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Samaria is a world populated by the Mandaavi (merchants), Jansaii (crafty, secretive traders), Edori (peaceful nomads), mortals and lastly, angels (lofty and proud). All believe that the original settlers of their world were carried to Samaria in Jovah's own hands from their war torn homeworld. Technology is forbidden by Jovah (their god) as it could lead to the development of weapons and therefore war.
The Angels are the intermediaries between man and god. They raise their voices in song to pray for such bounty as medicines, rain, sunshine etc which god then provides. Every twenty years a new Archangel is appointed by the god, to guide the inhabitants of this land. Jovah also selects a spouse for the new archangel.
In this novel the new archangel is Gaaron (Gabriel Aaron). His bride is to be Susannah, an edori woman who feels trapped in the angels Eyrie having spent all of her life wandering with her people and she is none too happy at being selected as the new Angelica.
To add to Gaarons troubles, there are problems in his peaceful world. Reports come in about mysterious men who appear and disappear at will and who are destroying whole camps of travellers. With no weapons they are helpless to fight back. While some are arguing for the creation of weapons others are fearful that Jovahs wrath will destroy them if they do develop them.
Sharon Shinn has created a series that is a mixture of romance, fantasy and science fiction. She has managed to produce something different from the usual tales in these genres and for anyone who appreciates something a little different I would highly recommend this.
For those of you not familiar with the setting, Samaria is a world settled by the remnants of a religious colony, led by a host of angels that protect the common people. Shinn's stories deal with love and discovery of the world around them and their past as two common themes, and I truly love the way she handles things. Characters are definitely her strongpoint, and she's able to immediately make you feel for them at the very beginning of the book. Her prose is magnificent as well, and she's apt at making you truly feel you are *IN* the story.
ANGELICA follows the story of three people: Susannah, an Edori woman; Gaaron, the steadfast angel destined to be the next Archangel, and his hellion of a sister, Miriam. This storyline was hinted at in the pages of ARCHANGEL, and those wanting more of a taste of the Edori of Samaria will find this book a wonderful read. The Edori really play more of a role than the angels do, so those purely interested in the romance/angels aspect might be a bit disappointed if expecting it to be a clone of Archangel. The storyline follows Susannah the most, though the entire story is not romance-based like ARCHANGEL. Rather, we are thrown into the turmoil of the year just before Gaaron is to ascend to power, when strange visitors are attacking the peaceful people of Samaria, and they must decide what to do with the new, frightening threat. Shinn's storyline truly surprised me, and I found it very interesting. She always makes me wonder what she is doing next, and I find that delightful in an author.
I would not recommend this as a starting point for the series--go out and buy ARCHANGEL instead. After you've read the first trilogy, this will be a satisfying return to the world that Shinn has so masterfully created. If you start out reading this book without the tidbits from the others, you will miss some of the better hints of the story that Shinn never explains fully, expecting you, the reader, to be a returning friend to the setting. The details of Samaria are subtle in this book, and first-time readers of the series will miss all the parts that made me smile with happiness.
Bottom line: A wonderful read. The ending is a bit abrupt, but still satisfies. If you're looking to start the series, skip this and go onto ARCHANGEL instead. If you're looking to pick up an easy, wonderfully told read, please pick up Angelica. Truly worth the hardcover price (something you cannot say about a lot of books nowdays).
Try Shinn's earlier books--The Shape-Changer's Wife and Archangel.
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