Angel Fever

January 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-In this action-packed finale to the trilogy, half-angel Willow; her boyfriend, Alex; and the rest of the exhausted Angel Killers have picked their way through earthquake-ravaged Mexico to find a secret underground base in the Nevada desert. They determine that because of the linked consciousnesses of the angels, they only need to kill about 100 more before all of the angels succumb to death. If they fail, every person on Earth will fall to the angels' appetite for human auras. But while Willow and her group are preparing for battle, her father, Raziel, is making plans of his own-plans that he believes will ensure the angels' survival. If he discovers that Willow is still alive, he will stop at nothing to kill her before she can fulfill her prophesied destiny. Alex, in desperation, makes a choice that will jeopardize both his life and his relationship with Willow. Willow is a strong, likable heroine with realistic flaws. Her conflicted emotions when Seb (the boy who loves her but whom she does not love) begins a relationship with another girl ring true to life. Some confusing plot points may make this a challenge for struggling readers, but there's enough action to convince them to keep going. And Willow's romance with Alex will have teenage girls swooning. Despite a bit of deus ex machina and a few convenient occurrences, the saga wraps up in a neat, satisfying manner.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2013
The Angel Burn trilogy ends with plenty of action and heaping portions of romance, complete with jealousy, rivalries and lovers' quarrels. In a nice twist on the usual angel meme, the angels in this series are the bad guys, feeding on humans' auras and killing them. The humans respond by worshipping the angels even more, except for Willow and Alex's band of Angel Killers. In middle volume Angel Fire (2012), the group succeeded in killing much of the angels' leadership, but devastating worldwide earthquakes resulted, and the angels have pretty much taken over anyway. Half-angel Willow and boyfriend Alex find a secure underground CIA base where they train and plot, only to learn that they are so severely outnumbered that victory appears impossible. Meanwhile, half-angel Seb still loves Willow, who still loves Alex. Willow's trek across the country and the solo adventure of another major character stand out as high points in this entry. Weatherly's action scenes move briskly, and she draws out the impossible-to-win-but-can-they-do-it-anyway scenario. For romance fans, she provides appropriately spaced hot kissing scenes and hints at behind-the-curtains sex. Then there's the lonely Seb, who can't stop loving the unavailable Willow. The main characters are, of course, supermodel-attractive and bound together by raging love forever, except when they're having a spat. Despite (or perhaps because of) the standard-issue romance tropes, fans of the series will find all they want here. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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January 1, 2014
Willow realizes that only she can save humanity from Raziel and the rest of the angels. Meanwhile, Alex unknowingly jeopardizes his relationship with her. Patient readers will be rewarded in the final chapters of this trilogy's lengthy conclusion: it's when the love triangle is most compelling. A fierce showdown (which occurs where the series began) neatly brings everything full circle.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)