Susan Ee (2013)
Genre
Fantasy / Young Adult / Romance
Reading Time
480 min
Key Themes
See below
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After an angel apocalypse, Penryn searches for her monstrously changed sister in a desolate San Francisco, stumbling upon the terrifying plans of the angels Raffe, her angelic ally, seeks to rejoin.
After the events of 'Angelfall,' Penryn, her schizophrenic mother, and her resurrected, winged sister Paige try to survive in a San Francisco ruined by the angel apocalypse. They find shelter with human survivors in a church. However, the humans, scared by Paige's monstrous look (pale skin, sharp teeth, and bat-like wings), mistake her for a demon-like creature. Despite Penryn's pleas, the humans capture Paige, planning to kill her. The situation turns into a brutal massacre, leaving many humans dead and Paige gone amidst the chaos, presumed dead by many, including her heartbroken mother.
Penryn is haunted by Paige's disappearance and the massacre. She refuses to believe her sister is truly gone. She leaves her mother and the remaining survivors, taking a vehicle to search for Paige through San Francisco's empty streets. The city is eerily quiet, a stark change from the chaos she has known. This silence and lack of people raise questions about where everyone went and what new threats might be lurking. Her journey is driven by hope and a deep sense of responsibility for her unique sister.
Meanwhile, the archangel Raffe, still missing his wings severed by Uriel, is on his own urgent mission: to get them back. Without his wings, he is weaker and cannot reclaim his place among the angels or effectively lead his brethren. His journey is dangerous, as he navigates a world where his angelic authority is less and he is vulnerable to both human and angelic threats. Losing his wings is not just a physical problem but a deep blow to his identity and power, making their recovery most important.
Penryn and Raffe's paths cross again in the ruined city. Their reunion is tense but necessary, as both have important goals. Soon after, they face a new, horrifying threat: swarms of grotesque, scorpion-like creatures. These creatures are not angels or demons as they know them, but something entirely different and far more numerous. They are aggressive and seemingly mindless, posing a significant danger to any living being. This discovery forces Penryn and Raffe to work together again, despite their complicated relationship, to understand and survive this new menace.
As Penryn and Raffe fight through the city, they uncover a chilling truth about the scorpion-creatures: they are not alien invaders but genetically modified humans. This discovery is deeply disturbing, raising questions about who is behind such horrific experiments. To Penryn's horror, she also learns that Paige, with her unique genetic makeup from the angels' experiments, might be linked to the creation or control of these creatures. This connection suggests a darker fate for her sister than she had imagined, and a deep ethical problem for Penryn.
Believing the answers to the scorpion-creatures and Paige's location lie with the angels, Penryn and Raffe decide to infiltrate a heavily guarded angel compound. This is dangerous, as Raffe is considered a rogue by many angels, and Penryn is a human. Their goal is twofold: for Raffe to find and get his severed wings, likely held within such a facility, and for Penryn to gather information about Paige and the genetic experiments. The compound is a maze of angelic technology and secrets, filled with both allies and enemies.
Inside the angel compound, Penryn and Raffe discover the horrifying truth behind the angels' actions. They find that the angels are not just fighting among themselves but have a sinister long-term plan: to systematically wipe out humanity and replace them with a new, genetically engineered race of beings – the scorpion-creatures. The angels see humanity as flawed and believe they are creating a superior species. This revelation exposes the angels' true motivations and the terrifying extent of their cruelty and ambition, confirming their role as the main antagonists.
Penryn finally finds Paige within the compound, but her sister is not the same. Paige is now influenced, and possibly controlled, by the archangel Beliel, who is a main designer of the genetic experimentation. Beliel explains that Paige, being a successful product of earlier angelic experiments, holds the key to perfecting the scorpion-creatures and speeding up the angels' plan. Paige's transformation and her apparent compliance with Beliel's agenda devastate Penryn, who struggles to accept her sister's new form.
During their infiltration, Raffe finally finds his severed wings. They are within reach, offering him the chance to regain his power and status. However, this moment of triumph happens at the same time as Penryn's desperate struggle to save Paige and expose the angels' plan. Raffe faces a deep dilemma: take the chance to reclaim his wings and rejoin the angelic hierarchy, or risk everything to help Penryn and prevent a global disaster. His decision will show his loyalty and his growing feelings for Penryn.
The angelic compound erupts into chaos as Penryn, Raffe, and a conflicted Paige try to escape. Beliel and his angelic forces pursue them, determined to keep their secrets from being revealed. A fierce fight follows, forcing Penryn and Raffe to fight for their lives and for humanity's future. Paige's loyalties remain unclear, adding another layer of tension to their desperate flight. Their escape is not just about survival, but about carrying the truth of the angels' genocide to the outside world.
Against overwhelming odds, Penryn, Raffe, and Paige manage to escape the angel compound. They carry crucial evidence of the angels' horrifying plans for humanity. Their immediate goal is to reach the remaining human survivors and warn them of the coming genocide. The journey out of the city is dangerous, but the urgency of their mission drives them forward. The truth they possess could unite humanity against a common, powerful enemy, but also cause widespread panic and despair.
After their escape, Paige begins to show signs of regaining her independence from Beliel's influence. While still changed, she starts to control her unique abilities, no longer just a puppet. She shows a surprising ability to manipulate the scorpion-creatures, hinting that she might not be a mere weapon, but a key to understanding or even stopping the angelic threat. This development offers a small hope that Paige can choose her own path and potentially become an unexpected ally in the fight against the angels.
The novel ends with Penryn, Raffe, and the human survivors preparing for a larger, more organized war against the angels. They now know the angels' genocidal intentions and have the means to potentially fight back. While the future is uncertain and the odds are against them, there is a fragile hope. The bond between Penryn and Raffe has grown, and Paige's changing role presents both a threat and a potential advantage. The fight for humanity's survival has just begun, with greater challenges ahead.
The Protagonist
Penryn grows from a protective sister to a leader in the human resistance, accepting the grim realities of the world while holding onto her humanity and hope.
The Protagonist/Love Interest
Raffe struggles with reclaiming his angelic identity versus his evolving human connections, ultimately choosing to protect Penryn and humanity.
The Supporting/Complication
Paige transforms from a helpless victim into a powerful, ambiguous figure, grappling with her identity and potential for both good and destruction.
The Supporting
She remains largely static in her mental illness but serves as a constant reminder of Penryn's deep family loyalty and the sacrifices she makes.
The Antagonist
Beliel remains a staunch and unyielding antagonist, committed to his genocidal plans.
The Supporting
Pooky Bear remains a static, mysterious companion, a symbol of the world's weirdness.
The Mentioned
Uriel's influence is felt through Raffe's ongoing quest, though he is not a central character in this installment.
The Supporting
They remain minor supporting characters, providing levity and representing the younger generation of survivors.
This theme explores what truly defines humanity and monstrosity when angels act like demons and humans become creatures. Characters like Paige embody this struggle, being physically monstrous but keeping human connections. The angels, despite their origins, show themselves to be the real monsters through their genocidal plans. Penryn constantly questions the line between the two, often seeing more humanity in the physically altered than in the 'perfect' angels. This is clear in the humans' fear and attack on Paige, contrasting with Penryn's love for her sister despite her appearance.
““We are not monsters, even if we sometimes act like them.””
Penryn's strong bond with Paige, and her dedication to her mother, forms the emotional center of the novel. Penryn consistently puts her family's safety first, making great sacrifices to find and protect Paige. Her refusal to abandon Paige, even when her sister seems to be a monster or is under angelic control, drives much of the story. This theme explores the limits of family love and how far someone will go for those they care about, even when loved ones are changed or dangerous.
““I would rather die than abandon my sister.””
The novel looks at how power is used and misused. The angels, with their great strength and perceived divine authority, use their power for destruction and control, trying to wipe out humanity. Raffe, without his wings, deals with losing his own power and authority, learning to rely on more than just physical might. Beliel represents the corrupting effect of absolute power. The story questions whether true authority comes from strength or from moral leadership and protecting the vulnerable, pushing characters to rethink their understanding of leadership.
““Power is not about what you can destroy, but what you can protect.””
In a post-apocalyptic world, survival is most important, and characters must constantly adjust to new threats and realities. Penryn's resourcefulness and quick thinking are vital for her and her family's survival. Finding the scorpion-creatures forces humanity to change how they understand the enemy and their survival strategies. Even Paige's transformation can be seen as an extreme form of adaptation. This theme highlights the resilience of both individuals and the human spirit in the face of great difficulty and constant danger.
““In this world, if you don't adapt, you die.””
Despite the bleakness of the world and the angels' genocidal plans, the novel keeps a thread of hope. Penryn's belief that Paige can be saved, Raffe's growing loyalty to humanity, and the discovery of the angels' true intentions all fuel a fragile optimism. The characters' continued fight, even against seemingly impossible odds, shows this theme. It suggests that even in the darkest times, the human spirit's ability to resist, love, and seek truth can offer a way forward.
““Hope is a dangerous thing, but it's the only thing we have left.””
Raffe's severed wings, a driving force for his character's journey.
Raffe's severed wings serve as a classic MacGuffin, a plot device that is crucial to the protagonist's motivation and the narrative's forward momentum. Their recovery is Raffe's primary goal, dictating his movements and decisions throughout the story. While they are a tangible object, their true importance lies in what they represent: Raffe's power, his identity as an archangel, and his path back to his brethren. The pursuit of the wings often brings him into contact with Penryn, creating opportunities for their relationship to develop and for the larger plot to unfold around the angelic conspiracy.
Penryn's schizophrenic mother, whose perceptions often blur reality.
Penryn's mother, due to her severe schizophrenia, acts as a form of an unreliable narrator or source of information. Her distorted perception of reality means that her observations, warnings, or insights are often cryptic, nonsensical, or seemingly irrelevant. However, occasionally, her ramblings hold kernels of truth or foreshadow future events, adding a layer of mystery and forcing Penryn (and the reader) to discern what is real and what is delusion. This device creates tension and highlights Penryn's burden of care, while also hinting at deeper, unspoken truths about the world.
Paige's unique genetic makeup and abilities, set up early as a key element.
Paige's initial transformation into a winged, fanged creature, established in the first book and continued in this one, functions as a Chekhov's Gun. Her unique genetic makeup and the abilities she possesses are not merely cosmetic or a source of fear; they are explicitly shown to be a direct result of angelic experimentation. This setup foreshadows her crucial role in the angels' larger plan to replace humanity with scorpion-creatures. Her transformation becomes a central plot point, as her connection to the 'monsters' and her potential to control them are vital to understanding and combating the angelic threat later in the story.
The initial mystery surrounding the scorpion-creatures' identity.
The initial appearance of the scorpion-creatures acts as a red herring. Penryn and Raffe, and the reader, initially perceive them as a new, alien threat – possibly another type of demon or a new species. This misdirection serves to heighten the mystery and danger. However, the true revelation that they are genetically modified humans is a shocking twist that recontextualizes the angels' villainy and adds a deeper layer of horror to their plans. This device effectively misleads the audience before delivering a more impactful and disturbing truth about the antagonists.
“When you're a kid, you think you'll have a good time with your family because it's your family. But as you get older, you realize that people are just people, no matter how they're related to you.”
— Paige reflecting on family dynamics and her expectations.
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
— Raffe's cynical observation about human nature and inaction.
“Sometimes, the only way to heal is to go through the pain, not around it.”
— Paige coming to terms with her past traumas.
“Fear is a powerful motivator, but so is hope. And hope, once ignited, is much harder to extinguish.”
— Paige considering the motivations of the resistance.
“Trust is a fragile thing, easily broken, and sometimes, impossible to mend.”
— Raffe's thoughts on betrayal and his past experiences.
“Even in the darkest of times, there is always a flicker of light, if you only know where to look.”
— A moment of optimism amidst the bleakness of the world.
“Survival is not just about staying alive; it's about finding a reason to live.”
— Paige's evolving understanding of what it means to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
“Love isn't a choice; it's a recognition. A recognition of something you've always known, but never dared to admit.”
— Paige grappling with her feelings for Raffe.
“The greatest battles are not fought with swords or wings, but within the confines of our own minds.”
— Raffe's internal struggle with his past and his angelic nature.
“Sometimes, the things we run from are the very things that will save us.”
— Paige realizing the importance of confronting her fears.
“There's a fine line between protecting someone and suffocating them. True love knows the difference.”
— Raffe learning to balance his protective instincts with Paige's independence.
“The world may be broken, but that doesn't mean we have to be.”
— Paige's determination to maintain her humanity despite the devastation.
“It's not about being fearless, it's about facing your fears, even when your knees are knocking.”
— Paige finding courage in a terrifying situation.
“Some scars never heal completely, but they can remind us of how strong we are.”
— Raffe acknowledging his past wounds and their impact.
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