Review: World After by Susan Ee

Title: World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
Author: Susan Ee
Pages: 315
Publisher: Skyscape
Release Date: November 19, 2013

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

My Thoughts: Ah! It felt so good to be back in this world! But I have to admit I was nervous before I started reading World After. It's been over a year since I read the first book Angelfall, and I wondered whether or not this sequel would be able to live up to the badass awesomeness of it's predecessor. As soon as I got a couple of chapters into the story, though, I knew that the wait was completely worth it.

In World After, like in the first novel, Penryn's main goal was finding and saving her littler sister Paige. Before you say 'Again?,' just know that you shouldn't worry at all about the events in this book being a repeat of Angelfall. This time around Paige leaves willingly, and Penryn only has Raffe's sword by her side. Her mother and a character named Clara, who appeared in the first book, are also there with her in the beginning. And before you ask 'But what about Raffe?!,' don't worry. He's in the story as well, and I will definitely get to him in a bit.

Penryn was as focused and resilient as she was in Angelfall. I had no idea what kind of horrors she would face this time around, but I knew if anyone could pull through it would be her. I liked that she didn't feel like a hero. She was just as scared as everyone else and only did what she could with what she had. Something that broke my heart, though, was how she treated Paige. After everything Penryn went through in Angelfall, I thought things would be good between them. However, that wasn't the case at all. Nearly all the humans they encountered were terrified of Paige and treated her like she was a monster. While Penryn was never cruel to Paige, she couldn't bring herself to touch or comfort her sister because deep down even she was afraid and didn't know what to do with this new version of her sister. It was really sad, and I kept hoping that Penryn would overcome her fears for Paige's sake.

Then there's Raffe. I loved Raffe in the previous novel and couldn't wait to see him again. If you're hoping he'll show up right away, you will probably be disappointed. But I'm glad his absence proves that Penryn can carry this story on her own. Now, that doesn't mean Raffe wasn't around. In fact, his presence was felt throughout the novel. And when he does show up in person...it was a breathless moment for Penryn. And I was on the edge of my seat, grinning like an idiot. He's still the same sarcastic angel, yet there's a vulnerability to him when it comes to Penryn. It was sweet.

Penryn and Raffe's relationship continued where it left off in Angelfall, and while I can't say how things progressed with them, I can say that it was clear how deep and strong their connection was. I liked the fact that Penryn reminded us that she was like any other seventeen-year-old girl who craves love and romance. It's really no surprise that what they share is complicated. How can anything develop between an angel and a human when it's forbidden, especially in a world where surviving comes first? That's a question I hope will be answered before the end of the series because their relationship is one of my absolute favorite things in the books.

World After was an amazing and satisfying sequel to Angelfall. The writing and the story flowed perfectly, and it had non-stop horror and intense action from the very beginning. I cannot wait to see where Penryn's story goes next and how things will be resolved. Although I wish the third book was already out, I know I'll eagerly wait for its release no matter how long it takes.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)
Author: Susan Ee
Pages: 254
Publisher: Feral Dream
Release Date: May 21, 2011

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

My Thoughts: Jesus. Christ. For months I had heard about how good of a read Angelfall was, and I had no doubt that I would like it once I got around to reading it. But hearing all the praise is different from actually experiencing the book. Because man... It wasn't just good. It was INSANELY good. At some points while I was reading, the pages were flying by so quickly that I had to force myself to put it down so that I wouldn't get closer to the last page. I didn't want it to ever end.

I loved every single thing about this book, especially the main characters Penryn and Raffe. Penryn was one of those rare teenage girls in young adult novels who is vulnerable yet mature, smart, resourceful, and kickass! She knows how to take charge and how to take care of herself and others. She does all this without having a personality and attitude that's loud, frustrating, or annoying. She also doesn't allow herself to get distracted by Raffe, no matter how attractive he is. Raffe was a bit of a mystery at times, but what we did see of him revealed how much of a quiet badass he is and how, for an angel, he actually has a caring and protective side. At least for Penryn. He's the type of male character I love to root for. Honestly, how could I not adore these two characters? They're amazing! And when they're together? Whoa. The connection they shared left me breathless. It's something I look forward to seeing more of in the next book.

Another aspect I loved about Angelfall was that it was a book about survival. Surviving a world that has been damaged and overtaken by angels, angels that aren't nice and cute. Before I started reading, I didn't realize how dark the book was going to be. It had non-stop action, and there were many terrifying and disturbing scenes throughout. It made the book more heart-pounding and exciting, and I really appreciate books that can manage to put some fear in me. Not only that, the story was addicting! Susan Ee's writing was wonderful, and I loved how easy it was to visualize the world she created. (I also loved that her fight scenes weren't cheesy. They were solid and fluid!) Angelfall didn't feel like the typical read about angels at all. It's a definite stand-out that I found quite impressive and refreshing.

I seriously need the next book in my life. I WISH it were out already. Angelfall has taken its place in a top position of my favorite 2012 reads. It definitely deserves and lives up to all the hype. It's the type of book I always hope to come across, and I'm so happy I finally got around to reading it. If you have not yet read Angelfall, what are you waiting for? You won't be disappointed. It's such a stunning and badass read that I can't recommend enough.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars