Picture this: the Vatican has found a book of prophecy that says the Antichrist is a redhead and has been born, living among us. The Vatican has started a school, sequestering all redheaded children away from the populace until they can figure out who it is and destroy him. Or her. Add to this the legend of the Archon, who will destroy the legions of Hell, and you have the makings of the second angel war. Complete with a female Satan, a host of other demons and sprites, and the search for the lost book of Raziel.
Archon: The Books of Raziel by author Sabrina Benulis tells the story of Angela Mathers, a girl who's been traumatized by visions since childhood-- including one of what she calls her angel -- and is mentally disturbed. Fresh out of a two year stint in a mental hospital, Angela comes to St. Vincent's to...well, that's the story. But as she searches for her angel, trying to come face to face with him, she's drawn up into the black arts practiced by another "blood head" (the term for all of the red headed children), and Stephanie can be her greatest friend or her greatest enemy. Stephanie believes that she is the Archon that everyone --Vatican, demon, and angel -- is searching for.
The characters are dark, deep, and well layered. They may seem obvious at the outside but reading along changes things, the information given about them shows them to be just as complicated as the plot line. Angela's "friends", if you can call them that, include Nina -- who sees and speaks with the dead, Sophia -- who's part of Stephanie's clique -- who has her own unique part of this story, Kim --who is supposed to be Stephanie's boyfriend, but is increasingly attracted to Angela. They all have secrets and they all keep them closely guarded. But as they play their parts in the story, each secret comes out.
The plot is complicated; sometimes I had to go back and re-read a section to truly take in everything. The world created in this story is dark, with an apocalyptic feel to it. The angels do not act as we expect them to -- they're not all "sweetness and light", full of the virtues of Heaven. The demons have a sense of humor to go with their lack of moral turpitude. The story is full of plot turns and twists, leaving doubt as to who's really good and who's really evil. But the story is never boring, never slow. The action is well paced and the character studies are left to the reader to infer.
This is a dark, bold story with convoluted characters, but the reading will certainly capture the steampunk crowd. It's a great read for those who like their characters ambivalent and their storylines complicated and rich.
You can find your copy of Archon: The Books of Raziel through all online booksellers, as well as locally from Joseph-Beth Booksellers in the Lexington Green Mall on Nicholasville Road or Barnes & Noble in the Hamburg Pavilion Shopping Center on Man o' War Blvd.
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