Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) in Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books

Jan 18, 2012 Zoey Talbon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss

Angelfall was just never something I felt like I had any interest in. The synposis didn't really tell me ANYTHING about this book, so I kind of just let it float by and didn't care one way or the other about it. But when I saw it was available on Netgalley for download, I figured I might as well finally give it a shot because I'd been seeing people raving about the final book in the series. And I am so happy I did.
The beginning of Angelfall reads like the opening scene of a movie, with Penryn a Angelfall was just never something I felt like I had any interest in. The synposis didn't really tell me ANYTHING about this book, so I kind of just let it float by and didn't care one way or the other about it. But when I saw it was available on Netgalley for download, I figured I might as well finally give it a shot because I'd been seeing people raving about the final book in the series. And I am so happy I did.
The beginning of Angelfall reads like the opening scene of a movie, with Penryn and her family venturing into the empty streets full of wreckage and silence. Angels have brought the apocalypse to Earth. Any remaining people are hiding from the creatures that go bump in the night. And they're smart to do so - because Penryn quickly witnesses an angel losing his wings and the kidnap of her disabled sister.

“I knew from the start that your loyalty would get you killed. I just never thought it would be your loyalty to me that would do it.”

The world-building in Angelfall isn't spectacular, but I definitely loved it. Desolate and empty streets, angels circling the sky, a glamorous nightclub in a once-magnificent city that's now crumbling because of the destruction the angels have brought with them. Ee does a great job of helping me visualize all of this. There's still so much more I think could have been added about the angels and their social structure and hierarchy to help make this book stronger. All I really know is a little bit about the Messenger. I know that this is the first in a trilogy, but I just felt like this was all glossed over way too much.
As a side-note, I think the fighting scenes could have been written a little better. I can't really say what I didn't like about them - I think there just wasn't enough detail.
For the most part, I'd say Angelfall has a solid plot. I wasn't fully invested in this plot for a majority of the book - mostly when Penryn and Raffe are with Obi and his people - but the last 50 or so pages really ramp it up. As in HOLY SHIT WHAT IS HAPPENING. Those last 50 pages are incredible. Heart-pounding. A little disgusting. (The scorpion angels? I actually wanted to throw up.) There were so many twists that I was so in love with. If all of the book had been like this, it absolutely would have been a 5 star read for me. Unfortunately, the middle part of the book was a little yawn-inducing for me. And I find it very hard to believe that the angels have done all of this and remain on Earth without having any idea why. I just find that absolutely ridiculous.

“The sky was choked with blood-tinged smoke for days.”

Penryn is certainly not my favorite heroine, but I love that she doesn't have any special powers. She's not a rare find. She's just a girl trying to save her sister. She's just a girl trying to survive in a horrifying world, and she's exhausted of her insane mother and constantly hunting for food while trying to avoid both angels and human gangs. She's brave, determined, and she fells very authentic. I can't wait to watch her grow in the next book.
And, of course, I can't talk about Angelfall without talking about Raffe. Personally, he feels very bland to me most of the time. I was still able to enjoy him and his interactions with Penryn, but they left no impact on me. His dialogue was a bit awkward for me at times, and, in the same fashion as the rest of the book, I didn't really start to feel his personality until about the last 50 pages. I do think that I'll enjoy him more in the rest of the series.

“I never thought about it before, but I'm proud to be human. We're ever so flawed. We're frail, confused, violent, and we struggle with so many issues. But all in all, I'm proud to be a Daughter of Man.”

Overall: A very solid start to the series, Angelfall has an intriguing plot and a nice set-up for some exciting events in the rest of the series. I found the middle section to be far less intriguing, but the last 50 pages were some of the most exciting I've read in a long time, full of plot twist and plot twist. 3.5 stars. ...more

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Apr 04, 2015 Zoey Talbon rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.5 stars.

Angelfall was just never something I felt like I had any interest in. The synposis didn't really tell me ANYTHING about this book, so I kind of just let it float by and didn't care one way or the other about it. But when I saw it was available on Netgalley for download, I figured I might as well finally give it a shot because I'd been seeing people raving about the final book in the series. And I am so happy I did.

The beginning of Angelfall reads like the opening scene of a movie, wit ...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Laraine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, urban-fantasy

I'm going to give this 5 stars just for putting itself out of range of all other angel books I've read. Unearthly was different in a refreshing way, but Angelfall is different in a dark and disturbing but awesome kind of way. The story was gripping, suspenseful and action-packed. There truly never was a dull moment in the book. If my heart wasn't speeding up, I was either grinning because of the wit and dialogue between Penryn and Raffe, or making a face at the book because I felt like I was wat ...more

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