Book Review: Griffin Rising

Have you ever wondered if there are angels among us? Guardian angels, who help us during all those times we get into trouble? If it seems like a miracle that you survived a bad car accident, maybe it was.

And what if one of those angels looked like a sixteen-year-old boy and lived across the street?

Griffin is an apprentice angel, still hoping to earn his wings (figuratively speaking – this type of angel does not have actual wings). His gifts are fire and earth, and his curse is a mentor named Nicopolis. For three years, he suffered gross abuse at the hands of an angel who has the same free will as humans, and uses it badly. By the end of those three years, he is a failure, unable to use his gifts properly, and afraid of his own shadow. Nicopolis wants him cast among the mortals, but Basil steps in to give Griffin the guidance he needs.

This is a love story, partly about the love between a young person and his father figure, and partly about the more traditional love between Griffin and the girl across the street.

Griffin is a character you can’t help but like, even when he has his normal teenage mood swings. He quite simply cares too much, and is willing to put himself at risk to ensure that others are safe. All this, despite being so badly mistreated early in life.

My only reservation about this book was the first-person journal entires from three different characters’ points of view. I think this is the reason I found the first half of the book a bit slow to read — but I couldn’t put the second half down!

This is the first book in a series, and so I’ll say this much about the ending – it left me hanging! I have to know more.

I recommend this to those who loves young adult fantasy.

Rating 4/5 stars

Title: Griffin Rising
Author: Darby Karchut
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
ISBN: 978-1-60619-210-8
Genre: Fantasy
Format: trade paperback/ebook
Trade paperback release date: June 15, 2011
But it now as an Amazon.com Kindle