The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker

Review: A smashing success for Shawn Smucker with his debut novel, The Day the Angels Fell! It was beautifully written, plotted brilliantly, and I fell in love with his cast of characters. I was asked minutes after finishing this book how I liked it. My reply was that I haven't read such a fantastic fairy tale in a long time. What was brilliant about this book was that it was an amazingly clever twist off the story of the two cherubim who were left to guard the Tree of Life from the Bible. I tell you, this book is a must read. In trying to find another way to describe it, I would also add that it had some definite ways it reminded me of the Chronicles of Narnia (I don't say that lightly, those have been my all time favourite books since I was five years old). 

The story is told from the point of view of an old man - an old man we almost immediately find out is the young boy in the story, Samuel. Samuel is about twelve years old, and he and his best friend are the main drive behind this story. Samuel and Abra find themselves thrust into the craziest adventure of their lives when the veil between physical and spiritual is pulled back and a thousand year old drama begins to play out on the land of Samuel's farm. Ancient foe, heavenly hosts, devilish monsters, legend, and a supernatural weapon weave their way through Samuel and Abra's summer as they fight to deal with the scenario they find themselves at the head of. 

The Day the Angels Fell is clever enough for an adult or teen to be fully engrossed. The content could have been written quite easily for an older audience, but the way Shawn Smucker penned this book I would be comfortable giving it to a young teen, no problem. There are some mature questions asked about right and wrong, "just because you can do something, should you?", what is death?, is death a gift or a curse?, and so on... The Day the Angels fell definitely made me think in addition to thoroughly entertaining me. I really hope that this book is the start of a long series (ten or more books please!). Congratulations to Shaw Smucker and his team for an excellent job well done. I am quite spellbound and waiting for me. 

Back Cover: It was the summer of storms and strays and strangers. The summer that lightning struck the big oak tree in the front yard. The summer his mother died in a tragic accident--and young Samuel Chambers would have done anything to turn back time. Even today, he can hardly believe it all happened . . .

Prompted by three strange carnival fortune-tellers and the surfacing of his mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Sam begins his search for the Tree of Life--the only thing that could possibly bring his mother back. 

His quest to defeat death will entangle him and his best friend Abra in an ancient conflict, forcing Sam to grapple with an unwelcome question.

Could it be possible that death is a gift?

Thank-you to Baker Publishing House and Graf Martin Communications for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.