Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire Series #2)

Epic second book that will leave you DYING for book 3!

Wings of the Wicked is a great follow-up to Angelfire; it’s jam packed with action, romance, laughs and heart break. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you yelling YOU ENDED IT THERE?!?!?!?! I also love that the book sounds like Courtney. If you’ve ever had a conversation with her, you can see her personality and love for her characters in her writing.

Wings of the Wicked picks up shortly after the events that end Angelfire. Ellie is growing as the Preliator, but with that she’s also dealing with how her responsibilities fighting reapers fits into her “human” life. She’s also trying to figure out her relationship with Will. After Michael’s statements at the end of Angelfire, it makes any kind of romantic relationship that much more confusing.

Along with all the personal struggles, Ellie and Will are also having figure out what Bastian is up to. It seems dumping the coffin in the deepest part of the ocean wasn’t enough of a deterrent to Bastian and he’s still plotting to bring on the war between good and evil. And if that wasn’t enough, Cadan has jumped head first into Ellie’s life making things that much more confusing. Many secrets and revealed and we finally found out what’s up with Ellie’s father. This is a great second book that will have you eagerly anticipating the exciting conclusion to this story.

Courtney has done an amazing job of keeping up with the high impact story line started in Angelfire while balancing it with the emotional wait needed for the storylines presented in Wings. Courtney has giving Ellie just the right mix of a strong female character and one who’s struggling with the emotions of being a teen and everything else going on in her life.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Everything You Could Want in a FollowUp

When I picked up Angelfire a year ago, it was because I knew Courtney, the author, from Twitter. Honestly, the book didn’t seem like my thing, and my brain is pretty exhausted with paranormal YA, so you can imagine my surprise when I loved the debut. I couldn’t put it down. Ellie sucked me into her world, and I fell in love with Will alongside her.

Needless to say, the release date for Wings of the Wicked has been on my calendar for some time. What I can tell you is this: I couldn’t put this one down either. Unlike so many “middle” books in a series, Wings is not a placeholder. There is plenty of action, several layers are added to the bigger story arc, moving the tale both forward and backward as we get answers followed by more questions. New characters, some of whom intrigued me, like the complicated, ferocious Ava (but some of whom I do not trust cough Marcus cough), are introduced and weave their way seamlessly into the narrative. It’s a winner, for sure, and though it does end on a cliffhanger, it’s not there simply for the sake of making us pick up the as-yet-untitled Book 3.

Trust me. You’ll want to read that one anyway, to get the answers to the million other questions we still have about Ellie, Will, Cadan, and their world, which could come crumbling down in the middle of the war to end all wars if they can’t stop it.

The romance is smoking. Sizzling. The sense of urgency mixed with timeless, meant-to-be love leaves me breathless, and even though I like Cadan as a character very much, he’ll never take Will’s place in my heart. Which is another plus for this entire series, because there isn’t a love triangle in the traditional sense – something I know a lot of people are tired of. Cadan isn’t a contender for Ellie’s heart, but I’m guessing plenty of readers are going to fall in love with him anyway.

I’ve seen some criticisms of Ellie, mostly that claim she’s too whiny. To those people I say this: Ellie is one of the few teenagers outside of contemporary YA who feels honest and real to me. Does the fact that she wants to maintain a normal life, or go to parties, annoy me sometimes?

Yes. But it’s completely believable that a 17yo girl would feel that way.

Did I think Ellie was being silly with some of her relationship concerns? A little. But when I was in high school I would have felt the same way.

Ellie is a real, live 17yo girl so yes – she makes bad decisions and mistakes and freaks out about little things, because that’s what we all do when we’re teenagers. And I, for one, appreciate the nuances that remind me I’m reading YA and not adult. In addition, I find the internal struggle Ellie faces – mild spoiler alert – as she tries to reconcile her divine and mortal halves fascinating and relatable.

As with Angelfire, the action scenes are flawless. What’s even more exciting is how Courtney has grown as an author in other ways. Not only Ellie and Will, but the entire cast are fleshed out so well that I literally miss them when the book is over. I want to read the next installment not only to learn the outcome, but to spend another 500 pages with these characters who are something like friends. When they’re gone for real, it will be sad.

So, uh, I guess you can tell I liked it. I loved it. If you liked Angelfire, I don’t see how Wings of the Wicked could disappoint.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Has Potential, but Lots of Problems

I went into Wings of the Wicked hoping for the best. I wanted to like the book, the characters, and hoped that the writing had improved. All of that did happen, to an extent.

Let me start with what didn’t work for me with Angelfire and still doesn’t work in Wings of the Wicked. The demonic Reapers. They’re just not frightening. When they pop up from the Grim, slobbering, screeching and basically announcing their arrival by saying things such as “Come out and play!”, I laugh. Funny = not scary. I will admit, the demons towards the end of the book do pack more of a punch, but nothing that will keep me up at night.

Another issue I had with book one was the problem of showing vs. telling. Every time Ellie “felt” any strong emotion, no matter how devastating, romantic, frightened, I only knew because I was told she felt that way. The author did a better job of conveying the emotions of the characters, especially during a part in which Ellie experiences a catastrophic loss, but still, it could have been so much better. For example, she mentions that Will says something “in that way of his that turned my insides to jelly” as if I know what she means. But, I don’t. Show me the effect it has on you, how it makes you feel. Don’t just tell me that it creates that response in you, because I’m not going to simply take your word for it. Here is another example of a lost opportunity: in the beginning of the book, Will introduces Ellie to Marcus, another “good” Reaper she knew in past lives. Instead of Ellie sharing a flash of memory or a burst of emotion tied to her past, she simply mentions how his face is familiar, that she has a flood of memories and that Marcus is her friend, simple as that. Later she is hesitant to take Marcus out with her friends because she knew “how rowdy Marcus could get”, as if I know what she’s talking about. Give me a snippet of a memory to go along with the observations. I can’t become fully vested if I’m not involved in the important aspects of the story.

In my review of Angelfire I mentioned that the revelation of Ellie’s true nature really bothered me. Guess what? It still does, a lot. Without giving it away, I’ll say that it’s just weird. Surely there was a way to make Ellie unobtainable and fearsome and place a huge block between her and Will without going “there”. What Ellie really is is a hard pill for me to swallow. I get that the author is probably trying to make the stakes very, very high, which would make a payoff at the end of the series extremely satisfying. But this hurdle seems impossible without a lot of backtracking or no happy resolution. Maybe I will be forced to eat my words with the series conclusion. I actually hope so, believe it or not.

I spent a good bit of time during Wings of the Wicked, as I did during Angelfire, re-reading lines and paragraphs to make sure that I understood what I had just read. Some of the lines felt redundant, saying the same thing but in a different way. For example: “I need to have a normal life on top of all this. I need some kind of normalcy” (pg 48, ARC) . It’s not necessary and makes the book way longer than it needed to be. Another example, not necessary (and redundant), are passages like this:

“Some part of me believed him when he said he’d never eaten a human before. It was hard to imagine a boy that hot eating people, and eating people was just all kinds of wrong.” (pg 32, ARC)

Say what?!?

Now for my last gripe, I promise. I think, based o

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

?

Is this a sequel to Angelfire I hope?!?

2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

I love this series and it keeps you wondering whats going to hap

I love this series and it keeps you wondering whats going to happen in the third book! I love this series

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Where do I start? WHERE do I start? Guys: THIS BOOK. This book k

Where do I start? WHERE do I start? Guys: THIS BOOK. This book kept me up until ONE THIRTY in the morning after a long night of work. It NEVER STOPPED moving. I finally finished it, put it down, and tossed around for a while because I needed to breathe. Not kidding.
When the first book in this series came out, I was instantly hooked. I loved the world, I loved the characters and I loved Ellie. Finally, HERE is a girl who can take care of herself and make quips while being pummeled to death. Angelfire was fast paced, funny and included a guy that I actually crushed on because he wasn’t another one of those Edward types. (Ew)
Wings of the Wicked is a lot like the first book, except its darker, somehow even MORE fast paced and–hold your hearts, Will fans–a heck of a lot sexier. Don’t worry: Will and Ellie can’t even stay apart correctly, and once they get together SOMEONE GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. (Nono, nothing like a romance book or anything. The book is firmly PG-13.) Yet they also continue to be adorable around that.
You also learn a LOT more of about the world of angels, who Ellie really is–and when I say a lot, I mean it. Sometimes it felt like Nathaniel was facilitating an info dump, but I ate it all up. And then there still managed to be MORE questions that were opened up. I was so totally sucked into this world that I was literally wailing “No EXPLAIN IT!”
The main thing that I keep coming back to with this book is the pace. You read it, and you feel like the Roadrunner. You just CAN’T stop. If you could, I’d be a little more rested than I am right now. Ellie literally never catches a break; when she gets a chance to breath, you can’t even breathe with her because you know the next big thing is right around the corner of the next page and you are always right–and somehow it’s ALWAYS worse than you imagined. The book reads like a rapid fire shotgun.
Ahem. Now, I guess I ought to get technical instead of gushy to try to retain some semblance of credence. Alright. There WERE a few things that caught me as off. The first had to do with the pacing: with so many things happening, of course you’re in danger of not letting Ellie properly deal with what’s happening to her. The biggest events were dealt with beautifully, but sometimes it felt like she didn’t have reactions to some of the smaller things because she just didn’t have the time. The second thing: the relationship with Cadan. The whole thing just felt off to me, and got worse by the page. For one, he seemed to only show up when Ellie needed something explained to her, which just made him feel like a foil. Plus, the whole why-he-loves-her thing? That seemed…off. Perhaps it’s going to get expanded in the next book; I hope so.
Still, overall, this book is AMAZING. I picked up Angelfire on a whim when it first came out and I am SO GLAD. I did. I’ve heard this book recommended for fans of Lauren Kate’s Fallen series and the Unearthly books by Cynthia Hand but I disagree. The only thing that they have in common is angels. Ellie is more like Buffy Summers: kick butt, sarcastic and can totally take care of herself. So what are you waiting for? GO READ THEM.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

AMAZING!!!!!!

The book is sequel to Angelfire and both were awesome! Amazing read, well written, and amazing characters

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Could not read fast enough!!!!

This was a fantastic follow up to the first book. Extremely exciting and engaging. There are parts you will want to cry and parts where you want to scream but all of it is important! The heat between Will and Ellie was a lot higher in this first book. I cannot wait for the 2nd book!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

All Consuming Read!!!

I started Wings of the Wicked the day that it was released and I really tried to finish it before the launch event the next day at Schuler’s Books and Music in Lansing, but this is a real monster of a book. Even though I tried… I only completed about 325 pages, out of the 516, before the reading and signing.

Wings of the Wicked proved to be brutally deceitful, gravely perilous, and distressingly tormenting! This marvelous novel is truly all consuming as there is a fast paced plot, fierce characters, and a wondrous writing style that will literally paint a vibrant picture.

Courtney did it again! She created another dark, mysterious, and perilous world and really took to the next level as Ellie’s world grew even more hazardous, sinister, and secretive. This story twists and turns, then I swear it does a couple of back flips that will make your mouth drop! Again the fight scenes are definitely a high point for Courtney as you can visualize each and every move without being confused.

In Wings of the Wicked Ellie still remains to be feminine, bold, fierce, witty, persistent, and unrelenting as she continues the fight against Hell as Gabriel; but she has a hard time accepting her past and molding it with her future. Ellie is struggling to uphold two identities, one where she is Gabriel and one where she is Ellie. If that is not enough, there is still the kindling romance between her and Will. Torn between love and righteous duties Will proves to be proud, resolute, adamant, respectful, enduring, and relentless. There is so much revealed about Will and you only grow to adore him more as he continues being Ellie’s guardian.


Wings of the Wicked earned five stars, as this gripping tale will ensnare you and leave you entranced until the very last sentence. If you liked Angelfire than you will love Wings of the Wicked!!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved it

What a great book! Ending leaves you wanting more. Great details ... loving will

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The third book needs to hurry up

The ending was like AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Bottom line: read it
Im serious
This book is good as hell oh and its the second book
The third book needs to hurry up like ASAP

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

wings of fire

This was a great book and i would give it 5stars. But i didnt realize it was a series and i would have to wait for the next book to see what happens to will.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

My Summary:

It'd be nice to be a normal senior in high school with normal teenage problems but no suck luck for Ellie. She's the Preliator, hunter of demons, vessel to Gabriel, and a teenager in love with a gorgeous older guy who is totally off limits. Complicated doesn't begin to cover it. Warned of the hunt for relics that will lead to the lose of her soul, Ellie tries to get her homework done. But everything crushes to a stop when she is betrayed by one who should love her. Coping with some much loss, Ellie can't manage the strength to go on but Will is there to hold her together. But even he may not be enough to stop Bastian's evil plans to destroy her soul and the world.

My Thoughts:

5 stars - a must read

I fell in love with the world that Courtney created in Anglefire. She combines heaven and humanity in a different, compelling way that has the reading turning the pages in rapid fire. Tipping the scales at over 500 pages, this book flew by. And believe me I didn't want it to end. It has a heartbeaking cliffhanger ending that had me jumping to goodreads to find the release date for book three. No good there, 2013 is too broad a range and way to far away!

As for the characters, I love them. Ellie is brilliant. She's the human teen that is trying so hard to be normal but she's not normal. She's the badass fighter send from heaven to fight the demonic reapers. It's a hard to line to walk but she pulls it off. She not perfect. She struggles and falls down but she doesn't break. I love that about her. I've seen authors break their heroines/heroes to prove something and I don't like it. Ellie hurts but she stays Ellie. Well done. As for Will, well what can I say about the gorgeous green eyed, dark haired Will. Badass doesn't even begin to describe his abilities. I love that he's a little different than most angelic reapers. (Okay not saying how - read the book). There needs to be that something extra to explain him. His devotion to Ellie is one of the things I love about him most. He would do anything to protect her, to make her happy but at the same time he doesn't try and shelter from being who she is. She fights with him. So sexy.

Oh and I need to say one little word about Cadan - he's so cute. That's it.

The story in this book is fast paced and at times brutal. From page one, Ellie is fighting for her life. There were some sweet moments and some grief but the action was strong, not to mention some steamy passion, lots of that too.

If you read Anglefire, this is a MUST read. If you didn't read Anglefire, what are you waiting for? This is a must read series for YA paranormal fans.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Freakingg EPICLY AWESOME!,

I LOVED THIS BOOK! THE ENDING LEFT ME BREATHLESS, you should deff read this :)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A-MAZING!!!!

This book is amazing, loved it. Will is... just... too amazing for words. The ending is a little sad I will warn, but Courtney Moulton will definitely not disappoint with the next book in this series. The fight scenes in this book are to die for as well. The detail is extraordinary. Thumbs-up 100%!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

OMFG

This was me throughout the whole book O_O. This sequel was very intense! All I can say is WOW. I love Will and Ellie togetheer. They are so great for each other! The ending, like what the F Courtney?! He better live! Can't wait for the next one!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent

This was a great squeal to this series! The ending was everything to make u read the next one. It leaves u with a cliff hanger. I love Will and Ellie together. Candan seems like a trustworthy guy and he cares about Ellie. I can not wait for the next book! This is a must read series and it will keep ur mind racing!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic followup to Angelfire

This book is awesome! There is fast paced action, romance, terror, and deep sorrow. A total roller coaster of emotions.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Really 4.5 stars Angelfire was one of my favorite books of 2011

Really 4.5 stars

Angelfire was one of my favorite books of 2011, so I've been dying to read Wings of the Wicked for a very long time now. I was very eager to delve back into the world that Courtney created and see what Ellie and Will faced this time.

Ellie and Will thought that they had a hard fight in Angelfire, but the worst is not over. Demonic reapers are still after her, and Bastian has certainly not forgotten about her. Even with the help of more angelic vir, Ellie is finding it harder and harder to escape from the demonic. And in addition to all of this, Ellie still has to deal with warnings from Cadan as well as being a senior in high school. Furthermore, with the stress and Will's moral conscience, things between the Preliator and her Guardian are strained at best, very tense at worst. Now not only does Ellie have to fight for her life against demonic reapers, she also has to decide how long she can fight her heart...

Wings of the Wicked in one word: Wow. Sometimes sophomore novels don't live up to the first book, but with Wings of the Wicked nothing could be farther from the truth. This book was darker than Angelfire, but with this came an intensity that made this book impossible to put down. Somehow 500 pages flew by and yet still weren't enough. The world and its angel lore, the action, the romance...all were taken to a new level during this book. Every fighting scene was incredibly vivid, and Will and Ellie's relationship by turns sizzled off the page or made me smile ridiculously or even tear up. And Will. Oh, Will. I'm positive I claimed him as one of my book boyfriends already, but if not, let me do that now. He is swoon-worthy to the max and practically perfect in an endearing way. Then there's Cadan, who definitely surprised me in this book. I'm very curious to see how things will turn out for him in the next book. Finally there's Ellie. Despite her rough patches, she really grew into her own over the course of this book. And all of these characters are woven into a story full of twists and turns that take you on one crazy ride.

It's hard to say what the best part of this book is, because I love the characters, the story, and the writing. Courtney's writing style truly makes every scene come to life and made me feel everything that these characters felt. There's also a bit of evil genius at work in this book...I'm convinced that a few scenes were in there to torture us readers (and Courtney has admitted to her evil ways...).

Be prepared to lose sleep, to laugh, cry, grieve, and rejoice along with Ellie, Will, and the others. I am dying to know what happens next and will be impatiently awaiting the final book in this trilogy!

Lve it!

My fav prt is when ellie goes nutts so i keep reading it over and over again this book is amazing! P.S it only took me 3 hrs to read!