"nothing way sacred to them. And everywhere they went, they planted flags and made speeches about peace and liberty"
"peace" exclaimed Asiel ironically.
"they were starting a war but they called it peace!"

I'm not really used to reading fantasy, it's something I'm still trying to get more into but I really liked the idea and the world building. I liked Ferren, Mirael and the leadership of Zonda with everything going on even though she got on my nerves a lot. I also liked the ending.
It was confusing at times though and I expected a much slower pace to the development of Ferren and Mirael's friendship. It was quite quick considering that they're supposed to be enemies and she thought so bad of him.
Overall, it was nice. It was challenging to my English vocabulary and a bit confusing but nice.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was okay, not my go to book. It was a little confusing at times. There is great world building in the story. Also, just so you are aware, there is a younger boy that gets sexually assaulted in the book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I would have liked to rate this book higher, because it has some fantastic worldbuilding, and the concept of the story is also very original. But the writing style was a bit confusing for me at times, especially with all those onomatopoeias that distracted me a lot.

But the story is well crafted, refreshing and it was a pleasure to read. A different take on fantasy, for sure.

Not my usual kind of book but I had a really good time reading it. Richard Harland has a smooth writing style that captures your imagination and draws you in to his world.
The concept is incredibly interesting and the cast of characters are easily believable. Set in a fictional futuristic environment with historical references and intricate fantasy elements it is an entertaining page turner.
Looking forward to next book in this series.

This book reminds me very much of Orwell's 1984 with a dash of the Hunger Games, but better. The author is really good in setting a dystopian world with parallels to our current world. The book therefore also gives a lot of food for thought. It also is very impressive how the story diverges and comes back around. The story feels very unique. The only downside of this book is that I believe the physical aspect of the world could have been described better. I found it difficult at times to imagine what this world looks like.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who loves to read science-fiction/dystopic books.

Ferren and the Angel is like nothing I've ever read before. It's brilliantly imaginative in both world-building and narrative. The story is compelling: an angel is brought down in a suburb of Sydney in about 3022 and her rescue results in an all out battle between the Celestials and the Humen. The world is divided with some being able to take advantage of 'progress' while others stagnated and feed the machines of progress.
Ferren is different; he thinks beyond his small life in a village community and sets out to explore beyond the boundaries of the plains.
As an Australian I recognised the suburb names of Sydney but the beauty of this is that it could be any place after the Weather Wars and the Burning Continents. There are some harrowing moments when Ferren starts to understand more about the lives and sacrifices expected and as such there are a couple of quite brutal occurrences - imaginatively explained but a bit disturbing. There are also some absolute laugh out loud moments - when we see the People and their faith rituals is a particular highlight.
Clever and engaging, Ferren and the Angel would suit older KS3 and KS4 readers. I can't wait to see what happens next with Ferren and Miriael in the next instalment coming out in 2024.
Highly recommended

I will reference movies but it's inevitable.
Reading this book it's like if Terminator and Matrix had a baby.... and that little one starts a war with the Angels from Heaven. I loved it! What I love the most is that the main characters have a very strong friendship. Most of the fantasy we read are some type of romance... if they end up having a relationship of any kind, seeing them have such a strong friendship at first is just great.
I can't wait to read the other books!

The story was really interesting, the idea behind worldbuilding also. I was having some trouble with the writing style and the language that was used, but still, it was a pleasant surprise and an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and IFWG Publishing International for giving me a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Set in 3,000 AD Australia where scientific advancements resulted in a full-scale war between Heaven and Eart, Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland tells the tale of a fifteen-year-old tribe boy whose life changes for good upon finding an injured junior angel. Encouraged by the angel Miriael, Ferren sets off on a journey to the Humen camp through lands ravaged by the Humen-Celestial wars in search of his family. But what he finds is much, much darker than he ever thought possible.

In the meantime, the Humen are closing in on the tribe. Miriael is the first angel to survive on Earth, and the black-clad soldiers are willing to risk anything to uncover her secrets and continue advancing their weaponry. The angels, on the other hand, will do anything to stop them. Ferren's tribe is caught right in the crossfire as the situation gets more and more dangerous.

The premise of this book intrigued me. Being a YA novel about an angel and a boy, it had chances of turning out quite cliche, but I was happily surprised. Ferren does not fall in love with Miriael, and she doesn't fall in love with him! I'm so glad to have a romance-free book for once.

To make it even better, the worldbuilding in this book is so interesting it even has concepts I've never seen before. The way the book handles souls who are barred from the afterlife ("Morphs") is completely novel to me, and I so rarely get that these days. The way Morphs exist in the patterns of things is great.

That said, the book does manage to fall into some less-than-desirable tropes. The main character is sexually assaulted by a girl his age near the beginning of the book. She rubs herself on him in the night, knowing he can't get away. When he tells her to stop, she continues, and when his body naturally responds, she weaponises this against him. This is a common tactic for rapists and I find it concerning this is never addressed again afterwards. That also means this scene in particular didn't add to the overall story, so the sexual assault could've been bypassed entirely.

While I loved the worldbuilding in the book (I scoured the novel for all snippets and marked them for later), other parts of the narrative were harder to get through. Firstly is the onomatopoeia, or writing out sounds. The narrative was regularly interrupted for things such as: "Daroom! Daroom! Daroom!", "Klumbb! Klumbb! Klumbb! Klumbb!", "BRRRAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHHH!!!!", "Garrunng—unng—unng—unng! Garrunng—unng—unng—unng!", and "SPAKKAKKAKKAKKAKKAKKAKKAKKAKK!!!!!". All of these are directly copied from the book. It may have to do with my aphantasia, since I can't hear onomatopoeia, but for me, these were very disruptive.

The second thing that made it harder to read was how I struggled to like and identify with the characters. Miriael starts off calling everything disgusting and calls Ferren the r-slur used for intellectually disabled people upon first sight. Ferren, for his part, can be quite frustrating in how simple and basic his reasoning and reactions are at times. Having Zonda as narrator after her sexual assault of the main MC and horrid treatment thereafter, I preferred not to think about her at all. While all of them do get better towards the end, their beginning state is too abrasive for me.

Another thing that took me out of the story is some inconsistencies in the narrative and how Ferren's tribe is portrayed. There are multiple cult-like scenes where they worship a lighter, an alarm clock, a baby doll, and a can of fly spray from over a thousand years ago. They chant to the doll, call out the writings on the can (passed down through generations - they can't read themselves), and dance madly to a clock-inspired song. I personally found this very difficult to suspend my disbelief for.

What was even harder to believe is that all these items are in perfect condition after a thousand years. In fact, the fly spray is still pressurised, the doll's batteries still allow it to yell 'Mama!', and the lighter has enough fluid to ignite on multiple occasions. And while Ferren supposedly can't read, he does read some signs along his journey. He also somehow knows what tarmac, concrete, enamel, and pyramids are, when we can reasonably assume he wouldn't.

Third is the tribe's Home Ground. They refuse to build anything, fearing this might conflict with the Old Ways and bring harm to their people. This includes building housing or even roofs. It's confirmed in the novel that the ruin they sleep and store their food in lacks a roof. It is also confirmed that the food in the store is kept in bags and bowls and that it occasionally rains. How hasn't mould gotten in? Or mice? Or birds? Where do they go during storms? Their big blanket is waterproof, certainly, but if it rains hard enough, the whole floor surely gets wet?

It's very possible I didn't like this book as much as I could have due to my attention to detail, even when it doesn't matter. If you're sensitive to (male) sexual assault or prefer everything making sense, this may not be the one. But if suspending your disbelief comes easy to you and you're looking for a romance-free tale with some damn good worldbuilding and a hopeful ending, this is the book for you.

-=-=-=-

Content warnings
Sexual assault of a minor
In chapter 18, the main character is sexually assaulted by a girl while he's trying to sleep. She forces herself on him, pressing on top of his body. When he tells her "no", she presses tighter and says, "Admit what you want to do. You're no different to any other male." They are both fifteen years old.

Body horror, systemised killing, and death by drowning
(Spoilers ahead) The Residuals chosen by the Selectors are executed by drowning in a tub of liquid, after which the tub is drained and the bodies are cut up for the organs. That liquid has become their insides - their memories, their experiences, their soul. This is what the Hypers consume to stay alive. The organs are made semi-sentient and placed inside machines to work like biological technology, which is also fed that liquid.

Ferren is not like the other members of his community. While they prefer to live life hidden in the shadows and far from the celestial battle taking place nearby, Ferren is drawn to life outside his Tribe. When an angel falls from the sky one day, Ferren finds himself offering her aid, despite the fact that she is supposed to be his enemy. And the more he talks to this celestial creature, the more Ferren discovers that the life he has always known is not true to the greater reality, and he is determined to learn everything he can no matter what it takes.

This intriguing story introduces readers to a potential future in the year 3000AD where the world has shifted on its axis and many humans have reverted back to ancient ways. There is a large dichotomy between the battle occurring in the sky and the difficult life experienced by humans living on the ground, which generates a compelling foundation from which to start. The chapters themselves are all quite short, and the momentum of the story is decently forward focused. Told in the third person from multiple points of view, readers are able to better understand each character and what has led them to this specific moment in time.

The writing is well suited for teen readers thanks to its frequent dialogue and action sequences. At fifteen, Ferren is experiencing many of the things readers might be feeling themselves, including the desire to step away from the home they have always known in order to discover the outside world on their own terms. In addition, light romance and a focus on growth and independence are found in various places throughout the narrative. While its premise is supernatural on its face, this book provides readers with fodder to contemplate the potential future of the world and how humans play into that reality. This is an intriguing story to share with young teen readers who have an interest in speculative and fantasy fiction.

When Angels fall to earth, their aura destroyed, they are supposed to blink out of existence, leaving nothing for anyone to use against them. After Miriael crash lands, this doesn't happen. Instead, she remains damaged and disoriented.

The People residing in the Dwelling Place are a small tribe who gather under their communal blanket each night desperate for hostilities to cease and peace to break out. Only one tribesman, Ferren, is curious about the world around him. Instead of trying to sleep at the edge of the blanket, he watches the sky, listening to the latest battle between Heaven and Earth, trying to imagine what's happening and how long it will last. One night, though, he sees something bright, flash across the sky, which will change everything he thinks he knows.

After Ferren's curiosity gets the better of him he discovers nothing is quite as he thought, but the war has been raging for a thousand years and none of his tribe are as open to new information as he is. As his actions lead him in a different direction Ferren comes across things which change everything and cause him to fear for future of The People but can he save them or is there no way to alter what comes next for anyone?

This is the start of the Ferren Trilogy by Richard Harland and totally outside my comfort zone! It is, however, an engaging, well written, and compelling story that I'm delighted I took a chance on. There are two new post-apocolyptic worlds contained here, and the timeline begins with Earth's recent history before moving into the realms of science fiction and fantasy in such a way that it seems totally believable and realistic.

From his first mention, Ferren is someone to support and cheer for. He is so much more than he thinks he is, and his actions show this throughout. Miriael, as it should be, is far more enigmatic, at least to begin with, but she too is a strong, driven character, and both storylines are fascinating and a bit scary! Although there is a conclusion, it is obvious that far more has to happen for anything like a satisfactory final resolution to be reached. I can't wait to step outside my comfort zone twice more to continue reading this series.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, IFWG Publishing International, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this excellent book but would say it is aimed at teens and YA rather than middle grade.

The Review

This was a compelling and magnificent sci-fi and fantasy dystopian read. The visceral nature of the post-apocalypse and the grueling war between the humen forces and the angels serve as a great background for the core story. The imagery in the author’s writing really captures the gritty and gnarled images that the setting conjures up in the reader’s mind.

To me, the world-building and the character development were the true stars of the book. The mythos the author is able to develop both for the “celestials” and the “Humen” was both fascinating and engaging, and the journey to uncover what happened to start this war, to begin with, was remarkable to behold. The bond and experiences that Ferren and the angel Miriael are so engaging, as it showcases the fear and mistrust that has built between both sides of this war and the misconceptions each had for one another, and the book expertly showcases both the beauty and ugliness of human nature overall.

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, memorable, and entertaining, author Richard Harland’s “Ferren and the Angel” is a must-read sci-fi and fantasy dystopian post-apocalypse novel. The twists and turns in the narrative and the adrenaline-fueled, emotional, and moving world-building and character growth that the reader is treated to will have readers hanging onto the edges of their seats.

This book seriously took me by surprise, it went in directions that I was not expecting, and I do so love a book that does that to me. The setting of the book is post-apocalyptic, about a thousand years in the future. and the earth is mostly decimated. And all due to a war between mankind and heaven.

Ferren is our main character, and we see most of the story through his point of view, we learn and discover through him, which is fun. And Miriael, the fallen Angel, gets her fair share of chapters, and she learns about the Tribe she has fallen near, and that fills in the gaps in the history of the earth.

I can't say much about this book without giving anything away, so I will leave it with its a damn amusing and horrific read that needs to be read to be believed.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley. This is not my normal type of book to read but the synopsis sounded interesting. I really became enamored by the characters and the storyline. I loved the relationship between Ferren and Mirlael and Ferren. Parts of this book are dark and dystopian and in spite of those elements, the story is still positive. The journey that Ferren undertakes is courageous and you can see his growth. The same can be said of Mirlael. I am interested in what happens in the next book and in seeing their friendship develop. I would highly recommend this book, especially for those who may feel that they are different from others around them. I was surprised I like this book as well as I did. It is a tribute to Richard Harland's writing. Check it out.

Summary

I recently read YA novel Ferren and the Angel (The Ferren Trilogy, #1) by English-Australian author Richard Harland.

Ferren is the protagonist, a young boy on the cusp of manhood belonging to one of many scattered tribes of the People. These subservient groups are dependent on the larger organisation called the Humen. When the angel Muriel falls from the sky during open warfare with Heaven – it is Ferren who finds and befriends her.

During the ongoing warfare between the militarised Humen forces and the angels of Heaven, Ferren and Muriel discover nothing is as it seems. The machines used by the Humen forces hold a horrific secret and the robotic soldiers are a darker truth that makes the People question their allegiance to the Humen authority.

Review

Ferren and the Angel is well-written and strongly crafted post-apocalyptic novel. Harland writes powerful characters inhabiting a broken world and deceived by the Humen authority using the scattered tribes to fuel their war with Heaven. Harland shows these elements through Ferren’s and the angel Muriel which confront the grey shades of morality by the contrasting darkness.

Conclusion

An unusual and powerful post-apocalyptic YA novel that’s highly recommended for fans of dystopian fiction, angelology, strong characters and a great coming-of-age read.