to protect her. This is disappointing.

That is not to say there is no action; though I would distinguish said “action” from “adventure.” There are plenty of fight scenes in which reapers randomly attack and bellow threats while Ellie’s trying to date Will and convince him to do normal teenager stuff. These scenes seem contrived, failing to build any suspense because Ellie and Will are never in real danger. While they accrue battle wounds, those wounds heal quickly because the two have supernatural abilities. The fights serve more as an excuse for the pair to cry out each other’s name and declare their love for each other without actually declaring their love for each other.

An unimaginative story
As I was reading Angelfire, I could not help but fantasize how even smallest touches would have injected the story with more life. Since Ellie is in part a different person every time she reincarnates, why couldn’t she have, for once, not been attracted to Will? Think of all the additional moping Will could do. Or, since Will never knows exactly how long it takes for Ellie to reincarnate, Will could feel bitter towards Ellie. Maybe he could even decide to abandon her. Think of all the additional moping Ellie could do. I don’t mean these suggestions in earnest, just as a warning that this book can prompt meandering thoughts.

Why should you read this book?
The author absolutely nails the young adult experience; perhaps that is why legions of teenagers who have received advanced copies of this book vehemently disagree with me. However, I cannot imagine very many adults who would enjoy this book.
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22 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2011 Crowinator rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-and-gods, arcs, booklist-review, ya, 2011-reads, paranormal, romance-and-vicarious-smoochies, devils-and-demons

Are angels the new vampires, or what? There are parts of this series opener I liked -- several parts of the angel/reaper mythology; the slow way Ellie breaks in her new powers (while she can fight right away, she doesn't like to let herself go, and she doesn't like how her powers make her feel); the fight scenes, mostly, though they were not well integrated -- but overall I wasn't impressed with the amateurish writing (whoa with the adverbs, adjectives, and redundant phrasing) or the romance bet...more

16 likes · like · see review

Apr 17, 2011 Sarah (YA Love) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut-author-challenge, read-in-2011, young-adult-lit, angels, paranormal-ya, series

I know “hate” is a strong word, but I positively hate it when I can’t get into a book and end up not finishing it. Unfortunately, I’ve been running across quite a few books in that category this year. And since I’m not going to fully review them since I didn’t finish them, I think I’m going to post why I simply couldn’t get into them.

My alumni book club and I went to the launch party for Courtney Allison Moulton’s debut novel Angelfire. She did a great job at the launch, we all bought books and...more I know “hate” is a strong word, but I positively hate it when I can’t get into a book and end up not finishing it. Unfortunately, I’ve been running across quite a few books in that category this year. And since I’m not going to fully review them since I didn’t finish them, I think I’m going to post why I simply couldn’t get into them.

My alumni book club and I went to the launch party for Courtney Allison Moulton’s debut novel Angelfire. She did a great job at the launch, we all bought books and had them signed, and agreed we’d read her book for book club. We had a couple books lined up before hers, so we’re just now reading Angelfire for our next meeting. I started reading it on Thursday or Friday (it’s been a busy week, so I can’t remember) and gave up yesterday.

Whenever I’m reading a book and feeling a little dicey about it, I try to give it at least 100 pages before I finally make up my mind. I decided to stop at page 108. Granted, this is a 453 page book, so maybe that’s not enough of a chance. But let me explain it first.

The biggest problem I’m having is that it doesn’t feel like any kind of plot is being developed. Ellie has discovered that she’s been reincarnated hundreds of times as a Preliator, or reaper killer. She also knows that Will has been her Guardian for 500 or so years. And after 108 pages, that’s it. She fights and kills reapers. So… What’s the point? Why should I keep reading? What’s her major problem besides realizing at 17 that she’s been reincarnated and has to kill reapers with the help of Will? Maybe I’m missing the point, but how can I be 108 pages in and not really know where the story is going? This explains the weird dreams she’s been having and that’s about it. I need to feel like there’s more to the story to keep me reading. I’m a teacher with tons of papers to grade and lessons to plan. I’m a grad school student with intense classes and reading to complete. I’m a blogger with other books on my shelf waiting to be read and reviewed. I don’t want to sound mean, but I need a reason to keep reading a book. And Angelfire simply wasn’t providing it :(

Besides the plot, I couldn’t get over the writing style. It’s pretty choppy and there isn’t as much internal dialogue as I prefer from a first-person point of view. I really don’t have a good feel for who Ellie is as a protagonist and I should by now. And then there were the typos… I’m an English teacher and I can’t ignore them. I know they happen (I make them in my posts too!), and I catch them pretty often. A few here and there I can ignore and they don’t change my opinion of the book. But I was left wondering how much attention this book received before it was published.

I have an extra copy of this book in my classroom already and a couple of students have read it and loved it. I think that’s fantastic, because I know not everyone feels the way I do. And I’m sure some of my boys who enjoy fantasy will like Angelfire because of the violent and bloody fight scenes. So this book definitely has appeal, just not for me.

If you’ve read Angelfire, I’d love to know what you think. Does it get better soon? If so, let me know and maybe I’ll give it another chance this summer. If you feel the same way, I’d like to know that too.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2011 Abby rated it 2 of 5 stars

OKAY. First things first. I have mixed feelings about this book, and I haven't even finished reading it yet--I'm past 300 pages though--but having been curious about what other people thought of it, I looked up reviews here in Goodreads and bam. I wasn't alone.

I expected to like this book because my bestfriend, who's a reader like me, lent me the book and said it was really action-packed and that I should give it a shot. And I respect my bestfriend and her feedback a lot, so don't get me wrong o...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2013 Hana❀Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-best-of-the-best, best-of-2011, ridiculously-sexy-guys, my-most-amazing-top-50, my-most-amazing-top-20

This is my third attempt at writing a review for this book. I adored it, one of my favourites in 2011 so far, along with others like Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Dark Descendents by Jenna Black and Demon Trappers Daughter by Jana Oliver. Here some examples on why I loved it:

Ellie

She was an incredibly kick-ass heroine, I completely enjoyed reading in her point of view, which is refreshing considering I was beyond tired of reading books where I hated the main characters. Oh another thing is, she di...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Michelle Witte rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, young-adult, reviewed

Average.

Or maybe “ordinary” is a better descriptor for this book. I wanted to like it, but there just wasn’t enough that was different or special or extraordinary enough to keep my interest. Honestly, it’s a fine paranormal romance and I’m sure there are legions of teen girls/women who will really enjoy it, but for me, the spark wasn’t there.

I’m realizing that I don’t connect with Angelfire, as well as the reason I don’t feel like finishing it, is that I’m more excited to get back to watching B...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-prettiness

I think I'd be willing to sell a kidney for this book. I mean, who needs two anyway?

EDIT: actual review

4.5/5

Ellie is just your average teenage girl, living an average teenage life. But on her seventeenth birthday, Ellie finds out she is far from average – she’s the Preliator. With her newly awakened powers, and under the protection of the bodyguard she doesn’t remember, Ellie must harness her new abilities in order to fight off the demonic reapers and save humanity from a war that could destroy...more I think I'd be willing to sell a kidney for this book. I mean, who needs two anyway?

EDIT: actual review

4.5/5

Ellie is just your average teenage girl, living an average teenage life. But on her seventeenth birthday, Ellie finds out she is far from average – she’s the Preliator. With her newly awakened powers, and under the protection of the bodyguard she doesn’t remember, Ellie must harness her new abilities in order to fight off the demonic reapers and save humanity from a war that could destroy the world.

Angelfire was AWESOME. I adored it. I’d wanted to read it ever since I accidentally stumbled across it on Goodreads months ago, and I can tell you, it’s been worth the wait. Ellie was such a great heroine; to be honest, I didn’t really like her that much to begin with - I found her a bit annoying. But as she took on her role as Preliator, and showed us how strong and determined she was, I started to connect with her more, and by the end, I was definitely a fan. There was no, “Oh dear! I have injured my delicate finger and am unable to move! Save me, man I met not two hours ago!” in this book. Ellie was a fighter, and didn’t rely on others all the time to get her out of a mess. She was also quite hilarious, and made me laugh out loud a fair few times. I loved her interactions with Will (<3); they could be so funny together, but the moment there was hint of danger, they stepped into fighting mode and worked together to defeat the bad guys.

And speaking of Will...wow. He had the whole brooding bad-boy tortured soul thing down to a tee (examples: awesome tattoos, cool sword, general badassery). He came across as bit creepy to begin with (no wonder Ellie freaked out – I like the fact that instead of just following after the pretty boy she’d just met, she told him where to go), but after finding out who he was, he grew to become one of my favourite characters. He sole purpose was to protect Ellie, and he literally did everything in his power to make sure he would carry out this duty. I loved hearing the stories he would tell about all of Ellie’s past lives, and it made me so sad that she couldn’t remember all the time they spent together. The most heartbreaking bit though was this little scene at the end where Will and Ellie both discover something huge...I am so excited for the next book now it’s unbelievable.

Another character I liked, despite him working for the other side, was Cadan. He was very, very interesting. He had all the villainous qualities you’d expect from your typical bad-guy, but there were certain things about him, and certain things he did that have not yet been explained that made me question what his real motives were. The obvious hatred between Cadan and Will as well has also made me think there’s something else going on with him. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see!

There were certain aspects of the plot I found slightly predictable (I won’t spoil it for you), but the twist at the end made up for it, I think. The only part of the book that got on my nerves slightly was Ellie’s stupid dad. He was, for lack of a better word, a total idiot. I didn’t understand what his problem was, and I wanted Ellie to stand up to him instead of just accepting his crap. But I guessed the reason why she couldn’t is because she remembered a time when he was loving, and cared for her. I just hope that in the next book we get to see Ellie either tell her dad where to get off or see them resolve their issues (what are the issues anyway? I really would love to find out what made her dad such a loser).

Overall, Angelfire was an amazing book with an intriguing premise. I can’t wait for Wings of the Wicked, the next book in the series, and I’d recommend this to people who liked the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent, or The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller.
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15 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2010 D.J. added it

Angelfire is a mythology-rich, action-packed, and beautifully romantic debut. Courtney Allison Moulton has written a story that readers will immerse themselves in and they won't want to stop until they've read the very last sentence. Each character and scene is brought to life thanks to Ms. Moulton's incredible writing and readers will be left wanting more!

Ellie is a great narrator and lead character. She certainly knows how to use her swords and kick some demon butt. What I really loved about...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2012 Keertana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-the-hype

Rating: 2.5 Stars

The problem with Angelfire is that it's the type of book that makes you stop in the middle of your reading and say, "Where have I read that before?" It's a mix of multiple ideas, philosophies, and imaginations all rolled into one. For a less prolific reader, I guess this book would come across and stunning and original; however, I found it to be a light and frankly kind of a dull read.

Ellie seems to be normal teenager despite her strange nightmares. It's nearly her seventeenth...more Rating: 2.5 Stars

The problem with Angelfire is that it's the type of book that makes you stop in the middle of your reading and say, "Where have I read that before?" It's a mix of multiple ideas, philosophies, and imaginations all rolled into one. For a less prolific reader, I guess this book would come across and stunning and original; however, I found it to be a light and frankly kind of a dull read.

Ellie seems to be normal teenager despite her strange nightmares. It's nearly her seventeenth birthday, she's about to get a car, she's hosting a huge party, and her best friend is half in love with her. But, when Ellie's economics teacher is mysteriously murdered and a handsome young man named Will enters her life, everything she's known starts to seem like a lie. Ellie is actually the Preliator, a being with the body of a human yet gifted with unimaginable abilities used for killing demons. Although the Preliator can be killed, they are simply re-born, rotating through multiple lives armed with a Guardian - in Ellie's case, Will. Yet, there is something mysterious about Ellie's abilities. How can Ellie be expected to charge headfirst into her dangerous future, fighting an enemy that is growing stronger with every second, when she can't even unravel her own past?

To me, Angelfire seemed like a mix of Cassandra's Clare Mortal Instruments Series, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. There was demon hunting, angelic re-birth/unraveling of a past you couldn't remember, and there was your typical high school setting. Every few chapters or so, Ellie will either (a) meet a reaper who she has to fight (b) sit with Will in the library to do research or (c) be at a party/Movie Night/high school social event. Frankly speaking, it was kind of dull. I'm surprised I even made it through this book. It barely held my attention, the characters were flat, and the writing lacked interest. The only positive qualities that I enjoyed in this book were the fact that Ellie didn't throw herself at Will like most protagonists. Instead, their relationship seemed to be realistic and wasn't too annoying (except for some of their really cliched dialogue).

Essentially, Angelfire was an okay read. It had an interesting premises, but since it had been done so many times before in much better ways, it failed to hold my attention. The characters were not particularly unique or wonderful in any way and I was glad to put this book aside when I was done with it. It takes an excruciatingly long time for anything truly interesting to happen, so if I were you, I'd skip out on this one and opt for a more scintillating read. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, owned-ebooks, angels, demons, meh-it-was-okay, dont-understand-why-its-hyped

A review of this book is also available on my blog. Check it out. ^^

__________________________________

I'd probably give this a solid 3 stars. Maybe 2.75, I don't know.

This was just another meh for me. I got bored a lot and had several issues with Ellie, but there were some things I liked as well. It was just kind of...not what I was expecting, I guess.

I expected Ellie to be more badass, but she's only that in the fighting scenes. Out of those, she's just like any other regular teen girl. And so...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, i-loved-except-for-that-one-part, chemistry-sigh

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton is one of the best angel books I've read in years, and I've read A LOT of them. The only other angel book on the same level is Cynthia Hand's Unearthly, which is also stellar. With Angelfire, it's like Moulton had a check list of what makes a great young adult book and seamlessly blended all of these components together into this sensational debut novel. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't stop reading--it was another "wee hours of the morning"...more Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton is one of the best angel books I've read in years, and I've read A LOT of them. The only other angel book on the same level is Cynthia Hand's Unearthly, which is also stellar. With Angelfire, it's like Moulton had a check list of what makes a great young adult book and seamlessly blended all of these components together into this sensational debut novel. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't stop reading--it was another "wee hours of the morning" finish because this book was THAT GOOD.

There are so many cliches in young adult paranormal fiction these days, and Moulton has an antidote for all of them. Tired of weak, whimpering heroines? You will LOVE Ellie. She's the perfect balance of mad battle skills and heart. Wondering why every teenager has to have absent parents? Ellie and her mother share a close, loving relationship. Yes, youth of today, it's okay to love your mom. Creeped out by centuries-old guys falling in love with teenage girls? Well, Ellie's soul's pretty old, too. Annoyed by girls throwing themselves at obsessive, stalker guys? Ellie totally calls Will on it and actually shows a healthy level of suspicion. After reading about one too many TSTL heroines this year, Angelfire was refreshing and original.

Frustrated by book series holding their cards too closely and providing no answers? (I'm looking at you, Fallen.) Well, Moulton's perfect mix of answers and mystique creates a well-developed, intriguing mythology for her series. And thank you, Courtney, for NO CLIFFHANGER. Angelfire's ending is my favorite kind for a book in a series--there's a satisfying resolution to this book's conflict with just enough unanswered questions and mystery to have you clamoring for the sequel. AND I AM CLAMORING.

And that romantic tension? You'd need to use one of Ellie's Khopesh swords to slash through it. I was about to say this is where Moulton really shines, but then I remembered her action scenes (which are brilliant, and I don't even really like action scenes), so I suppose Moulton is equally brilliant at writing heart-aching romantic tension and gripping action scenes. Moulton's pacing for Ellie and Will's relationship is fantastic. I loved seeing Ellie fall in love with Will (none of this "I love you for no reason other than I happened to see you from across the hall" for our heroine), and Moulton's use of flashbacks was captivating. This book oozes and seethes with romantic tension, and it kept me coming back chapter after chapter waiting for the moment when Ellie and Will would FINALLY kiss. So, so, so worth the wait.

Although I was a little thrown by the big reveal about Ellie near the end of the book (I definitely did not see that coming and I'm not crazy about that development) I cannot wait to see these characters again. Intriguing mythology, well-crafted characters, riveting action, and captivating romance combine into one thrill-ride of a novel that grips your heart and doesn't let go.(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2011 Jaz.parks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, must-read, wish-list, books-i-own, review-reseña, earc-for-review

En el blog: ~Heart Shaped Box~

~.~
"Life is going to test you in ways it never has before. Don't let your future change the good person that you are or make forget who you are"

--Courney A. Moulton.

~.~

Obtuve Angelfire de NetGalley. Estaba tan ocupada y cansada con la escuela y todos los exámenes finales que lo dejé en la compu unas tres semanas antes de empezarlo. Y debo decir que fui una completa idiota, por que el libro es impresionante.

Ellie es el personaje principal. Le gusta ir de compras con...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 26, 2010 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley

And I have finally/sadly come across an angel book that I am just not that into. The blurb describes Ellie as spirited and independent. Will, her love interest, is her protector and loyal GUARDIAN. God, god… god! I was so ready to love Angelfire; too bad, it did not meet my expectations. The first 60 pages or so of this book is riddled with dei ex machina. Disappointing, I kid you not. Every question she asked, the guy had an answer to. Every time something was about to happen or actually happe...more And I have finally/sadly come across an angel book that I am just not that into. The blurb describes Ellie as spirited and independent. Will, her love interest, is her protector and loyal GUARDIAN. God, god… god! I was so ready to love Angelfire; too bad, it did not meet my expectations. The first 60 pages or so of this book is riddled with dei ex machina. Disappointing, I kid you not. Every question she asked, the guy had an answer to. Every time something was about to happen or actually happened, he’d resolve it by slamming his palm on her forehead and “activating” her latent angel-ness.

Too bad. It had such great promise! I was initially sold on the book because of the blurb,

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once...

Ellie and Will just don’t cut it though. I really did not like the dialogue. It was clumsy(?) at times… there was always an answer; everything was just too convenient… Some things just need not be verbalized, e.g. an “I’m scared, Will.” doesn’t not need a “Why?” after it. And neither does the latter need be followed up by a response.

Some positives:
a. The Karate Kid sensei thing with Ellie as the boy, and Will as Mr. Miyagi… (And, yes, I am aware of how old a pre-Jaden Smith/Jackie Chan Karate Kid reference makes me sound:
“We're going to bring out your power so you will learn to do it on your own. I am your soldier, but I am not your crutch…” my little grasshopper *sniggers*
b The fight sequences were awesome.
c. The mythology was a lot more intricate than in other books...
(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2011 Vi Vi rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Buffy fans, Final Fantasy VII phallic sword fangirls

Honestly, it sounds a bit too much like Buffy for comfort, except Giles is a hot guy with a Cloud-strife-esque buster sword.

Still, I'll take a look.

ETA: READ IT. Okay, here's my non-spoilery review.

A good effort. Which seems patronizing, but really, after struggling through the whole thing that's the only compliment I can really muster.

I mean, she certainly writes action 'well' - and by 'well' I mean, you can clearly visualize what's happening, except it feels more like dancing while counting i...more

30 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, signed-by-the-author

You can find this review and many others on my blog, The Reader's Antidote

Angelfire is a great new take on the whole fallen angel genre. As all YA reader's know, there are at least a couple books a year that involve fallen angels. I was hoping this one would be different, and it definitely was. It was witty, action-packed, and filled with a sweet romance that I couldn't help devouring and then promptly weeping over. Courtney Allison Moulton, what have you done to me?

The first time I read this bo...more You can find this review and many others on my blog, The Reader's Antidote

Angelfire is a great new take on the whole fallen angel genre. As all YA reader's know, there are at least a couple books a year that involve fallen angels. I was hoping this one would be different, and it definitely was. It was witty, action-packed, and filled with a sweet romance that I couldn't help devouring and then promptly weeping over. Courtney Allison Moulton, what have you done to me?

The first time I read this book was just after I had been to a signing where she made a guest appearance (Dark Days tour). I got to know Courtney a little and she's just so amazing and sweet. And I don't know if she realizes it, but her and Ellie are a lot alike. No, she's not a red-head like Ellie and her skin is so NOT pale (how she gets such a great tan in Michigan I will never know, I have tried). But their personalities are similar in that they're pretty frickin' awesome!

Soon after that (in an event completely unrelated) I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm now very deep into season 3, and reading this book again, I realized that this series is a lot like Buffy. But instead of vampires and stakes, it's demonic reapers and angelfire swords. She kind of has a Watcher (Nathaniel) and Will is a lot like Angel; they both think they're monsters and they're trying to do good by it. They also both know that they shouldn't be with the Preliator/Slayer. But I think that's why this series really works. It's not a rip-off by any means. Everyone who's ever watched Buffy has fallen in love with the show, so it would only make sense that I would fall in love with this book.

Ellie is totally a kick-butt kind of girl even before she comes into her powers. She has friends and is a generally nice person, but she doesn't take crap from anyone, even her friends. And then the mysterious Will comes along and changes everything. She realizes that the world is not what she thought it was, and it turns out that she's actually a very ancient being that kills what are called reapers. Only they don't have cloaks and scythes; they range from big beastly things that are like overgrown bear-dogs to human-like ones with claws and can be very pursuasive. And Ellie has faced them all in her past lives. Not only that, but one of them can consume her soul, so that when she dies this time, she can't ever be reborn.

Sounds fascinating right? Add a building romance that turns beautiful and serious, that makes your heart break and mend itself a thousand times and you've got yourself an amazing YA debut. Angelfire is one of my favorites of this year, and Will and Ellie and one of my favorite YA couples. I can't wait to see more of them and more of Ellie's powers in the next one, Wings of the Wicked.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 24, 2010 Ronda Tutt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, paranormal, horror

ACTION PACKED! VIOLENTLY CREATIVE! HORRIFYING THRILLS!

Wow, this story was creatively written for it to be a Young Adult Read. Full of kick ass action with bloody horrifying kills without remorse. I’d have to say this book borders on the line of Young Adult and Adult rated horror.

Ellie has just turned 17 year old and is a senior in high school who starts out having nightmares and doesn’t know why she is having them until she meets Will out in the street where she kills her first grim reaper. Not...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Nikita Ompang rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, novel

I really can't give a proper review of this book. Because after reading it, I instantly started reading another book and I suddenly forgot about ever reading this book.
But this I can say, I LOVED IT! and i recommend it!

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 28, 2012 Sarah M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, trilogy, 2012-readers, fantasy, devil-demon

I want to give this a 3.5 stars. It was good packed with some good action. There were a lot of fighting scenes, in which our main character kicks lots of evil-reapers butts.

Ellie, the main character, is a seventeen year old girl who's reincarnated every time she dies, brought back for the sole purpose of killing the reapers from the Grim. She's what they call a Preliator, aka a warrior, who's been alive for thousands of years. She doesn't know how she came to be or even where she came from. She...more I want to give this a 3.5 stars. It was good packed with some good action. There were a lot of fighting scenes, in which our main character kicks lots of evil-reapers butts.

Ellie, the main character, is a seventeen year old girl who's reincarnated every time she dies, brought back for the sole purpose of killing the reapers from the Grim. She's what they call a Preliator, aka a warrior, who's been alive for thousands of years. She doesn't know how she came to be or even where she came from. She just is. She also has a Guardian. That is Will, and it is his job to protect her and make sure she defeats the evil and try to avoid the Apocalypse that could maybe happen. The demonic reapers come in all kins of forms, but they mainly just hunt humans and hope to create an army for Lucifer for the upcoming end of the world.

It's a very interesting premise, and I've always loved the plotline where the characters are expected to save the world in some sort of way. In Ellie's case, it's to kill off the reapers.
While it was interesting, and I was captivated at some moments, I was confused at some places, like how or when she was supposed to acquire back her memory from her exhistence in the past thousand years or so--I also simply did not understand why her father was so mean to her. I feel like there must be a reason for that, but if there isn't, then his hatred and cruelty seems like a forced factor to make the reader feel sorry for Ellie. But I'm hoping that's not the case.

Will, her Guardian, was a cool guy. He's a dramatic man and is always claiming how there is nothing more important than keeping Ellie safe and protecting her. Sometimes those lines made me smile, and sometimes they made me roll my eyes--kind of like Ellie's reactions. But I still loved his character. I felt sorry for him; he's a tortured guy who's been living an immortal life and has had to live through each one of Ellie's death than had to wait for her to come back before he could be with her again. He blames himself for all her deaths, and he's determined that nothing should interefere with his duty as her Guardian, including his feelings for her.

I felt the rest of the characters were seemingly forgetabble. Her mom was kind but she didn't seem to question much of Ellie's activities. There were also all of Ellie's friends--Kate, Rachel, Landon, and so on. They all seemed to blend into one another and I couldn't really distinguish any difference among them.

Overall, the book was good. A not too boring read but not entirely engaging.
It's got some good action and a little romance, though, and I'm interested in knowing how Ellie will overcome this Enshi problem.
So I'm on the lookout for the next books now. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2011 WilowRaven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2011-debut, bea-2011, signed-personal

Angelfire was one of those books that literally didn't leave my hands until I was finished reading it. I was captivated by the story from the very beginning and it just got better and better the more I read.

I'm a sucker for angel stories. Always have been so I was pretty sure I was going to like Angelfire. What I wasn't expecting was the complexity of the story. Ellie's life, or I really should say, lives, lead to so much back story. So many layers to uncover and I loved how Ellie was as unaware...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Kelsey Ketch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, romance, supernatural, adventure

Angelfire has an amazing amount of action in its pages. It also has a lot of mystery. Reading about reincarnation and the lost memories of past lives, I found Ellie’s recurring nightmares and flashbacks intriguing and captivating. Even the instinct and power which Will could reawaken within her was amazing. And the dark world of the Grim and the reapers that inhabited it enthralled me.

The characters, however, didn’t really capture me. Ellie was great, and don’t get me wrong, I loved how she coul...more

2 likes · like · see review

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About Courtney Allison Moulton

Courtney Allison Moulton lives in Michigan, where she is a photographer and spends all her free time riding and showing horses. She has always loved reading about ancient mythologies, dead languages, and telling scary, romantic stories. ANGELFIRE is her debut novel. For more information about Courtney, visit her online at www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com.

ANGELFIRE was published in February 2011 by K...more

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