Reader's Review: "Angel Tormented" by C. L. Coffey

Synopsis from Amazon:

When help is coming from the son of Beelzebub himself, you know things aren’t going well…

New Orleans doesn’t just have Lucifer to worry about.

Taking up residence in the Crescent City are countless nephilim and far too many of the Fallen. Unfortunately, one of those fallen angels is also Joshua’s Lieutenant.

With the precinct compromised and Joshua’s partner looking for answers Angel can’t give him, the only thing looking up for Angel is her relationship with her charge.

After a tip from a nephilim sends Angel and Michael on a deadly mission to investigate how the lieutenant is linked with a pop star, it’s up to Angel and Cupid to pick up the pieces and get the House functioning again.

With offers of help coming from unlikely sources; rogue cherubim, a bitter voodoo queen, and the son of Beelzebub himself, Angel’s got to keep her guard up and work out who she can trust. Before she gets killed again.
>>>>>>>>>>>

My Review:

"It's always darkest just before dawn." --Thomas Fuller

Halfway through the series, and there is a lot that's packed into just this one book! Angel is finally finding herself playing a bigger role in the events of this looming war between heaven and hell--a war that some celestial administrators continue to deny, in spite of mounting evidence--and the necessity of taking the fight right to the Fallen instead of waiting for them to achieve whatever goals they are working toward is more imperative than ever.

New enemies arise, threats emerge that no one saw coming, and big players on the side of heaven are "removed from play" in various ways, in spite of some attempts to add to the ranks. New Orleans is looking very dark, indeed.

What stays consistent, though, is Coffey's skill in developing the individual characters in a natural, rational progression, through everything that happens. Angel has picked a side, and she's owning that decision without backing down. She's done second-guessing herself and waiting for something to happen--she's making it happen! Most of the angels in Michael's house have been lumped together and brushed to the side... but the absence of the cherubim gives them all a chance to become more than just "useless runway models." They have names and personalities, skills beyond just "delivering messages."

Adding to that the way Angel and Josh's relationship comes up against some pretty tough challenges--but again, the growth is there, so they can weather these difficulties without getting too obsessive or dismissive of each other.

There were some "betrayals" and revelations that I did not see coming, but then there were also moments of victory, such as Angel and Cupid restoring the cherubim, and patching things up between them (in some small way) that made this book, difficult as it was to come to terms with some unfortunate demises, a pleasure to read!

Yet another well-rounded installment in the LouisiAngel Series! Angel Tormented scores a perfect *****5 STAR***** rating on all fronts, and maintains its Upstream Writer Certified Definitely Recommended status. The plot moves forward a little, in spite of circumstances that conspire to push our heroes back--they stand strong and bond together. I'm still deeply invested in the outcome, and if you're in the mood for a little "angels versus demons" battling, rich in entertainment and extremely relatable, then this is a series worth starting!

Further Reading: (Epic Battles/Good Versus Evil/Supernatural)
The LouisiAngel Series--C. L. Coffey
       -Angel in Training
       -Angel Eclipsed
The Untamed Series--Madeline Dyer
       -Untamed
       -Fragmented
The Vemreaux Trilogy--Mary E. Twomey
       -The Way
       -The Truth
       -The Lie
The Chronicles of Lorrek--Kelly Blanchard
       -Someday I'll Be Redeemed
       -I Still Have A Soul
       -I'm Still Alive
       -Do You Trust Me?
The Grave Reports--R. R. Virdi
       -Grave Beginnings
       -Grave Measures
       -Grave Dealings

-Beasts of Babylon--E. A. Copen 

-Floor 21--Jason Luthor

-Who Can You Trust?--Connie Olvera

The Portal Prophecies--C. A. King
     -A Keeper's Destiny 
     -A Halloween's Curse 
     -Frost Bitten
The Firebird Fairy Tales--Amy Kuivalainen
       -The Cry of the Firebird 
       -Ashes of the Firebird 
The Fair Folk Chronicles--Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins
        -Foul is Fair 
        -Street Fair 
        -A Fair Fight
        -All's Fair