Fabulous book! Very creative and different. The characters were compelling and deep (but sometimes annoying). Great world building. I can’t wait to continue on with this series. I couldn’t put it down.Note - Archangel is not a Romance novel. This is a Fantasy novel with romantic elements, but do not expect your traditional Romance themes & behaviors – you will most likely be disappointed.Another Note – I’ve heard some complaints about the religious elements in the book. That said the religious r...

The world building was interesting, the story drew me in and even when I wanted to give up, I held on hoping that things would get better. This story gets a three star rating because of the details and music description but that's about it.The story started off with Gabriel and Rachel being irritating. But as the story went on, I began to sympathize and feel so sorry for Gabriel. Rachel was a really immature shrew. Not once did she stop to consider Gabriel's point of view. I get that she had her...

About 60 pages in the book drew me in and it was a very fast and pleasant read. Good writing style. There were moments where I was slightly annoyed with Rachel for being stubborn for stubborness sake. She admited often that she did thinks purely to be contrary and after awhile that gets tiresome. Over all I did like her. The plot was interesting, the other characters as well and the setting has a lot of promise in this weird religious/sci-fi way. I didn't terribly like that the Edori were univer...

LOVE this series so much. Predates a lot of the fantasy/romance out there that's so popular now. Angels in an alternate universe. Weird to explain but really really good!

Sharon Shinn carries the torch of Joss Whedon for fantasy and science fiction. Oops not everyone is a fan, Mariel. Cliff's notes version: the world is great but what hits close to home has everything to do with the emotional joys and horrors. What resonates and vibrates like an internal chord being struck is the this is what I can feel too stuff because it's the things we're all in it together for. Shinn is kindred spirit to Peter S. Beagle. Her stories make me feel that she could be related to

In the world of Samaria, there are angels and people. The angels being very powerful, with the the Archangel as the most powerful of them. The current Archangel will soon step down from his position and be taken over by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel has known from a young age that he is to become an Archangel but waits until 5 months before he is to take the position to find his angelica. An angelica is a human woman paired with a male angel. Angels can only be produced from a pairing of an angel a...

There was something so unpalatable about this story that I could not put my finger on. An undercurrent of something. And I’m not talking about the very cringy writing or cheesy premise or the most unlikeable heroine ever. She verged on being despicable. I skimmed all through the book and was so glad when I could just close the book, for good. I disliked it immensely.

There are five books out in this series, though each can be read as stand-alone novels. I think this is the first one (I wanted to start at the beginning, if I could), and very intriguing and well-written it is. I read it in a day. I'm a new fan of Shinn! Archangel is set on another world, on a land called Samaria which is divided up into three realms: Gaza, Bethel and Jordanna. They aren't the only place names that sound familiar, there's also Mount Sinai, the Plain of Sharon and the Galilee Ri...

"And if I should leave you, for any reason," he added, tightening his grip as she struggled to free her hand, "I will return to you. That is as certain as the sun rising tomorrow morning and the thunderbolt falling tomorrow night. That is as sure as the god's existence. I will come back to you, or I will find you - over and over again, as often as we are parted, until the end of the world itself.”3.5 StarsA sci-fi masquerading as fantasy about angels in an alternative universe before any of that...

I found Sharon Shinn's Archangel an awesome fantasy and an amazing entertainment reading. Through highly creative and unusual premises, provocative characters and actions that are always surprising the reader, Shinn was able to create a beautiful story. A tale about love, music, magic, power and honor and has done it so well that I found myself escaping into her world, living it through her protagonists, so strong in their imperfections and conflicting desires. Archangel is set in Samaria, divi...

Oh, you know, it’s your typical book about another planet where an angel rescues a woman from slavery and forces her to marry him because his god/an AI told him to. Oh, and he wears leather. The angel, not the AI.This is actually not as batshit as I’m making it sound, though it’s still decidedly . . . Pernlike. Id vortex or bust, if you know what I mean, and it was mostly a bust for me. I don’t have an arranged marriage kink or an angel kink or any of the other seventeen kinks this book was hurl...

Rating: 4.5 Stars I'm at a loss for words when it comes to Sharon Shinn's Archangel. Utterly torn in fact. I was so sure this novel would earn a hearty 5 Stars from me and make its way to my 'favorites' shelf, but alas, I couldn't bring myself to fall in love with this as I thought I would. I suppose I'll start at the beginning. I woke up early today morning with plenty of time left before I really needed to be out of bed. Thus, I perused my Kindle library and stumbled upon this. I thought I'd r...

I can't do this anymore. I refuse to suffer like this. I'm sad to say, but the heroine is an immature, biased, spiteful bitch. Can somebody please smack some sense into her! Please! She's ruining the whole story! Everytime she does something good, she ruins it by being such a stubborn bitch! The concept of angels and God is intriguing but all of those thing is overshadowed by how immature the freaking heroine is!Does she have to be so hateful? Does she have to be angry and bitter and UGHG...

One of my new favorite authors. She does a nice fantasy/romance thing, but this series also has interesting theology. And her characters are distinct and likeable. But the best part is the worldbuilding. I really feel like she knows the geography of her worlds inside and out, like it's a living breathing place that really could exist somewhere out there.

I've been meaning to read this one forevvvvver. I think I'm bumping the rating up a little, but ohhh. I really loved the characters and the world. And I really liked how it addresses issues of belief and faith. I am so excited to read more.Mostly I guess it's just two things holding me back:1. The romantic relationship didn't quite work for me until the VERY end. I needed them to spend more time together to really believe in their love. But because I WAS on board at the end, I think I'd like it

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟 "Only the strong are put through the fire" Josiah said. "And the forge creates things of great strength and beauty." I resented both Rachel and Gabriel at the beginning of the story, but ended up loving them in the end.The story kept me engaged till the very end and even though, most of the time, the 'what will happen' was pretty obvious, the 'how it will come to pass' was intriguing and beautiful.I loved the religion and the music. The structure of the society is original and absolut...

I will preface this review by stating that this is one of my “comfort” reads, an old favorite that I often pull out to reread again and again. There are other books in the Samaria series (ANGELICA, ANGEL-SEEKER, JOVAH’S ANGEL, THE ALLELUIA FILES) that I am aware of, but I have not read them all, and I am fairly certain they can all stand alone. ARCHANGEL was the first book of Ms. Shinn’s that I read, and it has remained dear to me over the years. Despite anything else I may say, it is a favorite...

Because Sarah J. Maas told me to. Plus SWOON, I hear. :D

Angel Gabriel, being next in the line to become Archangel and lead the annual Gloria to assure God everything is in harmony has a problem. He needs to find his chosen bride by God – the Angelica – within six months to assist him with the Gloria or desaster will strike. He isn´t happy about Rachel being a farmer´s daughter und probably untutored to lead the Gloria with him. But God´s will has to be obeyed. When Gabriel arrives at the village where Rachel is supposed to live he finds everything is...

This was a disappointment.I suppose I'm destined for disappointment when I go into a fantasy book expecting romance. But I don't think I'm too far off base with this one, since the entire plot hinged around a marriage of convenience and the two main characters reconciling the differences in their personality and, yes, falling in love.However, the romantic elements took a far back seat to the politics of a desert land called Samaria, and these politics weren't very interesting. This was essential...