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Ordshaw #2
Blue Angel
She’s touched the underworld. Can she survive its legacy?
Waking on an unfamiliar floor, Pax is faced with two hard truths. A murderous government agency wants her dead – and monsters really do exist. What’s more, her body’s going haywire, which she desperately hopes isn’t a side-effect of her encounters in the city’s tunnels.
To survive, and protect Ordshaw, she’s got to expose who, or what, is behind the chaos - and she can’t do it alone.
But with only the trigger-happy Fae to turn to, Pax’s allies might kill her before her enemies do...
Waking on an unfamiliar floor, Pax is faced with two hard truths. A murderous government agency wants her dead – and monsters really do exist. What’s more, her body’s going haywire, which she desperately hopes isn’t a side-effect of her encounters in the city’s tunnels.
To survive, and protect Ordshaw, she’s got to expose who, or what, is behind the chaos - and she can’t do it alone.
But with only the trigger-happy Fae to turn to, Pax’s allies might kill her before her enemies do...
- GenresFantasyUrban Fantasy
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2021
6 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Phil Williams
25 books138 followersPhil Williams is an author of fantasy, horror and dystopian fiction, including the Blood Scouts epic military fantasies, the Ordshaw urban fantasy thrillers and the post-apocalyptic Estalia series. He also works as a fiction editor and writes reference books to help foreign learners master the nuances of English, two of which are regular best-sellers on Kindle. As a long-term teacher and tutor of advanced English, he runs the popular website “English Lessons Brighton”.
Phil lives with his wife by the coast in Sussex, UK, and spends a great deal of time walking his impossibly fluffy dog, Herbert.
Phil lives with his wife by the coast in Sussex, UK, and spends a great deal of time walking his impossibly fluffy dog, Herbert.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 23, 2024
Blue Angel by Phil Williams is the second book in the Ordshaw series.
I still am very much enamored with the sweary tiny fairy, and I can't get enough of female lead urban fantasy, that is not actually a romance!
I enjoyed the first one a tiny bit more, as this book seemed to stall a bit in some aspects, but the banter, humour, action and cool world building still kept me well entertained.
Looking forward to book 3!
I still am very much enamored with the sweary tiny fairy, and I can't get enough of female lead urban fantasy, that is not actually a romance!
I enjoyed the first one a tiny bit more, as this book seemed to stall a bit in some aspects, but the banter, humour, action and cool world building still kept me well entertained.
Looking forward to book 3!
June 6, 2025
I think I'm just going to binge read all the Ordshaw books this summer, including the ones I've read already.
I love these characters. Sam came through in a big way. So did Pax. I liked how she and Letty decided they were friends.
The ending is a great cliffhanger and I'm keen to pick up the next book asap.
Love Fran Burgoyne on audio too, once I got used to her accent she does the female voices quite well. I can take or leave a few of her male voices but am thoroughly enjoying the audiobooks.
My only gripe was like did this entire book take place over 2-3 days? It seemed like a LOT happened in the first 24 hours after the events of book one which left everything feeling a bit rushed to me.
I'd completely recommend these books for urban fantasy fans though, the violent little fairies are second to none in attitude and the mystery at the core of this thing has me interested. What are they all actually chasing?
I love these characters. Sam came through in a big way. So did Pax. I liked how she and Letty decided they were friends.
The ending is a great cliffhanger and I'm keen to pick up the next book asap.
Love Fran Burgoyne on audio too, once I got used to her accent she does the female voices quite well. I can take or leave a few of her male voices but am thoroughly enjoying the audiobooks.
My only gripe was like did this entire book take place over 2-3 days? It seemed like a LOT happened in the first 24 hours after the events of book one which left everything feeling a bit rushed to me.
I'd completely recommend these books for urban fantasy fans though, the violent little fairies are second to none in attitude and the mystery at the core of this thing has me interested. What are they all actually chasing?
May 15, 2020
*If you haven't read Under Ordshaw and don't want potential spoilers for that book. STOP and go read that book.
Under Ordshaw took me by surprise and I really was curious how Williams was going to hammer down some of the questions that popped up in that book. Blue Angel starts right on the heels of book one and, honestly, the tension stays ratcheted high throughout most of the book making it equal parts enthralling and nail-biting. I really didn't want to put this down once I started. Watching Pax navigate the inept MEE agents, murderous fae, and the frightening connection she may or may not have was gripping and often, amusing.
Pax and Letty's partnership truly shined in Blue Angel and it was absolutely what Pax needed to blossom from a mild flour character to a character with agency and personality. Really, she is pretty kickass. Casaria is still completely unhinged and I can't decide if I like him or not. I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Sam Ward (Casaria's "nemesis") to highlight the MEE perspective and the issues there linked to the minotaur. I was amused almost as much as I was screaming at the book because the INEFFICIENCY, dear readers, was painful.
If you check my highlights, almost all of them are from Letty (if not all). Her character trajectory has been the absolute best in the series so far.
There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book which is saying something! Start from the beginning and then come back and chat with me!
I really wish I had time to immediately pick up the last book of the trilogy but you better believe I'm going to pick up the next book as soon as I'm able!
Under Ordshaw took me by surprise and I really was curious how Williams was going to hammer down some of the questions that popped up in that book. Blue Angel starts right on the heels of book one and, honestly, the tension stays ratcheted high throughout most of the book making it equal parts enthralling and nail-biting. I really didn't want to put this down once I started. Watching Pax navigate the inept MEE agents, murderous fae, and the frightening connection she may or may not have was gripping and often, amusing.
Pax and Letty's partnership truly shined in Blue Angel and it was absolutely what Pax needed to blossom from a mild flour character to a character with agency and personality. Really, she is pretty kickass. Casaria is still completely unhinged and I can't decide if I like him or not. I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Sam Ward (Casaria's "nemesis") to highlight the MEE perspective and the issues there linked to the minotaur. I was amused almost as much as I was screaming at the book because the INEFFICIENCY, dear readers, was painful.
If you check my highlights, almost all of them are from Letty (if not all). Her character trajectory has been the absolute best in the series so far.
There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book which is saying something! Start from the beginning and then come back and chat with me!
I really wish I had time to immediately pick up the last book of the trilogy but you better believe I'm going to pick up the next book as soon as I'm able!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2020
Blue Angel widens and deepens the pacey underworld odyssey of Pax who we first encountered in Under Ordshaw.
Underworld in more ways than one. Pax somehow keeps her head while all around her are losing theirs on the brink of war between the Fae council and the government agency which believes it is keeping the people of Ordshaw safe. In between are criminal gangs and disaffected Fae. Pax has to juggle hiding a family who know too much, rescuing the boy who got her into this mess, and figuring out who or what is the mysterious Blue Angel. This while all the time looking to keep a lid on the erupting violence.
Phil Williams introduces us to some new characters for this instalment in the Ordshaw series, in particular Sam who finds herself thrust into a leadership role at the Environmental Ministry - more akin to MI5 – after a sudden rise in its casualty rate. We also get to know several more Fae characters, mostly armed to the teeth, as our understanding of Fae infighting broadens. Favourites such as Letty and Casaria from book one are also there to enjoy and Pax is still at the driving heart of the narrative. Depth of character remains a strong point and everyone has their own axe to grind, and boy do they grind them. It’s deeply impressive how Williams keeps the pace up with such an array of characters and he leads us to a great climax.
There’s more to come though and I’m looking forward to the third book in the series, The Violent Fae. As if they’ve been all sweetness and light so far!
Underworld in more ways than one. Pax somehow keeps her head while all around her are losing theirs on the brink of war between the Fae council and the government agency which believes it is keeping the people of Ordshaw safe. In between are criminal gangs and disaffected Fae. Pax has to juggle hiding a family who know too much, rescuing the boy who got her into this mess, and figuring out who or what is the mysterious Blue Angel. This while all the time looking to keep a lid on the erupting violence.
Phil Williams introduces us to some new characters for this instalment in the Ordshaw series, in particular Sam who finds herself thrust into a leadership role at the Environmental Ministry - more akin to MI5 – after a sudden rise in its casualty rate. We also get to know several more Fae characters, mostly armed to the teeth, as our understanding of Fae infighting broadens. Favourites such as Letty and Casaria from book one are also there to enjoy and Pax is still at the driving heart of the narrative. Depth of character remains a strong point and everyone has their own axe to grind, and boy do they grind them. It’s deeply impressive how Williams keeps the pace up with such an array of characters and he leads us to a great climax.
There’s more to come though and I’m looking forward to the third book in the series, The Violent Fae. As if they’ve been all sweetness and light so far!
October 24, 2019
My firm advice would be to get hold of Under Ordshaw before picking this one up, as Williams tips us straight into the middle of the action and while that keeps the pace going, you’ll be floundering if you don’t know who is doing what to whom. While this is urban fantasy, as it is about fabulous creatures lurking within the thickets of a large fictitious city somewhere in the UK, it has quite a different feel to the general run of UF books.
Williams has managed to create a cast of characters flailing around in the face of a host of paranormal events – and I do enjoy the fact that while the authorities do know about it, they are in various stages of denial about what is going on. Meanwhile Officialdom’s instinct is to cover up anything nasty that surfaces. This is all complicated by the simmering hostility between humanity and the fae. Forget Tinkerbell, these six-inch-high flying creatures are short-fused, generally hate humanity and armed with firepower capable of killing a human, despite their size.
A handful of folks have become involved, including Pax, and are grimly aware that something far more disturbing is going on than the comforting myth that the entity lurking below the city is mostly of benefit to the humans living on top of it. But they are having a major problem getting anyone to listen.
I liked the character development as we got to see more of Pax, and particularly her foul-mouthed tough companion, Letty. I also enjoyed watching Barton’s wife Holly in action – her fury at finding that her husband has been leading a double life all these years was both convincing and riveting. There are a couple of enjoyable set-piece battles that also had me turning the pages later at night than I should have, to discover what happened next. I look forward to discovering more about what exactly is going on under Ordshaw, in The Violent Fae at the beginning of November.
Recommended for fans of urban fantasy with a twist.
8/10
Williams has managed to create a cast of characters flailing around in the face of a host of paranormal events – and I do enjoy the fact that while the authorities do know about it, they are in various stages of denial about what is going on. Meanwhile Officialdom’s instinct is to cover up anything nasty that surfaces. This is all complicated by the simmering hostility between humanity and the fae. Forget Tinkerbell, these six-inch-high flying creatures are short-fused, generally hate humanity and armed with firepower capable of killing a human, despite their size.
A handful of folks have become involved, including Pax, and are grimly aware that something far more disturbing is going on than the comforting myth that the entity lurking below the city is mostly of benefit to the humans living on top of it. But they are having a major problem getting anyone to listen.
I liked the character development as we got to see more of Pax, and particularly her foul-mouthed tough companion, Letty. I also enjoyed watching Barton’s wife Holly in action – her fury at finding that her husband has been leading a double life all these years was both convincing and riveting. There are a couple of enjoyable set-piece battles that also had me turning the pages later at night than I should have, to discover what happened next. I look forward to discovering more about what exactly is going on under Ordshaw, in The Violent Fae at the beginning of November.
Recommended for fans of urban fantasy with a twist.
8/10
May 17, 2019
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review: my thanks for this opportunity.
As the saying goes, this second volume in the new Urban Fantasy series Ordshaw hits the ground running: while its predecessor Under Ordshaw needed to establish the playing field and to sketch the main characters’ profile and therefore suffered some slight pacing problems, Blue Angel can now afford to start exactly where we left off and drive at high speed toward the next phase of the story. And ‘high speed’ is indeed the code word here, since events move at such a breakneck pace that at times I felt dizzy just trying to follow them all, especially when considering that, as was the case in Book 1, they all happen in a very short time span.
Book 2 alternates its focus between the characters we already know – Pax, Letty, the Bartons and Casaria – and some new perspectives, like Sam Ward from the shady Ministry of Environmental Energy, which add further layers to the story and offer an inside look on the MEE and the bureaucratic mentality of politicians dealing with the supernatural – which is not exactly a wholesome or comforting sight…
The sense of chaos that plagued me before is present in Blue Angel as well, but here it finally makes sense, because we are trying to patch together the pieces of this complicated puzzle, and like the characters we understand we don’t have all the tiles of the mosaic and we struggle alongside these fictional people to find some order in the madness that has hit the city of Ordshaw since the events of the previous book. Toward the end, once some of the characters have finally understood that they stand a better chance of succeeding if they cooperate with each other, the picture becomes a little less fuzzy, but at the same time it takes on some very ominous overtones due to the unsettling discoveries made along the way, not the least of which is that there is a mastermind behind it all and it’s clearly NOT a friendly one.
As fascinating as the mystery is, however, the characters still take over the stage, particularly the fae: Letty continues to be the irreverent, loudmouthed pest we all know and love – and her brashness is inversely proportional to her size, which makes the diminutive creature even more hilarious – but here we see some important changes in her attitude, especially toward Pax. Despite the name-calling and the slanderous remarks she employs quite liberally, Letty doesn’t hide how she cares for the human young woman and her safety, and I enjoyed the direction their relationship is going, especially in consideration of the otherwise quite strained human/fae interactions. Letty’s stance is further highlighted by the introduction of another fae, Lightgate, who makes Letty look like a dainty lady: Lightgate is a garish dresser who always goes around with a bottle of spirits from which she sip frequently, has a very low opinion of everyone who is not fae, and is prone to mindless violence. Which makes her a delightful foil for Letty’s newfound point of view.
As for the humans, Pax truly shines here as the only one with enough wits and intelligence not to be led astray by false trails and misdirections, while showing an inordinate amount of courage in the face of the harrowing situations she is involved in: there are moments when she regrets becoming involved in this whole, complicated mess, and when she yearns for the “good old times”
She’d been happy playing cards. She’d been happy wandering Ordshaw at night, not knowing what lay under the surface. She didn’t need this.
but these are just quick flashes of nostalgia for a simpler past, soon forgotten in the wake of the more compelling requirements of the adventure that started only a couple of days prior in that bar, and Pax never fails to rise to the occasion. She is not your classical UF heroine, one gifted with special abilities she can call upon when needed: she is an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances, and doing her best to cope with them, which makes her more approachable and likable as a character.
The newcomer Sam Ward, the Ministry employee gifted with intelligence and foresight who was therefore shunted into a useless sinecure (that’s bureaucracy for you…) is equally interesting, so I liked the way she took over once the circumstances at the MEE changed drastically, and I have high hopes of her becoming a more permanent fixture in the overall story. After the antics from Casaria, the King of Weirdos, Sam comes across as a fresh breath of air and a voice for sanity in the general foolishness and lack of imagination that seems to be the main requirements for Ministry employees.
As a counterpoint, we see very little of Barton, which I confess did not feel like a great loss because he seemed more like a bumbling amateur than anything else – and some of the discoveries Pax makes in the course of the story would point out to him and his former underground explorer friends as clumsy fools seeking adventures to relieve the boredom of a dull life rather than true paladins of the city’s safety.
Clueless fools. They’d blundered into something big enough to affect the whole city, and then sat around boozing and making home videos […] No wonder the Blue Angel had taken advantage of them.
This second volume in the Ordshaw series sets the stage for some interesting developments and revelations in what looks like a scenario where no one can truly understand what’s going on, unless some more of the Ordshaw mysteries are revealed. It’s going to be an interesting journey, indeed…
As the saying goes, this second volume in the new Urban Fantasy series Ordshaw hits the ground running: while its predecessor Under Ordshaw needed to establish the playing field and to sketch the main characters’ profile and therefore suffered some slight pacing problems, Blue Angel can now afford to start exactly where we left off and drive at high speed toward the next phase of the story. And ‘high speed’ is indeed the code word here, since events move at such a breakneck pace that at times I felt dizzy just trying to follow them all, especially when considering that, as was the case in Book 1, they all happen in a very short time span.
Book 2 alternates its focus between the characters we already know – Pax, Letty, the Bartons and Casaria – and some new perspectives, like Sam Ward from the shady Ministry of Environmental Energy, which add further layers to the story and offer an inside look on the MEE and the bureaucratic mentality of politicians dealing with the supernatural – which is not exactly a wholesome or comforting sight…
The sense of chaos that plagued me before is present in Blue Angel as well, but here it finally makes sense, because we are trying to patch together the pieces of this complicated puzzle, and like the characters we understand we don’t have all the tiles of the mosaic and we struggle alongside these fictional people to find some order in the madness that has hit the city of Ordshaw since the events of the previous book. Toward the end, once some of the characters have finally understood that they stand a better chance of succeeding if they cooperate with each other, the picture becomes a little less fuzzy, but at the same time it takes on some very ominous overtones due to the unsettling discoveries made along the way, not the least of which is that there is a mastermind behind it all and it’s clearly NOT a friendly one.
As fascinating as the mystery is, however, the characters still take over the stage, particularly the fae: Letty continues to be the irreverent, loudmouthed pest we all know and love – and her brashness is inversely proportional to her size, which makes the diminutive creature even more hilarious – but here we see some important changes in her attitude, especially toward Pax. Despite the name-calling and the slanderous remarks she employs quite liberally, Letty doesn’t hide how she cares for the human young woman and her safety, and I enjoyed the direction their relationship is going, especially in consideration of the otherwise quite strained human/fae interactions. Letty’s stance is further highlighted by the introduction of another fae, Lightgate, who makes Letty look like a dainty lady: Lightgate is a garish dresser who always goes around with a bottle of spirits from which she sip frequently, has a very low opinion of everyone who is not fae, and is prone to mindless violence. Which makes her a delightful foil for Letty’s newfound point of view.
As for the humans, Pax truly shines here as the only one with enough wits and intelligence not to be led astray by false trails and misdirections, while showing an inordinate amount of courage in the face of the harrowing situations she is involved in: there are moments when she regrets becoming involved in this whole, complicated mess, and when she yearns for the “good old times”
She’d been happy playing cards. She’d been happy wandering Ordshaw at night, not knowing what lay under the surface. She didn’t need this.
but these are just quick flashes of nostalgia for a simpler past, soon forgotten in the wake of the more compelling requirements of the adventure that started only a couple of days prior in that bar, and Pax never fails to rise to the occasion. She is not your classical UF heroine, one gifted with special abilities she can call upon when needed: she is an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances, and doing her best to cope with them, which makes her more approachable and likable as a character.
The newcomer Sam Ward, the Ministry employee gifted with intelligence and foresight who was therefore shunted into a useless sinecure (that’s bureaucracy for you…) is equally interesting, so I liked the way she took over once the circumstances at the MEE changed drastically, and I have high hopes of her becoming a more permanent fixture in the overall story. After the antics from Casaria, the King of Weirdos, Sam comes across as a fresh breath of air and a voice for sanity in the general foolishness and lack of imagination that seems to be the main requirements for Ministry employees.
As a counterpoint, we see very little of Barton, which I confess did not feel like a great loss because he seemed more like a bumbling amateur than anything else – and some of the discoveries Pax makes in the course of the story would point out to him and his former underground explorer friends as clumsy fools seeking adventures to relieve the boredom of a dull life rather than true paladins of the city’s safety.
Clueless fools. They’d blundered into something big enough to affect the whole city, and then sat around boozing and making home videos […] No wonder the Blue Angel had taken advantage of them.
This second volume in the Ordshaw series sets the stage for some interesting developments and revelations in what looks like a scenario where no one can truly understand what’s going on, unless some more of the Ordshaw mysteries are revealed. It’s going to be an interesting journey, indeed…
October 18, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blue Angel is the fast-paced urban fantasy sequel to Under Ordshaw, and I definitely recommend reading them in order, or you may be wondering who these badly injured people are, why they are so shell-shocked, and why none of them seem to like each other that much!
Welcome to Ordshaw, where the streets may be mean, but what is beneath them is far, far worse.
We join Pax, Letty and the Barton family as they are still catching their breath from their narrow escape from the Sunken City and the clutches of the unexpectedly electric and octopedal ‘minotaur’, which may also be the same thing as the MEE’s ‘praelucente’ and also may or may not be linked to Asphodel’s Blue Angel… it does get a bit confusing!
The main plot focus here is Pax and her unmerry band of prickly, unhappy allies attempting to find out exactly that: who or what is the Blue Angel, and what is it doing to the people of Ordshaw. As unofficial protectors of the city, Pax and Barton feel the need to identify and eliminate threats to public order, whilst staying under the radar of the MEE agents who are officially working towards the same goal.
In fact, only one or two MEE agents seem to be asking the right questions. We finally meet Sam Ward – unstable Casaria’s prior stalkee/crush – and find that she is actually intelligent, efficient, and totally suspicious about what is going on under the Ministry’s noses and why no one else is questioning it. Unlucky for her that management are determined to sideline her into obscurity and even unluckier that she might need Casaria’s support before the day is done. Especially as he would rather just kill her. In fact, it is looking increasingly like he possibly wants to kill everyone… you know, for their own safety. Let’s just say he is having a rough day.
Sam and Pax’s investigations run parallel to each other, occasionally intersecting, and I can honestly say that I had no idea what the end result would be until the final reveal. In fact, I’m not 100% sure I know now! Not everything is always as it first appears, especially with the Layer Fae around…
Phil William’s style is all snappy dialogue, shoot-’em-out action and horrific slime monsters with teeth and eyeballs where they shouldn’t be; like Buffy , but darker and adultier. While the first book in the series really sets the scene and players, Blue Angel lines them up facing each other and starts pushing their buttons and winding their clockwork in preparation for the finale of the series, The Violent Fae, which threatens too be outright warfare… unless Pax can really live up to her name.
I can’t wait to find out soon, and tell you all about it!
Holly handed over a piece of paper and Pax scanned the elegant handwriting.
Problems:
Husband mortally wounded.
Government can’t be trusted – ergo police/hospitals/communications unsafe.
Monsters under the city.
Fairies = real – also want to kill us.
Solutions:
Contact the Evening Standard.
“The Evening Standard?”
“Yes,” Holly said. “They ran an excellent exposé on a pothole scandal in Ten Gardens. Those roads are now being fixed and the culprits are facing jail time. This isn’t much different, is it?”
“There was a fifty-foot electric octopus thing,” Pax said. “It’s a little different.”
“The principle’s the same,” Holly insisted.
– Phil Williams, Blue Angel
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Blue Angel is the fast-paced urban fantasy sequel to Under Ordshaw, and I definitely recommend reading them in order, or you may be wondering who these badly injured people are, why they are so shell-shocked, and why none of them seem to like each other that much!
Welcome to Ordshaw, where the streets may be mean, but what is beneath them is far, far worse.
We join Pax, Letty and the Barton family as they are still catching their breath from their narrow escape from the Sunken City and the clutches of the unexpectedly electric and octopedal ‘minotaur’, which may also be the same thing as the MEE’s ‘praelucente’ and also may or may not be linked to Asphodel’s Blue Angel… it does get a bit confusing!
The main plot focus here is Pax and her unmerry band of prickly, unhappy allies attempting to find out exactly that: who or what is the Blue Angel, and what is it doing to the people of Ordshaw. As unofficial protectors of the city, Pax and Barton feel the need to identify and eliminate threats to public order, whilst staying under the radar of the MEE agents who are officially working towards the same goal.
In fact, only one or two MEE agents seem to be asking the right questions. We finally meet Sam Ward – unstable Casaria’s prior stalkee/crush – and find that she is actually intelligent, efficient, and totally suspicious about what is going on under the Ministry’s noses and why no one else is questioning it. Unlucky for her that management are determined to sideline her into obscurity and even unluckier that she might need Casaria’s support before the day is done. Especially as he would rather just kill her. In fact, it is looking increasingly like he possibly wants to kill everyone… you know, for their own safety. Let’s just say he is having a rough day.
Sam and Pax’s investigations run parallel to each other, occasionally intersecting, and I can honestly say that I had no idea what the end result would be until the final reveal. In fact, I’m not 100% sure I know now! Not everything is always as it first appears, especially with the Layer Fae around…
Phil William’s style is all snappy dialogue, shoot-’em-out action and horrific slime monsters with teeth and eyeballs where they shouldn’t be; like Buffy , but darker and adultier. While the first book in the series really sets the scene and players, Blue Angel lines them up facing each other and starts pushing their buttons and winding their clockwork in preparation for the finale of the series, The Violent Fae, which threatens too be outright warfare… unless Pax can really live up to her name.
I can’t wait to find out soon, and tell you all about it!
Holly handed over a piece of paper and Pax scanned the elegant handwriting.
Problems:
Husband mortally wounded.
Government can’t be trusted – ergo police/hospitals/communications unsafe.
Monsters under the city.
Fairies = real – also want to kill us.
Solutions:
Contact the Evening Standard.
“The Evening Standard?”
“Yes,” Holly said. “They ran an excellent exposé on a pothole scandal in Ten Gardens. Those roads are now being fixed and the culprits are facing jail time. This isn’t much different, is it?”
“There was a fifty-foot electric octopus thing,” Pax said. “It’s a little different.”
“The principle’s the same,” Holly insisted.
– Phil Williams, Blue Angel
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
May 17, 2022
In terms of net quality, I would say this is on par with Under Ordshaw.
It does, however, suffer from a criminally small amount of Letty time. Lightgate was a fun addition to the cast, with her drinking and her crazy, but I'm really here for Letty.
The fact that my favorite volatile foulmouthed fairy is separated from Pax for the majority of the book really downgraded this read, honestly.
In terms of plot, this moves the trilogy along. We get more revelations, more questions, and more characters - like Lightgate and Sam Ward - thrown into the mix. I do, however, wish that Casaria would go alway forever. I swear, if he ends up somehow romantically involved with either Pax or Sam Ward, i'm going to ceremonially burn my copies of these books and flush the ashes down the loo.
Also, the more I read Phil Williams's writing, the more I realize that his prose needs a lot of refinement. The over-used of parasitic words like "whatever" makes me cringe a little.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this less so than Under Ordshaw but I will be reading the last book in the trilogy.
It does, however, suffer from a criminally small amount of Letty time. Lightgate was a fun addition to the cast, with her drinking and her crazy, but I'm really here for Letty.
The fact that my favorite volatile foulmouthed fairy is separated from Pax for the majority of the book really downgraded this read, honestly.
In terms of plot, this moves the trilogy along. We get more revelations, more questions, and more characters - like Lightgate and Sam Ward - thrown into the mix. I do, however, wish that Casaria would go alway forever. I swear, if he ends up somehow romantically involved with either Pax or Sam Ward, i'm going to ceremonially burn my copies of these books and flush the ashes down the loo.
Also, the more I read Phil Williams's writing, the more I realize that his prose needs a lot of refinement. The over-used of parasitic words like "whatever" makes me cringe a little.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this less so than Under Ordshaw but I will be reading the last book in the trilogy.
October 25, 2020
Blue Angel is the second book in the Ordshaw series and just like book 1, it doesn’t fail to deliver.
After a series of mysterious accidents wreck havoc on Ordshaw, Pax, Letty and the Barton family seek shelter to plan their next move. With Cassaria unaccounted for, the MEE seek to understand the cause of the accidents and take control of the situation. As things begin to spiral out of control, enemies must learn to work together or risk war between the MEE and the fae.
Blue Angel is a fantastic addition to the series, full of tense, gripping moments and sharp, exciting writing. I look forward to book 3!
After a series of mysterious accidents wreck havoc on Ordshaw, Pax, Letty and the Barton family seek shelter to plan their next move. With Cassaria unaccounted for, the MEE seek to understand the cause of the accidents and take control of the situation. As things begin to spiral out of control, enemies must learn to work together or risk war between the MEE and the fae.
Blue Angel is a fantastic addition to the series, full of tense, gripping moments and sharp, exciting writing. I look forward to book 3!
August 19, 2021
Because I enjoyed Under Ordshaw so much I bought the next two books and because they are only available in Kindle format I surrendered the last vestige of my soul and purchased a second-hand Kindle as well. Confession over.
Timeline wise, this book starts straight after the first book finishes so if you haven't read UO then you may find yourself rather confused. New characters are introduced (the killer disco-queen fairy Lightgate for example), some earlier characters are sidelined and others such as the bureaucratic Sam Ward are further developed. I find the character of Cano Casaria to be particularly fascinating - he's creepy and weird, but despite being as pleasant as a basket of eels he's also tougher than pukeko stew.
The author's continually switching focus on various characters continues and there begins a political sub-plot with various Fae and humans having their own agenda which all builds to a violent clash with the mysterious Ministry of Environmental Energy which is trying to keep a lid on the strange happenings underground.
All the while, Pax finds herself caught between the machinations of the Fae, the MEE and a local crime boss while trying to make enough money at poker to keep herself off the streets.
At the time of writing I am two thirds through the third book, so I am saving my superlatives for that review. I will say though that I am struggling to think of any books that have a better writing style, character development and background setting than this Ordshaw series.
Timeline wise, this book starts straight after the first book finishes so if you haven't read UO then you may find yourself rather confused. New characters are introduced (the killer disco-queen fairy Lightgate for example), some earlier characters are sidelined and others such as the bureaucratic Sam Ward are further developed. I find the character of Cano Casaria to be particularly fascinating - he's creepy and weird, but despite being as pleasant as a basket of eels he's also tougher than pukeko stew.
The author's continually switching focus on various characters continues and there begins a political sub-plot with various Fae and humans having their own agenda which all builds to a violent clash with the mysterious Ministry of Environmental Energy which is trying to keep a lid on the strange happenings underground.
All the while, Pax finds herself caught between the machinations of the Fae, the MEE and a local crime boss while trying to make enough money at poker to keep herself off the streets.
At the time of writing I am two thirds through the third book, so I am saving my superlatives for that review. I will say though that I am struggling to think of any books that have a better writing style, character development and background setting than this Ordshaw series.
March 9, 2019
Phil Williams created an incredible world and called it Ordshaw. Within this world he populated astoundingly creative characters, human and non-human, good and evil. In Blue Angel, this the second book in the series, the high tension excitement and entertainment continued nearly non-stop. It was edge-of-my-seat, just one more chapter reading throughout. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it (in case you can't tell, lol). So, now I off to read book three!
Read via Kindle Unlimited.
Read via Kindle Unlimited.
January 31, 2019
4.5/5
Blue Angel is a solid sequel to Phil Williams' Under Ordshaw. Without spoiling book 1, let me just say that we get to learn more about the world that exists in and around and under Ordshaw, with good character growth and plenty of action. If you liked Under Ordshaw, definitely read Blue Angel, and if you haven't read Under Ordshaw yet, but like new takes on urban fantasy, then I highly recommend picking that up ASAP.
Blue Angel is a solid sequel to Phil Williams' Under Ordshaw. Without spoiling book 1, let me just say that we get to learn more about the world that exists in and around and under Ordshaw, with good character growth and plenty of action. If you liked Under Ordshaw, definitely read Blue Angel, and if you haven't read Under Ordshaw yet, but like new takes on urban fantasy, then I highly recommend picking that up ASAP.
August 24, 2019
Blue Angel is a bit of a tonal shift after Under Ordshaw, but not so much that it’s jarring. Instead it makes the problems presented in the previous book feel much bigger and more complicated, and I am so down for more of that. While my previous issue with the characterisation of Pax doesn’t really get addressed, she does feel a lot more believable and comes into her own as a leader of sorts. I look forward to seeing how the series continues.
January 27, 2019
Interesting sequel to Under Ordshaw. Williams keeps a host of characters hopping and makes the action move quickly. I like Pax, she's a fighter with a huge heart. You definitely need to read Under Ordshaw first to get the most from the story. Can't wait for the next book. I received this book as an ARC and wanted to leave a review because I really liked it.
February 23, 2021
Another really exciting Ordshaw story with the same great characters. Can't wait to read the next book!
December 31, 2020
Review to follow shortly
March 4, 2019
Well, Phil Williams does it again with his second book in his Ordshaw series. In fact, I think I might have enjoyed this one even more.
This book retains the same light touch of humour mixed with relentless excitement and danger for our motley group of protagonists. Everyone continues to distrust each other, suspicion is rife. The Ministry for Environmental Energy becomes even more conniving, badly run and full of ignorance – so just like any branch of the civil service. Except now we’ve got politicians in London with even greater levels of these dubious qualities which manage to make things worse.
The Fae are as violent, aggressive and generally psychotic as before, we just meet more of them, their willingness to shoot first and not bother to ask questions later, is even more visible. That said, Letty is the stand-out character in this series. I love how everything she says begins with a foul-mouthed curse or an insult which combines so many original combinations of abuse, it astonishes me.
I described the humour as having a ‘light touch’ earlier, this is down to the whimsical tone of the narrative. It’s refreshing in its wit, the ridiculousness of some of the situations – which can quickly turn into something dramatic. There’s a scene in the MEE’s offices that begins with amusing, typical-day-in-the-life monotony and then plunges headlong into an exciting, plunging-off-the-edge-of-a-cliff type of excitement. The relationships are the same. Everything is tinged with average normality, arguments based on minor resentments that flare up in stressful situations, distrust making someone suspect another of dirty deeds when there’s no reason it. All irrational stuff that makes the human race what we are. And Phil Williams handles it all masterfully.
The fact that everyone distrusts each other, inevitably leads to a complicated tale. That’s what I love about it. You never know what – or who - to believe just as you can’t predict where things are going to go next in the story. Like the protagonists, you get dragged along into the next dramatic event without knowing why. I’m seriously impressed by the editing of a novel that can achieve that goal yet still make it a narrative you can follow without any trouble.
The next story in the series, The Violent Fae, cannot arrive fast enough for me. I can’t wait to find out what happens to Pax and Letty next because it’s obvious Ordshaw (and perhaps the world) has more secrets that it hasn’t disclosed. And war with the Fae seems likely!
This book retains the same light touch of humour mixed with relentless excitement and danger for our motley group of protagonists. Everyone continues to distrust each other, suspicion is rife. The Ministry for Environmental Energy becomes even more conniving, badly run and full of ignorance – so just like any branch of the civil service. Except now we’ve got politicians in London with even greater levels of these dubious qualities which manage to make things worse.
The Fae are as violent, aggressive and generally psychotic as before, we just meet more of them, their willingness to shoot first and not bother to ask questions later, is even more visible. That said, Letty is the stand-out character in this series. I love how everything she says begins with a foul-mouthed curse or an insult which combines so many original combinations of abuse, it astonishes me.
I described the humour as having a ‘light touch’ earlier, this is down to the whimsical tone of the narrative. It’s refreshing in its wit, the ridiculousness of some of the situations – which can quickly turn into something dramatic. There’s a scene in the MEE’s offices that begins with amusing, typical-day-in-the-life monotony and then plunges headlong into an exciting, plunging-off-the-edge-of-a-cliff type of excitement. The relationships are the same. Everything is tinged with average normality, arguments based on minor resentments that flare up in stressful situations, distrust making someone suspect another of dirty deeds when there’s no reason it. All irrational stuff that makes the human race what we are. And Phil Williams handles it all masterfully.
The fact that everyone distrusts each other, inevitably leads to a complicated tale. That’s what I love about it. You never know what – or who - to believe just as you can’t predict where things are going to go next in the story. Like the protagonists, you get dragged along into the next dramatic event without knowing why. I’m seriously impressed by the editing of a novel that can achieve that goal yet still make it a narrative you can follow without any trouble.
The next story in the series, The Violent Fae, cannot arrive fast enough for me. I can’t wait to find out what happens to Pax and Letty next because it’s obvious Ordshaw (and perhaps the world) has more secrets that it hasn’t disclosed. And war with the Fae seems likely!
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