Archon: The Books of Raziel

3.5 STARS

Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Bernulis was a bit of a challenge. Where the first few chapters were very confusing and I was so lost that I couldn't even remember what I read a few pages back. However, I did read on and finish the book, and I can say that at about 130+ pages the story started becoming very interesting. Sabrina Bernulis has a thought-provoking take on angels and it's a side which made myself more drawn to finishing the story. There were small tid-bits that were like 'Ah Ha!' moments that you should have seen coming, which I really liked. The way Luz was described in detail was well written and vivid that I imagined a dystopian demonic world or a medieval age revolving around Angels & Demon lore. What I didn't like is that early in the story there was a bunch of character dumps that I had difficulty catching up on whose who. And although it did get better as you read on there were still little hiccups that get me confused all over again.
On a note on past reviews that have mentioned about Angela's constant attempts at suicide -- they were a bit exaggerated. It was mentioned from time to time, but it was because it leads to an important part in the story/climax.
Final thoughts, It may not be for everyone but it is still worth reading if you're not easily driven away by literary hiccups.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Gripping!

I read alot of the reviews on this before i purchased it and regardless of alot of the minor complaints,i read it and found it to be quite compelling. I didnt feally put it down til i finished and am combing the nook site for any news of a sequel in the works. To anyone who follows reviews closely,remember regardless of others opinions,if simething about the desription grabbed you from the start youll probably be happy with it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

MUST READ TRILOGY! DONT BE LAZY PAY ATTENTION OR YOU WILL LOOSE INTEREST.

Finally a trilogy that doesn't keep the plot dragging out with filler. She gets right to the good stuff and keeps it coming the whole way through. Interesting plot & not your typical read ..kinda dark but not over done. I like the author's spin on the angel/demon dynamic & the subject of love. The first book i couldn't figure out the end of from the first chapter. BUt dont be a lazy reader. You need to pay attention as they say the devil is in the details.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting...but not for me.

Interesting story but I found the character development to be somewhat confusing.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Don't bother

So I discovered the reason you should never judge a book by it's cover. The only thing that could serve to recommend this book is it's brevity and even that is stretching it. While the plot was interesting and different than anything I've come across, which is why I read it, the writing and character development were abysmal. Part of my problem with the book was with the latin phrases that appeared throughout the book... though some of it I could figure out by the context, I cannot read latin and the phrases weren't translated. Why even include them without a translation?

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Enticingly addictive

I am still a novice in regards to writing reviews, but Archon was a tantalizingly brilliant read! The detail was surreal, the characters truly defined. Sabrina Benulis truly captured the emotions of the characters, my only regret being that it eventually had to end. This may be her first book, but I certainly look forward to her next.

A very intelligent story taking pieces of theology to blend in a

A very intelligent story taking pieces of theology to blend in a very gothic story. The imagery really paints a picture of Luz and its inhabitants. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next.

So confusing...and girls names used as boy names and visa versa,

So confusing...and girls names used as boy names and visa versa, annoying. In my opinion, the only thing good about it is the beautiful cover....glad I didnt buy this book.

Angels, and demons, and witches oh my! My senses were overwhelme

Angels, and demons, and witches oh my! My senses were overwhelmed with “Archon” beginning with the book jacket, making me want to read what was inside. With the first installment in her trilogy, Benulis uses lush descriptions and larger than life characters to tell the story of a battle between Heaven and Hell.

Angela Mathers has led a hard life. Born a twin, she was shunned by her parents because she was a blood head, a feature that according to prophecy will be the dark messiah. Filled with self loathing Angela made numerous attempts to take her life, but each was thwarted by an unknown force, possibly one of the angels she dreams of nightly and hopes to meet. In one final attempt Angela sets her home ablaze resulting in the death of her abusive parents and leaving her scarred. She finds herself at West Wood Academy in Luz, the Vatican’s secret enclave in the search of a normal life and her twin brother Brandon.

While at the Academy, Angela learns about the coming of the Archon or Ruin. The Archon is the only one who can open the book of Raziel, taking control of the supernatural universe. One of the students, Stephanie Walsh—a witch and leader of a sorority who believes she is the Archon—takes an instant dislike to Angela because she is rumored to be the actual Archon and the object of her lover’s affections.

In a battle between three Supernals, Angela and Stephanie become bitter rivals both working with their own angels and demons dragged into Hell and the Heavens. They are searching for the key that opens the book of Raziel revealing which of them is the Archon.

“Archon” is Sabrina Benulis’s debut novel after graduating with a Masters in writing popular fiction. She proves herself as a force to be reckoned with in the paranormal fiction genre. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next installment in her book of Raziel series so I can grab it up and pour over each page.

Reviewed by Jodi Ann Hanson for Suspense Magazine

I didn't like it.

This seems to be riding the coattails of other YA novels, with a powerful female protagonist, a group of outsider friends and an improbable relationship with a highly inappropriate boy. However, the world building never gets off the ground. The characters are introduced with almost no rhyme or reason. I still have no clue what went on in have the book, and yet have no interest in reading it again. If at all possible, I would ask for a refund since this book is not nearly work $11. And I got 2/3 through it before I realized that despite being set at a boarding school, or prison, or something for red-heads, NO ONE WENT TO SCHOOL...EVER. Why bother having it set at a school, in that case?

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Stinker

Wow this book was over thought big time. Yes I know she is making it into a series but there was so much info packed into this book that it got very confusing and hard to follow. It started out very interesting so it started out as a five star but then by the middle it dropped to three then the end was a one only because i was so upset by it i just wanted the book to end.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Do yourself a favor and skim it in the bookstore first

First the positive: the setting of this book--a blend of the supernatural with an original variation on Christian mythology (albeit one that plays very fast and loose with its source material; that's not a complaint, just an observation) is extremely original and very interesting. I had an easy time imagining Luz--although I kept trying to figure out where exactly off the coast of the Americas it was--and the descriptions of the setting and the world-building were among the strongest aspects of this debut.

On the negative side, there's a lot of technical problems with the writing of this book. A few examples: you get characters reacting to information they already know--and you know they know, because you saw them receive it a few pages ago--as if they don't know it and it is utterly shocking. This rather leaves one going 'wait, why didn't you freak out about this earlier when it would have made sense for you to freak out about this?' That's not the kind of question I want dancing through my head when I'm trying to get into a character's perspective.

There are also characters who you are told--repeatedly--have certain goals that they don't appear to do much to further (and even appear to actively work against). You've got point-of-view characters who are hiding information from the reader--that's a big pet peeve of mine. If you are going to give me someone's point of view, I don't enjoy having that character play "I KNOW SOMETHING I AM DELIBERATELY NOT GOING TO FULLY THINK ABOUT SO YOU DON'T KNOW IT!" with me. This is all the more confusing given the sheer number of point-of-view characters in this book. It seems like half of them could easily have been omitted and the storyline would have gotten much more readable, because pacing is so fast--the entire action takes place over the course of what appears to be about two weeks--that the story is hard to follow.

I had a hard time getting past that. I shouldn't have to fight with the writing all the way through a novel. I hope the sequel improves on a writing-craft level, and if it does I may consider picking it up, but if not I think I'll probably pass.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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