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“Toby O'Dare is an assassin. A very good assassin, who for ten years has managed to remain virtually invisible. Does he work for the good guys? He hopes so, but doesn't know or care. Anyway, who defines good? After years of being a successful assassin, he's given an assignment which changes the course of his life. In desperation, he cries for help to God, who he doesn't believe exists. Much to his surprise, a seraph enters his life, not only to help him, but to recruit him and offer Toby a chance at redemption.
Aside from Angel Time, I've read only two other novels by Anne Rice, Christ the Lord out of Egypt and Road to Cana. I was impressed with both of these works, particularly Road to Cana, but Angel Time is beyond impressive. It is superb.
It was a bit slow starting off. To be honest, for the first 20 pages or so, I thought the book might be more about the Mission Inn and the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, than Toby. The opening chapters were a bit rambling and did not progress the story well. However, once the in-depth description ended, the story began in earnest, transforming into a gripping and suspenseful novel.
There are several aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed. First off, I loved that Rice picked a rather indifferent assassin as her hero. What a wonderful choice for this story. Toby was a rich character. From his childhood, to the path that lead him to become an assassin, to his divine calling, he is a marvelously crafted character that we can both love and hate. What he represents, though, is more than just a character. He highlights the depths of God's love and ability to redeem. God's love and grace is open to everyone, even the assassins of the world.
Some of the best parts of Angel Time are spent exploring the depth of human depravity and God's ability to take a wreck and make it useful. In one of my favorite sections, Toby is contemplating his past and God's use of who he is and states, "A deeper thought nudged at me, but I couldn't quite grasp it. It had something to do with the binding fabric of good and evil, with the way in which the Lord might extract the glorious from the seeming disasters of human beings." Central to this book is the condition of the human spirit, but also equally present is God's grace. Rice presented some great contrasts between the two, with dramatic results.
Another enjoyable feature is Toby's assignment, set in the 1200s. It's set during a time of persecution of Jews by Christians. I'm always excited when a book incorporates historical aspects and stories. It tends to enrich a story and bring a stronger sense of realism. Rice did a fabulous job of writing this portion. It was obvious that care was spent researching the time period and developing the surrounding events. This wasn't the main issue presented, but I found it interesting, the inherent fickleness of people and their eagerness to believe rumors. Anyway, the story of Fluria and Godwin is beautiful and touching. It's a wonderful tale that presents some tough questions. However, I think it could easily be taken out of context. I don't believe Rice is attempting to make any deep doctrinal statement about the validity of deception or whose prayers are heard. I can certainly see where someone who takes the story too literally could have these issues, but this is a work of fiction and not an exegesis on Jacob and Isaac or the role of angels or when God intervenes, etc.
I had some problems understanding the shifting in time and why it was so important for Toby to complete his assignment in the 1200s. These were events of the past, and I wasn't able to determine how the outcome had an effect on the present. I can make some guesses, but the consequences did not seem to extend outside of the events as they were happening, which were of course in the past. Since this is the first book the series, perhaps this aspect will be explained later.
I really enjoyed Angel Time. It was a beautifully written, redemptive story. It would be a wonderful book to dissect in a group setting. A number of excellent themes, including, redemption, salvation, peace with God, and God's intervention, could be discussed for hours. While this book is easily enjoyable on a purely entertainment level, it has much more to offer and is well worth reading.”
Meli wrote this review Sunday, October 4 2009.
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