Excellent Book
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Not many books affect me so deeply as this one has; especially when it's a story where we effectively know the ending already. It's moved me to my core - made me think, chuckle, cry, empathise and most of all, opened my eyes and heart.
So, the book: how can someone describe Heaven and angels? Well we can't because we don't know what they're like. But I think Wendy paints a great picture. As a book based on Biblical matters, many will see the book as fiction and it's amazing the way Wendy has created a book that both non Christians and Christians alike can enjoy and understand. I urge anyone struggling with the first few chapters to stay with it.
I have read some comments about the style of writing being very child like, but I think this style of writing really suits the book because how can someone convey some of the ideas and the magnitude that Wendy does by using any other language without it sounding too profound, pompous or verging on scientific. I don't think Wendy could have written it any other way.
We all have our own thoughts about how Heaven might look, and how angels look etc, and although personally I doubt they bleed and sleep, these personifications make the story all the more interesting and really help to convey the mounting tensions in Heaven.
The heart of the story (Lucifer being God's favourite, becoming jealous of man; the jealousy boiling into intense hatred, and falling) is portayed so well, you get such a glimpse into how Lucifer could have got to the point of becoming so jealous - he loved God so much - you even catch yourself sympathising at some points. It also gives us all such a huge reminder of how much he hates man, and will do anything to take as many men into eternal misery with him. What we forget as modern day Christians is the power he used to have over man before the Cross.
More importantly, and the most poignant part that got to me, after willing Eve not to listen to him, not to prove Lucifer right; yet God never turned around and said, "well Luce, you were right - they let me down". No, he loved us still and never gave up on us.
Made in His image - just like Him. And all He wants is for us to check in every now and then and say "Hi Lord".
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Dreadful
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This is, without doubt the worst book I have ever attempted to read. I say attempted as I only managed the first couple of chapters before throwing it in the bin. I felt robbed. I cannot, in all honesty believe that it slipped through the net and got published.It certainly wasn't edited! What really did it for me was the fact that in one part an angel is riding a horse (?!)- which seems to change sex from one page to the other! So, Wendy Alec - if you're reading this - I must clarify that a stallion is a male horse, and a filly a young female horse. I suggest that the author doesn't give up her day job. My 13 year old son is a better writer. It made me so angry that I felt like correcting it and sending it back to the publishers.
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very disappointing
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unless you're an obsessed with christian mythology in a simplistic golden-age comic book way and couldn't give a monkies with theology and philosophy, this is drivel. it reads like bad internet fan-fiction.
in the first 5 pages of the the story proper, ignoring the tagged on flashback/forward prologue, we get maybe 5 sentances of dialogues from the characters (all of which are nigh meaningless) and not a n iota of character interaction at all, the reset of the verse is over desricptive waffle with about 4 adjectives per sentence. it's like the author used every synonym microsoft word cam up with.
where are the internal monologues? there's no understanding between the reader and the character's actions, they just do stuff and there's no explainations as to why. this ends up totally stifling character development and really hinders the reader's ability to connect and empathize with them. Cristos(god) is just an obvious plot device, his motivations are unexplained and for all his describes powers and compassion seems indecisive and borders on stupid. Lucifer becomes a spoilt brat, Michael stays put as teacher's pet, and Gabriel gets caught in the middle, it's Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson. I get the feeling the author has a very deep knowledge of the chracters, and just assumes you do too.
much can the same can be said of the entire novel, you just have to accept it that way, if you start asking why you'll just realise how inane the setting really are, and requires and incredible amount of suspension of curiosity.the smatterings of scientific buzzwords don't help and only show up the lack of research and understanding by the author.
i can't help but think that this is the kind of thing that embarasses intelligent theists and inures the gullible ones.
it could have been so much better.
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Reads like a Jewellery Channel Infomertial.
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The descriptions of heaven are meant to be fabulous, but after a few sentences of diamond palaces, opal armour, daimante swords and tanzanite doors I expected Lucifer to say, "Going like hot cakes." The presenters on QVC are far more convincing that these cardboard archangels. There really was nothing in this novel outside of a straight retelling of the bible story. There is no real plot except what was in the Bible. So if you like your bracelets cheap and shiny, or your rings gaudy but fake, this book is for you.
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Possibly the worst book I have ever read
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The most childish and materialistic depiction of "heaven" you could ever imagine. Appalling dialog. Characters behaving like spoiled children instead of, ur, "angels". I managed up to the 2nd chapter, then threw it in the recycling bin. I wonder how much they had to pay "G P Taylor" to call it a "prize winning first book from a literary craftsman".
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