Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) in Addicted to YA

Jan 04, 2012 Sasha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Let me just get this all out here now: I absolutely loved everything about this book, so this review will be filled with tons of fangirling. If you want the CliffNotes version of what I have to say, here it is: read this book. Now. It is amazing.

Penryn wants nothing more than to protect her little sister and survive. Survive the apocalypse that brought wrathful angels raining down on mankind. Survive the world that was left behind afterwards—the scavenging and cutthroat humans in gangs that roam Let me just get this all out here now: I absolutely loved everything about this book, so this review will be filled with tons of fangirling. If you want the CliffNotes version of what I have to say, here it is: read this book. Now. It is amazing.

Penryn wants nothing more than to protect her little sister and survive. Survive the apocalypse that brought wrathful angels raining down on mankind. Survive the world that was left behind afterwards—the scavenging and cutthroat humans in gangs that roam the streets. Survive what might be mankind’s enslavement—if not eradication—by the very heavenly beings they thought would protect them. So when her sister is kidnapped by angels, Penryn must turn to the fallen angel Raffe, a warrior angel savaged by his own kind and left for dead, for reasons unknown. On their journey together, they learn that they have allies in each other, especially against the cosmic race of creatures that tried to destroy them both.

Where to begin with this fantastic book? From the very first page, I was sucked into the plot. Post-apocalyptic with a supernatural/angelic addition? Sign me up! Something in Penryn’s narration made it so easy to sympathize with her and care about what happened to her, even in the first couple of pages. What I loved about Penryn was that she didn’t shy away from the Right Thing, even if she was terrified. Plus she is all kinds of gutsy, not to mention a quick thinker on her feet. There’s one scene where she attempts to scare off gang members through a little bit of impromptu theatrics that had me laughing and biting my nails at the same time.

And Raffe—oh, Raffe. If there’s one character in the book that remains mysterious and fully realized by the end of the story, it’s him. I can’t say much without spoiling some of the fun, but let me say that his story is a compelling one and his instant (if reluctant) connection with Penryn (after she saves his life, no less!) is one of the driving forces of the novel. I very much liked the development between Raffe and Penryn; it felt really natural, the way they came to care for each other while going through all these trials and struggles together.

Ms. Ee does a great job painting the scene in wide brushstrokes, but she’s not too heavy-handed in her detail to detract from the fast-paced plotline. A few details are never really explained, like why the angels would want to attack mankind in the first place. That, at least, I found lacking, but hopefully these details will be expanded on in the further installments. I could barely believe it when I came to the last page—I’d just started the book!—but the minutes spent reading this book will feel like seconds and I found myself adrift when I came to the breathtaking cliffhanger.

This was a fun, engaging read that sucked me right in. The characters were compelling, and the story was fast-paced and exciting. Plus, angels! I love angels! There’s so much material there and I’m glad Susan Ee took it and ran with it. I can’t wait to read the second book when it comes out.
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