New Release Review ~ Angel of Shadow ~ D.H. Nevins #2018NewRelease

Angel of Shadow by D.H. Nevins
Wormwood #2
Release Date: January 13, 2018
Genre: Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Source: I received an eARC from the author. This did not affect my rating and my review is provided voluntarily.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
D.H. Nevins hurtles you into a world of half-angels, demons and tormented love in this driving, dystopian sequel to Wormwood.

Half-angels, known as Nephilim, have all but destroyed the surface of the Earth. Yet for Kali Michaels, her life is now much more complicated than simply surviving. Grappling with her own powerful identity, she worries her connection to the world of Shadows could destroy those around her.
And what if she hurts Tiamat Wormwood, the Nephilim outcast who has given everything to save her?
Tiamat and Kali know hey have no future - not when outside forces and Kali's own power push both the humans and the Nephilim to the brink of extinction.
As she fights to stop the inevitable, she is led to question who her real enemies are, and whether the ultimate threat may actually be herself.

To say I'd been anxiously awaiting the release of Angel of Shadow is an understatement. Wormwood made much an impression I couldn't wait to see what Kali and Tiamat did next. But wait I did. And fortunately, Angel of Shadow was worth the wait!

Highlights

• Characters
  Of course, Kali and Tiamat are the central characters of the story but Nevins also further developed characters we'd previously met as well as weaving in some new ones. All the characters, particularly a demon named Richard, added complexity to the story overall as well as creating tension, suspense, and providing comic relief. I'm a fan of character growth and watching Kali in particular grow, change, and mature was a pleasure.
• Action/Suspense/Gritty Setting
  Angel of Shadow didn't skimp on action or suspense. Now that the Nephilim are split and no one is quite certain what the new missions is, I waited and watched with bated breath to see what was going to happen. Also a revelation concerning Kali had me biting my nails as the repercussions slowly revealed themselves. And of course Richard had to keep stirring things up for all involved.
  Nevins adeptly paints a post-apocalyptic landscape. I could almost taste the dust and ask, feel the crunch of dirt and small pebbles being walked on, feel the oppressive darkness of the caves. And the battle scenes had me gasping for air.
• Thought-provoking Elements
  Nevins had Kali, Tiamat, and other dealing with accepting new roles as well as accepting themselves when new characteristics/traits were realized. It was interesting and exciting to witness characters learning to deal when things went against long-held beliefs, when they reached deep and found inner strength they didn't realize was there, and try to understand that genetics don't make a person, it's the choices the person makes and the actions the take that make them who they are. Kali and Tiamat are also exploring love - what it means to love and to be loved.

And all this was delivered in Nevins' beautiful prose.

The future is uncertain for Kali, Tiamat, and their friends. Whatever comes, they'll face it together. I'm eager to see where things go from here.