Every twenty years a new Archangel is chosen to lead the people of Samaria both politically and spiritually. The Archangel's most important role, however, is to lead the people in the Gloria, a yearly religious celebration which is conducted by the Archangel and his or her divinely chosen spouse. The Gloria is only a few short months away, and the new Archangel Gabriel is both surprised and offended to find that his bride comes not from one of many noble houses of Samaria, but that she has spent the last five years as a slave.
I admit I'm at a loss as to how to describe this book, and that's partly the publisher's fault. The reviews I read online made it sound like a typical fantasy novel with some strong romantic elements (yes, the angels actually have wings). But the back of this book describes a completely different story--and one that doesn't really happen in the confines of this book (though it might get more attention in future volumes; there was certainly a fair amount of foreshadowing in this volume). My advice would be not to read the publisher's description of the book, as it's chock full of spoilers (especially for the climax of THIS volume). That aside, I really loved this book. The relationship between Gabriel and Rachel is kind of Pride & Prejudice-y, but there's enough political and religious conflicts thrown in to keep it from being a straight-up romance. I loved Shinn's world building, too, and am looking forward to going back to Samaria in future volumes to see how it has evolved over the years. A great read for a holiday weekend, and a good suggestion for Anne McCaffrey fans.
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