Rating: 
Summary: Very good, but it suffered from a few flaws.
Review: I picked up Archangel on a whim as I was scouring the bookstore shelves for an interesting read a couple of days ago. The premise of "Archangel" looked interesting even though I had seen stories of a similar vein before, and there was a compulsive quality to the cover art that just screamed out "Buy Me!" So I purchased the book, giving the novel the benefit of the doubt since it had won an award.After having read the novel, I feel a little ambivalent towards it. On one hand, there is an exceptionally compelling story backed by good descriptions; on the other, there are various signs that point to the struggle that any inexperienced writer must contend with. There are pages upon pages that dwell on inconsequential details, and a couple of slips of the wrist, so to speak; modern colloquialisms are once every so often inserted into the lines of characters that speak with an aristocratic upbringing, or at times, characters speak in the same manner as the narrative. Thus, most of the conversations in the story feel somewhat synthetic, forced, and unnatural; the dialogue doesn't flow as it normally should in a story, calling for some very distracting and awkward moments. Additionally, the story doesn't appear to go anywhere until the last third of the book. We are subjected to chapter after chapter that ends on notes saying how the relationship between the two main characters will or will not flow smoothly, and just when we think that a character is making progress, they revert to the same behavior that they've been displaying all along. To spice things up a little Shinn throws in a few random rants on theology and human relations, but they feel like an afterthought to keep a wider audience entertained, as they're not evolved upon anywhere else in the book. That's not to say that only the last third of the book is good, however. The first does an exceptionally splendid job of setting up a world and characters to fall in love with. The characterization is the highlight here, as Shinn explains her characters in such a way that despite what they do and how we may despise them for it, every excuse that is brought up feels believable and rings a note of truth wherever human nature is concerned. When these characters are all put to the test at the end of the novel, despite your personal beliefs, you can't help but cheer them on as they stand up for what they believe in. The final conflict of the story centers a little more on the romantic aspect rather than the religious, but I found it so intriguing that I'm definitely looking forward to reading the follow-up as soon as I can get my hands on it. If Shinn surpasses the bad habits she displayed in "Archangel," and speeds up the pace just a little, then she will earn my eternal admiration.
Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable read
Review: I am not a usual Fantasy-genre reader, but my friend loaned me this book and promised I'd like it. I read it, trying to figure out if this new world was supposed to be a retelling of the Israelites or what, but then I finally stopped looking for political/religious overtones and got down to enjoying the story. It's a great story of a romance and a new, fabulous world.
I want to send out a warning to other potential readers of this book--my friend warned me not to read the FIRST page of "Archangel" because it has a plot summary (publisher's blurb) that gives away a plot twist in the sequel, "Jovah's Angel." And now that I have read "Jovah's Angel," I can promise you that you definitely do not want to read that page. I was so happy that I got to find out the plot twist naturally because if I had read it in "Archangel" it would've colored the experience of reading both books.
Also be warned that other Amazon reviews for this book give away the plot twist. Honestly, why do people try to ruin the surprise?
I highly recommend both "Archangel" and "Jovah's Angel."
Rating:
Summary: A nice enough chick book
Review: Looking at Archangel from the view of a girl, this is a really cute story, the kind that's perfect if you just want to veg out for a happily-ever-after ending. But from a literary standpoint, it is extremely disappointing because it never realizes its potential.
After having read all of Shinn's Samaria books (they really are SF, although this one goes very light on those aspects), I have a semi-firm grasp of her world, but it is extremely one-dimensional at times, and Archangel seems to be the worst off of all of them in the cultural aspects. The setting aside, the biggest problem is that none of the characters motives are clearly explored. Why is Raphael mentally unbalanced? What happened to Rachel while she was a slave that made her so bitter, (and why does Shinn think that anyone wants to read a book about someone that complains around the clock)? Why is Gabriel such a good guy (angel?)compared to Raphael? Also, Shinn consistently builds good main characters, but most of her other characters seem to repeat book to book. The archangels generally seem like gorgeous hunks put into the story to raise up poor girls to a high status and give them a desireable lover.
Perhaps most annoying in this book is that the conflicts between Rachel and Gabriel seem contrived. You would think that two people living together in a mountain compound for months would get to know each other a little better, and some of the opportunities that Shinn has to develop their relationship are squandered (like that bracelet episode). The needless conflict makes for a gripping love story while you're caught up in it, but step back from the book and it doesn't quite make sense. It almost seems like Rachel and Gabriel fall in love purely because they were told to.
The most annoying part of the series as a whole, is that the religious aspects of the book are never fully explored. After naming an entire world after the geographical locations of Israel, using biblical names, and putting in angels, she completely ignores the fact that everyone reading the book is smart enough to figure out where this came from and wonder why she's so interested in the old testament. The SF leanings of the religion are never quite reconciled to our reality, ie, why should humans on earth care about how humanoids on another planet relate to a spaceship 'god'? Does Shinn mean that God is really a spaceship? Does she not intend for her books to affect our conceptions of religion at all? She has the opportunity to make some interesting observations about religion, but she never quite uses them, which I find disappointing.
All in all, this is a cute love story, but certainly not what it could be if it was developed further.
Rating: 
Summary: These books sneak gently into your heart
Review: I look forward to watching Sharon Shinn develop as a writer. Her style is as warm and homey as a Sunday roast with potatoes and sticks to your ribs just as much. I grew to love her characters and finish her books with a deep sense of satisfaction from a walk in her worlds.
Rating:
Summary: Many unanswered questions
Review: It was an OK read. As an antrhopologist I appreciated the societies upon which many of the "tribes" were based. However, there were so many unanswered questions...such as why Raphael was after Rachel since she was small. There is no explanation at all...e.g., was he was privy to the fact that she would be a future angelica (which also doesn't make sense, because if she were killed off her Kiss would deactivate and Gabriel would find another mate). There is also no explanation as to where Raphael and his band of ruffian angels obtained fasers (if I may borrow that term). Suddenly, towards the end of the book, they have fasers and threaten to kill all. OK...but how did they obtain these weapons? Also, I would have liked to see Gabriel proclaim a new law stating that the angel-seekers will be responsible (as would the angels) for any children born to her/them, angelic birth or not. This would certainly cut down on the abandoned kids that Rachel was founding the schools for. I found it interesting, too, that throughout the book the fact that the Edori do not believe in marriage was brought up many, many times. Yet Naomi refers to Luke (several times) as her husband. Hmmmmm...they need to keep their facts straight. An OK summer read.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't buy this if you haven't already!
Review: SF-fantasy? Nay. Romantic drivel with all the same idiotic characters one whould find in a Harlequin Romance. Thumbs down.
Rating:
Summary: I Love the Angel World!
Review: I picked up this book on impulse at the bookstore -- I still like to do that from time to time. And I'm always looking for books that most people haven't read before. And this is certainly original, in my humble opinion. I've read fantasy books on the themes of angel/demon before, and I always find them fairly original, this one was moreso. And that reason is the only one why I gave "Archangel" any stars at all. The writing is standard, or substandard. The characters, as mentioned earlier, are essential to the story. And I ended up hating them. To me, a character who acts without motivation (even the motivation "she didn't know why she was doing it") is poor writing. I couldn't stand the female lead in the slightest. And the male lead was at the very best one-dimensional. The plot was absolutely transparent. It's sad that what was a very interesting and original idea ended up with such awful characters. I read halfway through the book and, just in case I was missing anything, skimmed the rest. I am not at all disappointed that I put down this book, and I never intend to read anything else from this author.
Rating: 
Summary: God-awful
Review: A romance-fantasy (SF if you're paying attention) hybrid, whose plot will raise eyebrows in neither genre: Gabriel, the next Archangel of Samaria, needs to find his god-given consort to lead the Gloria in praise of the god Jovah (which also marks G's takeover from the corrupt Raphael) in order to avert the god's wrath. Rachel the angelica isn't remotely grateful to be plucked from slavery; the couple squabbles; Raphael twirls his mustache and strokes his fluffy cat; and it all goes down at the Gloria. So far, so zzz. Samaria itself is easily the best feature of the novel - and is utterly wasted. A Biblical-feel setting screams "EPIC" to virtually every reader in the Western world and once used, the Bible seems like an obvious source from which to draw, but ARCHANGEL's setting is unique in the medieval-saturated fantasy genre. Too bad the allusion doesn't go any deeper than the presence of angels and Old Testament names; the book poses theological questions for the Samarians, but not for its readers. Shinn's scene-setting is limited to introductory blocks of exposition, and her various cultures are in 390 pages shown only superficially: Edori are innocent, Jansai are cruel, Manadavvi are avaricious, the end. It's difficult to say for sure even what the average level of technology is, but the atmosphere is implausibly cosmopolitan; no visit to a city is complete without a little shopping, followed by lunch at the cafe - spare me. So much for science fiction. Though letting the SF implications slide along with the rest of the world-building isn't by definition a crime, the plot could really use the extra material - there's not much going on here. Pacing is sluggish and uneven, and those plot developments that do bring themselves to put in an appearance are visible from space. The conflict between Rachel and Gabriel is milked for all it's worth, which unfortunately is not much - it's forced and illogical, and flattering to neither. As for Raphael - a profoundly dull villain without a minion worthy of the name - his lackadaisical machinations exist only to thrust the protagonists into textbook romance scenarios. And the romance, it desperately needs more of Gabriel's perspective, for two reasons: Rachel is too ulcer-inducingly irritating to read about any more than necessary; and if he falls for her I need first-hand knowledge of why. I definitely shouldn't feel really, really sorry for the guy when (in a laughable scene) he gets his happily ever after. Romantic tension is sustained entirely by histrionic Big Misunderstandings; and her creator indulges Rachel's psychoses long after I wanted to beat her with the clue stick. (Just think, I liked her initially.) Our heroine is a selfish, irrational hypocrite; run far away from her. ARCHANGEL is followed by JOVAH'S ANGEL, THE ALLELUIA FILES, ANGELICA, and ANGEL-SEEKER; check them out to see the development of Samaria and nothing of Rachel. For a richer SF-fantasy work hunt down Meredith Ann Pierce's young adult Darkangel Trilogy: THE DARKANGEL, A GATHERING OF GARGOYLES, and THE PEARL OF THE SOUL OF THE WORLD.
Rating:
Summary: God-awful
Review: A romance-fantasy (SF if you're paying attention) hybrid, whose plot will raise eyebrows in neither genre: Gabriel, the next Archangel of Samaria, needs to find his god-given consort to lead the Gloria in praise of the god Jovah (which also marks G's takeover from the corrupt Raphael) in order to avert the god's wrath. Rachel the angelica isn't remotely grateful to be plucked from slavery; the couple squabbles; Raphael twirls his mustache and strokes his fluffy cat; and it all goes down at the Gloria. So far, so zzz. Samaria itself is easily the best feature of the novel; a Biblical-feel setting screams "EPIC" to virtually every reader in the Western world. Once used, it seems like an obvious source to draw from, but it's fresh in a genre saturated with medieval knock-offs. Too bad the allusion doesn't go any deeper than the presence of angels and the use of Old Testament names; the book poses theological questions for the Samarians, but not for its readers. Shinn's scene-setting is limited to introductory blocks of exposition, and her various cultures are in 390 pages shown only superficially: Edori are innocent, Jansai are cruel, Manadavvi are avaricious, the end. It's difficult to say for sure even what the average level of technology is, but the atmosphere is implausibly cosmopolitan; no visit to a city is complete without a little shopping, followed by lunch at the cafe. So much for science fiction. As for the romantic plot, it desperately needs more of Gabriel's perspective, for two reasons: Rachel is too ulcer-inducingly irritating to read about any more than absolutely necessary; and if he falls for her I need first-hand knowledge why. I definitely shouldn't feel really, really sorry for the guy when (in a laughable scene) he gets his happily ever after. Romantic tension is sustained entirely by histrionic Big Misunderstandings; and her creator indulges Rachel's psychoses long after I wanted to beat her with the clue stick. (Just think, I liked her initially.) Our heroine is a selfish, irrational hypocrite; run far away from her.
ARCHANGEL is followed by JOVAH'S ANGEL, THE ALLELUIA FILES, ANGELICA, and ANGEL-SEEKER; check them out to see the development of Samaria and mercifully nothing of Rachel. For a richer science-fiction (and emotional) experience snag Meredith Ann Pierce's young adult Darkangel Trilogy: THE DARKANGEL, A GATHERING OF GARGOYLES, and THE PEARL OF THE SOUL OF THE WORLD.
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