Review: Angel Burn

Author: L.A. Weatherly
Pages: 449
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Library
Synopsis: Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful. 


They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.


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The premise of Angel Burn enticed me straight away. It was so cool- angels aren't the heroes. It was different from the other books of angels wherein it's all about the good angels vs. bad or fallen angels and I was happy about that.

*there are very small spoilers here that won't ruin the story but tell a bit more than the synopsis*

Angel Burn is written in alternating points of view. Sometimes we read of Alex, an Angel Killer. Other times of Willow, our lovely half-angel. There were smaller parts of others like Raziel from the Church of Angels. This led to a more complete story as we could see it from different angles. I developed a liking for Alex and Willow. They were both individuals with hard histories and I was rooting for them. I could feel their tension and Ms. Weatherly kept it going till about 300 pages in. When they finally get together (which isn't really much of a spoiler since it's kinda expected) they had an adorable honeymoon-ish period.

The issue I had was that while I thought everything happening was so sweet and adorable, I never clicked with the characters. I liked them enough but I didn't love any of them. I didn't cry when they were sad and when I read about their pasts while I thought "dang, that must have been awful" I didn't feel much. That may have just been me, not the book so another reader may feel differently.

The story could have been more action filled. A lot of it was driving around to places and waiting. There were many questions but not many answers. It was enjoyable to read but long so I wasn't as attentive as I could have been. I do think that the next book will have more action in it though, so I'm anticipating that.

The best thing about Angel Burn is definitely the world. Ms. Weatherly wrote about a very unique concept and totally made it her own. The Church of Angels was downright creepy and the method of angel hunting was cool. The setting was well thought out and there was lots of interesting back stories that helped the authenticity of the novel. I'm wondering what could happen next.

Overall, Angel Burn was a great book with action, suspense and romance. You'll be mesmerized by the incredible world and will keep flipping pages because of the romance. 3.5 stars,

*** & 1/2 *