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Summary: Angels? Fantasy? Romance? It works!!!
Review: Bit of a surprise that anything that could it under the heading "Angel Fantasy Romance," would be anything but terrible. But in fact the Samaria trilogy is great entertaining reading, and if you're like me you'll want to wolf them down. Shinn seems to know her Hebrew folklore, or if she doesn't she does a good job faking it, and her angel lore and new testament, and she manages to create a world with its own rules that are followed and make some kind of intrinsic sense. And Samaria has a very definite sense of culture amid the fantastic elements. Each book provides just the right amount of romantic sap, in a way that the standard romance book is most often too insultingly stupid to manage. And the nice thing about the trilogy is that there are reversals that will force the reader to reevaluate what they are willing to accept in the first place. So Shinn keeps you on your toes in this trilogy as well as entertaining and soothing. Warning, I read these in 1, 3, 2 order, and I still think that's the best way to go. You will see why when you read them.
Rating: 
Summary: Trashy Fun
Review: This book has all the nice features everybody else mentioned--but bottom line, it is a trashy romance; like all such books, it is enjoyable and fun. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. But, once done, I felt cheated out of my precious time. (Not to say, I won't read the next book in the series, but it certainly didn't leave me with a lot to savor). The created world is predictable--computerized god to an immigrant people who forgot their origins (hmm, wasn't that a star track episode--or maybe fifty other scifi's?). The characters are straight out of the usual formula: the brittle but principled hero, the mercurial and stubborn but sensitive and surprisingly intelligent wife-to-be, the more worldly and light hearted brother, the ignorant-of-the-masses-but-kind-hearted-lovable-upper-class woman; Emma, anyone? Or, fountainhead? Or, fifty other romance novels? Regardless, it is still a fun read. ...This book re-enforces the common stereotype of the noble but socially inapt male character that stands for all the virtuous traits and the woman--as strong or whatever she may be, whose role is to support his virtue.
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Summary: Still excellent after the third reading...
Review: I came upon Archangel completely by accident, but I'm glad I did. Shinn creates a very detailed and beautiful world in her Samaria. The Edori are so earthy and loving, and the angels simply beautiful. I also felt that her descriptions of the music and songs in the story were especially well-written and elaborate. But by far the most compelling part of this story is the complicated relationship between the Edori slave Rachel, who wants only to be free, and the proud soon-to-be Archangel, Gabriel. For all their faults, you can't help but fall in love with the both of them. I finished this book in one weekend and bought the other two in the series, Jovah's Angel and the Alleluia Files, soon after. While I enjoyed all books in the Samaria Trilogy, I find I didn't connect with the other characters as much as I did with Rachel and Gabriel. Still, the trilogy is great reading and if you would like a quick fantasy/romance read, Archangel is definetly for you.
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Summary: Great book inside this strange cover...
Review: This is a book that I kept putting on back on the shelf, mostly due to the strange, cold cover art. But I am glad I gave it a second chance.
The angels of the title are supposed to be protectors of the land of Samaria, enforcing the peace of the land and ascending to the skies and singing to the "God" in order to request everything from medicine, to rain, to lightening bolts to punish evildoers. Each person born in Samaria, except for the nomadic Edori tribespeople, are fitted with a jewel at birth that heats and glows when they meet their god-intended mate. Every year, in order to prove that the peace of the land has been kept, representatives of all the people in the land must gather at the Plains of Sharon and all must raise their voices in song. If any race is not represented, ...[God's] vengeance will destroy the world.
The word has come from God through the oracles that it is time a new Archangel, Gabriel, to become leader of all the angels. But first the oracle must choose his wife, and there is a problem, for the ordained wife-to-be, Rachel, is nowhere to be found.... The path to love for these two is rocky, and complicated by the treachery of one powerful angel lord. A corrupt angel has decided that the god of Samaria does not exist, and decides to finally prove it to the world even if that means Rachel must die.
The sequels to this book delve deeper into the nature of the God of Samaria and the angels. They are still good reads, however, the relationships in them do not have nearly as much heart as the one between predjudiced Rachel and proud Gabriel!
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Summary: Great Cover, Great Book
Review: I initially bought this book just because the cover art intrigued me, and found that the story intrigued me just as much.
Ms. Shinn uses familiar biblical names and places, gives them a twist, and sets them on another world. There are city dwellers, farmers, wandering tribes and angels (yup, with wings and all). Their god, Jovah, only has direct contact with three human oracles, who contact him through metal and glass screens. Only one person in living memory had direct contact with Jovah, and he went mad. The angels petition Jovah on behalf of the population - in matters of illness, famine, weather and the like. A new Archangel is chosen every 20 years to lead the people, and he or she must be married to the mate chosen by Jovah before they take up their duties. This book is about the Archangel Gabriel who is about to replace the Archangel Raphael as the primary angel who leads the population, and who must also lead in the annual singing of the Gloria to Jovah. If the Gloria isn't sung, or isn't done properly by the Archangel and his mate, Jovah will destroy their world. Unfortunately, Gabriel has left the mate-finding bit to the last minute and he's having a hard time locating her before the deadline. Ms. Shinn has created a fascinating world, and her use of familiar names in strange situations constantly forces the reader to readjust their preconceptions. One would assume an Archangel named Raphael to be a force for good, based upon familiar Christian teachings, but in this book is that really true? There are angels, but are they the familiar holy beings or just beings with wings? And then there is the whole question of what, exactly, is Jovah? This is the first book in the Samaria Trilogy, and I'm looking forward to the rest.
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Summary: the best book I think I have read
Review: I would have to say simply breath taking. It draws you in deeper and deeper, making you want to read more!! This is a true love story!! Sharon Shinn did an excellent job of writing this book and I can't wait to read the other two that go with this that I have yet to buy.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel!
Review: Rachel has been a slave to Lord Jethro for five years now. She's a spunky, sassy-attitude twenty-five year old. She'd give anything to leave that place. Gabriel is an angel that is destined to become the new archangel. But first he must find his new wife. When he finds her,by the Kiss of God, she's not what he excepted. Gabriel and Rachel,together, conquer many obstacles in their adventure. Read about Rachels choices in this story. This book will interest you if you like fantasy, Sci-fi, and romance all put together. I really liked this book. I really got into it and it took my mind places. I advise people to read this novel. It was that good.
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Summary: Wonderful Novel
Review: First of all, concerning all those who believed this book was incorrectly labeled a Sci-Fi--you need to continue with the trilogy. SHINN is only starting with the bases of her story of this world and has a lot more to say. Secondly, I truly enjoyed this novel. Before reading Archangel, I would never lift a romance book or fantasy or Sci-Fi. The cover was so lovely and well done, I thought to give it a try. With in a matter of a two weeks I read the entire trilogy and ordered everything else she has ever written to devour in my spare time. Each book in the trilogy is different with unique characters and settings, yet all on the same world. I found it imaginative and engrossing.
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Summary: A beautiful story......!
Review: This is the second Sharon Shinn book that I have read and I must admit that I was very surprised. Her books came heavily recommended, so I picked up Heart of Gold and read it. I enjoyed it, but it didn't jump out to me as anything wonderful. Then I read Archangel..... It was completely different from Heart of Gold. I don't read much sci fi or romance, but I really liked the concept of angels and all of the different cultures in the book. I especially like the angel Gabriel...the way he manages the responsibilities he carries really show what kind of a person he is. Rachel, although somewhat likeable, was a little annoying as she refused to adapt to her new envionment and to understand Gabriel . She was self-centered and didn't make much of an effort to undersand or get along with many other people.... All in all it was an incredible book, both entertaining and heartwarming. I hope the other books that follow will be at least as good.
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.
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