Book Review: Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean

“‘There are a lot more demons than you might think. When Lucifer was cast out of heaven, he took a third of the angels with him.’
‘A third?’ I said. ‘How? How did he convince them?’
‘Evil is contagious,’ she answered simply.”

I have commented before on how much I enjoy world-within-the-world books, and this was no exception. Heather Maclean’s tale of angels and demons that walk among, yet somewhat apart from, us was a very enjoyable tale about how complicated life – and love – can be. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and it sets up a new series nicely. But, funny thing, when I went to write the review I found that I didn’t have all that much to say about the book…

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the story – no gaps or continuity issues, no flat characters or half-hearted developments. Immediately after finishing, I gave it four stars. I read it quickly and without breaks when I needed other books. But I when I sat down a couple of days after finishing it and started writing this review, I found myself unable to remember many details – and some of those I thought I remembered were actually from similar, but different, books… I guess maybe the “good and evil are REALLY all around us” concept is playing itself out for me. This book was a fine addition to the genre, but wasn’t so vastly different as to leave a lasting impression. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, or that I won’t look for the sequel – I did and I will. This is reading for fun – and that’s a marvelous thing, it just doesn’t make for the most exciting book reviews!

This was a perfectly pleasant story (well, not perfectly – poor protagonist Maren suffers WAY more than her share of grief, but you know what I mean), with well-drawn characters and an interesting and evenly paced plot. It isn’t going to change your life, but it will be a thoroughly engaging read.

My review copy was provided by NetGalley.