Angel Fall: A Novel

by Coleman Luck

The wind we know is only a shadow of something far greater. Lightning is falling in sheets.A wind is blowing that is larger than this world. In the middle of the strangest storm in history, an airliner crashes into the ocean and only three young people survive---a brother and his two sisters. But they are not together and the ocean is not on earth. Alex, Amanda and Tori Lancaster have entered Boreth, a world of ancient devastation and deep evil ruled by the Worwil---seven creatures of immense power who existed before any world began. Through this world they must travel, into terror and temptation, every choice taking them closer to endless night. Scarred with the fires of hell and Heaven, their pasts are torn from their souls. But shadowing each of them is a mysterious Being covered in scars who has faced ten-thousand battles. A being filled with the longing of ages. A longing to heal the broken-hearted.With dark, glistening strands from Lewis, Lovecraft, and Tolkien, the cloth of Angel Fall has been woven. But the journey it weaves is not just for Alex, Amanda, and Tori ... it is for all those who cannot find their way home.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Love, Dystopia

344 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully and immaculately written; I found Angel Fall to be a profound tale of faith and heartache, joy and anguish vividly painting the epic struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone seeking an intelligent, thought-provoking, and entertaining novel.

[Mike Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a good fantasy novel is not an easy thing. Many efforts try to follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Tolkien, but, more often than not, they are pale, weak, and so trite in comparison that they’re almost painful to read. Angel Fall is not one of these. As you will gather from reading the notes on the flyleaf (or the back), this is a dark fantasy, and I do mean dark. The main characters are well-drawn, and, despite how fantastic is the world they’re thrown into, they’re very believable. If you happen to have children their ages, your kids will relate to them. However, this is not a light, fun, read-aloud to your six-year-old before bed, especially if he’s prone to bad dreams. There are diamonds here reflective of Lewis and Tolkien but they are set against a background reminiscent of Stephen King or even H.P. Lovecraft. Do not let that deter you from reading it. The ancient conflict between good and evil is freshly presented, although the good takes forms you won’t initially recognize as such until it is fully revealed in all of its awful, wonderful, majesty. There is also humor and even whimsy, which provides occasional but welcome relief from the nightmarishly vivid depictions of evil in both its deceptive beauty and its horrible reality. This is a compelling, intriguing work that will draw you in, until, like the Lancaster children themselves, once you begin the journey, you will have to see it through, no matter where it leads you. This is a book well worth reading . . . just be prepared to hang on for the ride!

[Georgann · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I began this book, I thought I'd really like it! Then we got into some oh-so-familiar territory, reminiscent of the Ice Queen, and I was disappointed. Then things picked back up again, and journeyed to a great ending. Def a Christian allegory, but be warned: it can be brutal, bloody and horrifying.

[Tintinrulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Angel Fall" by Coleman Luck is a curious fantasy/adventure novel. Its tone fluctuates between playful and childlike and dark, violent and disturbing. The story is unlike anything I've read but it reads like a hybrid of C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Great Divorce", Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle In Time" and John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" but with a strong dose of horror. Luck's descriptions are epic and he does a great job of keeping the reader in the dark from what's going on. Unfortunately, sometimes Luck 'tells' what happens to a character when he really should be 'showing' and shifts into high-gear when he should revel a little longer in the drama/situation. This weakens the overall writing quality. Still, "Angel Fall" tells an interesting story and surprised me at almost every turn. That's quite a feat. The book's far from perfect but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended for mature readers.

8/10

[Varian Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

When books are compared to the great writers of the genre they inhabit-in this case the authors in question being C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolken, with a little H.P. Lovecraft thrown in for good mesure--it's easy to be skeptical. This book delivered what it promised, a mixture of darkness and light, a blend of beauty and horror.

I won't summerize the plot because others have done that.

This book brought me to tears more than once...that isn't easy to do. What I liked about it so much is that it bounced back and forth between hope and hopelessness. You'd see a beautiful scene that would bring you to tears...then be plunged back into the darkness where it seemed like hope was gone.

When I say "those who don't mind some darkness mixed wilth light," I mean this book is dark but hope shines through.

[Louis Lapides · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've not read a fantasy novel since The Lord of the Rings Trilogy plus the Hobbit. Coleman's craft in writing a fantasy work is obvious from the launch of the novel. Yes, his imagery was dark but it was well balanced with the triumphant light eventually breaking through in victory. The powerful imagery and descriptions were vivid, holding nothing back about the seriousness of evil and overcoming it through the power of the Mountain. Angel Fall kept me in a high speed mode like a roller coaster ride through a modern Dante's Inferno. Thank you Coleman for an authentic Christian fantasy novel that is a welcome addition to modern Christian literature.

[Jacob Dearolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read; Intense Imagery; Twisting Story
I followed the recommendation of a friend and ended up reading Angel Fall in 2 days. I loved the fantasy and the imagery was mind-blowing. The story and the characters ended up twisting and turning in very imaginative ways. At different points I thought I had the story figured out only to find myself stymied. Lastly, the way the story illustrated truth was powerful.

[Kristin Lebrou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realize this was a "Christian" fantasy story when I started it. If I had known that I'm not sure I would have picked it up. Being an agnostic, I did eventually get annoyed by the preachiness of it but I still found the story and imagery unique and I'm sure many will enjoy this story.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really hard to get into but once it has you it completely sucks you into its world.

Part LOST part Narnia

[Katreena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, it was very good. Strange, for sure - definitely not the typical story. Really enjoyed the character of the old man as well. :)

[Julie Akeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story and a wondrous journey into a spiritual world..it has images of Lovecraft, the lessons of C.S. Lewis and the heart of Madeline L'Engle. A fantastic read, enjoy the journey.

[Kaity-Jane Culbertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first got Angel Fall, I was expecting to read a neat fantasy that sort of sent the reader into what heaven and hell might be like. The story sounded really neat – three kids who find themselves in an alternate world that has a striking resemblance to heaven and hell. So I dove in, expecting a Narnia-like book. Boy was I wrong, and it affected how much I liked the book! For the first 100 pages, I couldn’t understand a thing. To me, it was the weirdest book I’d ever read. I put it down for a while and just yesterday picked it back up. After a few chapters, I was interested in what was going on and realized why I wasn’t enjoying it – I was trying too hard to match up who was who. Was the dog character supposed to symbolize Jesus? Or was it the baby? Or that other character? And who is God? And the angels? What about the Holy Spirit?
Once I stopped imagining it as a Narnia-like book where each character represented a real being I started enjoying the story. By the end, I was able to look back and recognize who represented who and also was able to give it the higher rating that I did.

The writing style was easy to read, but the story itself was very complicated. If you are a slower reader and not a speed reader as I am, you would probably be able to understand the plot and characters better. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, and even by the end I was still a bit confused, but the story was very unique and had a lot of great elements to it that made the book an interesting read.

The characters were all well fleshed out and enjoyable to read about. Tori was probably my favorite of the three. The beautiful and outspoken nine year old was a great character who’s charms and faults were laid out nicely and made it easy for the reader to love her. Both Amanda and Alex were very interesting characters, also, and they made the story engaging.

There is a bit to warn about in this book. A few curses were spoken throughout the book, including jack*** and a**. They also use the word “screwed” or “screw” in meaning of teasing. Alex sees a girl who is purposely tempting him and it says he found her to have the body of a goddess. A girl tries to lure Alex to her bed several times by saying he could rest on her bed. Alex kisses her hard and it says “the response was amazing” and goes on saying how her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned his kiss with fury. It is obvious she is bad and trying to lure him.
During one of Amanda’s scenes, she has flashbacks of a night where her uncle forcefully violated her. There was not much detail – it just says she saw a man on top of “another her” and then later when she has to redo it to conquer the memory, she says she feels his crushing weight upon her. No more description is used.

This book was not quite what I expected, but was interesting and enjoyable nonetheless. I think a lot of fantasy readers would love this book. I myself am a huge fan of fantasy, but it took me a bit to get into this book. Still, it ended well and I was able to sit back and let out a contented sigh. :)

[Jaime K]

This book has a very Narnian feel to it. The world is coming apart since the Destroyer has come. What seems real isn't always, whether it is a being's presence or their friendship. Both good and evil have many faces. Great themes of Christianity are woven in: love, forgiveness, hate, the stain on one's soul, heaven & hell, angels & demons, God and the Devil....good vs. evil

Alex, Amanda, and Tori are siblings who are sent by their mother Ellen to live with their father in England. The cab to the airport is driven by a man named Malleus who seems creepy but also has a good and powerful secret.

What's strange is that the world is in a daze with odd winds, eerie silences, and discoloured skies.

The plane crashes over the Atlantic and the siblings are in for an interesting trip on a world called Boreth. A woman named Bellwind attempts to lead the girls while Alex is led astray elsewhere. He is lost in the woods and has to decide whether or not to trust a weird dog as his guide. He finds himself among pure evil, justifying his actions as heroism.
Amanda is sent to bring a baby boy to safety. A baby who was prophesied and caries joy & light in his heart, which protects Amanda on her Quest.
Tori has been stolen and is on the verge of death. But she learns that her entitlement of being the youngest child (and she really is quite annoying at times) can't help her. Instead, she has to fight and try harder than ever before.

They learn that Boreth is ruled by Worwil, which are like angels and watch over everyone. But one went bad, and split the team-the 'siblings'- causing Darkness and horror. Amanda, Tori & Alex happen to be descendants of a former King, and the hope in bringing Boreth back to the light.
But there is a true artist, a clockmaker, the One Who Lives in the Mists, who is above the Worwil. I love the different analogies for the Creator.

The journey is very difficult, but the end brings hope. There is also a reminder that no matter what, the mark of the King and His light shines in all of us, allowing us to defeat Evil in our world.
And we're never alone.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a mind-blowing story. Wow. "Angel Fall" is Coleman Luck's first novel. It was written over a period of 25 years, and it just rocked my world. Here's the summary from the back of the book:

"The wind we know is only a shadow of something far greater.

Lighting is falling in sheets.

A wind is blowing that is larger than this world.

In the middle of the strangest storm in history, an airliner crashes into the ocean and only three young people survive--a brother and his two sisters. But they are not together and the ocean is not on earth.

Alex, Amanda, and Tori Lancaster have entered Boreth, a world of ancient devastation and deep evil ruled by the Worwil--seven creatures of immense power who existed before any world began. Through this world they must travel, into terror and temptation, every choice taking them closer to endless night. Scarred with the fires of hell and heaven, their pasts are torn from their souls.

But shadowing each of them is a mysterious Being covered in scars who has faced ten-thousand battles. A being filled with the longing of ages. A longing to heal the broken-hearted.

With dark, glistening strands from Lewis, Lovecraft, and Tolkien, the cloth of "Angel Fall" has been woven. But the journey it weaves is not just for Alex, Amanda, and Tori. . . it is for all those who cannot find their way home."

I have to say that I was really intrigued with just the first chapter and got really excited by the time I got to the fourth chapter. If you love weird, it is a key element in this book. Wonderfully so. If you love Christian speculative fiction, you will devour this book. I do and I did. I think I'm going blind from reading this book for many hours in a row for many days in a row. My distance vision is kind of messed up right now.

I don't want to analyze this book right now since I still have to really process what I've read. But the effect on me was astounding, and I had to post a preliminary review to let YOU know about it so that you can go READ IT!

[Cricket Muse]

Coleman Luck, in his debut novel, Angel Falls, presents a fantasy tale of good versus evil. Alex and his two sisters are sent to live with their estranged father in England; however, on route their plane crashes into the ocean. When they awake they find themselves in Boreth, and discover each will play a role in saving this world from the evil within it. Alex, a bitter, resentful young man, pays a large price for his arrogance and loses his life as his gains it when faced with evil. Sweet, young Tori must overcome her trials without the aid of her sister. And Amanda, has the burden of an impossible task and learns the cost of forgiveness and perseverance.

Angel Falls contains the promise of a riveting allegory. There are siblings who are fated to save a world from evil’s destruction, a vast, wondrous setting filled with mesmerizing supernatural characters, and the intermixing of realism and the fantastical. However, the story could benefit with a trimming of excess narrative descriptions and a toning of modern vernacular. While the target audience might be juveniles or young adults, there are intense scenes that might be of concern to audiences under twelve. One scene deals with molestation, that is not graphic, but could be considered disturbing. The message of forgiveness and sacrifice is well-done, as is the message of the consequence of choices made. Those who relish fantasy quests and are seeking stories with a more modern twist in the traditions of Tolkien, Lewis, and L’Engle will want to consider new author Coleman Luck.

[Linda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The was an unusual book for me as fantasy is not one of my usual genres, but the story drew me in and held my interest to the end. I looked forward to each chapter as the next stage of the story presented itself and new adventures were presented to each character. I found the book well written, intelligent, and with spiritual images that were interesting and thought provoking. Some were obvious spiritual messages; others were a little more obscure (at least for me). Although the book is about three children, this is not a book for small children. Its detailed descriptions are horrifyingly scary and dark.


Overall, the story is very much like the struggles we have every day. We daily strive for with good, which can be hard to find, but all too often find greed and desires which can look so inviting. We suffer consequences of our decisions, but redemption is always in reach.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, I'm giving this one three stars; an interesting situation where three kids (lost in a plane crash) get swept off to another world. One must take a babe to another part of the world. The brother, Alex, wanders a sinister landscape. The third (so far) appears to be lost. Coleman Luck is a name I have heard before: the guy wrote some of *The Equalizer's* best episodes in the eighties. Christians should give this one a look.

[Joey · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing in Angel Fall is exceptionally awful. There are awkward pauses both in dialogue and narrative. It is kind of. Like this. And the attempts to insert colloquial slang are pathetic: "frigging" "gonna" "gotta" "doin'". And could you be any less subtle with the religious allusions?! I was able to predict the rest of the novel by page 125 so I didn't bother finishing it. Mr Luck took 25 years to write this book. That is all.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book almost seemed like a collection of fractured, unrelated, startling images. Too much decay for my taste. However, once the plot developed, it reminded me of "A Wrinkle in Time," told with more gore. Interesting imagery, interesting allegory. There are some likable characters. I liked Tori and Mirick. My husband, who also read the book, says that the main theme is a question, "Who are you going to trust and why?"

[Melina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, the back cover of this book tells it all. In a nutshell, of course, but boy does it say it all. This book was really good; kind of long in the explanations and descriptions, but definitely worth it. Beautiful worlds this man created. If you're up for fantastic, imaginative worlds very far away from planet earth, this is your book right here.

[justablondemoment · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and some of it; I did, enough to finish it, but it was a huge struggle. The message was beautiful for the whole spiritual faith lesson. However, it was sooo hard to pull out any meaning the way it was written. I really had to WORK at what the author was trying to say. Way to much book fluff. A struggle to read... I just didn't enjoy it.

[Byul · Rating 2 out of 5]

All these reviews make the book seem so great.

I honestly got SUPER confused as to what was going on. After I finished the book I had no idea what I just read. Could have been the jet lag but I wasn't very impressed by this book.

May have to re-read it in the future to see if it's better then but so far I wouldn't read it again

[Kaitlyn Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird book. I feel like this was a book that referenced a lot of things that I don't really know or care about and that just gave it an odd aura. The story itself was good, but there were a lot of unnecessary elements incorporated into the story. I couldn't really get into it for more than 2-3 chapters at a times and that made it difficult to read.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird book. I feel like this was a book that referenced a lot of things that I don't really know or care about and that just gave it an odd aura. The story itself was good, but there were a lot of unnecessary elements incorporated into the story. I couldn't really get into it for more than 2-3 chapters at a times and that made it difficult to read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beautiful story. It is a mature book, not something for a regular fantasy book reader. It was powerful and sometimes hard to understand. It is told in the eyes of the three children, and takes you to a totally different world.

[Lise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. If I were religious at all, and certainly if I were Christian, I think I would find it deeply offensive. It reads much better as an otherworld fantasy than as an allegory, and the allegory becomes overwhelming in parts, particularly at the end.

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dark. Did not like it at all.

[Erika]

heard interview on Chris Fabry Live

[David Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really strange book. It started out simple enough then evolved into an epic fantasy. A little too much poetry, ranting and chanting for my taste. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

[Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulous