Rating: 
Summary: Triumphant Return to Samaria
Review: ... Sharon Shinn is always on my must-buy list, and another Samaria book immediately catapults her at the top of my list. I found that ANGELICA was a satisfying return to a very rich and engrossing setting, and I read it in record time.For those of you not familiar with the setting, Samaria is a world settled by the remnants of a religious colony, led by a host of angels that protect the common people. Shinn's stories deal with love and discovery of the world around them and their past as two common themes, and I truly love the way she handles things. Characters are definitely her strongpoint, and she's able to immediately make you feel for them at the very beginning of the book. Her prose is magnificent as well, and she's apt at making you truly feel you are *IN* the story. ANGELICA follows the story of three people: Susannah, an Edori woman; Gaaron, the steadfast angel destined to be the next Archangel, and his hellion of a sister, Miriam. This storyline was hinted at in the pages of ARCHANGEL, and those wanting more of a taste of the Edori of Samaria will find this book a wonderful read. The Edori really play more of a role than the angels do, so those purely interested in the romance/angels aspect might be a bit disappointed if expecting it to be a clone of Archangel. The storyline follows Susannah the most, though the entire story is not romance-based like ARCHANGEL. Rather, we are thrown into the turmoil of the year just before Gaaron is to ascend to power, when strange visitors are attacking the peaceful people of Samaria, and they must decide what to do with the new, frightening threat. Shinn's storyline truly surprised me, and I found it very interesting. She always makes me wonder what she is doing next, and I find that delightful in an author. I would not recommend this as a starting point for the series--go out and buy ARCHANGEL instead. After you've read the first trilogy, this will be a satisfying return to the world that Shinn has so masterfully created. If you start out reading this book without the tidbits from the others, you will miss some of the better hints of the story that Shinn never explains fully, expecting you, the reader, to be a returning friend to the setting. The details of Samaria are subtle in this book, and first-time readers of the series will miss all the parts that made me smile with happiness. Bottom line: A wonderful read. The ending is a bit abrupt, but still satisfies. If you're looking to start the series, skip this and go onto ARCHANGEL instead. If you're looking to pick up an easy, wonderfully told read, please pick up Angelica. Truly worth the hardcover price (something you cannot say about a lot of books nowdays).
Rating:
Summary: The Best Samaria Book Yet!
Review: After reading Archangel a few years ago I fell in love with Samaria and its Angels. I couldn't wait to read book two and then I had to wait for book three to come out. I loved all three of the books and have read them all a few times. When I heard that Angelica was coming out, I couldn't have been happier. I was hoping for years that Sharon would write another Samaria novel. Once I finally got my paws on this book, I couldn't put it down. I was hoping to take a long time to read it, since I had been waiting for it for so long, but that didn't happen. Although Gaaron does not have the looks that Gabriel (from Archangel) has, you still liked him for his great love and devotion to his duty, people, and his Angelica. It was also hard not to love Susannah, especially when Rachel was stubborn and Susannah was loving. Also Miriam and Jossis were one a kind and I always looked forward to hearing about their adventures. Furthermore, I would recommend to anyone to read the first three Samaria books, just so they could read Angelica. If you have already read the first three (Archangel, Jovah's Angel, and The Alleluia Files), then I have no idea what you are waiting for. This book is too good to wait for paperback! I just can't wait until I can read it again! I hope to see another Samaria book after this one :)
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Blend of Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Romance
Review: After reading the Samaria Trilogy, you will know what the future holds for the characters in this book, and it gives you a certain insight to their actions. Sharon Shinn did an incredible job of going back in time before 'all' is discovered (I do not want to be more specific for those readers who have not yet read the first three books). I thought that Sharon Shinn did a good job of telling the story and addressing issues that we, as the reader, know will come about, which the characters are still in the dark about. It was very interesting reading it from that angle. And of course, she mixes in her usual wonderful blend of Fantasy, sci-fi and romance, to make this a book I recommend to readers of both! I finished this book with a full heart and was anxious for her to write more about Samaria!
Rating:
Summary: An Angelica For Her Time
Review: Angelica is the fourth novel written in the Samaria series. However, the events and artifacts in this novel indicate that it is a prequel to the Archangel trilogy. According to conversations herein, Samaria was settled only 240 years prior to these events. While the society is already seeing the voyage in mythical terms, some of technology is still in everyday use, including the music reproducers in the Eyrie. Semorrah is not yet fully built and Windy Point is still occupied. In this novel, Gabriel Aaron, nicknamed Gaaron, is the Archangel-elect. He visits the Oracle Mahalah at Mount Sinai to determine who will be his angelica and Jovah responds with a handful of names, one of which surprises him: Susannah sia Tachita, an Edori. Gaaron knows little about the Edori, but he determines to search for Susannah as soon as possible. Susannah loves Dathan, a man of the Lohora tribe, who is very handsome, but delights in flirting with women and drinking a little too much wine every now and then. Everyone forgives Dathan his irresponsible ways since that is just the way he is, but Susannah is becoming a bit angry at his womanizing and lies. One day the Lohora come upon the Tachita tribe and mingle their tents for a few days. Susannah is happy to visit her family again, but angry that Dathan is spending time with Corzi of the Tachitas. On the night that the Angel Gaaron visits their camp, Susannah quarrels with Dathan about his infidelity and the next morning she leaves with Gaaron for the Eyrie. Even after finding Susannah, Gaaron has some ongoing problems. One is his sister, Miriam, who is pretty, impulsive, and rebellious and has been a continuing problem since her childhood. The other, however, is a recent series of unusual occurrences involving black men and circles of fiery death. Gaaron has many advisors in his role of leader of the host at Eyrie, but only a few people that he can consult on the larger problems. When Adriel retires as Archangel and Gaaron assumes that role, he will have no peers to consult. Susannah, however, provides him with good advice without a personal agenda and she also has a magnificent alto voice that supports rather than overwhelms other singers, so Gaaron is well pleased with Jovah's choice of his angelica. However, he too has been damaged by his father and, like Miriam, has problems with personal relationships. This novel is almost totally about relationships. Although there is a central mystery in the plot, the author provides enough clues that the solution is almost an anticlimax. The real surprise is the final confrontation between Susannah and Gaaron; Gaaron thinks that he is the stubborn one. While this novel fills in the backstory of the Archangel trilogy, it is a fully developed story that stands on its own. Gaaron is a good angel, but has trouble expressing his own feelings, so is greatly misunderstood by everyone, including his own sister. Susannah gets him to open up and start sharing his feelings with others, particularly Miriam, who needs to know that he really cares and that she really contributes to the community. This novel definitely deserves a sequel. While the mystery is solved and the Trilogy addresses the far future, there are a number of aspects of Gaaron's society that have not been addressed and there are the several unresolved interpersonal relationships between the main characters. One would hope that the author continues to mine this rich vein with other novels. Recommended for Shinn fans and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted exotic society and mysterious happenings in a SF setting.
Rating:
Summary: great read
Review: Angelica is the fourth of Sharon Shinns books about Samaria and it's inhabitants. This story however, is a prequel to the other three books, being set in earlier times than the others. Although these books are not a series and can be read in any order, I would recommend reading the others first.
Samaria is a world populated by the Mandaavi (merchants), Jansaii (crafty, secretive traders), Edori (peaceful nomads), mortals and lastly, angels (lofty and proud). All believe that the original settlers of their world were carried to Samaria in Jovah's own hands from their war torn homeworld. Jovah (their god) forbids technology as it could lead to the development of weapons and therefore war.
The Angels are the intermediaries between man and god. They raise their voices in song to pray for such bounty as medicines, rain, sunshine etc which god then provides. Every twenty years the god appoints a new Archangel, to guide the inhabitants of this land. Jovah also selects a spouse for the new archangel.
In this novel the new archangel is Gaaron (Gabriel Aaron). His bride is to be Susannah, an Edori woman who feels trapped in the angels Eyrie having spent all of her life wandering with her people and she is none too happy at being selected as the new Angelica.
To add to Gaarons troubles, there are problems in his peaceful world. Reports come in about mysterious men who appear and disappear at will and who are destroying whole camps of travellers. With no weapons they are helpless to fight back. While some are arguing for the creation of weapons others are fearful that Jovah's wrath will destroy them if they do develop them.
Sharon Shinn has created a series that is a mixture of romance, fantasy and science fiction. She has managed to produce something different from the usual tales in these genres and for anyone who appreciates something a little different I would highly recommend this.
Rating:
Summary: Singing angels, wandering tribes, an unknown evil...
Review: Boredom propelled me one day to surf books on Amazon.com. While I love the fantasy and vampire genre, I somehow accessed someone's scifi/romance listmania...which isn't bad at all. Then I saw Arhangel and Angelica on a lot of other lists too and the ratings seemed great, so I decided to buy them. To tell the truth, I expected much more. Archangel was definitely a good read, but it wasn't exciting. Angelica is even longer and although the author's writing is descriptive, it's a bit tedious. Don't get me wrong, I love long books just because you have more to read, but Angelica didn't have very many exciting, heart-stopping scenes of adventure and intrigue. The action stays in one place and many of the events are very long. Sharon Shinn's plotlines are very interesting (which is why you can't say her books are bad) but her writing style is a bit boring. I like the world of Samaria that she has created; it's unique and fascinating. I would actually give Angelica 3.5 stars, but there's no such thing so I bumped up the rating a little. It's a good book, but it's one that I wouldn't buy. Archangel, the first in this series, is probably better.
Rating:
Summary: Singing angels, wandering tribes, an unknown evil...
Review: Boredom propelled me one day to surf books on Amazon.com. While I love the fantasy and vampire genre, I somehow accessed someone's scifi/romance listmania...which isn't bad at all. Then I saw Arhangel and Angelica on a lot of other lists too and the ratings seemed great, so I decided to buy them. To tell the truth, I expected much more. Archangel was definitely a good read, but it wasn't exciting. Angelica is even longer and although the author's writing is descriptive, it's a bit tedious. Don't get me wrong, I love long books just because you have more to read, but Angelica didn't have very many exciting, heart-stopping scenes of adventure and intrigue. The action stays in one place and many of the events are very long. Sharon Shinn's plotlines are very interesting (which is why you can't say her books are bad) but her writing style is a bit boring. I like the world of Samaria that she has created; it's unique and fascinating. I would actually give Angelica 3.5 stars, but there's no such thing so I bumped up the rating a little. It's a good book, but it's one that I wouldn't buy. Archangel, the first in this series, is probably better.
Rating:
Summary: Strong characterization keeps this fantasy fast-paced
Review: Fans of Sharon Shinn will welcome her return to the planet Samaria, with a new fantasy of an archangel who has chosen a nomadic tribal woman to be his mate. Susannah bows to God's will, but a slow affection grows between mortal and near-mortal, and when a threat to their world introduces new dangers to her, it's up to Archangel and Angelica to work together to rescue their people. Strong characterization keeps this fantasy fast-paced.
Rating:
Summary: So much better than the prior one
Review: I am fairly good at which book reviews to read for nuances of language that indicate whether the reviewer and I share similar tastes, have similar criticisms; and generally find what I expect from novels to hold true. I read Sharon Shinn's book, The Allelluia Files, with a preconceived notion that the book was substandard to Shinn's normally engaging characters, and therefore when I read it I was no terribly disappointed in its dearth of imagination and character depth; knowing that the next book in the series, Angelica. would made up for the deficits that I encountered.
Again, no surprises--Angelica is thus far Shinn's best addition to the saga of Samaria, the distant and future world where genetically engineered angels rule over the variety of people that are forced to live in harmony else suffer the wrath of Jovah, an orbiting supercomputer and protector of the people. Angelica is more of a prequel, however, to the other novels, set some 200 years after the people arrive on Samaria. One of the faults of The Allelluia Files, some centuries in the future, could have been because of the fact that Shinn had made the decision to incorporate advancements of technology that detracted from the tone of the earlier books. Angelica does not have the distraction of the technological understanding of the people who inhabit Samaria, which makes for an interesting challenge when confronted with strange, dark-skinned and dark-clad invaders from another world.
Shinn also is careful to remain close to the angel-and-angelica romance, although the realization of that romance does not occur until the last several pages, a carry-through of her prior three novels. Gaaron is a likeable and understandable Archangel-to-be, and Susannah his staid and pensive Edori angelica-fiancé. The forays into the mind of Miriam, Gaaron's non-angel sister, are short, and few, and as the character of Miriam is included so frequently among the chapters involving Gaaron and Susannah, I did not feel at a loss when Miriam receives the point of view, mid-Novel.
Shinn relies on the same literal Deus ex machine mechanics as in the earlier novels, but to a lesser extent, empowering the characters to do more to overcome their obstacles. Susannah's "dream sequence," toward the end of the book could have been explored more, as I am distracted by the implausibility of an otherwise bright woman being so easily convinced that those book changing events were nothing but a dream. I didn't get a decent sense that Susannah felt she was dreaming.
Otherwise, Angelica is highly imaginative and another book so engaging that I had difficulty putting it down until the last page. It will delight readers of fantasy and romance alike.
Rating: 
Summary: a decent read, but not shinn's best
Review: I have to admit, I'm biased. I've read all of Sharon Shinn's books, and I always find myself comparing them to her first Samaria novel, "Archangel"... and they inevitably fall flat in comparison. Still, "Angelica" is a decent read (if a bit heavier on romance than on the discussion of serious themes or plot development). In a nutshell, "Angelica" tells the story of how Archangel Gaaron and the Edori Susannah fall in love. There are two subplots as well --the mysterious black-clad strangers that are destroying cities, and Gaaron's struggles to deal with his young, headstrong sister (and his guilt over not being able to protect her from domestic abuse when she was younger) -- but the story's main focus is on the developing relationship between Gaaron and Susannah. The strength of the story lies in Shinn's characterization, and in the way she develops the world of Samaria and its diverse peoples (the Edori, the Jansai, the Manadavvi, etc). You'll find yourself liking the characters, and reading on to see how they resolve their conflicts. How highly do I recommend it? Well, if you've read and enjoyed other Shinn novels, it's a safe bet you'll like this one too. Still, if this is your first experience with Shinn, I would suggest you first read "Archangel" (in my opinion, the best of the Samaria novels) or "Summers at Castle Auburn" and then decide if you're up for this one.
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