Lenni Reviews: 'Angelus: The Books of Raziel Book Three' by Sabrina Benulis
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Well, Lenni did it again; reviewing a cool sounding book that's not the first in the series. Heck, this is the conclusion of a trilogy! Ah, well...
Angela Mathers is the current Archon who sits on the throne of Hell. By being there, she is fulfilling a prophesy that means she has the power to end the universe by opening the Book of Raziel. But the book isn't a 'book,' it's her best friend Sophia and the only way to 'open' the book is to kill her. But Lucifel sits on the throne of Heaven, the realms are set to collide and destroy one another, leaving Angela with a terrible choice to face.
Although the premise of this dark fantasy novel is cool, the overall story left me kinda flat. While the characters are well rounded and engaging, the plot is carefully woven together, and the creatures are interesting to read about; it hits all the usual beats; thus ends up a bit predictable. According to her author bio, Sabrina Benulis likes anime and you can tell from how the book is structured on its way to the ultimately satisfying yet bittersweet conclusion. Even without having read the first two, 'Angelus' would obviously be the climactic final season of an anime in one book. This also means - for my fellow anime watchers out there - there are points that are pure filler. You can take them or leave them but you want to get back to the main story. However, 'Angelus' does take an original and creative view on the whole mythos of angels, demons, Heaven, Hell, and how humanity fits in with all of them.
On the whole, it's an ok book. I can easily see this being classified as 'older teen' if not for some bloody fights. If you like dark fantasy and would like to take a break from watching an anime and read one, 'Angelus' isn't a bad pick.
Angelus will be released from Harper Voyager on February 9, 2016.
