Book Review - Breath of Angel

When Melaia, a young priestess, witnesses the gruesome murder of a stranger in the temple courtyard, age-old legends recited in song suddenly come to life. She discovers wings on the stranger, and the murderer takes the shape of both a hawk and a man.

Angels. Shape-shifters. Myths and stories—until now.

Melaia finds herself in the middle of a blood feud between two immortal brothers who destroyed the stairway to heaven, stranding angels in the earthly realm. When Melaia becomes a target, she finds refuge with a band of angels attempting to restore the stairway. But the restoration is impossible without settling an ancient debt—the “breath of angel, blood of man,” a payment that involves Melaia’s heart, soul, and destiny.

Karyn Henley has written a real jewel with Breath of Angel. This first book of the Angelaeon Circle has left me eagerly waiting for the next installment. The character depth along with the well thought out back-story and history are the equal to many of secular writings in the same genre.

The growth of our heroine through her trials and revelations of her past are well done and have created a very likable character. She is surrounded by a cast of many that provide complementary views and growth along the way during the story.

A definite must-read for teens and all book-lovers alike.

I was provided this copy of the book by Waterbrook-Multnomah for an unbiased review.  

Books

Here's an up-to-date on what I've been reading:

1635: The Eastern Front by Eric Flint
1635: The Dreeson Incident by Eric Flint & Virginia DeMarce
Distant Thunders by Taylor Anderson
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
We Few by John Ringo
The High King of Montival by S.M. Stirling
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
The Valley-Westside War by Harry Turtledove
For Us, the Living by Robert Heinlein
Eifleheim by Michael Flynn
Marvel 70th Anniversary Collection by Various

and right now I'm finishing up
Directive 51 by John Barnes

The Crossing - Serita Jakes

Imprisoned by memories, Claudia Campbell lives each day in the shadow of a ten-year-old murder. Who can set her free?
On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fire on a Texas school bus.  Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who had a close friendship with the young, spirited teacher, constantly relives the anguish of that day, caught in one moment in time. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, becomes determined to uncover the mystery of that tragedy, the secrets buried over the years threaten to tear their family apart.
Officer Casio Hightower will never forget the day his dreams were destroyed. A star quarterback with a promising future, Casio was on top of the world—until one bullet changed everything. He is eager to help Victor Campbell find B.J.’s killer, the man who shot him. Maybe solving the case will help silence the demons driving Casio to hurt the woman he loves.
As the Campbells and Casio teeter on the brink of losing everything, will they be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?

Mrs. Jakes has written an excellent book combining first-rate storytelling with a message about an illness that troubles many people, not just our military service members.

The background and depth of each character lends credibility to the story and adds to the mystery which is trying to be resolved by the conclusion of the book. This is a story that could have well been taken from any newspaper across the country.

I enjoyed her use of the viewpoint of the teacher whose murder is the catalyst for the troubled lives of the other characters in the book.

The final realization that it is a relationship with Christ that leads to healing and an ability to cope with each day is something that we each need to remember.

Post-traumatic stress is an issue that needs more discussion and less negligence in our collective minds. While our military service men and women suffer from this malady, it is also prevalent among the civilian population.

This book was provided at no cost to me by Waterbrook-Multnomah is exchange for an unbiased review.