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Angelfire (Angelfire #1)

by Courtney Allison Moulton (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · rating details · 5,786 ratings · 1,040 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. ...more

Hardcover, 453 pages

Published February 15th 2011 by HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books

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Jul 17, 2010

Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it

Shelves: other-ya-fantasy, 2010, loved-it, own-it, signed-by-author

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 Mea...more

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Jan 03, 2012

Lyndsey rated it

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 stren...more

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Feb 23, 2011

Cillian Beyond Birthday rated it

Shelves: non-shitty-angels, favorites, i-haz-powers

Review coming soon.
Review is here.

Ok, where should I start?
Shall I start with the fact that Moulton has me wrapped around her little finger for creating a female character that didn't annoy me with her stupidity?
FINALLY!
GIVE MY CREATION A BRAIN!

Ellie: I don't know about you guys, but honestly, I'm sick and tired of main female characters that are less than adept and dedicate their lame existences to drool over the cute guy, even if he is a weirdo, they tai...more

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Feb 27, 2011

Jillian -always aspiring- rated it

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

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 dr...more

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Nov 29, 2010

Jessica rated it

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...more

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Oct 19, 2011

Diana rated it

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

“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...more

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Dec 30, 2010

Benni rated it

http://www.rantingdragon.com/angelfire-a...
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...morehttp://www.rantingdragon.com/angelfire-a...
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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Feb 21, 2011

Crowinator rated it

Shelves: angels-and-gods, arcs, booklist-review, ya, first-ya-novels-2011, 2011-reads, paranormal, romance, 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

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Feb 12, 2011

faeriemyst rated it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, young-adult-paranormal, amazon-vine

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 will not 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 pretty shallow character who wasn't brought to life in the pages I read. It's hard to relate to a girl who has every...more

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Dec 13, 2011

Abby rated it

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 ge...more

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Apr 17, 2011

Sarah (Y.A. Love) rated it

Shelves: 2011-debut-author-challenge, read-in-2011, young-adult-lit, abandoned-books, 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 boug...moreI 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)

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Mar 25, 2011

Liz rated it

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 hum...moreI 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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Sep 22, 2011

Book Chick City rated it

Shelves: arc, books-for-review-full-list, ebooks, reviews, young-adult, fantasy, fiction

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.
...more

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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 lo...more

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Apr 01, 2011

Paige rated it

Shelves: the-decent-shelf-of-meh

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Elisabeth "Ellie" Monroe has what she thinks is a pretty normal life. A tight circle of friends,a great best friend, two parents (who fight a lot),... Then Will comes into the picture. This green-eyed mystery man tells Ellie that she is a reincarnated warrior destined to defend human and their souls from the demonic reapers that mean to send the souls to Hell and use them as soldiers in Lucifer's army. As Ellie trains to regain her fo...more

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Dec 30, 2010

Sandy rated it

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 morn...moreAngelfire 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)

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Feb 15, 2011

Mocha ღ Latte (YA Reviewer) rated it

Recommends it for: Teens, Young Adults and Adults

Shelves: alltime-favorites

More of my reviews at "A Cupcake and A Latte"*updated daily*
Seventeen year old Ellie is as normal a teen can possibly be. She lives with her mother and father and hangs out with her friends nightly but she's got a problem. Nightmares that constantly haunt her each night about gruesome creatures called reapers; who devour humans and send their souls to hell. On the night of her Seventeenth birthday she meets Will, a handsome man who claims she's the reincarnation of an ancient warr...more

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Jan 06, 2011

Jaz.parks rated it

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 impresiona...more

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Nov 26, 2010

Isamlq rated it

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...moreAnd 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...
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Feb 19, 2011

Vi Vi rated it

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 happeni...more

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Nov 05, 2011

Nicole rated it

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 f...moreYou 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)

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Mar 14, 2011

Morgyn Joubert rated it

Blood, love, and a lot of fighting. Ellie thought she was a normal girl, but deep down she was a reincarnation of ancient warrior, but she doesn't truly know who she is or why she was created. All Ellie wanted was to be a normal girl with normal problems like dating boys, not getting ice cream on your outfit, and trying to find something cute to wear to school the next day, but that all changes when she meets Will. Gorgeous, green eyed, brown hair Will. Will has a dark mystery about himself and...more

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Oct 24, 2010

Ronda (Queentutt's World of Escapism) rated it

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 h...more

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Oct 16, 2010

Jami Slack rated it

What do you call everything you've ever wanted in a paranormal romance and more? Angelfire. That's right, I said it. Moulton has taken every cliche about paranormal romance and stomped it into the ground. You won't find any whiny, push-over MCs here.

Ellie was simply awesome. She was SO funny. I couldn't wait to hear her next snarky comment to Will. She was a good friend, and here is the big one, she had common sense! When Will showed up, she thought he was a creeper for standing a...moreWhat do you call everything you've ever wanted in a paranormal romance and more? Angelfire. That's right, I said it. Moulton has taken every cliche about paranormal romance and stomped it into the ground. You won't find any whiny, push-over MCs here.

Ellie was simply awesome. She was SO funny. I couldn't wait to hear her next snarky comment to Will. She was a good friend, and here is the big one, she had common sense! When Will showed up, she thought he was a creeper for standing around and staring. Her first instinct was to stay away from the creep. Of course, she learned who Will really was and how their past was connected, but you gotta love a character with some self preservation.

Will was also a wonderful character. While he is guarded, you can tell there is much more to him. It's easy to see how deeply he cares for Ellie. He was very different than Ellie, but I think he is the perfect ying to her yang. And I couldn't finish this review without mentioning once how ridiculously sexy he is. The relationship between Ellie and Will was beautiful, realistic, and well paced. I will now always think dreamily of rootbeer float kisses.

It wasn't just the two main characters. All characters, big and small, were fully developed with their own personalities. Even the creepy reapers had a personality!

The story plot was phenomenal. The perfect mixture of humor, romance, and action. Speaking of action, Angelfire was a real thrill-ride. The kind that has you biting your nails until you see the outcome. It was awesome seeing Ellie and Will slicing and dicing away at the reapers. This is a story that the boys will love just as much as the girls. Many paranormal romances, while still fantastic, are easily predictable. That is not the case here. Moulton throws in major surprises that had me saying, "Holy crap!" out loud.

I loved this eery and beautiful world Moulton has created. Yes, it is very much like our world. But in Ellie's world, there is the Grim. I was completely fascinated by the Grim. Here, yet not seen by most eyes. It's crazy to think what creatures could be in the Grim standing right next to you, and you would never know it. I definitely can't wait to explore the Grim more in the next installment.

I was compelled by this story all the way to the ending. Thank God it is a series, because I don't know what I would do if I couldn't get any more of these characters. I have thought long and hard, trying to name something I disliked about Angelfire. I am still coming up blank. Angelfire is an all around win. I have a feeling we will be hearing Courtney Allison Moulton just as much as we hear Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare. Moulton has earned her badge as an epic fantasy writer.

Come February, be sure to pick up a copy of Angelfire. I know *I* will be taking home Will as my Valentine. (less)

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Feb 14, 2012

Trisha Wolfe rated it

Angelfire was one of those books that I just couldn’t put down. I fell in love with the characters right away. Ellie is a wonderfully crafted, strong YA female character. It was so refreshing to read about a girl who actually knows how to apply eyeliner (likes it) and is not ashamed to admit she likes to party with her friends and dance with guys. But in the next moment she’s dropping monsters and slashing her swords through the air, taking on her role as protector with humility, strength, and g...more

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Jan 14, 2011

Danny rated it

Shelves: netgalley-read, november-2010, 2011-debut

Gosh this book blew me away!! When I found this book on NetGalley and read the synopsis I knew that this would be a book I could enjoy - and oh boy I did enjoy this book!

Review and ARC Giveaway at the Boowkworms (ends Jan21)
Ellie is a normal girl - until her 17th birthday when she meets Will and everything she though she knew about herself is turned upside down and she has to learn the truth about herself.
She's is an ancient warrior trapped in an human body but with extraor...moreGosh this book blew me away!! When I found this book on NetGalley and read the synopsis I knew that this would be a book I could enjoy - and oh boy I did enjoy this book!

Review and ARC Giveaway at the Boowkworms (ends Jan21)
Ellie is a normal girl - until her 17th birthday when she meets Will and everything she though she knew about herself is turned upside down and she has to learn the truth about herself.
She's is an ancient warrior trapped in an human body but with extraordinary inhuman powers. Every time she dies she comes back into a new body and the fighting starts again. She fights hideous creatures that take human souls to Hell and she's the only power on earth that can destroy them

She has an immortal Guardian- Will - at her site who has sworn his existence to fight for her and protect her. He always waits for her soul to be reborn, then he finds her, awake her power and help her remember who she really is.

Only this time, he had to wait for 40 years and this never happend before and Ellie struggles with her memories, she can only remember fragments of her previous life's.

Ellie in the beginning is a normal Teenager but soon has to face her true self and start being the warrior she is since millennia. She is scared but also has to realizes that she is indeed able to fight these creatures. She struggles with accepting but she also knows that this is her responsibility, yet she tries hard to remain her human part and live.

Will is a wonderful, strong,yet soft, tormented and self less creature who sees his only purpose in serving Ellie as a Warrior, Soldier and Protector. She comes first-always. He never cares for himself. Ellie is the one that reminds him to also take care of himself - that he also has a life and deserves happiness. Can I "droll" over him? He.is.awesome!

Those two characters were amazing to follow their journey to learn the truth about Ellie and their fight against the evil. Only this time the other site wants to awake a secret creature that could be the end to Ellies soul - forever.

Seriously, this book simply blew me away. I am totally in love with this story, the mystic and the characters. It is the first book in a Trilogy and the first books leaves you with so many open questions that it is cruel to wait year for the next book. But it is absolutely worth it - the book is fantastic!

Watch out for this book , and you can already pre order it! (less)

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Aug 24, 2011

Danielle rated it

As posted from my blog: http://frenzyofnoise.blogspot.com

This book is pretty wonderful. I had the ARC for a while but I didn’t have the time to read it early. I read Sunday night instead (or while) watching the Grammy’s, and it was the right call because it was 10000 times better! It didn’t take long to figure out this book was completely new and different—in addition to well-developed and well-written. I jumped into the world of Angelfire and couldn’t escape! It was amazing.

...moreAs posted from my blog: http://frenzyofnoise.blogspot.com

This book is pretty wonderful. I had the ARC for a while but I didn’t have the time to read it early. I read Sunday night instead (or while) watching the Grammy’s, and it was the right call because it was 10000 times better! It didn’t take long to figure out this book was completely new and different—in addition to well-developed and well-written. I jumped into the world of Angelfire and couldn’t escape! It was amazing.

This book is the story of Ellie, a girl who has nightmares that turn out to be real visions of her past lives. Ellie is the Preliator—the one person (who’s not quite a person) with the power to stop the ultimate evil of the reapers. But she doesn’t know this until she turns seventeen and she meets Will. Will is her Guardian, sworn to protect her and search for her each time she is reborn. Ellie and Will work together to stop the evil from ending the world and she soon discovers that she is way more than she expected and the duty of protecting humanity is more important than the rest of her world.

Angelfire covers so many pieces of YA it’s really hard to list them all. There’s romance, real-life drama that you’d find in contemporary pieces, humor, fantasy, mythology and action. True story: there was a boy in college writing class who loved Stephen King and all his stories were gore and guts. Many scenes took my back to that class and that boy’s stories. Moulton’s character kick a lot of Reaper butt. Seriously. There was scene after scene of killer combat action. Sometimes, I felt like I was reading a different book. That alone makes this book more boy-appealing. Sure, there’s love and lust and the MC’s a girl—but the action is enough to cross-over to other fans. It really makes this book stand out.

Something else that made Angelfire unique is the world-building and mythology that Courtney Allison Moulton developed in the story. I enjoyed the way the story employed Christian theology, as well as other Eastern traditions. She pulled in the basic beliefs of Christian theology (the fallen, Satan, the separation of angels and lost souls) and teachings of reincarnation, magic and fate. It was a unique and solid spin on good vs. evil and angels and demons. I’m not a big fan of angel books, but I can definitely recommend this book! I hate even calling it an angel book because it’s so much more than that.

Ellie struck me from the beginning. I liked the way she was set up as a normal girl—and how that stays throughout the story. She doesn’t want to be “special”, but she is and she accepts that eventually in some way. Her life is so normal: friends, school, parties, a mom who is so cool and supportive and a dad who…um…isn’t. She struggles at school just because she’s distracted. It was all very true. I liked Ellie. As the story went on and she learned exactly what she was I liked her more. She’s a great character: independent, smart, sarcastic, friendly, passionate. When I think of powerful and strong female MCs, I’ll always think of here now. She’s up there with Clary and Katniss.

There’s been a lot of talk about Will. I’ve heard the stories of his dreaminess and kick-butt awesome gorgeousness. It was true; he IS incredible. He’s completely and totally angelic. He combats Ellie’s snark with plenty of his own. His words are wise, his eyes are green and his character is completely lovely. Plus, he will always defend Ellie and challenge her at the same time. I like that. I like that, a lot

I can’t wait to see where these lovely characters go. This is the first book in a trilogy and Moulton did a great job of wrapping up the book and leaving open so many details. (less)

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Feb 21, 2012

Kat Kennedy rated it

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 ...more

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Apr 02, 2011

Angela rated it

Shelves: 2011

Ellie is a normal sixteen – soon to be seventeen – year old girl. She gets bored in economics classes, does homework, goes to movies and shopping, is looking forward to getting her first car and, like a lot of girls her age, she’s trying to figure out how to get into the college of her choice. There’s just one difference: she’s been having these horrifying nightmares about creatures that kill her every night.

On the night of her seventeenth birthday she finds out the nightmares are ...more

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Jan 11, 2012

Kira rated it

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 se...more

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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.

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