Reviews

Fans of Good Omens’ Aziraphale and Crowley will find so much to love about another angel-demon odd couple, Uriel and Little Ash! Warm-hearted, whimsical, and wise, this queer, Jewish historical fantasy follows these two unlikely partners in pursuit of performing a mitzvah for a lost girl from their tiny shtetl in the Old Country all the way to Ellis Island and a Lower East Side full of immigrants, strikers, radicals, and many newfound friends!

Content Warnings

kerriokie84's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

alphabetseeds's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a cozy, fable-like historical fiction set in the early 20th century. An angel and a demon leave their small town in the Pale of Settlement to travel to America to check in on a village girl, who hasn't written home and may be indebted to bad people.

Even though the plotline is very serious, tackling issues like workers' strikes, unsafe and unsanitary travel conditions, and issues of emigration, the book just feels... cozy. Little Ash and the angel have a centuries-old friendship that is tested by their journey to America, in which both of them are fundamentally changed and transformed by their experiences.

I enjoyed all the characters and the evolution of the plot, from two beings venturing out from their village to a full-on strike in America, getting in all sorts of trouble. I'm not very familiar at all with Jewish culture or language but never felt like I was totally clueless; the author did a good job of providing textual context and there was a handy glossary to reference.

A nice read if you're looking for a solid mix of historical and magical, with a touch of queer romance and evolving identities.

krich's review against another edition

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hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

mantissabolt's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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