Ferren and the Angel

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.

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.

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!