A Flight of Angels
When an unnamed angel falls from the sky on a snowy night, the faerie denizens of an isolated forest gather around. A council is called to determine who the angel is and why he’s fallen, and everyone may tell a tale as evidence. One by one the fae-folk give their stories to judge the nature of the mysterious angel. The multiauthor, round-robin style of storytelling is common among fantasy/fairy stories, and this book handles the framework well. The stories are both fun and distinctive, with standouts such as Louise Hawes’ take on the Adam and Eve story (“Original Sin”) and Alisa Kwitney’s folktale about the acceptance of one’s own mortality (“Chaya Surah and the Angel of Death”). The most stunning element of the book, though, is Guay’s artwork, which moves from style to style to fit each tale. The rich, textured linework and muted, monochromatic color palette give off a great sense of warmth and depth. In all, a beautiful book. --Tina Coleman