Hey readers, we’re back with another post by Stefania Gil, a Venezuelan writer, and since you must be fed up with so much darkness, now it’s time to talk about the goodness of divine beings in paranormal romance novels.
Talking about angels in literature, especially in paranormal romance, is very interesting because, at some point in our lives, we all have wondered whether they exist, whether anyone has evidence of their existence, or whether they have had the power to intervene to save us from a situation that was much bigger than us.
That’s why I decided to write this post, so that we can all learn a little more about these celestial beings and their presence and evolution within paranormal romance literature.
Clearing up everything about angels…
According to the famous Wikipedia:
“An angel is generally a supernatural being found in various religions and mythologies. The Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial beings who act as intermediaries between God and humanity. Although such actions vary depending on the branches within each religion”
Summing it up, we can say that angels are mythical spiritual beings present in some religions and that serve God.
The word angel comes from ang·lus in Latin and means: sent one, nuncio or messenger; and in the Bible, they are described not only as messengers of God but also as protectors of humans. That’s where the belief in the Guardian Angel comes from.
Angels in literature: In religious texts
They are present in ancient texts from various religions, so before mentioning the appearance of angels in literature, it might be an important highlight that the ancient prophet Zoroaster described in Zoroastrian mythology a struggle between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, forces of good and evil with armies of angels and demons. Just like Ahura Mazda, the god Yahweh in the Old Testament has an army of angels who fight against the forces of evil led by Satan.
Could this be the first appearance of angels in texts?
I think so.
Characteristics of angels in literature as we’ve been taught…
It is claimed that angels are asexual “they have no gender” although the Catholic Church has taken it upon itself to spread an image of them that clearly shows they are males with perfectly balanced bodies, developed muscles, and all blond, with light eyes and white skin. I’ve never seen the image of an angel with dark skin and curly hair.
Angels don’t eat or reproduce, they have no free will and cannot commit sins.
They can take human form, and those lucky enough to have seen one say they are extraordinarily beautiful beings with multiple pairs of wings, although we’re used to seeing them with only one pair in the different depictions made of these beings.
They have an organization with hierarchies…
In the angelic (Christian) world there is order, and therefore they are organized by hierarchies.
There are three, and sometimes they are called the Angelic Triad. Each of these hierarchies holds three celestial groups:
— First hierarchy — The closest to God, made up of:
Seraphim, who surround the throne of God, regulating the movement of the heavens as God decides; cherubim, who are the guardians of light and the stars; and the thrones or ophanim, who are the builders of the universal order.
— Second hierarchy — The governors of heaven, made up of:
Dominions, who are responsible for making sure the universe stays in order; virtues, who supervise various groups of people; and the powers, who are in charge of safeguarding conscience and history.
— Third hierarchy — The closest to humans:
Principalities, who are the guardians of nations and countries; archangels, in charge of the areas of human endeavor and administrative leaders of the celestial beings. The best known in this group are Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, whom humans usually ask for Protection, Health and Light, respectively; and the angels, a lower order in the angelic hierarchy and the ones most connected to humans.
Let’s not forget the fallen ones…
Like everything in life, this angel business also has its good side and its bad side.
And fallen angels are angels who were exiled from heaven after rebelling against God’s commands.
Many of these were expelled from the celestial plane after the First War in Heaven, becoming the famous fallen angels and, to many people’s surprise, these angels in literature are the most attractive ones.
Let’s be clear that the first and most recognized fallen angel is Lucifer; and it is believed that he, along with the others, will wander the earth without wings until the day of final judgment, when they will be cast into hell.
Angels in literature…
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, much of art depicted scenes from the Bible, making angels appear in many paintings of the time; they also often appeared as decorative sculptures on the outside of churches.
And I never did find the first appearance of angels in literature, even though they have been very present since ancient times in stories and poems narrating experiences that confirm the existence of God’s messengers.
In modern times, angels have gained importance in fiction literature, especially with that fantastic BOOM that vampires created between 2008 and 2012.
Since the rise of the paranormal world in romance literature, especially with the Young Adult — YA genre, angels began to flourish, showing us a wide variety of angelic versions in teen romances.
So, we find angelic beings thousands of years old…
Trapped in the bodies of teenagers or young adults and, as I mentioned before, most of the stories are about fallen angels rebelling against the system they belong to.
They are the rebels without a cause of the angelic world; the scars they all carry on their backs prove it, because it’s faithful proof that these characters were left without their beautiful wings because of their banishment from heaven.
In other cases, we find families of angels with assignments on earth who must keep secret who they are and what their mission is, but of course, it’s very complicated considering that they end up falling in love with someone; and love, in paranormal romance novels, sets off a lot of things.
They have supernatural powers; well, most of them do.
Some can fly because they keep their wings, they’re good in battle and they have celestial weapons: swords, daggers, that kind of thing.
In other cases, they are nephilim, as the Shadowhunters are called in the world created by the writer Cassandra Clare, who brought to life a secret race of human beings born with angelic blood who are demon hunters that have existed and survived for more than a thousand years.
So you can find many other characteristics of angels in paranormal romance literature; and just as happens with other fantastic and paranormal beings, they undergo an evolution or changes at the discretion of whoever creates them, because imagination is infinite and every author wants to give their own personal touch to the beings they create so they’re hard to forget.
Angels in paranormal romance literature…
When we talk about fantastic, mythological and paranormal beings, I will always lean toward the ones that show a glimpse of rebelliousness or that seem so bad they represent a challenge to fix.
Just as I mentioned in a past post where I talked to you about vampires in literature, I like rebel boys in fiction, so let me tell you about the angels in literature that have caught my attention.
The order I place them in doesn’t matter, I jot them down as I remember them.
#1 The Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick: (4 books)
In this saga Patch Cipriano is the protagonist who will steal sighs. He stole mine even though I was no longer considered Young Adult at that time to fall in love with a “supposed” teenager, but I don’t feel so bad because Patch, in reality, was a being hundreds of years old, with a youthful appearance.
In Hush, Hush the first book in the series, we’re introduced to Nora Gray, who is a good girl, a good student, and lives with her mother on a farm. Of course, her whole life is going to turn upside down when she meets Patch with all his enigmas and mysteries. Patch is a fallen angel from heaven who seeks to become human and to do so, he has to make a great sacrifice in which Nora plays a very important role.
#2 Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare: (more than 5 books)
These books make up a series, as I mentioned above. There are five books and their protagonists are: Clary and Jace. Jace is one of those characters you will never forget. He is not an angel in the strict sense, but he is descended from one. “In the Pandemonium, the hottest club in New York, Clary follows an attractive blue-haired boy until she witnesses his death at the hands of three young people covered in strange tattoos.
Since that night, her fate is joined to those three shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to freeing the earth from demons and, above all, to Jace, a boy with the look of an angel and a tendency to act like an idiot…” That’s a lie, Jace would never act like an idiot *insert nervous giggles here*
#3 Lassiter and the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward: (Part of a saga)
If there is any angel before whom I must fall to my knees, it is this one. Lassiter is one of my favorite characters in this saga since his appearance in Tohr’s book. He is irreverent, sarcastic, and a rebel angel who lives in a house with some of the most impressive vampires in the whole wide world. What more can you ask of literature?
#4 Fallen Angels by J.R. Ward:
“Seven souls are about to commit seven deadly sins and Jim is the recent and atypical fallen angel in charge of preventing it.” As you can see, I’m a total fan of this writer and everything she releases I will read because I love her.
I like her so much that I ration her books for very special moments because I’m afraid they’ll run out on me. So I haven’t read this series, but I’m sure it will be as seductive as the Black Dagger Brotherhood books.
I’ve had the opportunity to read reviews and they all paint a very good picture of these angels in paranormal romance literature; their creator, apparently, presents us with tough, foul-mouthed angels who fight for good, united by bonds of friendship and touched by the magic of love.
#5 Cain by Helena Morán – Hayes:
In the New Order series, this author gives us an original story with a magical and fantastic world you won’t be able to forget. Satanieles, Caínes, Nefilims and Nefilitis will have to join forces to find the elements of universal balance. Elements that will create a new order.
Angels in literature that I also recommend you read…
And so, I could keep mentioning stories of angels in literature in young adult and adult paranormal romance literature, but it would make a much longer post and I think what I’ve left you with is enough. Anyway, you can find more titles on this page, it’s in English, but don’t forget Google has a translator.
Which angels in paranormal romance literature have you not been able to forget?
I’m Kassfinol, a Venezuelan paranormal romance author published on Amazon KDP since 2012, and angels are the backbone of my Invocation Series. But not the ones you see in church paintings or the ones with the face of a chubby little boy with a bow and arrow. Mine have character, they have history, they make decisions that aren’t always the right ones, and they fall in love with people who definitely shouldn’t be part of their world. They have wings, yes, but the most interesting thing about them isn’t in the wings but in what they think and how they react when the world they thought they had under control starts to crumble. If you want to meet them, the Invocation Series is exactly for you. And if you first want a sample, I have more than 40 free short stories on this website.