A Temptation of Angels

January 23, 2012
Touched by steampunk and Harry Potter, Zink’s (the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy) paranormal romance about angels is an enjoyable if by-the-numbers read. Ostensibly set in late-Victorian London, the action has little sense of place, and the history is so “alternate” that, in effect, it is pure fantasy. The eternal struggle between light and dark is staged between the angelic Keepers and the demonic Legion, with two corresponding sets of human proxies—the Dictata, who oversee the angels, and the Syndicate, who collaborate with the Legion and monopolize the world’s economy. Sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright knows nothing of this when her home is invaded and burned, leaving Helen the only survivor. All she has is a paper her mother shoved into her hand, which leads her to the Channing brothers, Darius and Griffin. It is up to these strangers—especially attractive, sympathetic Griffin—to keep Helen alive long enough to enter into her angelic destiny. The pacing and drama are slightly lacking, so while events abound, the narrative never achieves a memorable level of tension. Ages 12–up. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

February 15, 2012
Zink heightens the pile of heavenly sagas. Like most heroines in these stories, Helen loses her parents before they can explain her unique legacy to her. In Helen's case, however, they prepared her for it throughout her childhood, using games to train her for her calling as an angelic guardian. A council of demons kills without discrimination, on a mission to destroy those like Helen in order to tip the balance of the world toward evil. Obeying all the tropes of this genre, Zink allies Helen with male counterparts, two brothers who are also lesser angels and who have also lost their parents. Griffin wins her heart, though Darius conveniently spurns her in what seems to be an attempt to lend additional adversity to Helen's life, since Helen doesn't much mourn her parents' recent deaths. Given how few people share their unique backgrounds, Darius' scorn doesn't make sense. A childhood friend whom Helen has not seen in many years presents the only real complexity in the book; once a playmate, he has grown up to perpetrate grave crimes, and yet he holds the keys to thwarting the forces of evil. A formulaic and slow-paced tale combining too many conventions to excite savvy readers who have likely seen it all before. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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March 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-Helen Cartwright is 16 when her mother awakens her in the middle of the night and hurriedly rushes her into a secret passage in the wall, telling her that she must save herself or everything will have been for nothing. Thus begins the teen's mysterious adventure and education into who she really is and what this means. Helen is a Keeper; she is descended from angels and given the task of protecting the knowledge of the past, present, and future for the mysterious Dictata. Zink does a marvelous job of blending technology and magic together to create plausible explanations for many fantastical possibilities like traveling via beams from light sources due to the particulate nature of matter and energy. The use of gadgets and inventions lends a steampunk air to several scenes. Two brothers, Keepers whose parents were also murdered, take Helen in. While investigating the deaths, Helen discovers that one of her childhood friends is connected to this mysterious new world and that her loyalties are going to be tested like never before. This is a compelling read, but it differs greatly from other recent "angel fiction" in that these beings don't have wings and, aside from being on the side of good, there is little connection to the typical Heaven and Hell. There is a hierarchy of demons and the Dictata, of course, but this may not satisfy fans of the emerging angel genre. It stands alone, but a sequel could help to flesh out some of the details of this world and hopefully build upon Helen's emerging romantic possibilities.-Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Grades 7-10 On the night 16-year-old Helen's parents are murdered, she discovers that she is no ordinary girlshe is a Keeper, an angelic being. She joins forces with the last of her kindtwo brothers, orphans like herselfto protect the Akashic Records, which hold all of history (past, present, and future), from those determined to gain access to their power. The Records are all that stand between humanity and the demons determined to create hell on earth. Set in a steampunk London, where gas lamps and rudimentary computers share time with corsets, waistcoats, and a bit of magic, this well-paced and delicately detailed story is full of recurring imagery, creeping terror, deftly wrought secondary characters, and slowly building sexual tension that has a gothic romance feel. Caught between light (her fellow Keeper, Griffin) and dark (Ruam, a childhood friend who turns out to be much more dangerous than she could ever imagine), Helen must make a choice and learn that love and sacrifice cannot be separated.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)