- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Gollancz (19 Jun 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0575082917
- ISBN-13: 978-0575082915
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 14.8 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,173,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Principles Of Angels
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Product Description
Review
"In her first novel, Jaine Fenn has created a vivid and unusual world, populated by an interesting array of characters. A promising start." (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES )
"Fenn manages to put her own stamp on some familiar genre elements, enough to make this a genuinely promising debut" (Faren Miller LOCUS )
"The plot speeds along, the dialogue is sharp... British debut author Fenn's future dystopia may contain some overly familiar elements but it's mighty promising nonetheless." (Dave Golder BBC FOCUS )
"What initially plays as a slow-burning blend of murder mystery and hard sci-fi (with an added dash of China Mieville's gritty sense of urban energy) is soon expanding in scale and taking on some highly intriguing concepts. Fenn's debut novel is an impressive piece of work and adds another name to the list of SF and fantasy authors worth watching." (Saxon Bullock SFX )
"Fenn shows considerable promise with this debut. Well paced, with a satisfying number of twists and turns to hold your interest and characters are well drawn, ensuring you care enough about them to keep reading. This is an accomplished first novel from an author who bears watching." (Steve Robinson DEATHRAY )
"The novel reads as a thriller, short and punchy with clear prose and authentic characterisation. This is an enjoyable debut." (BRUM SF GROUP NEWSLETTER )
"The politics and social mores of Chesh are well-defined and surprisingly interesting...Given that it's a first novel, that bodes rather well for the future." (SF REVU )
"Jaine Fenn adroitly creates a richly detailed future world populated by some colorful and intriguing characters. Fenn is adept at keeping the action moving. There are many fine fight scenes, changes of locale, and cliff-hanging ends of chapters. Fenn also possesses a strong gift for vibrant description: the clothing, architecture, and interiors of dwellings are conveyed with a keen visual sense. Principles of Angels is a fun read, and a well written first novel." (SCI-FI DIMENSIONS )
"Principles of Angels offers a meaty science fantasy. It has a soundly structured plot, is well written and engages the senses. Angels is founded on social commentary but offers no prescription. Written in an urgent and compelling style, if you simply want a fast-paced, well imagined sci-fi read, you'll enjoy it." (Beth Webb MSLEXIA )
"Jaine Fenn is a potential star in the making." (SF CROWSNEST )
"An artfully engineered plot, flawed but compelling characters and a fascinating setting make for an entertaining first novel." (Eric Brown GUARDIAN )
"I found myself really enjoying this slice of 'low-tech' sci-fi and its hints of further developments in the future have got me looking forward to what Jaine Fenn comes up with next." (GRAEME'S FANTASY REVIEW )
"New author Jaine Fenn really doesn't pull punches in her dark look at the future of mankind in this tale where Dark City meets Bladerunner and one of the cheapest commodities is life. This really is Science Fiction at its best with risks that only a new author will take." (FALCATTA TIMES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Fenn manages to put her own stamp on some familiar genre elements, enough to make this a genuinely promising debut" (Faren Miller LOCUS )
"The plot speeds along, the dialogue is sharp... British debut author Fenn's future dystopia may contain some overly familiar elements but it's mighty promising nonetheless." (Dave Golder BBC FOCUS )
"What initially plays as a slow-burning blend of murder mystery and hard sci-fi (with an added dash of China Mieville's gritty sense of urban energy) is soon expanding in scale and taking on some highly intriguing concepts. Fenn's debut novel is an impressive piece of work and adds another name to the list of SF and fantasy authors worth watching." (Saxon Bullock SFX )
"Fenn shows considerable promise with this debut. Well paced, with a satisfying number of twists and turns to hold your interest and characters are well drawn, ensuring you care enough about them to keep reading. This is an accomplished first novel from an author who bears watching." (Steve Robinson DEATHRAY )
"The novel reads as a thriller, short and punchy with clear prose and authentic characterisation. This is an enjoyable debut." (BRUM SF GROUP NEWSLETTER )
"The politics and social mores of Chesh are well-defined and surprisingly interesting...Given that it's a first novel, that bodes rather well for the future." (SF REVU )
"Jaine Fenn adroitly creates a richly detailed future world populated by some colorful and intriguing characters. Fenn is adept at keeping the action moving. There are many fine fight scenes, changes of locale, and cliff-hanging ends of chapters. Fenn also possesses a strong gift for vibrant description: the clothing, architecture, and interiors of dwellings are conveyed with a keen visual sense. Principles of Angels is a fun read, and a well written first novel." (SCI-FI DIMENSIONS )
"Principles of Angels offers a meaty science fantasy. It has a soundly structured plot, is well written and engages the senses. Angels is founded on social commentary but offers no prescription. Written in an urgent and compelling style, if you simply want a fast-paced, well imagined sci-fi read, you'll enjoy it." (Beth Webb MSLEXIA )
"Jaine Fenn is a potential star in the making." (SF CROWSNEST )
"An artfully engineered plot, flawed but compelling characters and a fascinating setting make for an entertaining first novel." (Eric Brown GUARDIAN )
"I found myself really enjoying this slice of 'low-tech' sci-fi and its hints of further developments in the future have got me looking forward to what Jaine Fenn comes up with next." (GRAEME'S FANTASY REVIEW )
"New author Jaine Fenn really doesn't pull punches in her dark look at the future of mankind in this tale where Dark City meets Bladerunner and one of the cheapest commodities is life. This really is Science Fiction at its best with risks that only a new author will take." (FALCATTA TIMES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
A fast and furious debut from a stunning new SF talent: a woman playing in a man's world - and showing them how it's done!
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book has me slightly puzzled, because now I've managed to escape from its clutches and stop checking for... no, to tell you what it made me scared of would be a spoiler... anyway, now I've got "out" of it, it's hard to analyse what made it so gripping.
We have an ancient man-made (er, sentient-made) space city, all luxury on top and slums in the sewers/recycling mechanism. Nothing new there, standard cliche of either SF or fantasy. Tribe culture in the underworld - check. Gritty references to food and water from recycling - check. Of our two heros, one is a youngster in the underworld who has recently lost his protector, the other is a wealthy newcomer to the entire world who can therefore receive explanations that also explain things to the reader. Check, check. (Though I notice that many of these things are cliches I'm more used to meeting in fantasy than in SF). There are other cliches later on, too, mainly about alien powers and what the climax consists of, but I'll refrain from spoilers.
The Angels of the title are state-sponsored assassins. Now, that's new. This is a democracy by assassination: for a politician, failing is a very bad idea. You may "win" the vote to be Removed. We get a look at the concept from the viewpoint of victim, of assassin, and of audience. It's well-thought out, it's different, and the consequences have been thought through.
What else is different? Well, that young hero is a male prostitute - by choice. For once, this subject gets treated in a refreshingly non-hysterical fashion.
I think what gripped me, though, was the characterisation. Both heroes, and many of the other characters, are sympathetic people. They're not idiots, but they do have human flaws. The action keeps moving at a good pace, enough to stop me putting the book down without getting breathless. Because they feel real, the threats seem real, and because much of the background is undemanding, familiar, stuff, you don't get distracted by it.
We have an ancient man-made (er, sentient-made) space city, all luxury on top and slums in the sewers/recycling mechanism. Nothing new there, standard cliche of either SF or fantasy. Tribe culture in the underworld - check. Gritty references to food and water from recycling - check. Of our two heros, one is a youngster in the underworld who has recently lost his protector, the other is a wealthy newcomer to the entire world who can therefore receive explanations that also explain things to the reader. Check, check. (Though I notice that many of these things are cliches I'm more used to meeting in fantasy than in SF). There are other cliches later on, too, mainly about alien powers and what the climax consists of, but I'll refrain from spoilers.
The Angels of the title are state-sponsored assassins. Now, that's new. This is a democracy by assassination: for a politician, failing is a very bad idea. You may "win" the vote to be Removed. We get a look at the concept from the viewpoint of victim, of assassin, and of audience. It's well-thought out, it's different, and the consequences have been thought through.
What else is different? Well, that young hero is a male prostitute - by choice. For once, this subject gets treated in a refreshingly non-hysterical fashion.
I think what gripped me, though, was the characterisation. Both heroes, and many of the other characters, are sympathetic people. They're not idiots, but they do have human flaws. The action keeps moving at a good pace, enough to stop me putting the book down without getting breathless. Because they feel real, the threats seem real, and because much of the background is undemanding, familiar, stuff, you don't get distracted by it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
New author Jaine Fenn really doesn't pull punches in her dark look at the future of mankind in this tale where Dark City meets Bladerunner and one of the cheapest commodities is life.
Well written with an almost classical class of characters the reader is treated to a story within a story as the characters each struggle to find their own way in this dangerous world only to end up discovering that through cooperation do they stand any chance of success as the tale builds up to a climatic finish that no one will see coming. This really is Science Fiction at its best with risks that only a new author will take allowing the reader to see a world in vivid colour against the backdrop of a power struggle for societies elite using the denizens of the undercity as pawns in a masterful game of political court chess where even a pawn can become King. If you're looking for something different to many books out there, this one truly does stand on its own two feet and will more than entertain.
Well written with an almost classical class of characters the reader is treated to a story within a story as the characters each struggle to find their own way in this dangerous world only to end up discovering that through cooperation do they stand any chance of success as the tale builds up to a climatic finish that no one will see coming. This really is Science Fiction at its best with risks that only a new author will take allowing the reader to see a world in vivid colour against the backdrop of a power struggle for societies elite using the denizens of the undercity as pawns in a masterful game of political court chess where even a pawn can become King. If you're looking for something different to many books out there, this one truly does stand on its own two feet and will more than entertain.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I met Jaine Fenn at Bristolcon, where she was the sole female science fiction writer speaking on the various panels. I had a chance to chat to her during the evening and made a mental note to get hold of her writing. I'm very glad I did, as her debut novel on my Kindle made a long train journey zip by in a blur of excitement and action.
So... this floating city with the privileged living a vastly better life than the underclass who - literally - struggle for survival under their feet - is it convincing and does it rise above the inevitable clichéd feel of that description? Yes - in my opinion it certainly does. And I've been startled to read some really unpleasant, sneering reviews about this book. What places it outside the norm for this genre is that Principles of Angels is completely character-driven. Perhaps the omission of a limited omniscient info-dump is perplexing some of those reviewing the book. Well, it's fine with me - I happen to think one of the reasons why Fantasy is currently trampling Science Fiction underfoot, is that the majority of best-selling Fantasy authors write punchy, character-led stories which readers find accessible and engrossing. And a large number of Science Fiction writers don't...
Fenn drops her readers right into the middle of the action in Taro's viewpoint as he battles for his life - his character sings off the pages from the start and continues to sparkle right through the book. He survives as a prostitute and while Fenn doesn't flinch from showing us the seamy underbelly of such a trade, at no time does she slide into gratuitous detail. Overall, I felt the world-building was strong and convincing - we see slices of Khesh City from both above and below and I particularly liked Taro's disorientation when he reaches Topside. The other detail in this book that I appreciated was the dialogue - complete with appropriate slang. Stupidity or absentmindedness (lethal when negotiating hanging walkways with holes or climbing nets) is known as being gappy; in comparison anything commendable is bolted.
The other main protagonist is off-world visitor, Elarn, who is on an unexpected singing tour. Her character is far more opaque - though it rapidly becomes clear that her tour is a cover for another mission. Khesh City is further fleshed out as we get to experience it through Elarn's viewpoint as a newcomer with access to all the privilige and luxury the City has to offer. However, her plans quickly go awry when she encounters charismatic politician Salik Vidoran.
The pace sweeps onward from the first page and gets ever faster as we reach the climactic ending, which more or less ties everything up while leaving a couple of major issues dangling for the subsequent books in the series. Which means I've more opportunities to visit Fenn's rich, engrossing world. Yay!
So... this floating city with the privileged living a vastly better life than the underclass who - literally - struggle for survival under their feet - is it convincing and does it rise above the inevitable clichéd feel of that description? Yes - in my opinion it certainly does. And I've been startled to read some really unpleasant, sneering reviews about this book. What places it outside the norm for this genre is that Principles of Angels is completely character-driven. Perhaps the omission of a limited omniscient info-dump is perplexing some of those reviewing the book. Well, it's fine with me - I happen to think one of the reasons why Fantasy is currently trampling Science Fiction underfoot, is that the majority of best-selling Fantasy authors write punchy, character-led stories which readers find accessible and engrossing. And a large number of Science Fiction writers don't...
Fenn drops her readers right into the middle of the action in Taro's viewpoint as he battles for his life - his character sings off the pages from the start and continues to sparkle right through the book. He survives as a prostitute and while Fenn doesn't flinch from showing us the seamy underbelly of such a trade, at no time does she slide into gratuitous detail. Overall, I felt the world-building was strong and convincing - we see slices of Khesh City from both above and below and I particularly liked Taro's disorientation when he reaches Topside. The other detail in this book that I appreciated was the dialogue - complete with appropriate slang. Stupidity or absentmindedness (lethal when negotiating hanging walkways with holes or climbing nets) is known as being gappy; in comparison anything commendable is bolted.
The other main protagonist is off-world visitor, Elarn, who is on an unexpected singing tour. Her character is far more opaque - though it rapidly becomes clear that her tour is a cover for another mission. Khesh City is further fleshed out as we get to experience it through Elarn's viewpoint as a newcomer with access to all the privilige and luxury the City has to offer. However, her plans quickly go awry when she encounters charismatic politician Salik Vidoran.
The pace sweeps onward from the first page and gets ever faster as we reach the climactic ending, which more or less ties everything up while leaving a couple of major issues dangling for the subsequent books in the series. Which means I've more opportunities to visit Fenn's rich, engrossing world. Yay!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Rather good debut
I saw a review of a later book in the same 'Hidden Empires' series, and thought this was worth trying. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. Pauline M. Ross
Pretty good for a first book
I bought this as a Kindle book - the first I'd bought in fact. I found it a little confusing in places but this may have been down to the Kindle conversion from the typed word. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Zippy
Review - Principles of Angels
Principles of Angels combines a convoluted plot, with unexpected twists, multi-dimensional characters,and a complex, and unique, setting. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Dr. W. L. Lyon
What a nice surprise
I really did not expect much from this book. The blurb did not do the book justice and I almost did not bother after the first chapter. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2010 by Robert
A noteworthy 1st novel for an exciting new scifi author.
I would have to say I really enjoyed this book, Ms Fenn writes with a flair and passion that made me want to turn page after page quickly. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2009 by Mr. A. J. D. White
A promising debut.
Khesh City is a place of two halves, in a society with a history. It's one of the three government centres in an uneasy alliance of human societies that exist some time after the... Read more
Published on 25 May 2009 by D. O'Brien
A captivating, fast-paced joy-ride into a detailed and dangerous...
Principles of Angels is a sci-fi novel set in a domed city on a planet where society is split between top-siders and down-siders. Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2008 by Adriana Paun
Mysteries, murder and airtight plotting
Confidence and assurance are vital for the debut SF novelist. Standards these days are high: the new writer who wishes to be taken seriously has to juggle atmosphere,... Read more
Published on 18 July 2008 by John Dallman
A thoroughly gripping read.
Having started this book shortly after receiving it, but with the intention of saving the remaineder for a long train journey, I found that I couldn't put it down for long enough... Read more
Published on 2 July 2008 by Teddy
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