Winged

by LM Pruitt

Published by: Red Hot Publishing

Heather’s Rating: 

I fell from the Talmadge Bridge the week before I turned thirty.

I was given a choice: Go to Heaven. Go back to my life in Savannah. Or spend eternity fighting evil under the direction of the archangels.

I chose the demons–and the angels.

I chose the Winged.

Book Savvy Babe’s Review:

L.M Pruitt never ceases to amaze me.  Each time I pick up one of her books, I am hooked on the story, characters, setting, and desperate for more.  Winged is no exception.  L.M. Pruitt has amazed me once again with her combination of detailed, unique, creative world building, well-developed story lines, and memorable characters.

I will admit that I have always been a sucker for angels, they are my favorite paranormal/supernatural species.  So, when I had the chance to read Winged, I was automatically sold.  However, LM Pruitt’s take on the angelic is utterly unique and completely new.  The basic angel/biblical mythology is there, with archangels and demons, but everything else is completely Ms Pruitt’s creativeness at work.  The angels/heavenly side are struggling in the war against evil and demons.  To help combat the enemy, the beings on-high give certain humans the opportunity to join the angelic ranks and fight demons upon their death.  After combat training (led by the archangels), if the human passes their tests, they are given wings and sent to fight evil.

Life in the Winged training camp is where most of this story takes place.  After Joanne died, heroically saving a baby, she was offered the chance to join the Winged.  She was unprepared for the Winged camp, where the people train hard, fight hard, and party hard.  Joanne is first drawn to the complicated archangel Michael, who runs hot and cold towards her.  As Joanne recovers and trains, Michael’s brother, Raphael, steps up to help her and a real attraction develops.  Joanne has to face judgement by the other humans, derision from Michael, and is constantly working to prove herself.  Despite obstacles constantly placed in her path, Joanne determines to become one of the winged with an archangel at her side.

Joanne is a brilliant heroine.  She is snarky, determined, outspoken, but also sensitive at times too.  She lived her human life pleasing other people, and in her new life, she shows more spunk and moxie.  I love Joanne’s humor, even in tough times, she manages to insert humor and levity.  She has a lot of hurts, and I really felt for her when she was so lost and confused when she first got to the winged camp.  She really grows as a person and character though.  I also love Raphael, he is dedicated to Joanne and always there for her to lean on.  Raphael does have his faults as well, he has a tendency to turn a blind eye to some things and not question decisions that are questionable.

Winged is a fantastic start to a new paranormal series.  The world structure is laid out and explained, giving a solid foundation to the series.  The world of the Winged definitely has some problems.  Joanne becomes a key player in the Winged world and I can not wait to see where the series goes from here.

Readers, if you like paranormal books, especially paranormal books featuring angels, then you really have to read Winged.  I loved this book and can’t wait for more.