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kitkatthebooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
*blogtour review* https://kbbookreviews867789450.wordpress.com/2020/07/02/book-review-blogtour-the-angel-of-evil-the-great-devil-war-4-by-kenneth-b-andersen/
Synopsis: Philip has changed, Satina has been kidnapped and the war is beginning. As Lucifer’s reingn and kingdom is threatened, he tries to protect his demons and forbid Philip from looking for Satina. But Philip disobeys and journeys into the Outer Reach, as he venture through the deep darkness, Philip comes across demons and horrors alike and takes deadly risks in order to save Satina.
The Angel Of Evil, by Kenneth B Andersen is the 4th book in the series and the darkest by far. The Third book ended on a dark note, promising a darker and more deadly adventure in this installment and it delivered. I love dark fantasy so naturally this book has received the highest rating from me out of the entire series so far – it managed to be violent and complex with much higher stakes and risks but still managed to keep the charm the earlier books held.
This series holds a delightful charm no matter how dark it becomes, and this book is no different. It somehow manages to be nostalgic and refreshing all at once. The unique story, deep themes and shocking twists makes it a standout read, one that again pulled me out of a reading slump. Yet, it has a nostalgia to it, it is reminiscent of those childhood fantasy books you read that made you realise that you love fantasy, it takes you back to that childhood delight of reading and reminds you why you love to read.
The Angel Of Evil is wonderfully written, charming and adventurous but with a sharp edge. Andersen shows his harsher skills in this story really delving into the grit and violence of the Devil War. The story still maintains the beautiful descriptions now balanced with darker and harsher descriptions for the war itself, showing there are risks and consequences to each action. We get a lot more raw emotion in this book, and a lot more pain – with characters behaving cruller than before. Again Andersen manages to weave a fantastic story through his excellent writing.
We still stay with Philip’s narrative in this book, and this time he is much more ruthless. After his change at the end of the third book, Philip seems to have embraced his devil side and seems much more skilled as a devil than ever before. This was a very interesting perspective because we get a more complex struggle within Philip, he goes through a lot of painful tests that challenge his character, he is still not a ‘bad’ boy but he isn’t the innocent angel he used to be. We manage to connect with Philip on a much deeper level than ever before as he is physically and emotionally challenged and the empathy surrounding his character is much stronger, we feel for Philip much more than before, and sympathise with him as the story goes on.
Philip’s development as a character is incredibly realistic despite the fantasy scene, it is messy, complex and multi-dimensional – he doesn’t change or develop on a linear scale. He flits back and forth between good and bad, settling mostly on a grey area without being an evil person, he develops in logic and reason but his emotions are constantly changing. It is a raw and human form of development and I loved it.
The story itself is brilliant. This book is a successful result of what has been built up in the previous books. It was fantastic to see how all the pieces came together to create this war against Lucifer. We start following Philip as he plans to rescue Satina, mastering his Devil skills and disobeying Lucifer. Philip’s plan is actually pretty interesting for his age, though some of his decisions are a little naïve (realistic mistakes or unnecessary risks reflecting his age) and it is great to watch play out as he tries to infiltrate Aziel’s base and help Lucifer keep his throne.
This book open’s up the underworld, and the rules/mythology behind it all, as Philip and Aziel’s plans plays out. Though this story puts together the pieces of the previous books, there is still a significant amount of mystery in this book too, where and what is Aziel’s plan, why is he doing what he is doing and can Philip save Satina, and Lucifer’s kingdom. This book is still a fantastic web of mystery, tension and plots and perfectly builds a dark and violent story of war and conflict. Not only that this story brings a new perspective to the themes of death, mortality, identity and individuality – this explores the themes in new, and in-depth ways.
I loved this story, the consequences were real, the war was interesting and cleverly done, Aziel’s part was cruel and clever and Philip was strong and determined. The ending of this story was amazing! If you think the book is dark the ending is even darker. A face off, the violence, the resolution was brilliant – it was cold, cruel and devastating but also a perfect resolution for this part of the story, it sets up for an excellent next installment and definitely changes Philip drastically. I cannot wait to see how the story progresses!
While the majority of this story takes place in Hell and the Outer Reach, we also get to see Paradise and the characters connected with there again too – this element is incorporated very well into the story and again helps to resolve and piece together the mysteries of the past books. I love how we get to see all the characters introduced to us together again all working together or against each other. Moreover, I love the relationship’s built up between the characters and how they progress and developed alongside the characters. Lucifer and Philip’s relationship is again shown to be a close one and is portrayed excellently, Satina and Philip’s relationship is still naturally progressing, and everyone else’s connections are equally well explored.
Honestly, I can’t say much more about this book without spoiling the series but this was a fantastic next installment in the series. It was deliciously dark but still charming, it perfectly developed and expanded the world we have come to know and love, developed and added more complexities to the characters making them more raw and real, and the plot was shocking, violent and an excellent result to the previous build up.
Overall, this was an excellent book and I would definitely recommend it to those who already love the series. I would also recommend this series to fantasy lovers, people interested in branching into fantasy or someone who wants to be reminded of why they fell in love with fantasy in the first place.
*I received a kindle copy of this book from @The_WriteReads/the author in exchange for an honest review and for a place on the #blogtour*
Synopsis: Philip has changed, Satina has been kidnapped and the war is beginning. As Lucifer’s reingn and kingdom is threatened, he tries to protect his demons and forbid Philip from looking for Satina. But Philip disobeys and journeys into the Outer Reach, as he venture through the deep darkness, Philip comes across demons and horrors alike and takes deadly risks in order to save Satina.
The Angel Of Evil, by Kenneth B Andersen is the 4th book in the series and the darkest by far. The Third book ended on a dark note, promising a darker and more deadly adventure in this installment and it delivered. I love dark fantasy so naturally this book has received the highest rating from me out of the entire series so far – it managed to be violent and complex with much higher stakes and risks but still managed to keep the charm the earlier books held.
This series holds a delightful charm no matter how dark it becomes, and this book is no different. It somehow manages to be nostalgic and refreshing all at once. The unique story, deep themes and shocking twists makes it a standout read, one that again pulled me out of a reading slump. Yet, it has a nostalgia to it, it is reminiscent of those childhood fantasy books you read that made you realise that you love fantasy, it takes you back to that childhood delight of reading and reminds you why you love to read.
The Angel Of Evil is wonderfully written, charming and adventurous but with a sharp edge. Andersen shows his harsher skills in this story really delving into the grit and violence of the Devil War. The story still maintains the beautiful descriptions now balanced with darker and harsher descriptions for the war itself, showing there are risks and consequences to each action. We get a lot more raw emotion in this book, and a lot more pain – with characters behaving cruller than before. Again Andersen manages to weave a fantastic story through his excellent writing.
We still stay with Philip’s narrative in this book, and this time he is much more ruthless. After his change at the end of the third book, Philip seems to have embraced his devil side and seems much more skilled as a devil than ever before. This was a very interesting perspective because we get a more complex struggle within Philip, he goes through a lot of painful tests that challenge his character, he is still not a ‘bad’ boy but he isn’t the innocent angel he used to be. We manage to connect with Philip on a much deeper level than ever before as he is physically and emotionally challenged and the empathy surrounding his character is much stronger, we feel for Philip much more than before, and sympathise with him as the story goes on.
Philip’s development as a character is incredibly realistic despite the fantasy scene, it is messy, complex and multi-dimensional – he doesn’t change or develop on a linear scale. He flits back and forth between good and bad, settling mostly on a grey area without being an evil person, he develops in logic and reason but his emotions are constantly changing. It is a raw and human form of development and I loved it.
The story itself is brilliant. This book is a successful result of what has been built up in the previous books. It was fantastic to see how all the pieces came together to create this war against Lucifer. We start following Philip as he plans to rescue Satina, mastering his Devil skills and disobeying Lucifer. Philip’s plan is actually pretty interesting for his age, though some of his decisions are a little naïve (realistic mistakes or unnecessary risks reflecting his age) and it is great to watch play out as he tries to infiltrate Aziel’s base and help Lucifer keep his throne.
This book open’s up the underworld, and the rules/mythology behind it all, as Philip and Aziel’s plans plays out. Though this story puts together the pieces of the previous books, there is still a significant amount of mystery in this book too, where and what is Aziel’s plan, why is he doing what he is doing and can Philip save Satina, and Lucifer’s kingdom. This book is still a fantastic web of mystery, tension and plots and perfectly builds a dark and violent story of war and conflict. Not only that this story brings a new perspective to the themes of death, mortality, identity and individuality – this explores the themes in new, and in-depth ways.
I loved this story, the consequences were real, the war was interesting and cleverly done, Aziel’s part was cruel and clever and Philip was strong and determined. The ending of this story was amazing! If you think the book is dark the ending is even darker. A face off, the violence, the resolution was brilliant – it was cold, cruel and devastating but also a perfect resolution for this part of the story, it sets up for an excellent next installment and definitely changes Philip drastically. I cannot wait to see how the story progresses!
While the majority of this story takes place in Hell and the Outer Reach, we also get to see Paradise and the characters connected with there again too – this element is incorporated very well into the story and again helps to resolve and piece together the mysteries of the past books. I love how we get to see all the characters introduced to us together again all working together or against each other. Moreover, I love the relationship’s built up between the characters and how they progress and developed alongside the characters. Lucifer and Philip’s relationship is again shown to be a close one and is portrayed excellently, Satina and Philip’s relationship is still naturally progressing, and everyone else’s connections are equally well explored.
Honestly, I can’t say much more about this book without spoiling the series but this was a fantastic next installment in the series. It was deliciously dark but still charming, it perfectly developed and expanded the world we have come to know and love, developed and added more complexities to the characters making them more raw and real, and the plot was shocking, violent and an excellent result to the previous build up.
Overall, this was an excellent book and I would definitely recommend it to those who already love the series. I would also recommend this series to fantasy lovers, people interested in branching into fantasy or someone who wants to be reminded of why they fell in love with fantasy in the first place.
*I received a kindle copy of this book from @The_WriteReads/the author in exchange for an honest review and for a place on the #blogtour*
chymerra's review against another edition
4.0
I was super excited when I started reading The Angel of Evil. I needed to know what was going to happen to Philip, Lucifer, Satina, Aziel (yes, him!!), and the other residents of Hell that have been introduced throughout this series. I was not disappointed. The Angel of Evil more than delivered in this book.
It is hard to write a review for a book that has such a complex storyline. I am going to try. There is so much that I want to say but can’t because I fear revealing something I shouldn’t. I am going to be annoyingly vague in this review (sorry, not sorry). Hopefully, my vagueness will make someone want to read the series.
The plotline of The Angel of Evil was fast-paced. Right from the beginning, it took off, and it didn’t slow down until the end. I loved it. I also liked that, for once, I couldn’t tell what was going to happen to Philip.
I am going to warn people (as I did in previous reviews and this blurb does) that The Angel of Evil is NOT a stand-alone book. You NEED to read the first three books first before reading this one. That isn’t a suggestion. There is so much going on that you will get lost reading this first. Trust me on this.
I loved Philip in this book. He was on a mission to save his friends, and nothing would stop him. Not even Lucifer saying, “No.” He showed leadership skills at points during the book. And let’s not forget about his bravery. Or the actual depth of his feelings for Satina.
Again, the author did a fantastic job of taking Biblical stories and myths from various cultures and meshing them together. I loved seeing Norse mythology being featured right along with Biblical stories.
The storyline about The Great Devil War and Aziel were wonderfully written. There was a point where I was wondering what that little devil was up to. His plans were meticulously laid out, but Philip was the one who threw a wrench in them.
I felt awful for Satina in The Angel of Evil. Her time with Aziel changed her. She was not the sweet tempter anymore. She had been through a traumatic experience. I am expecting her to be back to her old self for the next book. I missed her in this one.one.
The end of The Angel of Evil was terrific. I cannot wait to see what book five is going to bring. If the teaser chapter is any inclination, then I can’t wait to read the book!!
It is hard to write a review for a book that has such a complex storyline. I am going to try. There is so much that I want to say but can’t because I fear revealing something I shouldn’t. I am going to be annoyingly vague in this review (sorry, not sorry). Hopefully, my vagueness will make someone want to read the series.
The plotline of The Angel of Evil was fast-paced. Right from the beginning, it took off, and it didn’t slow down until the end. I loved it. I also liked that, for once, I couldn’t tell what was going to happen to Philip.
I am going to warn people (as I did in previous reviews and this blurb does) that The Angel of Evil is NOT a stand-alone book. You NEED to read the first three books first before reading this one. That isn’t a suggestion. There is so much going on that you will get lost reading this first. Trust me on this.
I loved Philip in this book. He was on a mission to save his friends, and nothing would stop him. Not even Lucifer saying, “No.” He showed leadership skills at points during the book. And let’s not forget about his bravery. Or the actual depth of his feelings for Satina.
Again, the author did a fantastic job of taking Biblical stories and myths from various cultures and meshing them together. I loved seeing Norse mythology being featured right along with Biblical stories.
The storyline about The Great Devil War and Aziel were wonderfully written. There was a point where I was wondering what that little devil was up to. His plans were meticulously laid out, but Philip was the one who threw a wrench in them.
I felt awful for Satina in The Angel of Evil. Her time with Aziel changed her. She was not the sweet tempter anymore. She had been through a traumatic experience. I am expecting her to be back to her old self for the next book. I missed her in this one.one.
The end of The Angel of Evil was terrific. I cannot wait to see what book five is going to bring. If the teaser chapter is any inclination, then I can’t wait to read the book!!
mistysbookspace's review against another edition
4.0
I want to thank the author and Shannon from R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I am still really enjoying this series but none of them beat the first book. When reading the first book everything was new. Now since we are further into the story we're still getting introduced to new worlds and people etc. but the overall evil is the same and I have been over the big bad since like book 2. I feel like I could have really loved it if the big bad wasn't always linked to the same person.
Don't get me wrong, even though I was over that part I was still really drawn into the story like I always am. This book picks up 5 nights after the events of the previous book and Philip is of course still in Hell. A lot happens in this book and it flies by because the chapters are short which is always a plus in my book.
With each book the story gets darker and that's definitely the case with this one. It isn't a problem for me but for the target audience it could be depending on your preference. The author still continues to blow me away with his unique take on this world.
I will say there was a lot of build up to the big show down and then we speed through that part which was a let down. I can't really say a whole lot because this is the 4th book in the series so I will end it by saying yes I had some issues with this book but I am still thoroughly enjoying the overall story and I look forward to the next book in this series because after this ending I would really like to know what could possibly happen next.
I am still really enjoying this series but none of them beat the first book. When reading the first book everything was new. Now since we are further into the story we're still getting introduced to new worlds and people etc. but the overall evil is the same and I have been over the big bad since like book 2. I feel like I could have really loved it if the big bad wasn't always linked to the same person.
Don't get me wrong, even though I was over that part I was still really drawn into the story like I always am. This book picks up 5 nights after the events of the previous book and Philip is of course still in Hell. A lot happens in this book and it flies by because the chapters are short which is always a plus in my book.
With each book the story gets darker and that's definitely the case with this one. It isn't a problem for me but for the target audience it could be depending on your preference. The author still continues to blow me away with his unique take on this world.
I will say there was a lot of build up to the big show down and then we speed through that part which was a let down. I can't really say a whole lot because this is the 4th book in the series so I will end it by saying yes I had some issues with this book but I am still thoroughly enjoying the overall story and I look forward to the next book in this series because after this ending I would really like to know what could possibly happen next.
imfullybooked's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the author for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Whew, has this been a wild ride! I mean, I'm not too surprised, everything in the previous book hinted at these events. The fourth installment in The Great Devil War was dark, intense and an absolute blast!
Reviewing books so far in the series is always tricky, as I don't want to go into great detail and accidentally spoil anything. These books have consistently been really good and entertaining, and The Angel of Evil has not been any different.
After the strong ending of book three, where I definitely felt quite emotional, book four picks up right where we left off. Philip is still in Hell, tho whole underworld is on a brink of a war and Satina is kidnapped!
I really love this installment! The series really grows darker and darker with every book, which I'm very much enjoying. While The Devil's Apprentice started off the series with Philip dying and being mistakenly taken into Hell, which is dark enough, it was fun and enjoyable, but with every consequent book more and more is at stake.
I thought the book was incredibly fast paced. I flew through it. It was the right amount of everything, from suspense and intrigue to character development and even more world building. In every book we get more and more of Hell, get to visit new places, find out how they work - it's a really well thought out world based off different mythologies of the underworld and afterlife and I absolutely love it!
Philip wasn't my favourite in this one, unfortunately. The angst was very much needed and makes sense, so I don't really fault him for being the way he was. I just think he was such a Harry, which for some would be a great compliment, but I detest him in the best way possible. That's how I felt about Philip in this one. He did so many things he wasn't supposed to do and although he succeeded, it still felt frustrating seeing him break all the rules and not listen. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of it, though.
The supporting characters were, as always, fantastic, although I expected a bit more "devilness" from Lucifer, to be honest. I think as THE Devil he was kind of clueless throughout the whole book and I wish he lived up to his name a bit more.
I enjoyed Aziel as the antagonist a lot more than I thought I would and how cunning but ultimately cowardly he was, but with the way the story ended, I'm not sure where the next book will go.
As someone who does not enjoy any romance in books, I'm quite surprised I was rooting for Philip and Satina and the ending kind of broke my heart. Since it's not the end of the series, I believe it's not the last time we're seeing them together, and I'm holding out hope they'll be reunited.
Last, but not least! We finally get to meet Philip's dad! Not for too long, that's true, but at least it finally happened, and I think it really added to Philip's development as a character.
Overall, I have not been disappointed with any of the books in this series. Each one just gets better and better.
4.5 stars
Whew, has this been a wild ride! I mean, I'm not too surprised, everything in the previous book hinted at these events. The fourth installment in The Great Devil War was dark, intense and an absolute blast!
Reviewing books so far in the series is always tricky, as I don't want to go into great detail and accidentally spoil anything. These books have consistently been really good and entertaining, and The Angel of Evil has not been any different.
After the strong ending of book three, where I definitely felt quite emotional, book four picks up right where we left off. Philip is still in Hell, tho whole underworld is on a brink of a war and Satina is kidnapped!
I really love this installment! The series really grows darker and darker with every book, which I'm very much enjoying. While The Devil's Apprentice started off the series with Philip dying and being mistakenly taken into Hell, which is dark enough, it was fun and enjoyable, but with every consequent book more and more is at stake.
I thought the book was incredibly fast paced. I flew through it. It was the right amount of everything, from suspense and intrigue to character development and even more world building. In every book we get more and more of Hell, get to visit new places, find out how they work - it's a really well thought out world based off different mythologies of the underworld and afterlife and I absolutely love it!
Philip wasn't my favourite in this one, unfortunately. The angst was very much needed and makes sense, so I don't really fault him for being the way he was. I just think he was such a Harry, which for some would be a great compliment, but I detest him in the best way possible. That's how I felt about Philip in this one. He did so many things he wasn't supposed to do and although he succeeded, it still felt frustrating seeing him break all the rules and not listen. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of it, though.
The supporting characters were, as always, fantastic, although I expected a bit more "devilness" from Lucifer, to be honest. I think as THE Devil he was kind of clueless throughout the whole book and I wish he lived up to his name a bit more.
I enjoyed Aziel as the antagonist a lot more than I thought I would and how cunning but ultimately cowardly he was, but with the way the story ended, I'm not sure where the next book will go.
As someone who does not enjoy any romance in books, I'm quite surprised I was rooting for Philip and Satina and the ending kind of broke my heart. Since it's not the end of the series, I believe it's not the last time we're seeing them together, and I'm holding out hope they'll be reunited.
Last, but not least! We finally get to meet Philip's dad! Not for too long, that's true, but at least it finally happened, and I think it really added to Philip's development as a character.
Overall, I have not been disappointed with any of the books in this series. Each one just gets better and better.
4.5 stars
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