My Thoughts On: A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Posted December 14, 2011 by Asheley in Uncategorized / 10 Comments

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A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
Published by 
Dial Books for Young Readers 

Publish Date:  March 20, 2012
400 Pages
My Source:  Borrowed
A Temptation of Angels 
by Michelle Zink 

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance… 

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel. 

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.  -(summary from Goodreads.com)

My Thoughts:  Reading A Temptation of Angels was my first time reading a book by Michelle Zink…AND one of my first attempts at anything remotely historical fiction. Now that I’m finished with this book, I need to read both more by this author and more historical fiction, and soon. 


Add it to your wish list BECAUSE: 

1.  The Characters. Several excellent main characters, specifically: 
  • Helen Cartwright. Excellent, well-developed, strong female protagonist. One of the last three Keepers remaining. 
  • Griffin & Darius. Brothers and the other two remaining Keepers. They take Helen into their home when her parents are murdered and her home is burned to the ground.  
All three of these characters are different and excellent. It takes a while to get to know Darius in the story, but eventually we do, and he is just as wonderful as the other two. There are a few other really interesting and engaging characters – specifically Galizur, Anna, and Raum. They’re all so well-developed and three-dimensional, so enjoyable to read, so different. 

2. The Setting. London, at some earlier time. I’m not entirely sure what time period, but I can tell it is a long time ago by mention of corsets and Helen’s choice of clothing. Not only that, but there are certain rules of etiquette that are mentioned that are certainly from long ago. I enjoy reading books set in periods such as this; I feel like it gives this book a certain extra depth. For example, Helen had her clothes specifically tailored extra-short (by only a few inches) so that when she would be fighting demons, her long skirts would not get in her way. She was questioned by the brothers about the amount of ankle she was showing. In the end, it was function over fashion as she battled with (much more) ease. (This was not only an example of the time period by way of etiquette…but an example of Helen’s strength of character as a protagonist in questioning society in general and making a suitable change to meet her immediate needs. Loved it!)

3. The Conflict. The problem is that someone has been murdering Keepers lately, and now there are only three of them left. The Keepers are the angels that watch over the earth, and with them being picked off one-by-one, this is certain to destroy the balance of the earth. Helen, Griffin, and Darius are determined to find out who is responsible before they are murdered and the earth is put into the wrong hands…

4. Paranormal. There is a bit of a paranormal quality to the story in terms of some of the traits Helen and the brothers have. They can do some things that regular humans cannot do. There is also some really interesting technology written in — and some very cool weaponry. The paranormal aspect is not over-the-top, but just the right amount. 

5. Romance. Okay, yes, there is a love triangle. For me, friends, this triangle was a little bit different…because I could never actually pick a team! I never made a decision on who was the better guy. I wanted Helen to be with both of them. So in the end when a choice had to be made, no matter which way she went, I knew I would be a little bit sad and a little bit happy. It might be surprising to everyone exactly the make-up of the triangle, but I thought it really well-executed and gripping and heartbreaking. I loved it. But then again, I love a well-placed love triangle…

6. Betrayal. Yes! There’s some betrayal, and it stings. It stung me. But it added to the story and made it real and lovely and excellent and heartbreaking and perfect. 

I was confused a time or two throughout the book when there were explanations of the workings of the factions: The Legions, The Alliance, The Dictata, and so on… In all honesty, I read straight through this and the workings of these organizations were not exactly pertinent to the story explicitly. I was able to glean the gist of the story by pushing through and the slight confusion that I felt did not make me feel negatively at all about A Temptation of Angels. 

A Temptation of Angels was really a well-rounded blend of historical fiction, paranormal, and romance. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, and was so pleasantly surprised that I was sad when I closed the book after it was over. I wanted the story to continue. The story resolved itself well and tied up the loose endings, so it would be just fine as a standalone. However, I can certainly see that it could potentially be made into a series, and I would welcome the opportunity to see where these characters go from here.  

I recommend this book to everyone. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and you love romance or you love paranormal, you should give this one a try. The romance is totally age-appropriate and readers from YA up to adults would enjoy this book. Scheduled for release in March 2012, go ahead and add this one to your wish list or your to-be-read lists right away. I have never personally read the Prophecy of the Sisters series, but after having such a positive reaction to this book, I will absolutely be adding this series to my to-be-read list. 

*I borrowed this book as part of Around The World Book Tours in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. I received no compensation for my review. 
Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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10 responses to “My Thoughts On: A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

  1. While I'm not into angel books, I love historical, especially paranormal historical, and I just may be swayed by your review. Minus the angels, it sounds exactly like the kind of read I would love so I'm going to add it to my TBR list. Great review!
    NC
    Truly Bookish

  2. I liked that this is potentially a stand alone! So many of the books out there like this (angel, paranormal, steampunk, etc.) seem to all be series…wonderful to think I could get it all done in one read 😉

  3. @Truly Bookish – i still think you'll like it; it wasn't too angel-y. give it a try!

    @Rebecca – thank you, gal! the betrayal is like "oh, man!" you'll feel the same way i do when you get to that part…

    @Tina – i'm so glad to hear you loved the Sisters series. i loved the writing in this book and am eager to start the first book. 🙂

    @Adam – you're too funny. the gal on the front of this book is kinda smart-looking and way pretty. i don't see the problem at all.

    @Sara – i like it as a standalone too, but the more i think about it, the more i want just a teensy bit more…just a little. 😉

    @Carrie – you got it, dude!

  4. Ooo! This sounds good. I love angels. Well, I take that back. I love different take on angels. I love feeling that they are being rewritten every time I read a novel like this.

  5. I have a copy of this I need to pick up, and your review definitely has me wanting to do so!

    The fact that you couldn't pick a team in regards to the love triangle makes me not dread it so much – sometimes its completely obvious who the choice should be but it is all dragged on to further the plot.

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