(book) Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Synopsis

A thrilling epic about an ancient clash reignited in our time--between a hidden society and heaven's darkest creatures

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. --Genesis 6:5

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

Rich in history, full of mesmerizing characters, and wondrously conceived, Angelology blends biblical lore, the myth of Orpheus and the Miltonic visions of Paradise Lost into a riveting tale of ordinary people engaged in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.

Review

I never expected that this would read like a new Dan Brown novel, nor did I expect reading about angels to be so much fun. What a ride.

The story starts with a wonderful premise, rather simple but actually quite complicated. I agree with other reviews that state the book's too simple for such a complicated topic, but I also think most of the things that cover the ground are discussed quite thoroughly. I do believe there are some edges to be smoothed, but overall the author manages to capture a believable setting and world through altered history.

There are two things I don't like from the book: the excessive details (that can be both beneficial and detrimental to the book), and the main character. Details are lush and rich, I especially love the setting descriptions. It reads like poetry, and often I feel lulled to a sense of looking at beautiful paintings as I read. But they also get lengthy and detailed sometimes, even in dialogue, and it makes me want to skip to the action. Then the main character, Evangeline, is so bland I wish Celestine, Gabriella and Verlaine are the leads. I wish I could understand Evangeline's motivations better. I love it when the narration shifts to Celestine, who's a much, albeit more naive, interesting personality. And Gabriella is superb.

That being said, I enjoy Angelology, would love to see the movie, and also read Angelopolis.