Review: Angelic intentions didn't pen-out in "Dark Knight in Disguise," the first Earthbound Angels book by Sandra Ross
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 10 4, 2013
The initial scene of this contemporary paranormal novel is one with which we all can sympathize. Hollianne has recently fallen on hard times. She is a freelance writer, and rent is due "or else." She wheedles a short extention, but she doesn't know how she'll be able to cover the money she owes even then. She begins packing.Across the road from her brownstone is a cafe. Inside that cafe is an angel. Erick's not busy, so he decides to come to Hollianne's aid. He offers her a job.Wow. Except for two or three minor details (and the ending), you just got the entire first book of Sandra Ross' Earthbound angels in a nutshell. I wasn't trying to spill all of the beans, but half of Amazon's projected ninety-nine pages are ads for other books and the first chapter of Ross' novel "Ralph's Gift."The good news is that this first taste of "Dark Knight in Disguise" appears to be perpetually-free on Amazon, so you won't be wasting your money to read Ross' actual prose. She even hides an offer for another free book in-between the conclusion of "Dark Knight in Disguise" and chapter one of "Ralph's Gift."Unfortunately, this download did not address some very important issues with the plot and characters of Hollianne and Erick. First, Erick's character does not exhibit identifiable motivation. He performs actions, but the "why" is missing (especially if he is an angel and supposedly dislikes humans so much). Next, Hollianne accepts a freelance writing job without asking any specifics. Even if she would take the position regardless of the time commitment, specific content, or equipment required, she should be asking these things (or thinking about why she is not). If we don't know what Erick's occupation is and what his life has been like, neither does Hollianne (Again, these are important to a fully-developed plot.). Also, an angel who smokes? Seriously? And, if humans are so disgusting, shouldn't Erick have some wavering thoughts about his burgeoning desire?I won't be purchasing the next piece to this puzzle. This short-story-length "book" and I didn't click. I'm also not a big fan of episode fiction, unless I know the author from other novel-length work or the downloads are free. Money is a finite resource, and I will spend it on authors of complete books or on serial shorts that stand out with originality and energy.This book is followed by:Dark Knight in Disguise II: Earthbound Angels 1 (Earthbound Angels Book 1)Or purchase the entire four volumes in one:Dark Knight in Disguise (Complete) : Earthbound Angels Book 1Referenced in this review:Ralph's Gift : The Complete Book