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8th out of 20 books
—
33 voters
The Alleluia Files (Samaria Published Order #3)
by
Sharon Shinn
Legend has it that the Alleluia Files contain the truth about the god of Samaria. Now, a child raised in captivity among the angels will journey the length and breadth of her world to seek the documents that will alter the face of Samaria forever...
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
May 1st 1999
by Ace
(first published 1998)
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Halfway through I expected to give this four out of five stars because the premise, characterization and plotting seemed tighter and more compelling than in the previous two volumes, but then Shinn pulled her usual tricks with dysynchronous POV and sexist male characters that just drive me nuts. And then the dénouement never seemed to freaking end. So it gets three out of five. Are you happy, Sharon Shinn?
I realize now that I have read these books in possibly the worst possible order, without realizing either that 1) some came first or that 2) the earlier ones had more plot. This book has quite a lot going on: power-hungry Archangel Bael(who pretty much rules the whole society) has ordered executions of rebel heretics, although it turns out there's more truth to their heresy than he wants to admit. Enter a heretic woman trying to free to safety (and from those who it turns out would help her); a...more
And a god will fall... Legend says the Archangel Alleluia and the mortal Caleb left a record of the truth they discovered about the god Jovah, though no document has ever been found. In time, an underground cult arose, seeking to find again what Alleluia found. But the reigning Archangel called down the wrath of Jovah upon the cult, and hundreds died in a hail of thunderbolts. Yet some still survive...
Among them is the woman Tamar, child of cultists, raised by angels. She believes that the actua...more
Among them is the woman Tamar, child of cultists, raised by angels. She believes that the actua...more
Third book in the sci-fi/fantasy/religious/romance series.
100 years after Alleya found out the truth about God there are only a few who are considered heretics, the Jacobites, that suspect the truth. The Alleluia files could change all that, but nobody has been able to find them and the archangel doesn't want them found.
The narrative switches between 3 characters: Jared, Tamar and Lucinda.
Each of the 3 has their own narrative merits and an interesting story that leads them to each other. Jared i...more
100 years after Alleya found out the truth about God there are only a few who are considered heretics, the Jacobites, that suspect the truth. The Alleluia files could change all that, but nobody has been able to find them and the archangel doesn't want them found.
The narrative switches between 3 characters: Jared, Tamar and Lucinda.
Each of the 3 has their own narrative merits and an interesting story that leads them to each other. Jared i...more
I read the first two books in this series when they first came out. I really liked the first one, but the second book had some annoying plot holes. So I didn't buy the third book. Still, when I had a chance to get a free copy, I decided it was worth a try. I'm glad I did; Shinn is back on her A game.
Samaria is a world ruled by angels. Really; they're humans with wings, who sing prayers to Jovah that are answered promptly and precisely. It's very easy to believe in god on this world, because the...more
Samaria is a world ruled by angels. Really; they're humans with wings, who sing prayers to Jovah that are answered promptly and precisely. It's very easy to believe in god on this world, because the...more
4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself so unwilling to put it down that I'm writing this a little bleary-eyed this morning. Like the previous book in this volume, I found the characters to be well drawn, complex, and likable. Also like the last two books, I enjoyed the imaginative world.
Tamar was my favorite of the 3 point of view characters, although I did find her a little overzealous. Her romance with Jared was the best of the series to date. I got a little impatient in Luc...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself so unwilling to put it down that I'm writing this a little bleary-eyed this morning. Like the previous book in this volume, I found the characters to be well drawn, complex, and likable. Also like the last two books, I enjoyed the imaginative world.
Tamar was my favorite of the 3 point of view characters, although I did find her a little overzealous. Her romance with Jared was the best of the series to date. I got a little impatient in Luc...more
I love Sharon Shinn she is one of my favorite Authors and I loved the first two books in this series. This one was good and I loved the characters! She is so good at developing characters through their actions. The story moved really well and I enjoyed going back to Samaria. There was one hitch for me and that was the love stories in this . The story is the focal point and the 2 love stories take a back seat. It is almost like a whole chapter got left out somewhere. I was a little disappointed,...more
So I wasn't going to write a review of this book but reading other people's reviews made me decide I must. I just can't NOT address some of the comments that have been made. First let me talk about my own experience with the Samaria trilogy. (And, really, you should not even consider reading this book unless you have read the first and the second - it will not be near as satisfying on its own.) Initially, I was disappointed to discover that the Samaria books didn't follow the same group of chara...more
I felt like this one was the best in the series so far, up until the last chapter.
I didn't figure out the spoiler until it was finally revealed (which was great, Shinn's spoilers have been typically transparent from the beginning of the story) and I felt like the characters actually had some kind of motivation in this book whereas, the characters from the other books had pretty simple roles to play and didn't face any real action.
Then the final chapter came and Conran (the atheist leader of the...more
I didn't figure out the spoiler until it was finally revealed (which was great, Shinn's spoilers have been typically transparent from the beginning of the story) and I felt like the characters actually had some kind of motivation in this book whereas, the characters from the other books had pretty simple roles to play and didn't face any real action.
Then the final chapter came and Conran (the atheist leader of the...more
Originally posted here.
As with the other Samaria books, this one revolves around certain characters, namely Tamar, Jared and Lucinda, and their interactions with each other. Tamar is a feisty and fiercely determined woman, brought up by Jacobites. She has been on the run her entire life and has a hard time trusting people. On the other hand, Jared is a happy-go-lucky type of angel. Even though he's technically the leader at Monteverde, he's never been passionate about anything. Tamar and Jared a...more
As with the other Samaria books, this one revolves around certain characters, namely Tamar, Jared and Lucinda, and their interactions with each other. Tamar is a feisty and fiercely determined woman, brought up by Jacobites. She has been on the run her entire life and has a hard time trusting people. On the other hand, Jared is a happy-go-lucky type of angel. Even though he's technically the leader at Monteverde, he's never been passionate about anything. Tamar and Jared a...more
I like the series. Fun romances. Interesting sci-fi. I like that the author doesn't give up on religion completely. They're well-written and engaging books.
I just wish the characters were not so casual in their liaisons or the consequences thereof. Yes, the predestined lovers seem to be faithful to each other, but the society in general condones an awful lot of sleeping around. At least the lights dim and we don't have to read the details.
I also wish the female leads were a bit more likeable, le...more
I just wish the characters were not so casual in their liaisons or the consequences thereof. Yes, the predestined lovers seem to be faithful to each other, but the society in general condones an awful lot of sleeping around. At least the lights dim and we don't have to read the details.
I also wish the female leads were a bit more likeable, le...more
This is the third in the series. The Jacobites who believe their god is actually a machine are being exterminated (kept secredt from the other angels) by an evil and manupulative archangel. One angel, Jared, who leads one of the angel strongholds finds out about the Jacobites murders and searches for reasons. Jared's search leads to a run-in with one Jacobite, Tamar, who he begins protecting and eventually falls in love with. There is also a simultaneious story being told of another angel, who w...more
Oh dear, they need a more exact rating scale. This book was fun, silly, and entertaining, but by no means great literature. A good brainless read about angels and such. And yes, I would like to point out that I am just diligently working my way through my list of books that I've read in the past while. I'm resisting the urge to edit. The urge to try to make it look like I only read smart books. But NO, I will proudly display my less than high-brow reading habits. Yes, there is a half-naked, beau...more
Samaria Series
If all romance books were like these, I might consider myself to be a fan of romance novels in general.
The 'Samaria' series is primarily romance - but it's balanced with enough other plot elements that it doesn't get too tedious. They're even frequently... romantic!... in a way that doesn't (usually) make me want to strangle the characters! (They're never explicit/erotic, though.)
I did read all five books back-to-back, which meant that some of the elements did get a little repetiti...more
If all romance books were like these, I might consider myself to be a fan of romance novels in general.
The 'Samaria' series is primarily romance - but it's balanced with enough other plot elements that it doesn't get too tedious. They're even frequently... romantic!... in a way that doesn't (usually) make me want to strangle the characters! (They're never explicit/erotic, though.)
I did read all five books back-to-back, which meant that some of the elements did get a little repetiti...more
Sharon Shinn wrote the Samaria books before angels were even a popular subject. I'm a big fan of Shinn, and after reading the first book in this series, Archangel, I fell in love with the world she has created. This is very much a science fiction series, with the inhabitants of Samaria being descendants of people from Earth who left to escape the destruction of the planet by technology. In The Alleluia Files, the people of Samaria have become much more technologically advanced -- some think this...more
This is a continuation of the Samaria series. Now there is a small sect that teaches that Jovah is a ship, not a deity, and they are being persecuted by the current archangel. The female romantic interest is part of the sect; the male is an angel.
Shinns' portrays the "atheistic" cult as bitter, angry, distrustful and arrogant. They do have some of the technical facts regarding Jovah's identity right, of course, but we find that those who believe in Jovah as deity tend to be more generous, helfu...more
Shinns' portrays the "atheistic" cult as bitter, angry, distrustful and arrogant. They do have some of the technical facts regarding Jovah's identity right, of course, but we find that those who believe in Jovah as deity tend to be more generous, helfu...more
This is third novel in the series about Samaria and the socioreligious struggles of the world. This story takes place 100 years after Jovah's angel and the main characters are women who are twins separated at birth. One is an angel and the other is mortal. The angel becomes the religious leader of the society, and the mortal belongs to a group of atheists that the angels are trying to exterminate. I continue to have reservations about the way that women are portrayed in these stories. While they...more
Very interesting, and I was impressed that the author could write such an interesting plot when there wasn't much wiggle room in the setting. Slightly predictable. THis book's plot was a lot more intricate than the other two. I would suggest reading the series in order, even though each could work as a stand-alone book. One annoying thing about these books is that the covers have absolutely nothing to do with the book and they are so WEIRD that you feel embarrassed reading them.
Every one of these angel books by Sharon Shinn is totally fascinating. The politics, the development of a society over the course of hundreds of years, the personal relationships (the love stories = predictable but still great), the action-y narrative surrounded by detailed and creative worldbuilding. I wish there were more of these!!! I want them way in the past – Hagar, anyone? – and I want them into the future! I want the new world order! I want everything about Samaria!
Another Samaria book I had rememberned not liking very much. Another Samaria book I was wrong about. Loved this story! It had been long enough that I didn't remember how it all worked out, so every page was like the firs treading. Love the characters, I even like the even-minded philosophical discussion on religion and its purpose (so says the agnostic). The human relationships lend the richness to the amazing world-building. I LOVE these books.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was trying to explain this book to my boyfriend and after I got through: world colonized way into the future by earthlings, the satellite aka "god/jovah" in the sky, and angels with wings grafted onto their backs to control the weather... he was like, "Will you listen to yourself?! This sounds crazy!" And, it is reactions like this, my friends, that makes me love sci fi/fantasy EVEN MORE.
Apr 16, 2009
Christy Stewart
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
favorite,
fantasy,
romance,
scifi,
angel,
books-i-own,
spacepunk,
transgressive,
fiction,
speculative-fiction,
suicidal,
female-authors,
aliens,
reviewed,
interracial
In this book, Shinn features her best leading male ever, Jared. He is a man with great power and responsibility...and he evades it at any cost to do...nothing at all. Even as news that will shake the very world down to it's core falls into his lap. He waits years to act on it, and even then he just tries pushing it off on the leading lady, Tamar, who is charmingly schizophrenic.
This book follows new characters in the world of Samaria. It is about a rebel group, the Jacobites, who believe Jovah is a machine. Tamar is one of them and very distrustful of angels. She meets the angel Jared, who helps her in a time of difficulty, but she still doesn't trust him. Although you know how it will end, how it gets there is the intriguing part.
I liked Archangel better, both for the characterization and the religiousy bits. I guess when authors stick gods in their books I'd rather they be either really, really real, like some sort of pantheon, or to be extremely mysterious and vague. In Archangel, the series's god WAS quite vague, but here it's just a spaceship. Boring. :/
3.5 stars.
Less to it than the other books, in half again as many pages. Go figure.
More romance than the other books, which might be a plus for some but I am neutral about it. (At least it didn't annoy me like romance usually does.) Plot pretty unexciting--no mystery at all to anyone who read the previous book.
Less to it than the other books, in half again as many pages. Go figure.
More romance than the other books, which might be a plus for some but I am neutral about it. (At least it didn't annoy me like romance usually does.) Plot pretty unexciting--no mystery at all to anyone who read the previous book.
Feb 05, 2012
Mandi Ellsworth
added it
I loved all of these books in the series and devoured them so quickly I can't remember which story is which anymore. They each have elements of science fiction and fantasy. They each have an intense mystery to figure out. They each have a romance or two that tickles the toes. Ms. Shinn weaves a perfect storm, with angels.
The society this book puts forth is an interesting one - angels as the upper, ruling class and humans as the common folk. Even though our image of an angel is good and helpful, some of the angels portrayed in this book are downright evil. Anyway, the big controversy is whether god exists or whether it's a big spaceship in the sky programmed to grant angel requests for rain, sunshine, medicine, etc. The people that believe it's the spaceship are called Jacobites and are pursued by the Archangel a...more
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I’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative w...more
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“If there is no god, what is left but science? What is left to endow us with any grace? You can tell me the chemical makeup of my skin and my brain, but how can you explain away my soul? And if there is no god to watch over me, chastise me, grieve for me, rejoice for me, make me fear, and make me wonder, what am I but a collection of metals and liquids with nothing to celebrate about my daily living?”
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