Goodreads: A Temptation of Angels
Source: ARC
Goodreads Summary: Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance
When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.
Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.
Review: The cover makes this story look dark and therefore not necessarily my type of read—but I was pleasantly surprised. That is not to say the story is light—there is murder, pain, distrust, and a host of other truly “dark” things that our protagonist must face, not to mention the fact that the fate of the world is at stake—but the end result is very readable and filled with just enough hope.
The book does not draw as much on the angels as it possibly could. What we see is that there are two forces working against each other, the good angels and the fallen angels. Their powers are obviously superhuman, but not always skills or characteristics that are particularly angelic. This in no way is a flaw, however, as the fight of good vs. evil is always a good story, regardless of the species of the players.
And this fight is wrapped up in a nice standalone package—something that is sometimes a true blessing with all the series that are out there. This means that the action and the romance (which is very sweet) move a little faster than some of us are getting used to (things actually have to happen in a single book!), but it works very well within its own timeline.
The one drawback of the book is the protagonist. Generally, she is a nice blend of someone who is vulnerable because a lot of new and strange things are being revealed to her quickly and someone who is willing to take care of herself. Unfortunately, she is also one of those protagonists who insist on doing things their way and going everywhere they are told not to go. Doing so a couple of times makes her look independent. Doing it all the time makes her look stupid because she never learns to take good advice when she hears it.
A Temptation of Angels is a great read for those who enjoy action, romance, and paranormal that is not cheesy.
Published: March 20, 2012
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