yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
Finished reading: May 11th 2015
“My friends call me Wrath,” says Raffe. “My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What’s your name, soldier boy?”
Spoiler
This series has been on my TBR for a few months now, and with all the hype around the third book I thought it was about time to finally start reading it. Angelfall didn't disappoint. Actually, I almost slapped myself in the face for not getting to this series earlier! This first book of the Penryn & The End Of Days series is simply awesome and almost left me without words... Or more precisely said: fangirling all over the place. The worldbuilding, characters, prose... Everything works just perfectly together and Penryn and Raffe will go straight to the list of my all-time favorite main characters. A dystopian world where angels are actually the bad guys; one being different from the rest after his wings are cut? Check. A kickass female heroine who is not afraid to say what she thinks and has great survival skills? Check. Two different missions that will lead both characters to the same destination and will force them to work together? Check. All ingredients that makes this novel by Susan Ee full of awesomeness and definitely recommended to fans of the YA fantasy genre. Ok, I promise to stop fangirling now. :D
Six weeks ago, the angels destroyed the world as people knew it... The human race is now struggling to survive in this apocalyptic world full of chaos. Violent street gangs, savage angels, lack of food... Things sure aren't easy. Penryn has a hard time taking care of her crazy mother and handicapped sister, but is determined to keep them safe at all cost. When angels end up flying away with her helpless sister, Penryn will do anything to get her back... Even if that means helping a wounded angel in the progress.
Penryn is able to save the angel who just got his wings cut off by another angel during battle. She is trying to use him to find out where they took her sister, but the angel (Raffe) is not really cooperative. Somehow, they end up together anyway as they need each other to get what they want. Raffe is looking for revenge and wants his wings back, while Penryn wants to save her sister before it's too late... But will they able to reach their destination on time and get what they want?
Angelfall was so good that I just had to read the sequel World After straight after I finished it. I first tried to stick to my read-a-thon TBR, but I just couldn't help myself in the end. I fell in love with the world Susan Ee created with this series and I can say the same for the main characters Raffe And Penryn. Another bonus: no love triangle! Add a brilliant prose and fast pace and you have the mix for a perfect YA fantasy novel... And a series I will probably end up rereading in the future.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
kellsway's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic!!
This book was all sorts of Awesomeness. I'm a sucker for books with Angel so that in and of itself sold me. When I actually started reading it I was in no wise disappointed. This is a must read peeps. Engaging from start to finish.
This book was all sorts of Awesomeness. I'm a sucker for books with Angel so that in and of itself sold me. When I actually started reading it I was in no wise disappointed. This is a must read peeps. Engaging from start to finish.
jessdone's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book and a perfect intro into a dark (dark as in horrific not as in angsty) trilogy. I’d read a couple reviews before picking up the book and all of them claim this book is dark, but this first book is not very dark for most of the story. Yes, we are in a destroyed civilization. There is a certain level of lawless danger and grime required to make the scenario real. The first three quarters of this book hit all the standard post apocalypse/ unlikely ally beats. Then the last quarter of the book hits and it starts to become something special.
While there is intensity change, it’s earned. Little hints and dangle plot threads deliver all at once. I recommend readers make certain they can read straight through to the end once our leads make it to the aerie because there’s no one will want to put the book down once the actions starts.
I love the cast. There are more notable women than men in this book and all of them are fully developed and different from each other. It shouldn’t make me so happy, and the gender of characters shouldn’t matter so much. But it matters because this is a pleasant anomaly and not the norm.
Along this vein, I appreciated how Paige and Penryn’s mom were portrayed. It integrates their disabilities into their characters, but it doesn’t define them. In Paige’s case, her pacifism defines her, but what informs it may be the coldness others have treated her and her friends because they look different. Penryn’s mother’s defining characteristic is her ability to survive. Yeah she’s erratic, paranoid and leans in when sane people lean away but crazy aside (which the series plays with what is crazy in a world as unpredictable as this), she survives against staggering odds.
I like how Penryn’s survival skills make sense with her back story and I love she has a less than perfect home life. If angels hadn’t come to earth in her world, Penryn’s life would still have qualified as difficult and would have still made her an interesting character to read about. Too often the events in the stories are what’s interesting, not the characters. Remove the angels and I still want to see Penryn survive her crazy mother and a world that’s shown itself to be cruel to others who fall outside the norm.
The series isn’t perfect. Raffe’s dynamic with Penryn, especially in this book, is cliche of the genre and has some problematic elements I never care for. The whole human resistance side plot is blah. It develops more in later books, but this first one, not so inspired.
I would recommend the series. If you’re on the fence at the end of book 1 (which with such an awesome ending why would you be on the fence) I would still suggest you keep reading. This first book is the weakest of the three and it’s still awesome.
book_vorfreude's review against another edition
3.0
3 ⭐️
TW/CW: kidnapping, violence, gore (lots of it), cannibalism, human experimentation (with children), guns, explosions, parental abuse of a child (implied - parent has a mental illness), body horror, ableism,
Keeping this one short and sweet - this was a VERY quick book to read, keeps you interested all the way through, makes you want to know what's going to happen next but honestly not that mind blown. I mean don't get me wrong this was exactly what I needed after a slow book I just had before, but I am not 100% attached to any of the characters, but I am curious to know where they end up and what is going to happen next.
Some of this is weird and some of the descriptions of certain scenes definitely left me queasy but that just means they were really well written and described. Not the authors fault if I have a weak stomach
TW/CW: kidnapping, violence, gore (lots of it), cannibalism, human experimentation (with children), guns, explosions, parental abuse of a child (implied - parent has a mental illness), body horror, ableism,
Keeping this one short and sweet - this was a VERY quick book to read, keeps you interested all the way through, makes you want to know what's going to happen next but honestly not that mind blown. I mean don't get me wrong this was exactly what I needed after a slow book I just had before, but I am not 100% attached to any of the characters, but I am curious to know where they end up and what is going to happen next.
Some of this is weird and some of the descriptions of certain scenes definitely left me queasy but that just means they were really well written and described. Not the authors fault if I have a weak stomach
vahalasly's review against another edition
3.0
**
Randomly felt like rereading this in 2021. I gotta say it, it did not age badly at all. The pacing is just *chef's kiss*, and to this day this is one of the only YA books I've read that has done the rivals-to-lovers trope justice. We love to see it.
(the plot is still a bit weak though ngl)
**
3.5 stars
I really liked the characters and the world building, but I'm not completely convinced by the plot.
I can also see where this is going with the second book, and I'm not sure I want to read it.
I love that Raffe To be honest, it was the only "twist" in the book that actually surprised me.
Randomly felt like rereading this in 2021. I gotta say it, it did not age badly at all. The pacing is just *chef's kiss*, and to this day this is one of the only YA books I've read that has done the rivals-to-lovers trope justice. We love to see it.
(the plot is still a bit weak though ngl)
**
3.5 stars
I really liked the characters and the world building, but I'm not completely convinced by the plot.
I can also see where this is going with the second book, and I'm not sure I want to read it.
I love that Raffe
Spoiler
is agnostic.artsymusings's review against another edition
4.0
I so needed this reread because fuck yeah, Penryn and Raffe and the dark, creepy, bloody awesomeness.
Review to come.
Review to come.
leah_reads's review against another edition
5.0
*Thank you, Hodder & Stoughton*
I loved this book. I absolutely loved it. I requested it from the publisher and was absolutely over the moon when I got a response saying it was on its way and THANK YOU because I have officially found myself a new series to gush over! A young adult, post-apocalyptic novel filled to the brim with action, emotion, gore and the supernatural, I just couldn't put it down. It took me only three sittings to devour this book and it would have been so much less if it wasn't for the ridiculous amount of university work left!
We are immediately introduced to our protagonist Penryn; a 17 year old girl that has had to grow up far too quickly in this now destroyed world. She not only has to protect her mother and younger sister from the angels, but also has to feed and keep them moving out of the fear of being discovered. The angels had destroyed and taken control of Earth in the previous few months, with the world now hiding in fear and having transgressed years into the past. The behaviours are more primal and there are many inhumane events unfurling.
Penryn, whilst handling a mother that is frightened of her own demons and a sister that has lost the use of her legs, is caught off guard during their escape. This is where we are introduced to the archangel, Raffe. She attempts to help Raffe during the struggle he has against other angels that are cutting his wings off. During this process, the angels kidnap her baby sister and this is where the story truly begins.
It's such an action packed book, filled with twists and turns that just keep you turning the pages. We see the trust which slowly begins to grow between Raffe and Penryn, as well as the constant battle as to how much they can actually trust each other. With them both on their own missions; Raffe to get his wings back and Penryn to save her sister, it's so tense watching their relationship develop and seeing the struggles between the pair.
With many gruesome scenes developing throughout the book, it certainly strays away from the usual young adult novel. Susan Ee is certainly not afraid to make us squirm as we read through the novel. The ending was superb and I just can't wait to get the next book. A completely addictive read! I hope to see more of Penryn's mother in the next one, who is apparently insane. I think there is so much more to this than what meets the eye and I'm excited to read the next one.
I loved this book. I absolutely loved it. I requested it from the publisher and was absolutely over the moon when I got a response saying it was on its way and THANK YOU because I have officially found myself a new series to gush over! A young adult, post-apocalyptic novel filled to the brim with action, emotion, gore and the supernatural, I just couldn't put it down. It took me only three sittings to devour this book and it would have been so much less if it wasn't for the ridiculous amount of university work left!
We are immediately introduced to our protagonist Penryn; a 17 year old girl that has had to grow up far too quickly in this now destroyed world. She not only has to protect her mother and younger sister from the angels, but also has to feed and keep them moving out of the fear of being discovered. The angels had destroyed and taken control of Earth in the previous few months, with the world now hiding in fear and having transgressed years into the past. The behaviours are more primal and there are many inhumane events unfurling.
Penryn, whilst handling a mother that is frightened of her own demons and a sister that has lost the use of her legs, is caught off guard during their escape. This is where we are introduced to the archangel, Raffe. She attempts to help Raffe during the struggle he has against other angels that are cutting his wings off. During this process, the angels kidnap her baby sister and this is where the story truly begins.
It's such an action packed book, filled with twists and turns that just keep you turning the pages. We see the trust which slowly begins to grow between Raffe and Penryn, as well as the constant battle as to how much they can actually trust each other. With them both on their own missions; Raffe to get his wings back and Penryn to save her sister, it's so tense watching their relationship develop and seeing the struggles between the pair.
With many gruesome scenes developing throughout the book, it certainly strays away from the usual young adult novel. Susan Ee is certainly not afraid to make us squirm as we read through the novel. The ending was superb and I just can't wait to get the next book. A completely addictive read! I hope to see more of Penryn's mother in the next one, who is apparently insane. I think there is so much more to this than what meets the eye and I'm excited to read the next one.
happi_mess's review against another edition
DNF at around 40%
This story is about Penryn trying to retrieve her younger sister who was abducted by angels. But in order to get her, she has to seek the help of her enemy, an angel called Raffe.
Alright, the premise sounds really good. I was getting war flashbacks from Daughter of Smoke and Bone (which first half part made me terribly love it until the second half completely destroyed the whole series for me). And just like DOSAB, I wanted to love this book since it's so loved I want to join in on the fun. But I don't think YA is really for me at the moment.
I have this little prejudice against angels acting like they are humans. Angels are really other worldly beings and I think they don't really care how humans are. HAHAHA. I don't think they would want to dwell in our meager problems, seeing as they are so powerful and divine. The angels that I really like in current representation in books is probably Cassandra Clare's version, although there is a lack of it. I like her version because I agree that angels would not want to deal with humans in general. HAHA. I don't know if CC destroyed angels for me or strengthened my belief about them.
Anyway, I love how the main character is really strong and all that, but I don't think I'm in the mood for angels at the moment. And how was she able to kick some of their asses tho? I mean... are angels that weak? The plot is not something that I got into. Angels attacking earth is a good premise, but I think this book went in a direction that I was not interested in.
This story is about Penryn trying to retrieve her younger sister who was abducted by angels. But in order to get her, she has to seek the help of her enemy, an angel called Raffe.
Alright, the premise sounds really good. I was getting war flashbacks from Daughter of Smoke and Bone (which first half part made me terribly love it until the second half completely destroyed the whole series for me). And just like DOSAB, I wanted to love this book since it's so loved I want to join in on the fun. But I don't think YA is really for me at the moment.
I have this little prejudice against angels acting like they are humans. Angels are really other worldly beings and I think they don't really care how humans are. HAHAHA. I don't think they would want to dwell in our meager problems, seeing as they are so powerful and divine. The angels that I really like in current representation in books is probably Cassandra Clare's version, although there is a lack of it. I like her version because I agree that angels would not want to deal with humans in general. HAHA. I don't know if CC destroyed angels for me or strengthened my belief about them.
Anyway, I love how the main character is really strong and all that, but I don't think I'm in the mood for angels at the moment. And how was she able to kick some of their asses tho? I mean... are angels that weak? The plot is not something that I got into. Angels attacking earth is a good premise, but I think this book went in a direction that I was not interested in.
isabellaowen7's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
jodieboone's review against another edition
5.0
My favourite book of 2013 so far. I love angels, but I've never really found a book with them as the main storyline that I actually really loved, but I finally found it.
It was just so addictive! I had to read until I finished, and then go back and read some more. The ending left me so excited for the next book.
Penryn is one of my favourite heroines ever, there was something about her that I related to. I loved her determination on getting her sister back, and how bad ass she was. I loved how she had her priorities in order. There were only suggestions of romance, and a kiss that was important at the time, and that was enough. I wanted more about the world and the action. I didn't have time for romance in Angelfall, and neither did Penryn.
Even though there's little to no romance, Penryn and Raffe's dialogue with each other was funny, sometimes touching and generally just brilliant.
I cannot wait for the second one!