The Archangel of Death is the master of taking human life. But keeping mortals alive? Not exactly Azrael’s forte.For thousands of years, Azrael’s greatest enemy has been silent. Leaving him in relative peace for the first time since the great angel war.Now that silence has been broken, and the Morning Star has returned with a dangerous ultimatum: Azrael can join, or watch everything he loves be … everything he loves be destroyed.
Two lives hang in the balance—Azrael’s beloved human wife, Nadine, and their unborn, part-angel son…Warren.
The Archangel is a standalone story that happens three decades before The Soul Summoner begins. It can be read in any order, but it is recommended for this novella to be read later in the series.
THE SOUL SUMMONER SERIES ORDER:
Book 1 – The Soul Summoner
Book 2 – The Siren
Book 3 – The Angel of Death
Book 4 – The Taken
Book 5 – The Sacrifice
Book 6 – The Regular Guy
Book 7 – The Soul Destroyer
Book 8 – The Guardian
Book 9 – The Daughter of Zion
THE SOUL SUMMONER COMPANION STORIES:
The Detective: A Nathan McNamara Story
The Mercenary: A Warren Parish Story
The Archangel: An Azrael Story
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The Archangel gives us a glimpse into Azreal’s past; his life just before Warren. We see the main characters on a deeper level; with a greater understanding of why Azreal is the way he is earlier in the series. Some answers are given to questions asked previously, example, what exactly happened when Warren was born and why did he end up in foster care? Once again I was blown away by the ease of Elicia’s storytelling ability! I could feel the raw emotions pouring from the pages. It is as if I can see her stories unfolding in front of me. Truly a brilliant novella!
This is a backstory of Azrael and Nadine. You need to read it as part of the entire Soul Summoners Series. A fantastic story to fill in all the blanks of what occurred when their son Warren was born. So much love and loss, good vs. evil. Heart-wrenching but necessary to let us know how it all happened and why. As usual Elicia Hyder hit it out of the park and gave us another fantastic story that makes me continue to love this series and I never want it to end.
Aww…Azreal, his story makes you love his grumpy butt even more!! Love this series so hard!
What sacrifice would you make to save your child, to save the world? This is how I started my review for book #5 in The Soul Summoner series. These questions are still pertinent to this short story in the series as well. This is the story of Azrael, the Archangel of Death, and Nadine, his human wife just prior to and just after the birth of their son, Warren Parish. Azrael is making preparations that would enable him to remain near his family after the baby is born, and to keep them all safe from Satan, a.k.a. the Morning Star. We learn: how Claymore Worldwide Security came to be, about Flint McGrath’s relationship with Azrael, about Azrael’s relationship with his in-laws, how Azrael became a fallen angel, and why Warren grew up not knowing his father.
There was so much happening in this short story. Like with any other Elicia Hyder book I hated it to end. I am amazed at the great tapestry Ms. Hyder has woven with the Soul Summoner series.
A little warning; even knowing what happens in the future, the ending of this story made me very sad. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
This book is not a stand alone. You must read the other books in the series first to understand what is going on here. I can’t wait for The Daughter of Zion, the last book in this series, to know how all of the good guys get to live happily ever after.
The bad news? You really need to have read ALL of The Soul Summoner series and the other two companion books, in publication order, BEFORE you read The Archangel.
The good news? You really need to have read ALL of The Soul Summoner series and the other two companion books, in publication order, BEFORE you read The Archangel.
Even given the bits and pieces of Archangel Azreal’s past we’ve picked up over time, this book fills in so many blanks, and explains so very, very much about why Az did as he did, and is as he is.
You’ll be tempted to break out every swear word you know, including some to aim at author-extraordinaire Elicia Hyder, while reading this book. Just give in to the temptation and do it. Then say a prayer (if that is something you do) that Ms. Hyder actually IS an angel, and can therefore write books for all eternity.
Yes, Elicia Hyder’s The Archangel: An Azrael Story (The Soul Summoner Companion Stories Book 3) is indeed a prequel to her Soul Summoner series (though I think reading it as I did after the current 9 books of that series is the best approach), but it’s a perfectly great book even for those who haven’t read that series. (Scattered thoughts aside here: you really, really should read that series if you have t yet.). This is the story of Azrael (yup, that one: the Archangel of Death) and Nadine when she was pregnant with Warren (who grows up to be the Warren Parrish of the Soul Summoner series). It explains why Azraek has to leave Warren – so great backstory for fans – but is also just a really finely plotted and well written tale that anyone will enjoy. On that basis alone it’s easy to recommend.