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Book Review: Archangel’s Fall (Lightbearer Book 1) by Andrew Bryan

April 28, 2024 by Andy Peloquin Leave a Comment

Rating: 7/10

TL;DR Review: Demons battle angels for the souls of humanity…but not in the way you’re expecting!

Synopsis:

When the archangel Gabriel crashes down into a London Accident and Emergency department on a busy Saturday night, Grace’s already hellish shift turns into a living nightmare. Soon the spiritual sensitivity that has tortured her most of her life is revealed to be a unique gift passed down through generations-one that could save humanity.

Meanwhile, having come to admire humanity’s resolve, the Damned and his dark angels prepare to defend the very beings they were tasked to lead astray. As archangel Michael’s minions descend to cleanse creation of humankind, its chief corruptor, the Damned must rally his reluctant compatriots, make hard choices, and choose a side, fast. Can an unlikely band of heroes and imperfect humans come together in time to find their salvation in the Lightbearer?

Blending the grit of Game of Thrones with the supernatural flair of Good Omens, Andrew Bryan introduces us to a world of archangels and fallen angels that weave through human history closer to the mythology’s origins than ever before.

Full Review:

I’m always a sucker for angelic vs. demonic warfare. Something about the simplicity of “good vs. evil” that draws me in.

But with Archangel’s Fall, what I expected was not at all what I got—and that absolutely delighted me.

From the beginning, we see the war between the heavens, the fallen angels becoming demons set to tempt, torment, and twist humankind. The angels, naturally, protect and shield humanity from the demons.

However, over thousands of years, the nature of the war between Heaven and Hell has changed. By the time we meet our main character, Grace, in modern times, something is different…and wrong.

War has warped and twisted some of the angels, and soon the fight between angels and demons escalates to angels vs. angels, with demons taking sides and humankind caught in the middle.

Grace is a “seer”, one of the few humans who can not only sense angels and demons, but actually see and communicate with them. Of course, she believes that absolute madness—the result of her years as an addict or an overanxious mind or even some mental disorder—and refuses to accept it. Until, when an angel crashes down into the front desk of the ER where she works as a nurse and speaks to her directly, she can deny it no longer. From there, she and her son, Andy (excellent name, if I say so myself) are drawn into the battle between the upper and nether realms—a battle that could lead to the destruction of Earth and all its people.

In Archangel’s Fall, what you see at first is definitely not what you ultimately get. The story takes some fascinating twists and turns that I was not prepared for and sets up characters that seem random at first, but end up with some clever connections.

The book was by no means perfect, but for a debut, it was definitely a strong indicator of excellent talent to come from a burgeoning author.

I found it immensely addictive, with a fascinating and unique perspective on the age-old concept of “good vs. evil” and “God vs. the Devil”.

Fans of Good Omens and Frank E. Peretti’s This Present Darkness/Piercing the Darkness (of which I am one!) will be enthralled by this story.

Filed Under: Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tagged With: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fantasy Books

About Andy Peloquin

I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy and science fiction are my genres of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy and sci-fi novels.
Speculative fiction provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand-new way. Fiction at its very best!

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