Monday, February 15, 2010

A somewhat impressionistic review of Angels' Blood, plus an easy way to win books.

I ordered Archangel's Kiss today, by Nalini Singh. I know I'm going to love it. I love knowing I'm going to love it. I loved Angels' Blood.

One of the things I loved most about Angels' Blood was how fresh it felt. I don't have any specific reasons to say that, and sure, people have written about angels and vampires about a billion times before. It's more like a residual feeling about this book. As though the book is fresh in the sense of being somehow pristine.

Like the characters and story are humming at a perfect pitch, and resonating with true things. Sort of like snow that doesn't have any footprints or dirt on it yet, and it's perfectly what it is.

I don't mean that the book itself is absolutely perfect. I don't even know what that would be. I just mean that it's fresh and true in an excellent way I loved.

I love the mad saturation of brightness at the center of the cover. It feels fresh and unusual and special in the way the book does to me. I love looking at the cover and thinking about the book at the same time. I borrowed this copy from my friend Chris, who won an oversized bound mss, so my cover picture is HUGE, and that suits me just fine. Aside from the part where I have to give the thing back to her, probably this Friday when we do our Dresden Files marathon part 2 - hopefully with Thai food. What do you think about that, Chris? Oh, look this is a test to see if she reads deep into this post. Because I'm sure it's kind of a boring post, with all the "I loves." Now, where was I? Oh yeah.

I love the shining nobility and compassion of Elena, a mortal and a vampire hunter in this novel, and the contrast she makes with the archangels, who are ever so slightly corrupted or oblivious. Some not so slightly. Elena's nobility reminds me a little of Buffy's nobility, though not in a derivative way, and Elena doesn't specifically remind me of Buffy.

I love how, at the beginning of the book, we learn she has her condo situated in such a way, so that she can watch the archangels fly in and out of angel tower though her giganitic plate glass windows. I love that she loves that. Somehow, it felt refreshing.

I love the deft bigness of everything here, too. The cranked up personalities and stakes. The power imbalance I noted in an earlier post. It all worked really well for me.

Like I say, I will be ordering Archangel's Kiss, but I really mourn the retreat on the cover here. It sort of has that palette, but less of the balls-to-the-wall brightness saturation. Is it an ironic commentary on the change in her status? Or just a marketing decision? I don't know.

Be entered to WIN WIN WIN a bunch of books by doing one easy thing!
You can win just by signing up for an email reminder for the Paranormal Roundtable. Here's what you would win:

• one copy of Men of the Underworld by Kelley Armstrong *One of my faves of 2009!!
• one copy of Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland
• one copy of The Devil’s Playground by Jenna Black
• one copy of Spellbent by Lucy A. Snyder
• one copy of Night Tides by Alex Prentiss
• one copy of Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

But, WAIT! There is an even better reason to sign up for the email reminder--so you don't miss the actual event, a fun and lively (hopefully) roundtable discussion between the authors above, which includes yours truly! I hope I don't make a fool of myself. Hey, Armstrong, you wanna pass the salt? Jenna Black, you gonna eat that those French Fries? No? Can I have them? What's that you say, Rowland? Stop talking with my mouth full?

Just kidding. It won't be a real table. It will be an online table at SUVUDU at 4pm ET on THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, February 17th. You can sign up here.

9 comments:

Renee said...

I'm think you mean this coming Wed, FEBRUARY 17th?

I think I already signed up for a reminder, but jic I'll do it again. What a cool think to be a part of! WTG!

I LOVE the Angels' Blood cover. It's luminous. One of my favorites of last year's releases. Also, one of my favorite books of last year. You had it so right about it's freshness.

I'm reading currently reading Archangel's Kiss. It's a good one!

Carolyn Crane said...

Oh, Thank you!! I went in and changed it. Also, I'm glad you agree on the freshness. I wasn't sure if I was just being cockeyed.

I can't wait to get AK!!!!

Hilcia said...

CJ what a great observation on the covers. I too wonder if Elena will lose that "presence" and become distant like Raphael and the others...

These are both gorgeous covers! I love both of them.

Thanks for the links. :)

Chris said...

Mmmmm.... Thai food. I can see that Chaos will need to be locked into the bathroom again.

*makes mental note to hide Archangel's Kiss before Friday*

Wow, virtual roundtable - sounds very cool!

Carolyn Crane said...

Hil: Right, distant is a good word for it.

Chris: Poor Chaos!!

Chris said...

Or we could be cruel and let him actually get a bite of green curry...

KT Grant said...

Wait until you read Archangel's Kiss. That book is smoking hot.

Ah, I see you are giving away some Jizz Kids... heh.

Christine said...

Yes, Yes, Yes, YES! To every single thing you said about Angels' Blood. I know readers react to books in different ways, but I recall reading some mediocre reviews of Angels' Blood and thinking, 'But, but ... what about it's brilliance?' And wondered how they missed that. I should have known you would see it.

Very cool about the virtual round table!

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