Welcome back to Back Shelf Saturdays, where I review backlist titles I didn’t get to read when they were first published. I do this every week to ensure I’m reading more than just newly released and forthcoming titles. For my purposes, a backlist title is at least one year past its release date.
This week’s title is Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse. Tread of Angels was nominated for the 2023 Locus Award in the Novella category. Tread of Angels has so many elements I love. There’s a fantasy western setting full of angels, demons, and those in between. There’s a romantic subplot. There’s even a murder mystery! This summary of this novella reads like it was written with me in mind.
| Title: Tread of Angels | Author: Rebecca Roanhorse |
| Release Date: November 15, 2022 | Genre: Fantasy / Mystery |
| Publisher: Sage Press | Page Count: 201 |
Synopsis
Celeste, a card sharp with a penchant for trouble, takes on the role of advocatus diaboli, to defend her sister Mariel, accused of murdering a Virtue, a member of the ruling class in the mining town of Goetia, in a new world of dark fantasy.
High in the remote mountains, the town of Goetia is booming as prospectors from near and far come to mine the powerful new element Divinity. Divinity is the remains of the body of the rebel Abaddon, who fell to earth during Heaven’s War, and it powers the world’s most inventive and innovative technologies, ushering in a new age of progress. However, only the descendants of those that rebelled, called Fallen, possess the ability to see the rich lodes of the precious element. That makes them a necessary evil among the good and righteous people called the Elect, and Goetia a town segregated by ancestry and class.
Celeste and Mariel are two Fallen sisters, bound by blood but raised in separate worlds. Celeste grew up with her father, passing in privileged Elect society, while Mariel stayed with their mother in the Fallen slums of Goetia. Upon her father’s death, Celeste returns to Goetia and reunites with Mariel. Mariel is a great beauty with an angelic voice, and Celeste, wracked by guilt for leaving her sister behind, becomes her fiercest protector.
When Mariel is accused of murdering a Virtue, the powerful Order of the Archangels that rule Goetia, Celeste must take on the role of Advocatus Diaboli (Devil’s Advocate) and defend her sister in the secretive courts of the Virtue. Celeste, aided by her ex-lover, Abraxas, who was once one of the rebels great generals, sets out to prove Mariel innocent. But powerful forces among the Virtues and the Elect mining barons don’t want Celeste prying into their business, and Mariel has secrets of her own. As Celeste is drawn deeper into the dark side of Goetia, she unravel a layer of lies and manipulation that may doom Mariel and puts her own immortal soul at risk, in this dark fantasy noir from the bestselling mastermind Rebecca Roanhorse.
Review:
The mining town of Goetia is a fantasy western town that feels very similar to an old prospecting town in the U.S. West. Unlike the Wild West prospecting towns, Divinity is mined instead of gold. Roanhorse created a world that feels lived in, dusty, and full of character. If you are drawn to a book by its setting first, you’ll love this book.
Goetia is a segregated town where your divine status is extremely important. Part of town are the supposedly righteous people, called the Elect. Others are fallen people – descendants of those who rebelled in the Heaven’s War. Archangels and Demons also take residence in town. The main characters in Tread of Angels are fallen sisters Celeste and Mariel. When Mariel is held in jail and accused of murdering an Archangel, Celeste knows she must take control of the situation to save her sister.
There was so much in this novella that I wanted to like. I loved Roanhorse’s voice. I loved the sisterly bond. I even loved the demon romance, and I am not a monster-romance person at all! There was a bit too much packed into this novella, though. I think Roanhorse needed a longer novel for the type of fantasy story she wanted to write. When there is talk about secret courts, demons, archangels, and a murder mystery, I think it deserves at least 300 pages. As is, I found Tread of Angels rushed and a bit incomplete.
Audiobook:
If you do read Tread of Angels, I can’t recommend the audiobook enough. It’s superbly narrated by Dion Graham, who has won several awards for his narration. Dion Graham reading the voice of Abraxas the Demon is incredible.
Final Thoughts:
I’m really disappointed that I didn’t love Tread of Angels. I’m still convinced I will find a book by Rebecca Roanhorse that I’ll love. All this makes me want is to read either Black Sun or Trail of Lightning to try a full-length novel by Roanhorse.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
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