#a. m. blaushild

[hellisntreal]

His skin was the blue Iofiel had changed her hair to, a deep and oceanic hue dotted with dapples of gold and shades of other colors, like he had dozed too long in the sunlight and the sunbeams had stuck. His hair was teal and his six eyes were closed in permanent exasperation, his fingers interlocked, dark black nails digging into sapphire skin. He dressed like a nomad, not a soldier, but Michael was Michael- the Archangel, the one who would conquer the beast on judgement day.

Good Angel art for fun. I'm planning on doing a number of bonus panels in this style of fav moments from both books, and special blue boy Michael was my top choice, in his special little butterfly garden.

[bitchqueen1114]

Just got these a few days ago! I'm four pages into Good Angel and already loving it! Iofiel must be protected at all costs!!!!

I write silly books about angels and demons and love as the world ends around you (and how maybe it can still be okay in the end anyways)

A naive angel befriends a bullied demon and that forbidden friendship kick-starts the apocalypse. About identity and love and what it's like to be a cosmic being not meant to have free will.

A huge swath of LGBT characters and stuff too, especially in the realm of questioning and experimenting. No real romance, just friendship, and ace/aro/queer stuff.

If you don't know, it's about impossible for indie authors to spread the word about their work. I'm a very ill and disabled person unable to work, so every reblog and especially review matters so much.

I offer free copies for anyone who wants one. Ideally you'd review, but I just want people to be able to read them.

Gum eboook

Amaz print

Goodreads

[daybringersol]

alloaro book recs !

took some time but alright ! well first i gotta say, i havent read any of them (yet), but i will try to find reviews online.

this is mostly based on this database (link) i found, cuz im gonna be so honest with you, its straight up the only place where i could find that information.

Commit to the kick by Tris Lawrence

Urban fantasy. Lead is a demiromantic gay man. Found family. Queer-platonic partnership, though not defined that way (not sure what that means either). Writer is a queer woman. 4.7/5 on Goodreads (link), though only with 7 ratings. Seems batshit insane tbh, the guy transforms into a bear, theres clan politics, magic and sports. Can be read online for free here (link) I think? Can also be bought as a book here (link).

Viral airwaves by Claudie Arsenault

Science fiction. One of the main characters is a gay non-binary aromantic person, and has a queerplatonic relationship with a man. Book cover is the colors of the aroallo flag. Writer is an aroace woman from Québec (sorry, that's important to me, I'm québecois). 4.09/5 on Goodreads (link). Can be bought here (link). Look in comments for more info.

The ascencion by A. M. Blaushild

Fantasy, science fiction. One of the main characters is a bisexual aromantic woman. No pairings, only friendships. Author is disabled (chronically ill & autistic) and LGBT+. Can't find that specific book anywhere gonna be honest. Still leaving this here in case I do at some point. Look in comments for more info.

Baker thief by Claudie Arsenault

Fantasy, superhero. Lead is a bisexual aromantic non-binary person. Relationships explored are family, friendship, mentor, queer-platonic relationship (with a woman). Enemies to lovers (?). Lead is mainly attracted to women and femme non-binary genders. Writer is an aroace woman from Québec. 3.95/5 on Goodreads (link). Read it online for 2.99$ USD (minimum) here (link). Can also be bought as a book here (link).

The trouble by Daria Defore

Contemporary, romance, new adult. Lead is an aromantic gay man. Around an indie rock band. Relationships explored are friendships (bandmates), but includes a M/M pairing and explicit sexual content, so I'm guessing it's a friends with benefits situation? I don't know. Written by a most likely queer woman (haven't found her saying it herself but she only writes queer fiction). 3.85/5 on Goodreads (link). Currently unavailable everywhere, including Amazon (link), Ebay (link), Thriftbooks (link), for some reason, which is unfortunate for me because I'd like to read it. First 15 pages are available on Book Read Free (link) though. If you find a way to get it, please link me up.

Mangoverse by Shira Glassman

Fantasy. A series of books. Side character is a straight aromantic woman. Woman-focused, jewish-focused. Don't know if the character is in all the books, and if not, in which ones she is. Her name is Eshvat if that helps. Lots of other queer representation in all the books though. Ratings on Goodreads (link) range from 3.70/5 to 4.35/5.

Holding Onto Day by E. H. Timms

Fantasy, science fiction, paranormal. One of the main characters is a non-binary pansexual aromantic person. Relationships explored are found family and friendships. No pairings. Written by an aroace genderqueer person (she/they). 4/5 on Goodreads (link), though only out of 15 ratings. Involves vampires and werewolves. Only available for kindle on Amazon (link).

Novis by Rachel Tonks Hill

Science fiction. One of the main characters is an allosexual (attraction not specified but I'd assume sapphic) aromantic woman. Relationships explored are queer-platonic (F/F/F) and friendships. Includes moments of microaggressions against aces and aros and a fade-to-black sex scene. Writer is non-binary, bisexual and polyamorous. 4/5 on Bookreads (link), though only out of 9 ratings. Women-focused. Available as a paperback here (link) and as a kindle here (link).

The representative by Ripley Santo

Cuil (link), erotica, dark fantasy, paranormal. One of the leads is a bisexual aromantic man. M/M/F/NB relationship explored (could be romantic or QPR, not sure. probably sexual in nature.). 0 ratings on Goodreads (link). Currently out of print on Amazon (link).

more recommendations in comments !

taglist : @sorting-algorithm

[thesafewaystobereckless]

Reviewing BookTuber Books: A post series

I love watching reviews, even of products or media I do not consume myself. Lately I have been watching a lot of book reviews. I enjoy listening to these videos while doing other activities, so I appreciate I can still engage with the content while not needing to watch my screen.

Anyone can review anything. Everyone has the right to critique any product they consume even if they are not experts on the specifics of that product. For instance, I do not need to be a television producer, screenwriter, or an actor to tell someone that I think the Big Bang Theory is a terrible sitcom.

However, reviews written by people who are experts in the domain they're reviewing are much different. For this reason, I wanted to explore the books, poems, and essays written by prominent figures in the BookTube community. Every author I analyze here will be people I find to have especially good perspectives on literature.

Some future highlights will include works from A. M. Blaushild (Crowcaller), K.R. Martin (Krimsonrogue), and Rachel Oats (RachelOates).

The first in this series will be Welcome to the Ooze Cruise, a collection of poems from A. M. Blaushild. This collection is available for free on her Gumroad store: (edited 7/3/23 because I forgot to paste the Gumroad link)

I'm starting with this collection because it was free to read, and because it was the first BookTuber piece of literature I read.

Likewise, check out her book review blog and her YouTube channel here:

[theomnilegent]

good angel // bad end by a. m. blaushild

“She’s a good angel, so it’s not going to be anything bad.”

[quibbs]

hey guys! this was a book cover i just finished for A. M. Blaushild’s Good Angel! i had a blast

here’s the link to the book summary and keep it in ur thoughts, check it out if you can B)

[posi-pan]

Books recs for queer books that aren’t visibly queer often lack books with pan rep, so [cracks knuckles] let’s do this. This is mostly YA, because this type of rec is usually aimed at closeted teens.

This list is based on the cover and synopsis on Goodreads. It’s possible a different synopsis, author bios, blurbs, and google searches might mention queerness. I’ve noted the books that are listed under queer categories on Amazon (*) and queer shelves on Goodreads (**).

The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova

Alexey Dyed in Red by A.M. Valenza **

The Almosts Trilogy by L.C. Mawson **

American Hippo by Sarah Gailey

The Andersson Dexter series by M. Darusha Wehm

Ardulum series by J.S. Fields * **

The Barrow series by Mark Smylie

The Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud

Base Status: Online by Emmy Engberts

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

The Black Tree by Michón Neal

The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer **

Blood in the Water by Tash McAdam

Borderline by Mishell Baker

Breakfire’s Glass by A.M. Valenza **

Calloway Sisters series by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

A Darker Shade of Magic series by V.E. Schwab

Every Day by David Levithan *

Fallible Justice by Laura Lassko

Final Draft by Riley Redgate * **

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

The Girl at Midnight series by Melissa Grey *

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Good Angel duology by A.M. Blaushild **

The Hollow Sun series by D.L. Wainright **

I am the Storm by Tash McAdam *

The Incarcerado Trilogy by John Hornor Jacobs

Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron **

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith**

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee **

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Noba series by G.L. Tomas

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

Millenium series by Stieg Larsson

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter

No More Heroes by Michelle Kan **

Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher **

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy * **

The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman **

Rogues of the Republic series by Patrick Weekes

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger

Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

The Spider’s Web by Sophia Beaumont

Superheroes Anonymous series by Lexie Dunne

Sweet Revenge series by Elliot Junkyard * **

Tybalt Perdition by John Cordial

Under Dark Sky Law by Tamara Boyens

Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire **

We are the Catalyst by Tash McAdam * **

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas * **

Please let me know if I missed something and any of these aren’t so stealthy! For more details on these books/pan rep, check out my list of all pan book rep and my pan rep masterlist!

Happy (stealth) reading!

[sapphicbookclub]

Do you know any books involving angels or winged people?

Yup, I in fact do! Here’s a few:

Big Love by Saxon Bennett & Layce Gardner

The Guardian Angel by Bridget Essex

Wings trilogy by Lesley Davis

Dark Wings Descending, Pale Wings Protecting, White Wings Weeping

Angels duology by Siri Caldwell

Angel's Touch, Earth Angel

Special mention: Good Angel and Bad End by A. M. Blaushild. We’ve read those in our book club (and they’re still on there as our “bonus” longer read since there are sequels) so consider joining and reading those for free!

[ciphertext-x]

LGBTQIA+ books!

Pride month is coming up, and my eyes are peeled for more LGBTQIA+ books! In the meantime, here’s my current list. I haven’t read all of these, in fact I’ve only read a small portion of them, but all of them are either queer-centric, or have side characters representing. For the ones I’ve not read myself, my info comes only from what I’ve heard other people say! Also, I’m not necessarily saying that all of these books are good, but they have that representation we so crave!

If you know of any more, feel free to add them!

Long post, so rest is below the cut. Links go to Goodreads so you can read more info, but I’ll put some keywords along with them along with any trigger warnings I know of.

Adrift by Isabelle Adler The main character is gay OR bisexual, OR it may be that someone is gay and someone is bi. I haven’t read this one. Sci-fi, action, adventure, aliens, pirates

And I Darken by Kiersten White One of the main siblings is gay. YA, historical fantasy, romance, royalty, war, diverse

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (most of Sáenz’s stuff is queer) Both main characters are gay. YA, romance, 80′s, Mexican-American, homophobia, hate crime, injury

Ash by Malinda Lo Main character is bisexual. YA, romance, fantasy, Cinderella retelling, fairy, hunter, royalty

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon A side character and the temporary object of the main character’s affections is gay. YA, urban fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia, London, clairvoyants, gangs, supernatural race, enslavement, violence, abuse

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan Main character is gay. A side character is a transgender female. YA, contemporary, romance, high school

Boy Meets Hamster by Birdie Milano Main character is gay. His best friend is a bisexual mixed race chubby girl. One of his love interests is black. Teen fiction/middle-grade, contemporary, romance, summer, disaster gay, homophobia, ableism, holiday park

Breaking His Spell by Foster Bridget Cassidy The main character and the prince are both gay. Fantasy, romance, Sleeping Beauty retelling, immortality, royalty, fake relationship, dragons

Captive Prince by C S Pacat The main character is a pleasure slave to another man. Historical fantasy, dark romance, adult, slavery, sexual assault and non-con, royalty, war

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Main character is bisexual. His male love interest is gay. YA, humour, fantasy, romance, Harry Potter, vampire, wizard, enemies-to-lovers

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Main character’s sister is bisexual. YA, fantasy, royalty, politics, fairies, murder

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer Main character’s brother is gay and in a relationship with a black boy. YA, contemporary & fantasy, Beauty & the Beast retelling, royalty, politics, disabled main character

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab One of the side characters is genderfluid. The prince is bisexual. Fantasy, parallel worlds, war, smuggler

The Deadly Nightshade by Justine Ashford One of the main characters is asexual. Sci-fi, futuristic, dystopia, war, gangs, humanity, violence, friendship

Dragonoak by Sam Farren Main character is a lesbian. Fantasy, adventure, knights, dark magic, secrets

Draw the Line by Laurent Linn Main character is gay. YA, contemporary, illustrated, homophobia, hate crime, Texas

Enemies Like These by P K Gardner Not sure about this one, there’s not a lot of information out there about it, but it’s tagged LGBT everywhere. Sci-fi, superheroes

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire One of the main characters is asexual. One of the main character’s is transgender. YA, fantasy, mystery, murder, boarding school

Fourth World by Lyssa Chiavari Both main characters are asexual. One is demisexual. YA, sci-fi, dystopia, space, planet is dying, aliens

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Main character is bisexual. YA, historical, romance, Europe, roguish passions, responsibilities

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan Main character is a lesbian and gets into a romance with another girl. YA, historical fantasy, romance, politics, rebellion, demons, concubines, sexual assault, abuse, Asian-inspired

The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan Main character develops romantic feelings towards another girl. Fantasy, magical realism, mermaids, romance, Scotland

Good Angel by A M Blaushild Main character is AroAce (and there’s a host of other queer rep). YA, fantasy, university, heaven and hell, angels and demons

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky Main character is a very young transgender girl. Middle-grade/teen fiction, contemporary, identity, school

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert A lesbian couple appear in the second half of the book to assist the main characters. YA, urban fantasy, horror, fairytale, mystery

Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer Main character is closeted gay. His love interest is gay. Contemporary, new adult, sports, diving, water, opposites attract

Hello World by Tiffany Rose & Alexandra Tauber Main character is asexual. Sci-fi, thriller, hacker, human data chips, human trafficking, corrupt corporation

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera Main character is gay. YA, contemporary, mental illness, sad, death, grief, romance

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson One of the main characters is gay. YA, contemporary, romance, siblings, drifting apart

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz One of the main characters lives with his adoptive gay father. YA, contemporary, Mexican-American main characters, loss, grief, identity

Just Juliet by Charlotte Reagan Main character is bisexual. Her love interest is a lesbian. YA, contemporary, romance, high school

The Last Chronomancer by Reilyn J Hardy Main character is AroAce. One of the side characters is genderfluid. Fantasy, adventure, curses, supernatural creatures

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann Main character is asexual and biromantic (and black). YA, contemporary, romance, college, Japanese love interest

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers One of the main characters winds up in a lesbian relationship with an alien who is pansexual. One character uses they/them pronouns, but is not explicitly non-binary. YA, sci-fi, space opera, adventure, running from the past, aliens, war, racism, found family, Dwarfism, Artificial Intelligence, romance

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth Main character is a lesbian. YA, contemporary, conservative character, religion, conversion therapy?

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera Main character is either bisexual or gay. YA, contemporary, romance, sad, suicide, homophobia, depression

More Than This by Patrick Ness Main character is gay. YA, sci-fi, death, afterlife, mystery, dystopia

Noah Can’t Even by Simon James Green The main character and his best friend kiss and end up together in the end only after a lot of soul-searching. Teen fiction/middle-grade, contemporary, romance, comedy, high school

Nocturna by Maya Motayne At least one queer side character (this book is very new, so I can’t find details) YA, fantasy, dark magic, Latinx-inspired, loss, abuse

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst Main character is either a lesbian or is bisexual. YA, fantasy, royalty, arranged marriage, assassination

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy Main character is pansexual, she has two mothers. One side character is genderfluid. One side character is gay.  YA, fantasy, sci-fi, King Arthur retelling, racially diverse, disabled side character, space, interdimensional travel, war, politics

Our Bloody Pearl by D N Bryn The siren character is non-binary (they/them) however it’s noted that humans can be non-binary too. One character is asexual. One character is a lesbian. Fantasy, pirates, romance, mermaids, steampunk, sci-fi, New Adult, found family

The Pardoner’s Tale by Morgan Ferdinand Main character is asexual. Urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires, werewolves, exorcist, monster-slayer

Peter Darling by Austin Chant Main character is a transgender male and gay. His love interest is gay. Fantasy, romance, historical, Peter Pan retelling, pirates, NeverLand, fairies, merpeople

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert Main character is gay.  YA, contemporary, adoption, anxiety, mental illness, grief, suicide, Asian-American characters

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman Bisexual (and biracial) main character. Her best friend is gay and demisexual. I’m told that MOST characters in this book are LGBTQIA+ and that includes asexual! YA, contemporary, identity, diversity, friendship, mental illness

Release by Patrick Ness Main character is gay. YA, paranormal, thriller, mystery, contemporary, sexual assault, drugs, murder

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness Honestly don’t know about this one, but I hear it does have something. YA, fantasy/sci-fi, superheroes, Chosen One

Showers Flowers and Fangs by Aidan Wayne Main character is a gay transgender male. His love interest is gay. YA, urban fantasy, romance, mythical/supernatural creatures (mainly fairy, vampire, and witch), menstruation, abuse

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Main character is gay. YA, contemporary, romance, high school, Love Simon, blackmail, Tumblr, secret identity

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Main character is in a relationship with another man. Historical, Iliad retelling, Greek mythology, war, Gods and Goddesses

Stake Sauce by RoAnna Sylver Main character is grey-aro-ace, transgender, and gay. One of the side characters is AroAce. A few are in a polyamorous relationship. Literally all side characters are queer. YA, urban fantasy, vampires, mental health, disabled main character, PTSD, chubby vampire, chronic pain

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson Main character’s female best friend spends the book crushing heavily on another girl. One of the minor side villains is gay and has a boyfriend. The main character’s mother (a queen) reportedly courted another girl in her youth. YA, fantasy, romance, royalty/politics, arranged marriage, depression, PTSD

Teeth by Zaya Feli There is an MLM romance. Someone is asexual. YA, historical, fantasy, Vikings

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch One of the three main characters is gay and in a relationship. YA, fantasy, politics, religion, royalty, botanical magic, pirates, steampunk, PTSD, secrets and lies, trust, racism, ignorance

They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera One of the main characters is described as queer. The other is bisexual, and Cuban-American. YA, contemporary, romance, sad, death, speculative fiction

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli Main character’s sister is a lesbian. YA, contemporary, romance, chubby protagonist, high school, crushes

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson The main character is gay. YA, sci-fi, aliens and abductions, the world is ending, suicide

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia The main character is in a lesbian relationship. YA, politics, spies, school, Latina, dystopia

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera Both main characters are gay (one of them is Puerto Rican). A side character is bioromantic asexual (her exact words). YA, romance, contemporary, humour, summer, disaster gay, first time

Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popovic One of the sisters is in a lesbian relationship. YA, fantasy, forbidden love, secrets

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan One of the Wills is gay. YA, contemporary, humour, coming of age, friendship

[biandlesbianliterature]

Hi! Do you know any aromantic wlw books?

Hmm, honestly, I haven’t encountered any before! According to this database: 

The Ascenson by A. M. Blaushild (free online!) has a bisexual, aromantic female main character. 

Gwen (a secondary character?) in The Manifold Worlds series by Foz Meadows is queer and aromantic (has a wife and husband).

The main character of the Planetary Tarantella Trilogy by Rachel Sharp is bisexual and aromantic.

Any Way the Wind Blows by Carlin Grant is tagged on Less Than Three’s site as Aromantic, Asexual, Queerplatonic (relationship between two women).

I Like it Hard by Francis James Franklin has a bisexual aromantic woman main character.

Does anyone else know of books with a bisexual or homosexual and aromantic woman main character? (Not either/or! Books where the character is a woman and BOTH aro and AND sexually attracted to women.)

[hellisntreal]

A few of my fav panels from chapter one and two of good angel (me book -_-). I’ve done a recording of it with my friend for youtube, but wanted to add some illustrations. I meant to do like. One per scene, maybe like 6 in the chapter- and only do chapter one or two- but have instead decided to do SO MUCH MORE.

So it’s all of part one- up to chapter six, basically the full start of the plot- with as many drawings as I want. Rn that is 30 and I just started chapter 3!

Hopefully it’ll be a lot of fun. I’ve been, as you can tell, really loving using texture brushes and doing it in this style, even though it’s NOT a story for kids (see, last panel). I can’t grasp scale or complex poses or anything but in this style it works out and just looks neat :3

[crow-caller]

have you watched angel's friends? before your videos it was the only angel media I knew! it has angel/demon schools and is very of it's time in terms of character designs so your angel ya videos gave me similar vibes

I've never seen or heard of this before, what.... I guess it's kinda an old and more obscure than you might think Italian comic. Angel media isn't very common, even with the YA para-ro influx.

And yes hehe angel demon magic schools... what is this good angel bad end by a m blaushild........

It... kinda immediately is charming to me though. I'm like. Wow I should read this (I am this easy to trick by bright colours and angels)

Look at that demon boy. man I made a demon chara named damien but why didn't I make her dress like THAT.

[occasionally-sketchy]

Broke out my ink brushes and colored in this doodle of Iofiel, a cutie angel from @crow-caller‘s/A. M. Blaushild’s book, “Good Angel”! I really like it so far! I based this particular drawing on a scene in the first chapter!

It’s a good book for those who like angelogy/demonology, slice-of-life college and fantasy stories! 

Enjoy!

Do Not Repost

[geminicblue]

@ocsdaily White Elephant exchange! This is for @percivel-graves, who has a book out: https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/angel-radio-by-a-m-blaushild-350-b

[layaart]

some angels from Angel Radio! i made an Attempt. (plus some doodles)

[theomnilegent]

Good Angel by A. M. Blaushild - Review

Unputdownable. This book is a stay-up-all-night-to-finish-it sort of book, and worth every minute. The beginning is slow, but once Iofiel and Archie become friends, you can sense the plot building with every page, every paragraph, every word – you can sense it building into something bigger, something that will shake up the universe, and it does. It’s done in a beautifully reverent manner, written with the kind of focus and care that should be dedicated to characters who are supposedly fighting the End Of Days.

This is the book that reminded me why I adore stories about angels and demons.

The angels in this book are so conceptually perfect I felt proud to have read them; I can only hope I could create characters as strong and well-written as Iofiel and Maalik, and their many angel brethren, and the moments of harsh and unforgiving behaviour – not angelic behaviour – that remind us that these are not the happy little cherubs from Renaissance paintings; these are agents of war. Similarly, the demons were conceptualised well, and the worldbuilding made it clear as to what they were and how they came to be. Salem was a sweetheart who could’ve used more screentime (pagetime?), but honestly, so could all the demons, especially Archie. Santiago and Damien were a beautiful, delightful, funny couple, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

One of the things I adored was the multifaceted view of gender and sexuality in both angels and demons – demons fell more into line with human sexuality, but angels had their own take on the matter, particularly with gender. There are plenty of genderless, genderqueer, and non-binary characters, who use such pronouns, throughout the story. There is a little romance towards the end, between someone who is asexual and someone who is bisexual. A lesbian couple make up a prominent side relationship, and overall, this story ended up being much more human than I was expecting of a story solely about Heavenly beings and creatures. It felt refreshing to read something where there are not only multiple sexualities, but multiple genders, and they are written with respect.

I hope the sequel, Bad End, expands on Archie as a character. I enjoyed being in Iofiel’s head and seeing how she viewed things, but I found myself wanting more from Archie, more about Archie and his ties to the Apocalypse. I also hope we’re given some satisfying conclusions to that one-punch-knockout of a cliffhanger at the end of Good Angel. Because, although I confess I saw it (or at least something similar) coming, it didn’t happen how I expected it to, and I was thoroughly delighted to be surprised by a book from a genre I’m very familiar with.

Blaushild’s writing is strong. Some might say it’s rushed in parts, and maybe it is, but I felt that the more quick-paced bits showed the reader how pressing the issue was really becoming, how they were inching ever-closer to an unavoidable End, and how everyone felt about it. Some were resigned, some were afraid, some were ready, and some were plotting nefariously. It was a hoot! Give this book a chance even if only for the humour – it’s wry and clever, and very well included. I found myself charmed by this book, its story, and its odd little otherworldly characters. To put it simply, I adored them, and I cannot wait to throw myself right into Bad End, and see what exactly becomes of Iofiel and Archie both.