Author: Elizabeth Corrigan
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Purchase link: Amazon
GENRE
Urban Fantasy
REVIEW
Full disclosure: Elizabeth and I share a publisher (Red Adept Publishing, which published my Jane Colt trilogy). I bought this book on Kindle with my own dang money, and neither Elizabeth nor Red Adept asked me to leave this review, which reflects my opinion as a reader.
I've been a fan of the Earthbound Angels series since Book 1 (Oracle of Philadelphia), which introduced us to a world of angels and demons in the modern-day world. Now, in Book 3, we get a glimpse of this world's version of Heaven.
Before I go on, I just want to say that this series is very much A SERIES, as in it only really makes sense if you start from the beginning and read in order (no, you can't just pick up Book 3 and jump right in... you gotta read the set up!). So if you haven't read Oracle of Philadelphia (Book 1) or Raising Chaos (Book 2) yet, get outta here and go check 'em out! Because the rest of this review will probably spoil their plots.
In Archangel Errant, the archangel Gabriel has returned to Heaven after spending two thousand years on Earth, doing what good he can in the mortal world. So has the Bedlam who, after millennia spent as a chaos demon for rebelling against Heaven, has regained angel status (but is still quite chaotic). The rest of Heaven is not happy about this, so when a mysterious attack traps the angels in their own nightmares, he's the prime suspect. But Gabriel believes in Bedlam's innocence (in this matter, anyway) and sets out to wake the angels and find the real culprit.
Archangel Errant is an imaginative retelling of Biblical mythology (I'm atheist, so it's all mythology to me) that depicts the angels as being as flawed and fallible as the humans they're meant to preside over. Which makes them really interesting to read about. Retelling Biblical stories from an alternate angle has become an important element of all the Earthbound Angels books, and Archangel Errant delves into that once more. It also expands the Earthbound Angels world by going deeper into the world of the angels (so far, we've had a good look at Hell and at how the angels have interacted with Earth, but this is our first real foray into their realm).
My favorite part of the book, though, was getting to know the archangel Michael, who up until now has been portrayed as something of a sanctimonious jerk. Archangel Errant has several chapters from his POV as he seeks the Oracle (Carrie/Khet/Cassia/Cama... she's gone by many names by this point), who he's always seen as an abomination because her powers were granted by Lucifer. Because the last two books were told from the POV of the Oracle and her best friend (Bedlam), all we saw was how jerk-ish Michael could be. Now, we get to know what's going on in his head, offering a completely different perspective on his actions. It's a fascinating character development, and it opens the door for much more interesting character interactions to come (according to the author, there are several more sequels planned to this saga).
With its imaginative storytelling and expansive world-building, Archanel Errant is a fantastic addition to the Earthbound Angels saga, and I can't wait to read on when Book 4 comes out! (But don't worry, there's no cliffhanger!)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Corrigan has degrees in English and psychology and has spent several years working as a data analyst in various branches of the healthcare industry. When she’s not hard at work on her next novel, Elizabeth enjoys singing, reading teen vampire novels, and making Sims of her characters.She drinks more Diet Coke than is probably optimal for the human body and is pathologically afraid of bees. She lives in Maryland with two cats and a purple Smart Car.
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