Of Men and of Angels

The second entry into Bodie and Brock Thoene's "The Galway Chronicles" nearly matches the magnificence of the award winning first volume, "Only the River Runs Free." The cast of characters remains relatively unchanged, as the changing political winds of Ireland in the 1840s create new conflicts. The novel is rooted in history: the British "Act of Union" in 1800 stripped Ireland of self-government, and led to opposition to the ruling British on two fronts: the violent rebellion movement by the Ribbonmen, and the peaceful Repeal movement seeking lawful abolition of the Act of Union. The intensity of this struggle is the catalyst for most of the struggles in "Of Men and Angels", and forms the nucleus of the novel, giving it much more of a political flavour than its prequel. Joseph Connor Burke is conscripted by the leader of the Repeal Movement, Daniel O'Connell, and finds that his political allegiances place him at the mercy of the British oppressors, many of whom are willing to go to any lengths to squash Joseph's support for the Repeal movement. With political enemies bent on nothing less than total destruction of Repeal, a terrible outbreak of small pox in the village of Ballynockanor is the last thing needed. But it is hardly the last adversity that Joseph must face. Accidents and arson result in a fast paced plot, and a gripping story-line that is hard to put down. There's even a touch of romance, as the possibility of Joseph hooking up with the widow Kate Donovan becomes a more and more pressing and realistic question. My only criticisms would be that the evil characters are occasionally rather one-dimensional and flat. Moreover, the authors downplay the fundamental divide between Protestants and Catholics. Although it is true that much of the divide can be attributed to politics rather than religion, yet one must be cautious not to express too much optimism about unity between Catholics and evangelicals. Unless they come to agreement on the fundamentals of the Christian faith such a vision will always remain a dream. Any theologian who digs beneath the surface will have to affirm that Catholics and Protestants today remain sharply divided on key points of doctrine. But those weaknesses aside, the Thoenes deserve high commendation for this excellent work in at least four respects. Firstly, they have created a successful and suspenseful story-line. Unlike many Christian writers, they are not guilty of creating sub-standard fiction. This is fiction of the highest calibre, with a skilfully portrayed setting, realistic characters, and captivating plot.Secondly, the novel is not marked by an overly optimistic view of life which characterizes much popular Christian fiction. Many writers plunge their characters through a multitude of dangers, but leave them unscathed and alive at the end. Such novels may be enjoyable, but they can not avoid the criticism that they are escapist. The Thoenes, however, are not afraid to portray life

After reading Only the River Runs Free, I had to get my hands on a copy of Of Men and Angels. When I did, I started it right away, and read it straight through. I fell more deeply in love with the characters; I laughed with them, cried with them, rejoiced with them. History, romance, intrigue, tragedy, humor and hope are all skillfully woven together to create a beautiful novel. If you're already a Thoene fan, you won't be disappointed. If you aren't a fan, after reading this book, you certainly will be.

This book has to be the best yet of the Thoenes. The character development and the parallels in the plot are rare in the world of Christian fiction today. When I finished reading the book, I wasn't left with simply a good feeling because I had been entertained. No, I was left thinking about the story, contemplating Mad Molly and the tinker (who was he really, anyway??) and the complexities of life. The questions at the end of the book helped me dig even deeper.

I love anything written by the Theone Clan. However, I find the grade given by the Booklist disturbing, who cares about Bernard Cornwell anyway? I've been reading their stuff since I was....well, little. Which really wasn't that long ago. All I want to know is when the next book is coming out!

The story line of this book is very believable and weaves historical figures in beautifully. I appreciate how the biblical truths are presented but not in a way that would be offfensive to anyone. This was very good reading and I especially liked the questions that followed at the end to give you more to think about. I can't wait for the next release in this series. I have enjoyed this one as much or more than the Z ion Chronicles series as well as the others. Very highly recemmended to those who like historical fiction...