Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days) - Softcover

Ee, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761463275 ISBN 13: 9780761463276

Publisher: Skyscape, 2012

Synopsis

TIME Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with Raffe, an injured enemy angel. Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco, where Penryn will risk everything to rescue her sister and Raffe will put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Revised edition: This edition of Angelfall includes editorial revisions.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Ee has eaten mezze in the old city of Jerusalem, surfed the warm waters of Costa Rica, and played her short film at a major festival. She has a life-long love of science fiction, fantasy and horror, especially if there’s a touch of romance. She used to be a lawyer but loves being a writer because it allows her souped-up imagination to bust out and go feral.

Reviews

In Ee’s gritty debut, which stars a heroine with backbone, angels of the apocalypse seek revenge against humans for killing the Archangel Gabriel, and street gangs have taken over Silicon Valley. Seventeen-year-old Penryn lives with (and cares for) her wheelchair-bound sister, Paige, and their paranoid schizophrenic mother. While attempting to escape their apartment to find safety, Paige is kidnapped by an angel. At the moment of the abduction, Penryn meets Raffe, an angel whose wings have been cut off by the angels who take Paige. Hoping Raffe might know where Paige is, Penryn reluctantly nurses him back to health, and the two join forces, traveling to the angels’ “aerie” in San Francisco to recover Paige and repair Raffe’s wings; along the way, they are captured by a dangerously anarchic army of the human resistance. Smartly conceived details (for example, there’s a bounty on angel body parts, turning them into a commodity) feel fresh in this apocalyptic romance that’s sustained by well-developed characters, atmosphere, and strong writing. Ee leaves plenty to discover in a planned sequel. Ages 14–up. Publisher's Weekly August 2012


There’s no real setup here. On the opening pages, 17-year-old Penryn is trying to hustle her wheelchair-bound little sister and her schizophrenic mother out of their Bay Area condo to some safe area where the angels of the apocalypse won’t destroy them, as they’ve been doing to others worldwide for the last six weeks. The getaway doesn’t work so well. Penryn’s sister, Paige, is grabbed by the angels, right after a band of them slits off another angel’s soft, white wings. Against her better judgment, Penryn saves Raff (well, he is quite handsome) on the condition that he’ll at least put her in the direction of Paige. So begins a dangerous trip into San Francisco; along the way, the two have to avoid marauders, escape a resistance group’s camp, and keep away from the cannibals. Information about the angels is dispensed miserly, but the action never stops, with some new horror just around the corner. The main characters, including Penryn’s mother, all intrigue, so the sequel will be welcome. Grades 9-12. --Ilene Cooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Skyscape
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0761463275
• ISBN 13: 9780761463276
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288