Review: League of Angels by Thomas Tan

God is dead, they said, and religion is a superstition which man has outgrown. All those who do not bow to the Lumen Corporation are enemies that must be hunted down and exterminated.

Forced to hide and run, the truly religious strike back from the shadows. Forming underground churches, passing refugees from safe house to safe house, they find ways to fight as the Lumen Corporation brings real demons into the fray. Amidst the prayers and the tears, the faithful whisper tales of the three men who fight the demons head-on: the Archangels.

The story

Governments the world over have fallen under the sway of the demonic Lumen Corporation, which preaches an end to religion and a new dawn for man. Vatican City is intact, but barely; throngs of angry people fill the square outside St. Peter’s Basilica. Rather than greet the pope and call for his blessing they chant hate-filled statements while demanding his downfall – and the destruction of the Church. Hope remains, but as the pontiff himself says, they cannot rely on God and do nothing. They have to take action. They have to fight back.

Enter Chelsea Shields, a pop star sitting at her dying rock star brother’s bedside. She’s desperate to save him and has called for a doctor, but there is nothing that can preserve her brother now. He’s dying, and if they want him not to suffer for eternity, it’s his soul that needs rescuing.

Chelsea does not take the arrival of Father Raphael well, but she likes what his prayers and sacramentals reveal about the state of her brother’s soul even less. Pursued by the Lumen Corporation, Chelsea and Fr. Raphael are only saved by the timely intervention of Father Michael, who brings blessed bullets and bombs to kill the Hell Hounds chasing the two. From there they take Chelsea to meet Father Gabriel to exorcise the devils in her soul.

Pursued by the very powers of Hell itself, Chelsea has to make a decision: rejoin the people hunting her down or stay with the priests. Meanwhile, the Archangels’ faith is tested as they are hemmed in on every side. In the process, they struggle to understand what fighting for and saving on God’s behalf actually means in a world ravaged by the devil “devouring souls” all around them.

The characters

By far, the Archangels are the best characters in the book. Father Raphael is calm, quiet, and the least combative member of the trio. A doctor by training he mediates disputes between his compatriots and sees to the wounds of others, whether they’re physical or spiritual.

A Dominican, Father Gabriel is the youngest Archangel and the most cheerful. Descended from a samurai who converted following the martyrdom of St. Paul Miki, he literally carries his ancestor’s blessed blade into battle. An exorcist, he is relied upon for his knowledge, but the inexperience and idealism of youth means he is better at personal combat than planning and executing a mission.

Finally, there is Father Michael. An ex-soldier, Father Michael is haunted by memories of a crime he committed on behalf of the Lumen Corporation before he converted and became a priest. The Archangel most adept with weapons and therefore the default leader of the group, his combat practicality occasionally clashes with Father Gabriel’s idealism. The story is as much about his search for redemption as it is about rescuing Chelsea Shields.

The world

The world looks like ours, but worse. Governments persecute and hunt down the faithful, and while some nations resist, the Lumen Corporation has operatives all over the world. Where the local government won’t cooperate, they simple send their own operatives to do the job. Things are looking darker by the minute, and what hope there is remains firmly rooted in God, as trusting in man is what put everyone in this position in the first place.

The politics

Satan’s on the prowl and the only way to escape him is to hold fast to God. That is the extent of the politics in this novel.

Content warning

Lumen Corporation’s president shows Chelsea just what the corporation has in mind for humanity, and it isn’t pretty. There is also a description of rape, an abortion clinic haunted by the bodies of the slain, and a few similar items meant for adult eyes only. This is not a book intended for children. Oh, and it ends on a cliffhanger. As yet, Tan hasn’t written the sequel hinted at in the final pages of the novel.

Who is it for?

Thriller fans, horror aficionados, and readers who like an apocalyptic setting. No, this book isn’t apocalyptic in the strict sense, but events make it clear things speeding toward the Second Coming. If you like any of that, then this book is for you.

Why read it?

For all the darkness in this novel, hope shines brightly from the pages. The devil may have his hour, but God will have His day. Even with a cliffhanger ending the Archangels are worth cheering on and make for excellent traveling companions. If you want something that reminds you God is with those who are with Him, then League of Angels is for you.