Two hundred years ago, the god Jovah created a legion of land-dwelling angels, led by an appointed Archangel. Now, Jovah has a new appointee: Archa...
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Jun 13, 2011
Angela
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Two hundred years ago, the god Jovah created a legion of land-dwelling angels, led by an appointed Archangel. Now, Jovah has a new appointee: Archangel Gaaron. For his life-mate, his Angelica, Jovah has chosen a woman named Susannah. Slowly, an unspoken affection develops between the two. But there is a terrible threat besetting the land--and the true hearts of Archangel and Angelica may never be known. (cover blurb)
In Samaria angels and mortals share a peaceful world. Guided from on More...
In Samaria angels and mortals share a peaceful world. Guided from on More...
Apr 18, 2011
Jenn
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Sharon Shinn returns to the planet called Samaria, with a new tale of an earlier time... Legend has it that the original settlers of Samaria were carried there by the loving hands of the god Jovah. To keep the peace, he created a legion of land-dwelling angels, led by an appointed Archangel. Now, two hundred years later, Jovah's latest appointee is the Archangel Gaaron, whose dependability and allegiance to the people of Samaria make him a wise choice. And for Gaaron's life-mate, his Angelica, J
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Sep 24, 2010
Christine
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This is the 4th book in the series, but it goes back in time to take place before the beginning of the 1st book. It stands alone as a romance between Garon, the next chosen archangel, and Suzannah, his chosen Angelica.
After thoroughly enjoying the previous two books in the series and at least finding myself inspired by the world building and politics of the original book, I was very disappointed with this one. It began more slowly than any book to date, spending an entire chapter bori More...
After thoroughly enjoying the previous two books in the series and at least finding myself inspired by the world building and politics of the original book, I was very disappointed with this one. It began more slowly than any book to date, spending an entire chapter bori More...
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May 25, 2010
Lin
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This book flicks back several hundred years to times before the events of Archangel to tell the story of the Edori Angelica (mentioned before as a book read by Tamar in The Alleluia Files).
Susannah, an Edori dedicated with two Kiss's finds she is to be Angelica to the angel Gaaron. After an argument with her Edori lover she agrees to go with him to serve her god. Gaaron is a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Soon he will be archangel, but men who disappear at will have bee More...
Susannah, an Edori dedicated with two Kiss's finds she is to be Angelica to the angel Gaaron. After an argument with her Edori lover she agrees to go with him to serve her god. Gaaron is a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Soon he will be archangel, but men who disappear at will have bee More...
May 07, 2011
Jennifer
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Much better than The Alleluia Files, this book goes back in time to visit Samaria just before Gabriel takes over as Archangel - alongside his Edori bride.
Samaria is under attach from mysterious "black men" who are destroying remote farmsteads and campsites of the Edori & Jansai, with no apparent motive. Gaaron (Gabriel Arron's nickname) is trying to figure out who these men are and how to stop them without violating the rule set down in the Librera against weapons. Meanwhile, More...
Samaria is under attach from mysterious "black men" who are destroying remote farmsteads and campsites of the Edori & Jansai, with no apparent motive. Gaaron (Gabriel Arron's nickname) is trying to figure out who these men are and how to stop them without violating the rule set down in the Librera against weapons. Meanwhile, More...
Aug 09, 2011
Melissa
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If I was going to re-read this series I would start with Archangel then read Angel-Seeker,then Angelica then Jovah's Angels,The Alleluia Files. I like things to have order and this isn't even the time order but if you read Angelica first it gives too much away but in a time line it happens first.I liked this book better than others in the series. I have gotten wrapped up in this world and love it. Sad it is over but I know there are short stories of Samaria out there.I liked learning more about
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May 18, 2011
Anna
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Sharon Shinn you're amazing! I love this story. I love everything about it. Each character had such a distinct personality, and felt so real to me, that I wished they were my friends. Shinn has such instinct with relationships. Her talent to write about human nature moves me. I feel as if she has her own special magnifying glass, peering into the core of our souls, allowing her to write stories that warm our hearts. I read Angelica at a difficult time in my life, and had I not had this up
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Aug 06, 2011
Carolyn
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Like the people of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, the people of Samaria have forgotten their origins as space colonists. As their founders intended, technology has been replaced by sung prayers, led by genetically modified angels. Archangel Gaaron’s reign promises to be an especially rocky one, but with his divinely-chosen Angelica at his side, perhaps they can overcome the challenges they face. A great choice for people interested in the power of music, the intersection of fai
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Dec 23, 2010
Corinne
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 16, 2010
Summer
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In Angelica, Gaaron is next in line to become the Archangel. I didn't read the previous book in the series but I hear Angelica takes place at some time before it. Gaaron has a lot on his plate with the Gloria coming up in less than a year. He calls on the oracle to ask Jovah who is to be his angelica. The oracle gives him the name of an Edori woman named Susannah to be his bride. But things don't go exactly as Gaaron planned. Susannah has just ended a long relationship on bad terms and neither h
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Sep 22, 2010
Alicia
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So first of all, I have to say that I love Sharon Shinn. She creates such wonderful worlds that I keep wanting to return to time and time again.
I loved this book, that said there were a few problems I had with it. First of all, the story line with Miriam? In the beginning of that I was SO CONFUSED as to why the story was taking this detour to see where she was going and what she was doing. I definitely didn't see the point until much later and then it made sense and I was okay with More...
I loved this book, that said there were a few problems I had with it. First of all, the story line with Miriam? In the beginning of that I was SO CONFUSED as to why the story was taking this detour to see where she was going and what she was doing. I definitely didn't see the point until much later and then it made sense and I was okay with More...
Sep 28, 2007
Erin
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It took me a little longer to get into this book. I kept thinking it was supposed to be set in Palestine because the names are similar, but it's set on some other planet. Once I figured that out, the book went much more smoothly, and I really enjoyed it. It's not as gripping as "Mystic and Rider," etc., but it's pretty interesting trying to figure out what is really going on.
The basic premise is that there are angels (who don't seem to be immortal, just really healthy an More...
The basic premise is that there are angels (who don't seem to be immortal, just really healthy an More...
Nov 29, 2011
Christina
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Really enjoyed the fleshing-out of one of this world's cultures. The Edori have figured in all three of the previous books, but this book really spent some time with them. Also, the Bigger Questions in this book focused more on relationships instead of the issues of faith explored in the other books. However, I thought the ending was weak. 500 pages of set up and less than 50 pages of resolution over three plot threads makes for an unsatisfactory finish.
May 22, 2008
Claire
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I was impressed that, as a prequel, Angelica was able to present new and interesting aspects of Samarian society while respecting the constraints of the time period (no looming discovery of god-as-spaceship, no technological revolution), and the characters and communities were, as always, layered and sympathetic. The thing that kept me from entirely enjoying the book was that the scary violent space invaders were black. Samaria has always been a fairly whitewashed world, but as long as it stays
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Sep 18, 2011
Craftjunkie
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Great read! It kept me from having to actually interact with my family over Christmas break! My boyfriend at the time loaned it to me. We did a swap of our favorite books. I can see why this book was a favorite! I love the way the author weaves in religion and hierarchy with the underlying theme of racism. I believe she portrayed the coming together of two cultures well and made us believe that how it happened works.
Feb 07, 2009
Rachel
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This book started out really slow. I'm glad I plugged through it. It does get better further along although I felt that there were several threads that were just dropped that the author could have done some amazing things with. I was surprised that she didn't further some situations frankly as it could have been a more keep you on the edge of your seat page turner kind of book instead of predictable and easy going. Still, it did get better as it went on so I give it three stars instead of tw
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Jun 16, 2011
Siobhan
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Another strong story from Shinn, though much in the same mold as her others, with pairings among people from different worlds. Sympathetic charactters and fear and wonder, but yeah, very similar to her other books. It was a bit odd that the Miriam point of view suddenly shows up in the middle of the story, but I liked the foil of her communication with Jossis against Gaaron (ugh, hate that nickname) and Susannah.
Apr 02, 2009
kaoyler
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Another book about Samaria and angels. This one concerns a threat to the land in the form of people who suddenly appear and destroy communities. Gaaron is about the become the new archangel and when he finds Susannah, his new bride, she was one of the survivors of one of these attacks. Together they set out to discover who they are and how they can be defeated.
Jan 16, 2010
Mauri
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Excellent story, though I am disappointed by the cover - somebody obviously hasn't read the story close enough to catch the author's repeated descriptions of the Edori as dark-skinned, with Susannah herself described as a bronze-complected beauty, nowhere near resembling the creamy white figure depicted on the cover (well, okay, they got the hair right).
May 20, 2010
Darcy
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I was a little disappointed in this book at the beginning because I wanted to see the aftermath of the big reveal from the last book and this one is set in the time before the first book of the series. Once I got past that I did enjoy this one. I loved getting to know more of the Edori lifestyle. I loved how Miriam was a handful for Garron and do think she ended up in the right place. Garron was interesting, with his upbringing emotions were such a foreign concept to him. Having being paire
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Feb 18, 2009
Sarah
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After reading the other books in the series, I revise my review to say this is the best of the 5 and one I would re-read over and over. The characters are the most compelling and the story is the most vivid. Definitely my favorite.
Aug 18, 2009
Lydia
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So I enjoyed it - but a lot of this book reminded me of the first book - although more interesting, but still much of the same story. I did enjoy it enough to read through it very quickly, however - so it's definitely worth the read.
Feb 25, 2008
Meredith
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Another beautiful love story from Sharon Shinn on the world of Samaria. Susannah and Gaaron are beautifully matched, each demonstrating a different kind of strength. The conflict addresses the question of what might be happening in the wider universe the Samarians have chosen to forget. Unfortunately, the ultimate confrontation with the otherworldly visitors is supremely undramatic and unsatisfying, taking place largely offstage and with none of the principals even understanding what has happen
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Jan 11, 2010
Jen
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This one was "meh" for me compared to the other 4 books in the series. By far, not my favorite one in terms of characters and plot, however Shinn does continue to deliver very high quality writing and story in this one. Totally solid, but not my favorite.
Mar 07, 2010
Marie
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The fourth book in Shinn's series about a world populated by both angels and humans charged by their god to co-exist in harmony or risk destruction is not as compelling as earlier ones in the series but is still an enjoyable read.
Oct 04, 2009
Stephanie
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This was a lot like Archangel, the first book in the series. I liked it so much better than the 2nd and 3rd books.
Jun 26, 2009
Alice
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Not my favorite in the series although rough Garron and prickly Susannah are not without their place in my heart.
Oct 04, 2011
Books 4 and 5 of this series are a bit beefier than the 3 before. I loved every minute of it!
Sep 19, 2007
Schnaucl
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This is easily the weakest of the Samaria novels. None of the major characters are very interesting. The heroine seems weak in comparison to other female characters, and the male lead was uptight and unlikeable. Miriam started out as an immature brat and never really seemed to grow out of it, at least around her brother.
I'm troubled by the fact that intruder race has much darker skin and is ruthless and violent, almost to a man. The idea that violence is a trait that can be passed th More...
I'm troubled by the fact that intruder race has much darker skin and is ruthless and violent, almost to a man. The idea that violence is a trait that can be passed th More...
Apr 03, 2011
Cheryl
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If I had realized this was a prequel, I would have read it first. Another excellent entry in the series.
