Angel Evolution by David Estes
7 February, 2012
Author: David Estes
Publisher: Self-Published (Smashwords)
Published: October 17th 2011
Pages: Kindle Edition (Unknown)
Summary: (Smashwords)
Book 1 in The Evolution Trilogy…When Taylor meets Gabriel at college, she is in awe of the subtle glow that surrounds him. No one else, not even her best friend, seems to notice. Something about him scares her.Is all as it appears? While Taylor struggles for answers, she finds herself in the middle of a century old war centered on one miraculous revelation: evolution.
THREE OUT OF FIVE STARS ***
This novel certainly kept me interested. It was an entertaining read and one that had me wanting to continue turning page after page to work out where it was going and what would happen in the end. It was brilliantly executed and I am glad that I got the chance to read it. I also cannot wait to continue reading the second book in the trilogy and look forward to finding out what will happen next! This was an easy, steady and well-flowing story that kept me curious right up until the very last page.
One of the things that I liked most about this novel was the concept of angels and demons. I, for one, haven’t read all that many angel novels but I can tell that this is an extremely original storyline. This isn’t a novel about the angels from heaven or the demons from hell, but instead their history is a little different. I loved to read how they came about, but especially loved how as a reader, you weren’t entirely convinced by the story due to it being explained in first person by an unreliable narrator. I found that this was a curious device used by David Estes and I have to admit, it definitely kept me hooked!
This was the same throughout the novel. It is told in switching POVs throughout the novel but instead of being frustrating or hard to keep concentration, this was a nice touch. I liked that we were able to see how all the different people within the novel were feeling during the most climatic moments. David really managed to become the omniscient narrator without it becoming confusing or irritating. If anything, these ever-changing POVs actually captured my attention more as I flicked through the pages waiting for certain things to happen or watching to see how certain things would play out. It was definitely an intriguing style.
I really liked Taylor and Samantha and their relationship with each other. It was totally noticeable that they had been friends since childhood and I loved that they were almost complete opposites and yet still got along really well. I liked how strong Taylor was, how she wasn’t going to just back down just because someone said she should. But I also liked that, despite this, she let her love for a boy overcome her. While it is something we all aim to never let happen, it is just one of those things that happens and I like how believable she makes it feel by trying to remind herself that she is independent… and then he says or does something that makes her feel weak at the knees. She has the all-knowing weakness that really manages to bring out her character.
I liked Gabriel to an extent, but I also found him quite hard to get along with. I’m not entirely sure where I stand with him. At first I didn’t like him at all, but mainly because of his POV. Then, I started to like him slightly as I realised that he felt slightly conflicted but then I just sort of lost that for a bit. I guess I just didn’t really connect with his character. I didn’t feel sorry for him at the ending, I just felt sorry for Taylor. There was no rooting for him, or hoping that it would work out for him. I guess, in a way, I felt slightly betrayed by his character and it was hard to believe that his last act really changed everything else he had done until that point. But then, maybe that’s because he was really meant to be the antagonist of this novel.
Christopher, on the other hand, I absolutely adored. He was so caring and kind and only ever had Taylor’s (and Sam’s) best interests at heart and I just loved that in him. I loved the contradiction that came along with him as well and truly adored it when he explained to Sam about who and what he was and what he could do. He was so patient and admiring and yet, at the same time, there was a hint of something else behind his eyes as well. He knows that his race isn’t perfect, but he’s just glad that Sam didn’t run a mile upon finding out what he was. Yes, I did like Chris.
In fact, I think I probably preferred Chris and Sam’s relationship to Gabe and Tay. I just found the romance flowed better between them and felt more realistic. I believed that Tay and Gabe did love each other, but I also felt it was a little forward and you didn’t really get to see why they did. Although, there was one scene, one look that Gabe gave Tay that stole my heart from my chest but then there was even more of those from Sam and Chris. Either way, this novel has enough romance and couples to satisfy most readers and is just another thing that makes it a good novel to read.
All in all this was a lovely novel to read. There was nothing spectacular about it that made me truly inspired by its words but it also wasn’t a bad novel. I would read it again easily and I am most certainly interested in reading the rest of the trilogy. I have heard that it gets better in the next books and cannot wait to see why. I look forward to finding out what happens in the next leg of the story and hope that my thoughts about Gabe can be transformed. I also hope to see lots more of Chris. This was a good starting novel to this trilogy and I would recommend it to anyone that wants something that is slightly different and truly unique.
I received this novel for review from the Goodreads ‘Shut up and Read’ group as part of their Read it and Reap program. I am extremely glad that I got the opportunity to read this and hope that I will inspire others to pick it up as well. It is currently only $0.99 from Smashwords!
Faye
One Comment
Katelyn
I am pretty sure this is my first time hearing of this series but it definitely sounds like something that I would like! If it can keep me entertained, there is romance, and a strong, independent main character, I ‘ll probably like it! Your review was excellent. I like how you covered everything from the storyline, to the characters and even the POV!