The god hears the prayers of the angels best, the Samarians say. And the archangel is the ultimate conduit between the god and man. He leads the people in harmony and protects them from harm. Unless something's terribly wrong.
In this book we are introduced to Samaria and its theology, its social problems and its culture. We also come to know its soon-to-be archangel, Gabriel, and his wife, Rachel, about 6 months before they are to take over the main guardian roles of their world. Rachel is damaged and angry, Gabriel is burdened, a man of integrity, seemingly unbending.
This is the first in a series of 5, I believe. I'm eager to read them all. I LOVED the religious questions this asked. I really liked all the characters (got a little tired of Rachel's intractability). This was really a book all about religion, but it wasn't heavy handed. I found it fascinating. I loved recognizing all the veiled religious references from both Christian and non-Christian cultures. I loved the scholarly "oracles". I loved the doubt and faith expressed by so many of the people in this book. I loved the attempt to decipher between absolutes. I loved Gabriel (well, who wouldn't?). The book was engaging, clean, thoughtful, beautifully written... a great book. Highly recommended!
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