Kirsten Reviews: Angel City by Jon Steele
Angel City by Jon Steele
The Angelus Trilogy #2
It’s been almost three years since we left Detective Jay Harper and high-priced escort Katherine Taylor on the esplanade of Lausanne Cathedral, bruised and battered from a biblical showdown with the Nephilim. Katherine has retreated to small-town life in the woods of Washington State with her son, Max—and a close protection detail of heavily-armed, elite members of the Swiss Guard. Harper is living in Paris, haunted by voices in his head and bone-tired after what turns out to be two and a half million years on Earth.
Though Katherine and Harper have been prevented from remembering each other , baby Max has unwittingly stirred the interest of vengeful spirits—and only a worldwide (and cosmic) effort to save his life will bring Harper and Katherine together again. Meanwhile, from the shadows steps a defrocked priest named Astruc, whose face looks as if it has been clawed by some terrible beast and who hides his eyes behind blue lenses. He and his brilliant young ward, Goose, have discovered something unfathomable in the Catacombs under Paris, something that will confirm that "the time of the prophecy” is at hand. . . .
Electrifying from its explosive first scene to its unexpected and shocking conclusion, Angel City reunites the unforgettable characters from The Watchers to reveal more of the earthly—and otherworldy—mysteries of the Angelus trilogy.
Angel City by Jon Steele is part 2 in The Angelus Trilogy, and takes up the story where the first book left off. The book deals with history, faith, and attempts to juggle a multi-layered plot with varying degrees of success.
The book includes Harper and Katherine, who are having something of a break following the events of the first book. That being said, for Harper, a ‘break’ means he’s working on something that’s not apocalyptic in scale. He has to foil an attack in Paris within the opening pages. Meanwhile, Katherine is raising her son, Max, and running a candle making business.
However, there is soon no peace for either of them, with the prophecy about “a child of light.” Of course, readers know better than to trust the motives of anybody who goes around talking about ‘destiny and prophecy’ without some good reasons, and the defrocked priest isn’t any kind of benign authority at this point.
The first book in the series did a lot of the background work, and built the world, letting the author jump right into the story without pausing for explanations. At some times this works better than others.
Harper is prone to throwing himself into situations without looking, while Katherine is more cautious, having a son to think of, and the shorthand on their characterization feels too standard to be truly enjoyable. Had there been a reversal in roles, or some more development or other quirks, this aspect of the book would have been less predictable and tiresome at times.
Overall, the book is much stronger than The Watchers, with a lot of action scenes, delving more into the world’s mythology and darkness, and setting the stage for the final book in the series.
(Received a copy from the publisher)
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Other Reviews:
Tome Tender
For Winter Nights
The Eloquent Page
Previous Books:
1. The Watchers
