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Principles of Angels (Hidden Empire, Book 1)

Written by Jaine Fenn

Average Score: 56(8)

Khesh City floats above the surface of the uninhabitable planet of Vellern. Topside, it's extravagant, opulent, luxurious; the Undertow is dark, twisted and dangerous. A place where nothing is forbidden, Khesh City is also a democracy, of sorts, policed by the Angels—elite, state-sponsored killers who answer only to their enigmatic master, the Minister. Taro lived a privileged life with his Angel aunt until a strange man, who bought his body for the night, followed him home and murdered her. Taro wants to find the killer who ruined his future, but he's struggling just to survive in the brutal Undertow—then an encounter with the Minister sets him on a new course. Elarn Reen is a famous musician sent to Khesh City as the unwilling agent of mankind's oldest enemy, the Sidhe. To save her own life, she must find and kill a renegade Sidhe. As Taro and Elarn's paths converge, it becomes clear that the lives of everyone in Khesh City are at risk—and a common prostitute and an uncommon singer are the city's only chance.

Book Details

Science Fiction
Paperback, 320 Pages
Published by Gollancz on September 01, 2009
First Published by Gollancz in 2008
ISBN-10 0575083298
ISBN-13 978-0575083295

Reviews


Library Journal | Jackie Cassada
Review Rating: 80
Fenn's debut creates a strange and eerily beautiful dystopia that simultaneously attracts and repulses with its hauntingly dark imagery. (Starred Review)
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The Wertzone | Adam Whitehead
Review Rating: 70
...a decent debut novel, with well-drawn characters, a memorable setting and an interesting premise.
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SF Site | Nathan Brazil
Review Rating: 60
In summary, Principals of Angels came across as a relatively safe début.
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SFRevu | Marcus Gipps
Review Rating: 60
Apart from the slight loss of focus in the denouement, I enjoyed this book, and don't have many criticisms.
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Stephen Hunts SF Crownest | GF Willmetts
Review Rating: 60
If anything, I thought the first two thirds of the book were very well conceived.
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The Zone | Duncan Lawie
Review Rating: 60
"convincing"
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Publishers Weekly
Review Rating: 40
The stronger parts of the story are undermined by a vague, clichéd setting and a false-ringing romance...
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Strange Horizons | Dan Hartland
Review Rating: 20
It comes out stilted and fixed, every detail provided for the reader with an almost patronising precision, yet without any of the real stuff of fiction--the garnish, the filigree and, most importantly, that frisson that occurs when what we are told about the story's world, and what happens in it, are separated by a margin we fill in for ourselves.
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