Warning: Slight spoilers for Angelfire, so instead you should check out this review if you don’t want to be spoiled.
You know when you have to go to court for your speeding ticket and get stuck waiting for a long time in the room before it’s your turn and so you need the perfect book to sit and wait with? Okay, maybe not because you aren’t a delinquent or a speed racer like me. Friends, Wings Of The Wicked the second of the Angelfire trilogy by Courtney Allison Moulton brings the noise and bro, it is a fantastic to accompany you while you wait to find out your legal fate. Seriously, I was so invested in Ellie and her guardian Will, that I was not thinking racing thoughts about whether my suit looked too guilty. Nor did I spend very long thinking about other people at court who looked like they just strolled out of the garbage dump. For real, Moulton dials it up a notch AND IT IS MARVELOUS.
Ellie has pretty much made peace with the fact that she’s a total badass who has the job of being Preliator. Yet, all is not perfect by any means. You see, yes she gets to go and party with her friends and Kate, however she’s also expected to balance this by fighting reapers by moonlight (never running from a real fight, she is the one named GABRIEL – could not resist). Anyways, Bastian, the bad guy from Angelfire totally has a plan to screw things up because you know he is a bad guy and that is what bad evil reaper guys do. So, Cadan, Bastian’s son comes to warn Ellie. And omg, mini love triangle but all you geniuses know Ellie has eyes for one dude alone. SPEAKING OF WHICH she has to constantly fight her feelings for her guardian because her brother gave Will a stern talking to, and that’s kind of a big deal. ANYWAYS, there are a whole lot of stakes and there definitely were a few moments where I was all omg, Moulton went there, she went the full nine yards.
So, one of the things that I LOVED about Wings Of The Wicked was that Ellie actually progresses as a character. She’s not stuck in boring stasis. Like, in Angelfire Ellie is all nervous about being the Preliator, but then she comes to terms with it. So, in this book she’s fierce and focused. I mean, sure she has her occasional distraction and acts like a teenage girl. She has her weaknesses — especially when it comes to Kate, her best friend, and being normal. Not that Kate is bad or a liability, just that Ellie’s desire to be a normal teenager gets in the way of her being Heaven’s warrior and all that.
Probably the greatest thing about Wings Of The Wicked is how packed it is with swoons. You guys, think about the sexual tension in Angelfire and dial it up about ten notches. For reals, every time Ellie and Will interact is filled with INTENSE longing. And pretty much every person in the room knows how much they want each other, but can’t give in or act on it. I love that. I love how hard they fight it because the part where Courtney Allison Moulton smushes their heads together like Barbie and Ken is like this giant big huge payoff. And it’s all filled with FINALLY and then a bit of uh-oh and then some OMG OMG OMG at the end, because, well you will see why.
I actually really liked Moulton’s plotting. Like, there is a ton of action but I was never all UGH where did the characterization go? Because you know how with some books it is either one or the other? Anyways, I just felt like we got a true sense of the characters without spending 45 pages on meandering bits. Like, yes Wings Of The Wicked is mad long, but I was never like yes, let’s chop this bit or that bit because it’s boring. Instead, everything adds to the story, there isn’t waste. PLUS there are actually enough pages to develop and tell a fascinating story and allow me to get hooked. I also loved all the angel mythology — especially about Lilith and Sammael – total douchebags, FYI. You guys the world building is kind of my thing, and of course I soaked up all the bits of mythology.
If you’ve read Angelfire and are kind of hesitant about investing the time in Wings Of The Wicked, I just want to tell you to DO IT. Sure it’s thick, but so what. It is beyond worth it to see the new developments in the swoon department. Seriously, if you like books with strong girls who save the world, romance of the mentor-student variety, and battles you need to drop your life and read book two of the Angelfire series. Like right now.
Disclosure: Received For Review
Other reviews of Wings Of The Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton:
Fiktshun – “an utterly mind-blowing sequel”
Making The Grade Reviews – “full of breathtaking action, suspense, and achingly sweet romance”
Mundie Moms – “sexy, dark, and emotionally gripping”
Books by Courtney Allison Moulton:
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Agreed, agreed, agreed! There is so much to enjoy about this series – I’m always impressed when these YA authors put out books that are easily 100k or over and the pacing doesn’t seem off. Not that such good things always happen, but Courtney Allison Moulton is one of the few that does the length well. Between the action, the mythology, and the romance, it’s a thrill. 🙂 How excited are you for the final book in the series, now?!
Gotta love it when the 2nd book in a series lives up to the first! Glad to hear you enjoyed it and that it kept your mind distracted 🙂
I keep hearing really good things about this series. Harper sent me the third one, but I just haven’t gotten around to reading the first one. I tend not to be a big fan about angels or angel mythology..so idk. But you obviously adored the book, and I love that it’s swoon worthy. Hmm. Maybe I’ll have to read this sooner rather than later.
Nichole
yareads.com
Dudeness, that sucks about the speeding ticket. Ugh.
Okay, so I didn’t like Angelfire and I’m just not interested in giving it another chance, but I’m glad to hear there’s more character development in this one.
Ooh, lots of kissing and things! That is perfect for you. You do make this sound really good, and, had I not been so bored/annoyed at the characters in Angelfire, I would be wanting to read this ASAP!
I haven’t started this series yet, but you make it sound very tempting. Now that the Unearthly series is finished, maybe I should give this angel series a try sometime. Especially for all the swoons, mythology and action. Sounds great to me!
I haven’t read this series, but after reading….
“Probably the greatest thing about Wings Of The Wicked is how packed it is with swoons. You guys, think about the sexual tension in Angelfire and dial it up about ten notches. For reals, every time Ellie and Will interact is filled with INTENSE longing.”
I’M ALL OVER IT! In fact, both books are already sitting in my Amazon cart. 😉 hahaha