Review: Four Stars: A complex story involving angels trying to redeem humanity
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 5, 2012
Four stars: A complex story involving angels trying to redeem humanity.Emily and Matt are an inseparable team.  Emily is the angel and Matt the warrior.  They are meant for each other, soul mates.  They live in Heaven under the protective care of some of Heaven's most famous archangels.  Michael, is their ever wise teacher, Gabriel coaches on the warrior aspects, while Francis is a loving and supportive friend.  The pair has spent their entire heavenly existence training and preparing for their missions on Earth.  Emily's job is to answer the requests of those humans in need, while Matt's mission is to eradicate the evil doers, while protecting the innocent.  As the pair readies to ascend to Earth, they learn that while in their human shells, they will not retain any of their heavenly knowledge, nor will they recognize each other on Earth.  Yet, somehow their  souls will know one another, for they are destined to be together.  Or are they?  Can Emily and Matt as humans fulfill their mission to gather information to help save humanity? Will Emily lose her heart to another?What I Liked:*My favorite aspect of this novel was Ms. Lignor's characterization of the arch angels.  I loved meeting Michael, Gabriel and Francis as she envisions them.  They are endearing, kind, patient and caring.  They also are a bit mischievous and funny as well.  St. Francis was my favorite, I loved the way he morphed into a form compromised of animals.  I enjoyed the snippets of famous quotable quotes that kept popping up as phrases the archangels were "trying out." I loved the cameo appearance of Joseph at the end.*I enjoyed the scenes in the Heavenly realm.  I liked seeing Ms. Lignor's ideas of Heaven.  It was a beautiful but not uptight or too religious.*I appreciated the complex philosophical ponderings  on souls, soul mates, free will and the redemption of humanity.  There are many deep concepts presented that I enjoyed exploring.*I liked the Earthly characters of Faith and Liz.  Liz is Emily's human form and Faith is her best friend.  These two girls are resourceful and hardworking young ladies who take care of themselves.  They have spunk and a bit of sass.  I especially love Faith, she is not afraid to take on the dragons of the upper class and she does it with style.*I enjoyed the two plots in the book.  One story line follows Emily and Matt in their earthly forms of Liz and Daniel, while the other is about their heavenly education and purpose as an angel and warrior.  Even though on a couple of occasions it was a bit confusing to follow the shifting scenes between Earth and Heaven, I had fun with the alternating story lines.And The Not So Much:*The book opens with Emily being disillusioned by her role to protect humanity, I never learned why she was unhappy fulfilling her mission on Earth as an angel. It is discussed in the beginning and revisited at the end, as an ongoing theme for future books.  I would like to know what happened to make Emily want to push away Matt and her heavenly calling.*I wanted to get to know Daniel (Matt) better.  At first I thought that this book would be told from a dual perspective but there is only a couple of small chapters devoted to Daniel's point of view.  I would have liked more insight on his character and actions.*I was a little perplexed by the insta-love between Faith and Charles and even Liz and Jason.  Liz and Faith are two resourceful young ladies running a small Irish pub in the 1800's.  One stormy night the bedraggled pair, Charles and Jason pound on their door seeking shelter from the storm.  Liz lets them in, despite Faith's misgivings.  Faith and Charles fall in love instantly and the four end up running off together.  I guess I am just not a big fan of the love at first sight theme, the relationships were a little too hurried for my taste.*I was confused a bit over Liz's dreams and visions.  I wasn't quite sure how that all worked and why she bled and bruised during the night. I think this needed a touch more clarification.Until Next Time, is a complex and engaging book that follows a pair of heavenly inhabitants as they endeavor to fulfill their mission on Earth, while being tutored by some amazing, celestial favorites.  Their time on Earth not only will test their will and faith in their teachings and humanity but also in each other.  Will Matt and Emily rise to the occasion and find redemption for the human race? Ms. Lignor leaves us musing on the outcome until next time....Favorite Quotations:"They were the color of the thin line that separated the ocean from the sky.  His gaze was that brilliant horizon that kept her steady so she wouldn't lose herself in the wide majesty of the stars, or the treacherous depths of the ocean.  Their souls were one, keeping each other on the right course, oblivious to the rest of the world.""Even though I am sure the romantic candlelight that our kiss creates would burn through the night, I'm more the roaring inferno type.""Your thoughts make you wise, your heart makes you strong, but your soul is who you are.""I hope to never have a son.  I would have to hit him over the head and beg the good Lord to take him back and insert a brain.""Some get tired of waiting and settle for less than what they really want. Their souls grow heavy and they forget what was good in the first place. They don't remember the wonderful things that they can have, the good people they can become, and the true love they can experience- so they simply settle for not being alone.""Never settle for someone less than the one who can fulfill your soul.""Her kiss was quick and light, like a butterfly landing on his soft cheek and then fluttering away."