Seeking angel novels

[mollyringle]

In the interest of reading something similar to what I'm writing, I am in search of a novel (not a short story, not a movie, not nonfiction) meeting the following criteria:

1) Features angel(s)
2) Is not overtly religious or "inspirational" (e.g., I don't want so-called Christian fiction, or an adventure about dangerous Biblical artifacts and an OMG!Church Conspiracy!)
3) Is set in more or less modern times
4) Is set in the real world, or at least close to it (i.e., not a fantasy realm)
5) Features some teenage main characters, though doesn't have to be aimed entirely at young readers

Yes, I've done internet searches, and my eyes are getting tired of sorting through the slush. The only book I can think of that comes close is Good Omens, but that's still not very similar to my own. For one thing, it's a bit more frivolous (which of course is one of its attractions); and for another, it's ever so British (which is also one of its attractions, but I digress).

In the movie world, Michael and City of Angels/Wings of Desire are the closest, but they don't deal with teenagers.

Searches for teen angel fiction come up with lots of Buffy novels about the character Angel, who, despite his name, is a vampire and thus no help at all. So I'm giving up and asking youse-all.

Comments

[kali-kali.livejournal.com]

While I can't think of any with angels as such, any number of books by Canadian author Charles de Lint could fit into the other themes - he has potentially angelic type characters, but they are drawn more from either Native American or pre-Christian European mythos.

Other than that, they tend to have young characters, they are for the most part "urban fantasy" - that is, set in the here and now with some quasi-mystical characters, with quite a few of the stories actually set in Ottawa, where I live ;) In fact, Charles de Lint himself lives here in Ottawa, plays music at a local pub most Thursdays, and has at least one garage sale a year where anyone can go say hi.

This page has an overview of his books. The only ones I've read are Forests of the Heart and Someplace to be Flying, but friends of mine have read more, as well as met him personally, and speak very highly of them and him, so they could be worth a try.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Wow, he's written tons! They look pretty cool. Sounds like I'd enjoy them even if they're not an exact match on this query; anyhow, a pretty-close match is good. I'll look into 'em. Thanks!

[sparrowinsky.livejournal.com]

I pretty much guarantee it's not what you're looking for, but Waiting For The Galactic Bus is great, and involves most of those things.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Got to love the title. *wish-lists*
Thanks!

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, GO was the only thing that was coming to my mind. Which, while it is lovely, is not something anyone should ever try to emulate, for it is Perfection, and I'd hate to see people fail miserably ;)

Sounds like you might be starting a new genre, hehe!

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, imitating the Gaiman/Pratchett voice would be painfully bad. I won't be doing *that*. But I imagine Aziraphale's cuddliness had some influence on my desire to write about angels. ;)

[ceiros.livejournal.com]

It's a sequel but, Tanya Huff's "The Second Summoning" deals with angels in some way. I believe it is aimed at teenagers. It is set in modern times and centers more around magick-y type stuff but a angel and a demon are in the mix.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Good to know...looks like it's got a light-heartedness similar to Good Omens, perhaps...

[annetten.livejournal.com]

You might want to try The Vellum, by Hal Duncan. It gives you at least four out of five (it's set at least partly in our world, and the bits that aren't are not particularly fantasy-ish) and is a great, if odd and fragmented read.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Will go look it up--thanks!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not quite set in the real world, but in a science fiction futurist world: fiction by Lyda Morehouse (http://www.lydamorehouse.com/). Archangel Protocal, Fallen Host, and Messiah Node. Read more about them at her website (link above).

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I've seen her name around--sounds like I ought to get familiar with it! Thanks.

[dirae.livejournal.com]

My suggestion is a bit "gothier-than-thou", but Caitlin R. Kiernan's short story collection (or mosaic novel) entitled Alabaster focuses on the exploits of an albino teenager named Dancy who speaks to angels (specifically following the bidding of her-perhaps-guardian angel ). Each story takes place in the modern South. One reviewer said "Kiernan's richly evocative prose vividly portrays her twisted characters as well as it illustrates their eerie, kudzu-infested, Deep South surroundings"--I think this is a fitting description, even though her prose is a bit purple at times (but not as much as-say-Poppy Z. Brite).

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Hmm, looks like she's written a fair amount too. Might be more toward the horror genre than mine, but looks like I might enjoy it all the same. Thanks!

Oddly, despite my Goth and slash pretensions, I've never read Brite. The excerpts Cat provided were enough to keep me away, I think. :)

[ellenscult]

All I can think of is the Damiano's Lute trilogy, by R.A. MacAvoy (Damiano, Damiano's Lute, Raphael), though it's not really set in the present day. Still, I enjoyed them when I read them as a teenager... That's probaly not a recommendation, given the sheer amount of crud I read... Erm... Good luck!

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about teenage reading...but even so, those look like something I might enjoy. Thanks!

[shebit.livejournal.com]

My instant thought was to say that Good Omens met all of your criteria, but you were one step ahead og me.

All angels should be English.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Hee. Well, in my version, they could be any nationality...so *some* are English, I suppose! But Aziraphale is hard to beat for cuteness.

[shebit.livejournal.com]

Well, if all angels followed Aziraphale's model they'd all be English and a wee bit camp.

[(Anonymous)]

You might try the "Odd Thomas" series by Dean Koontz. It doesn't feature "angels" specifically, but it does have a teenaged character who talks to spirits (including Elvis) and demons.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

...You had me at "Talks to Elvis."
;)

[kimuracarter.livejournal.com]

I don't know a lot about the book, but it seems like it might meet your criteria. It's called the Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski. My roommate is planning on reading it, because she, too, wrote a story about fallen angels. So, I hope that's helpful. ^.^;

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Ah! That's looking like the closest match so far. Thank you! I fear there are a lot of us who have written or are writing stories about angels...so perhaps the trouble is getting them published. Hmm. Thus the research.

[kimuracarter.livejournal.com]

Woo hoo! Does that mean I win?

Hee hee.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Yes it does! You win at the internet! :)

[kenshi.livejournal.com]

Google "In Nomine"

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Oh my...that opens up a whole new can of worms. Namely, I wonder if literary agents are aware of RPG's, and whether I should mention a game's popularity as an example of why this is a good subject for a novel. Hmm...

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Amazon even came up with a fair number of them when I just entered "angel" or something like that. I am almost totally unfamiliar with the anime/manga world, and don't know how much it relates to the novel-publishing industry, but it's good to know it exists in case anyone brings it up. :)

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

Several of the books in the Dresden Chronicles -- especially the latest ones -- feature a fallen angel named Lasciel. Good angels, such as Michael, exist and are mentioned but have not appeared yet.

These books, by Jim Butcher, are about Harry Dresden, Chicago's only working professional wizard. They are set in modern times and in the real world... sort of. It's our world, with the assumption that there are wizards and faeries and such, but that most people either don't ever run into them or refuse to acknowledge their existence.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Huh, interesting. Looks like these themes are certainly out there, but maybe not very often in a central way. Wizards sure are "in" these days, though. :)

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Not *exactly* what you're looking for, but in the wizard books by Diane Duane (So You Want to Be a Wizard et al) the Powers that Be present themselves as angels sometimes. (See especially the climactic scene of High Wizardry, which is book 3.)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Ah--I read the first one in that series last year. Don't recall any angel mentions, but I'm not surprised they come into it eventually. She had all kinds of unusual stuff going on!

[(Anonymous)]

"Skellig" by David Almond. It meets every one of your criteria, and it's an absolutely gorgeous story. Enjoy.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Excellent--thanks! Looks like my library has it, too.