Skip to content

TWO US AWARDS FOR FERREN AND THE ANGEL!

A Reviewers Choice Award

from Reader Views

for Teen Fiction

and a Moonbeam Book Award for YA-Fantasy/Sci-Fi

REVIEWS

Reviewed by Diane Donovan for the Midwest Book Review

Ferren and the Angel is the first fantasy book in The Ferren Trilogy, following the outcome and adventure of what happens when angel Miriael crashes to Earth during the long battle between Heaven and the Humen. The premise is intriguing: set in the far future when human scientists discovered and proved Heaven and then humanity did what it does best—instigated a war with Heaven itself—the story sports both an original, creative premise and dilemmas which come embedded with sound effects and visceral observations from its opening lines:

“Strange and fearful noises in the night. Daroom! Daroom! Daroom!—a deep-down thunder like an endless drum. Then a sharp splitting sound like the crack of a whip: Kratt! Kratt! Kratt! The noises throbbed through the earth and echoed across the sky. There were voices too. Eeeeeeeyah! A high-pitched scream passed over from horizon to horizon. Then laughter broke out in hoots and whoops. And away in the distance, grave booming words of incomprehensible giant speech…”

… Tribesman Ferren comes upon this fallen Angel, but instead of destroying her, his curiosity and pity overcome his inclination to be merciless. The hard lessons of his upbringing fly out the window as he becomes involved in her life and absorbs new truths about the war that has been part of his world since birth.

Richard Harland’s approach to entwining the perceptions, lives, and clashes between very different peoples is thoroughly engrossing. From Hypers and Residuals and pale threatening ghosts to mechanical actions that happen all by themselves with no humans at the helm, Ferren’s journey introduces him to realizations that he never saw coming.

… Pair spiritual, philosophical, and social struggles with the unusual friendship that rises between an angel and a human of opposing forces, add sound effects and clashes that challenge their roles and perceptions, and build a firm relationship from a shaky foundation of mistrust for a sense of the powerful and disparate forces contrasted and profiled in Ferren and the Angel.

Its powerful, unpredictable brand of fantasy is highly recommended for young adult to adult readers and for libraries seeking something refreshingly new in the fantasy genre.

________________________

BEST BOOKS WE READ in 2023

Ferren and the Angel

A fast-paced and engaging dystopian fantasy with loads of fascinating lore

What will happen in the next thousand years? Some people believe there will be significant alterations, some that it will be eerily similar, and others think there will be no Earth at all. 

Author Richard Harland has some other ideas. The future depicted in Ferren and the Angel shows angels and humans in an epic never-ending battle for dominance. 

The worldbuilding here is addictive. You won’t want to miss any developing details about what the world will look like in this future.

What will break young Ferren out of his humdrum life at the start of this book? Watching an angel fall from Heaven. Miriael, the Fourth Angel of Observance, has no way of returning to her ethereal realm. Her powers have faltered since she arrived in the material world, but she cultivates a new friendship in Ferren. Unfortunately, it has to be kept secret, and it doesn’t stay that way for long.

and more from the review by Alexandria Duckworth (Independent Book Review)

… One of the most intriguing aspects in Ferren and the Angel is the angel lore. There are several types of angels here. Miriael is merely an Observance angel. It’s a lower-class status compared to a high-ranking one like Archangel Michael. Some are warriors while others are merely in charge of historical records. Each angel has their own place in Heaven.

The story world’s history is another exciting aspect of this book. Many life-changing events happened before Ferren was even born. The world as we know it in 2023 is considered the Great Past. It was the golden age of incredible innovation. All was lost when all of humanity fought with angels. The people in Ferren’s world now live in primal conditions, where a lighter and a can of bug spray are considered ancient, treasured relics.

Ferren and the Angel is a dystopian adventure must-read! This story has a great plot, some incredible conflict, and secrets just waiting to be revealed. Dystopian fans are in for a treat.

Back To Top