Jovah's Angel (Samaria Trilogy, Book 2)

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Archangel, but its alright in its own way...
Review: Oi, I was waiting forever to read this book, but when i finished it, i felt it wasn't as good as Archangel, the whole "Jehovah" thing kinda threw me, i wasnt expecting that..... The characters are not as good as in Archangel, and the plot completely skewed everything from Archangel, it did. (im trying hard not to include spoilers...^_^) It was an alright book by itself, but its suddeny made me think twice about reading "the Alleluia Files". Definitely not up there with Archangel (definitely buy Archangel!) Ja ne! -Sheena

Rating:
Summary: The sequel that is not really a sequel
Review: Personally, I was a bit disappointed by the book when I realized that it is not "really" a sequel to "Archangel" but picks up the thread 150 years later. There is no question that the book is excellently written and that it is a worthy addition to the "universe" created by Ms. Shinn in her first book, but somehow I found the characters not as engaging and the plot not as suspenseful as that of "Archangel." The fact that Jovah is a computer was a bit too obvious right from the beginning. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend the book for reading - and I am waiting for the next installment.

Rating:
Summary: gorgeous sequel to a fabulous novel
Review: Set roughly 150 years after Gabriel's and Rachel's Gloria, 'Jovah's Angel' takes the reader to a Samaria where God seems to have failed his people, where the angels seem to have lost the ability to appease his anger. Storms threaten to destroy the land, angels are accused of doing nothing, or worse, themselves causing the turmoils. So it's up to the new Archangel whose voice is the only one to still reach Jovah's ear to establish herself in her new role as Archangel, to handle the ever greedy merchants and to find her designated angelico to sing the Gloria and appease the God. While quite different from the first part which is more firmly based in fantasy and offers the reader all the background knowledge to understand the concept of the novel, 'Jovah's Angel' is clearly crossing the line to SF without losing any of the prequel's novel charm. The characters are well designed, the story is compelling and the cover art is magic. But who asked the author to shorten the sequel down to a mere 350 pages? Not nearly long enough for a true fan, it didn't even keep me up all night like the first one did simply because I turned the last page at 3am! I am dying to read the next one! Two thumbs up!

Rating:
Summary: From romance to sci-fi
Review: Sharon Shinn continues the story of angels and humans on the planet Samaria. This time around, Shinn moves more towards the Sci-fi genre, but still keeping with romantic themes, although this time, the romanctic stuggle is more predictable than in Archangel. Shinn's storytelling is still exquisite and her characters realistic and human. Shinn's work still rings true with the beauty and emotion of her angels' voices.

Rating:
Summary: From romance to sci-fi
Review: Sharon Shinn continues the story of angels and humans on the planet Samaria. This time around, Shinn moves more towards the Sci-fi genre, but still keeping with romantic themes, although this time, the romanctic stuggle is more predictable than in Archangel. Shinn's storytelling is still exquisite and her characters realistic and human. Shinn's work still rings true with the beauty and emotion of her angels' voices.

Rating:
Summary: Metaphorically Speaking
Review: Sharon Shinn has succeeded in creating a society which is, in many ways, analagous to western civilization of our age. An upsurge in technological growth in Samaria has brought about certain ethical crises (such as polution, prejudice and general disillusionment). Sound familiar? Shinn is holding up a mirror and asking (daring) us to take a good look at ourselves. She does this all while telling a story that is enjoyable even if you don't care to look too deeply.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!! She does a great job!! Definately *5* stars!!
Review: She is the best! Raise the roof peples cos Sharon Shinn is in the house! I have not read a book that i could not put down for a long time! i love it and have also read the Archangel! they are fantabulous! i would definately read them again any day! She gets my complements and i wish i could write like her! if i had that imagination, look out world!! :)!!

Rating:
Summary: Deus ex machina
Review: Shinn grapples with the age-old thelogical argument: does (G)od exist? Wonderfully written, she provides a greater insight to the inhabitants of Sammaria and to ourselves as well.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best I have read! Wonderful!
Review: There is only one word I can think of: WOW! It was breath-taking! Everything was so wonderfully in-depth and carefully planned out. I cannot wait to read "The Alleluia Files" and I hope it is as wonderful as "Jovah's Angel"! The combination of the recluse angel and the eccentric mortal is classic!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent world-building -- I want more!
Review: This is an excellent continuation of what was started in Archangel -- Sharon Shinn has a great ability to build a world so interesting that I keep wanting more. She has obviously planned the history and the future of the world extensively, and I would love to see more stories set there. Each novel has characters that could spawn interesting future novels, whether dealing with the past or the future (I'm in the middle of The Alleluia Files right now) -- for instance, I would love to read a novel about the original settlers, or one about the Edori's journey to Ysral. I hope she writes many more stories set in this universe, because it is a beautiful and magical place!