Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim, Book One (Songs of the Seraphim Series)

Angel Time by Anne Rice starts with her trade mark descriptiveness that makes the reader feel (or certainly this reader), as if they are able to see the tiniest detail she is describing and feel the very atmosphere she is writing about. In this instance she is telling of the Mission Inn, in Riverside California and I don't think it's possible for this fine establishment to get a better endorsement else where. Then we learn of the troubled life of the books main character, Toby O'Dare, our lute loving anti hero. His is a broken soul if ever there was one but again, as she has done so many times before, she manages to make one feel sympathy or at least empathy for someone who kills repeatedly and is exceptional at it, by describing in great detail the circumstances that led to him becoming as he is. Events in his life were so horrendous, it would be totally understandable if he had chosen to take his own. That of course doesn't happen but he does develop into a cold hearted killer who will dispatch life with little to no remorse and becomes the best in what he does. Enter the 'Angel Malchiah' to someone who no longer believes in God and who also prays mockingly because it was so much a part of his troubled youth, and is still attached to the patterns and rituals of his religious upbringing though not however, in the believing itself, and the journey truly begins! The writing is beautiful and it was with no small measure of amazement on my part, that I felt the same respect and admiration for her unparalleled prose skills reading this book, as I have when I read her previous works on vampires and this book, in an odd way, did indeed reminded me of Interview With A Vampire. Only the narrators are the main character, the Angel, and I would have to say another character as well who has a large part in the story to tell, that makes all the pieces fall into place. It is also incredible how Anne can take a reader back in time, and write of the time period in such a way, that it is just as believable and realistic as when she is writing of our present day world. I highly recommend this book to all, regardless of whether you are a stout believer in God or if you don't believe at all. The story is beautifully written and interwoven like with all her books and you will come away with more brain power, as she always teaches as well as thoroughly entertains. Lastly, I learned on Face Book she would be doing a book signing at the very Mission Inn she wrote about and it was in driving distance. So I'm delighted to have a signed copy and to have met Anne in person and considering I was in line for over two hours, I'm also amazed at how cordial and friendly she was and how lovely her handwriting was after signing an enormous number of books before mine. I anxiously await a sequel to this book as it looks like it could branch off into other characters entering the picture with stories of their own based on the strength of this work. And I am also, as I would like to believe many others are as well, happy that someone with her obvious and time proven skills, is giving to the world of literature something that really, in my view hasn't existed very much before. A choice of reading something based on good and God and Angels by someone who you know, is an exceptional talent with few equals in the literary world. I'm sure many are wondering if she can bring the same magic to a tale regarding God and Angels as she did with witches and vampires. For my part, I can say I certainly feel she has done just that! Respectfully, Chase Von Author of Pink, Blue and Green Your Chance To Hear The Last Panther Speak And Dream Reachers with co author Betty Dravis Dream Reachers

I felt that her last book of the vampires wasn't written in her usual 'voice.' I can forgive her for that, since her husband died that year. That caused me to leave off reading her novels for some time. When I finally got around to reading her Christ novels, I found them a little dry and still out of character for her (though the second one was better). In this novel, it seems she is returning to her old self. Not quite there, but still much improved over her last three works. It was a quick and easy read leaving me wanting more. I found the time traveling stuff reminiscent of Dark Shadows and the main mortal and angel characters reminded me of characters from Supernatural. (Both shows that I love) As of posting this review, I have just ordered the sequel to this book. Anne masterfully crafts what I would consider the most important part of a good story - character development. Can't wait for more. And I plan on getting to her werewolf novels afterwords.

I get it. Interview With The Vampire is a classic. The Witching Hour is probably her masterpiece. her Sleeping Beauty and other erotica are genre definding works. but !!! Anne Rice's continued evolution as a writer, beyond what pop culture chooses to remember her for, is fabulous. Angel Time is a time capsule; it and its sequel, Of Love and Evil, capture a period in Rice's life where she'd rejoined the Church, but was still very much interested in writing about the human condition via the supernatural novel, and that she does here again. the writing on Angel Time is way more crisp than a lot of earlier Rice. it foreshadows where she'd go with The Wolf Gift and its sequel, as well as the final Lestat books. this is a writer exploring new sides of herself freely, and it's an enriching read. my one complaint? it's too short a book. the sequel is even shorter, and though I love both books, it's heartbreaking to think there will never be a conclusion to the story of Toby O'Dare due to Rice's passing. required reading for anyone who loves her explorations of cosmology, theology, the spirit world and spirituality in general.

excellent, as usual!

殺し屋だったトビーがある日現れたセラフィムにより改心し、1200年代に行って暴動に巻き込まれそうなユダヤ人を助ける。この話はフィクションだが当時のユダヤ人の苦難が書かれている。

Angel of God, my guardian dear; To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide. It's angel time! Nein, Anne Rice wird die Vampire Chronicles nicht fortsetzen. Statt dessen wurde jetzt - rechtzeitig zum Weihnachtsgeschäft - der Beginn einer neuen Serie in die Geschäfte ausgeliefert. Das Thema: christliche Mythologie oder genauer gesagt ENGEL. Der englische Titel ANGEL TIME steht für den Zeitbegriff der himmlischen Boten. Anders als Menschen, die in ihrer natural time (natürlichen Zeit) keine Möglichkeit für Zeitreisen haben, vermag es ein Engel nämlich sehr wohl sich quer durch die Jahrhunderte zu bewegen. Womit bereits ein Teilaspekt dieser neuen Serie offengelegt wäre, eben dieser der Zeitreisen. Andere Elemente sind die Vermittlung von christlichen Werten sowie der Botschaft, dass Sühne und Vergebung möglich sind. Natürlich kommt auch die Liebe und der Herz-Schmerz-Faktor nicht zu kurz. Worum es sich hingegen nicht handelt - auch wenn die Figur des Protagonisten, eines Auftragskillers, dazu verleitet - ist ein Thriller oder Krimi. Spannung ergibt sich lediglich aus der Frage ob die Reue echt ist, die Busse gelingt, ... und nicht zu vergessen, das Schicksal der Schutzbefohlenen des Sünders. Worum geht es also in diesem Buch? Toby O'Dare wird nach einer persönlichen Tragödie zum Auftragsmörder, bekannt unter dem Namen Lucky the Fox. Seine Spezialität sind Giftmorde mittels Spritzen, welche er den Opfern unbemerkt einsticht. Gerade hat er seinen zehnten Jahrestag als Needle Sniper hinter sich gebracht. Sein neuer Auftrag führt ihn in das Mission Inn, ein Hotel in Kalifornien. Eigentlich sein Refugium, in das er sich zwischen den Aufträgen hin und wieder zurückzieht. Nachdem er die Zielperson erfolgreich mit der Giftspritze getötet hat, erscheint ein Seraph - ein Engel - und bietet ihm die Möglichkeit zur Vergebung an. Als Gegenleistung soll Toby einem jüdischen Ehepaar im Norwich des 13. Jahrhunderts helfen, welches von einer aufgehetzten Meute bedroht wird. Soweit so gut. Anne Rice schmückt die Geschichte farbenprächtig aus. Toby ist nicht irgendein Junge, der zum Killer wird. Der Vater, ein korrupter Polizist, starb im Gefängnis. Die Mutter - Alkoholikerin - vermag die drei Kinder nicht aufzuziehen, so dass Toby schon früh Verantwortung übernehmen muss. Der Junge, der eine Jesuitenschule besucht, verdient mit seinem Flötenspiel den Unterhalt für die Familie. Kurz nach seinem Schulabschluss tötet die Mutter jedoch seine Geschwister. Toby zieht nach New York, seine Flöte im Gepäck. Dort angekommen erlebt er Dinge, die sein Leben von Grund auf ändern werden. Ähnlich dramatisch die Geschichte seiner Schutzbefohlenen, keine simple Story, nein, auch hier zieht Anne Rice alle Register. Konfessionsübergreifende Liebe und Leid, Reichtum und Armut, Krankheit und Tod, Demut und Gnade, es ist eine überschäumende Geschichte, die Fluria, eine der beiden Schutzbefohlenen, Toby erzählt. Zur Lesbarkeit: locker und leicht. Das Englisch ist gut verständlich. Der Anfang ist etwas zäh, Toby reflektiert als Ich-Erzähler über sein Leben. Während der ersten zwanzig, dreißig Seiten hatte ich das Gefühl es handelt sich um ein Buch über Missionsstationen. Sobald der Seraph in Toby's Leben tritt nimmt die Spannung zu. Alles in allem: nicht für kühle Logiker geeignet. Für meinen persönlichen Geschmack muss ich sagen, ist das Buch zu überladen von Zufällen und schicksalhaften Begebenheiten. Es ist einfach etwas überkonstruiert. Deswegen auch ein Punkt Abzug. Anne Rice beschreibt überbordende Gefühle und ausdrucksstarke Bilder, die wahrscheinlich nur in der Vorweihnachtszeit erträglich sind oder wenn jemand das Bedürfnis nach etwas Tröstlichen hat. Klare Leseempfehlung also nur für die Leute, die eine eindeutig herzerwärmende Geschichte suchen.

Having come to thisbook this via Anne Rice's Vampires and Witches I can't fail to recognise her voice and feel the tender love for people in general and her fallen protagonists in particular. For an AR addict this book is yet another treasure.

Bought them both because I'm an Ann Rice fan from way back. The books don't relate to the Vampire Chronicles or Mayfair Witches, Taltos etc. But I do view this book and it's sequel ( Of Love and Evil : Songs of the Seraphim ) as an expansion of that general universe. Not one of her best works, but good read, a page turner as they say.