A Temptation of Angels, by Michelle Zink

Release date: March 20th 2012

Published by: Dial Books For Young Readers

Genre: Historical Fiction (YA)

Rating:  4/5 stars

Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance...

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.

My thoughts:

A Temptation of Angels had everything to be one of my favorites. It’s a historical fiction book with great mythology, romance, a wonderful setting, and likeable characters. Michelle Zink did deliver a great story, and despite its flaws, it doesn’t deserve less than 4 stars. However, a small part of me is hesitant and unwilling to give it a 5-star rating.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved almost everything about this book, Helen especially. It’s rare for me to love the main character; usually I just tolerate them, understand their actions, and move on. But I found Helen particularly interesting. Perhaps it was the fact that I related to her emotions so much, when it came to feeling remorse over her feelings. This is something I experience often, and because of that, I was able to connect with Helen in a way I don’t usually do.

Then there’s the plot and mythology, which worked just fine, but could have been better. At some points, the pace was too slow, or the action scenes were too fast. The dialogues were long and the mythology, well researched, but poorly introduced to the readers. Helen and Griffin talked about the Keepers and their jobs for a long time, but we never really got to know what it was all about.

When such a complicated mythology is explored in a book, I expect the author to write a series, or another book, at least. However, A Temptation of Angels is a stand-alone, which complicates things further. Michelle Zink had to present us something solid and coherent, balance it with the plot and character-development, and create some kind of closure that satisfies the reader. It’s a tough process, and though it didn’t make me very happy, I still enjoyed the story.

Helen and Griffin’s relationship was the only thing that fully pleased me. Their interactions provided a dynamic feeling to the book, and aside from that… well, Griffin is adorable. His honorable qualities fit just right with Helen’s determined, yet thoughtful, personality. I was always looking forward to another caress, soft words, or even a hug. I loved Griffin and Helen together.

Good characters check. An excellent plot, check. A wonderful romance, check. A Temptation of Angels is a memorable book, with flaws and all. I’m glad I took the time to pick it up and dive in Helen’s story. I wouldn’t complain if Michelle Zink wrote a novella or even a sequel to it. Well, a girl can hope.