ANGEL FIRE

An epic fight against evil, predatory angels takes a back seat to romance in the second of this planned trilogy.

Angels intend to turn humans into farm animals as they invade the earth. They feed on human auras, leaving their willing and ecstatic victims sick and dying. Meanwhile, heroine Willow, a half-angel, basks in her true love for boyfriend Alex, an “angel killer,” as they travel to Mexico City to hunt the angel high council. Another half-angel, a Mexican boy named Seb, strongly senses that Willow exists and constantly searches for her. Willow finds herself drawn to Seb when they meet, yet she never wavers in her love for Alex. Alex, however, breaks up with her in a fit of jealousy. Amid all of this repetitious romantic torment Weatherly keeps up the plot against the angels, although it simmers in the background through much of this shamelessly overlong story. The book needs to be cut by at least a third in order to sharpen the romance writing. The author writes the exciting suspense portions of the story with far more clarity. Nonetheless, the target audience likely won’t complain. Certainly the book’s imaginative twist on angels deserves a look.

This lengthy installment in the series has inventive premise and some thrilling moments, but both are largely smothered by adolescent angst.