OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ascending Angel" by Ellen Wefler.]

Sara is a special little girl. At only 9 years old, she’s mature beyond her years. More than that, she has abilities that even she isn’t quite aware of. These abilities put her in danger. The archangel Gabriel knows she must be protected. He, therefore, assigns her a protector; a boy named Seth. However, Seth is more than he appears to be as well.

Ascending Angel is a fantasy written by Ellen Wefler. This book is an interesting twist on the classic theme of good versus evil. It includes dark angels or dangels as they are nicknamed. It also includes archangels and guardian angels.

Unfortunately, I feel that the way Ms. Wefler addresses this theme and iconic beings may be off-putting to many readers. Thus, this is the first issue that I feel needs attention. Everyone has their own views on angels, demons, and religion. The author clearly voices her opinions in this story. In the book, one of the archangels makes it perfectly clear that someone who commits suicide will go to hell. While I know that there are those out there that hold this opinion, I also know that there are those that this will greatly offend. The archangels also appear to make decisions and act on their own without consulting the god that is clearly mentioned in the story. I would suggest those that have clear views on these issues or religion in general might want to avoid reading Ascending Angel.

In addition, there are parts of the story that are very unclear. First, the author needs to include some warning before the chapters where time has passed. One chapter in the book is obviously a flashback. We then continue on in the present. Suddenly, years have passed. Regrettably, we really don’t know how many or what exactly happened. Furthermore, there is a chapter devoted to a “damned soul.” This “damned soul” is on a mission from Nathan, Lucifer’s right-hand dangel. He is to find someone. Sadly, I have no idea who he is supposed to find, and he is not mentioned again in the book.

As I know the ending is important to most people, I must make mention of it. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say I was greatly disappointed. The novel felt like it was just getting started and did not come to a clear conclusion. The author is clearly leaving room for a second novel. There is, though, no mention of a second novel anywhere. At the end of the book, the following is written: “To be continued…?” I know there will be many unhappy campers if they read this book only to find out there is no sequel.

Lastly, there are errors present throughout the book. At first, it was just an awkwardly worded sentence here or there. As the book progressed, though, I found other errors more frequently throughout the book. For example, there were two different tenses of verbs used in the same sentence as well as some word substitutions or omissions.

In summary, while I found the storyline to be intriguing, there was too much uncertainty and confusion in the telling of the story. In addition, there were errors in editing and issues that may offend some. Overall, I rate Ascending Angel a 2 out of 4 stars. It wasn’t boring, but there were too many issues to really recommend the reading of this book to anyone.

******
Ascending Angel
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like kandscreeley's review? Post a comment saying so!

Nothing is more annoying or confusing than an unclear timeline! Also, it sounds like a very strange way to end a story... great job writing an honest but constructive review

Thanks MarisaRose. It had interesting points about it, but there were some issues as well. It almost felt like it should have been labelled as a prequel.

The book was sounding pretty good until you said that there was a lot of confusion and the ending was disappointing. Too bad... I was really about to add it to my shelf for a minute there. Thank you for your honest review!

Amagine- It's an interesting storyline. I felt unsure about this one. It was hard to rate. It has a lot of potential.

Very good review. It sadly is not a book that seems like it would hold my attention with all of the issues you pointed out. Thanks for being thorough and honest with these problems.

Thanks rssllue- I hate giving out less than 3 stars, but I feel like there were issue that need to be fixed.

A candid review, I believe. My favorite author writes books dealing with angels directing the affairs of me, so I thought I could add this to my library. Probably not, though.

Chrys- That sounds interesting. I know there are many books out there about angels and demons. It's a common theme. This one has a twist and could be good, but it needs a little help. Thanks for stopping by!

Your Review of the book is clear and interesting. it's written in a well sequentially order. Well criticized Also.
With your honest review I need not worry reading such books, cos am the type that got annoyed and bored seeing grammatical errors in a hardcopy published works.

Thanks Afolabi. Some errors are more annoying than others to me especially if they are present throughout. Thanks for stopping by.

kandscreeley wrote:Thanks Afolabi. Some errors are more annoying than others to me especially if they are present throughout. Thanks for stopping by.

It all my pleasure, and more thanks to you.

The book "Angel" by l.a. weatherly also includes dark angels, so the concept isn't new. Sounds like an intriguing book that didn't fulfill its potential. Too bad about that. Thank you for the review!

Thanks gali. I know the concept of dark angels isn't new, but the character of Sara is different. I don't want to say more for fear of giving something away. It definitely needs a little work though.

I give this book 4 stars because I really enjoyed this book I couldn't put it down looking forward to reading her 2nd book