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Celeste, a card sharp with a penchant for trouble, takes on the role of advocatus diaboli, to defend her sister Mariel, accused of murdering a Virtue, a member of the ruling class in the mining town of Goetia, in a new world of dark fantasy.
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse is set in a remote town, Goetia, located in a mountainous area. The town is separated into two classes, the Fallen and Virtues. The Fallen are descendants of those who rebelled against Heaven. The Virtues are the haves while the Fallen are the have nots. The one thing that the Fallen have that the Virtues want is the ability to see an element called Divinity.
Celeste and her sister. Mariel, are members of the Fallen class. Celeste lived for many years passing as a Virtue but came back to Goetia to protect her sister. Mariel may not need as much protecting as Celeste believes. She manages to keep several secrets from her overprotective sister.
When Mariel is arrested for the murder of a Virtue, Celeste is asked to be the devil’s advocate in Mariel’s defense. Her ex-boyfriend, the demon Abraxas, makes an appearance to help Celeste save her sister.
In the past, Celeste left Abraxas in order to stay with Mariel. Would you give up love of one so that you don’t give up your love for family? If she stayed with the demon boyfriend, she would have to give up her soul and the love of her family.
While investigating the murder, Celeste discovers many of Mariel’s secrets. She is still willing to do a test which is like truth serum. However, if you lie then the testing implement will maim you.
Celeste wants to take a chance with the test whether Mariel has committed the crime or not. She doesn’t care what she has to sacrifice as long as Mariel is freed from prison. Is Mariel worthy of this sacrifice? Maybe or maybe not. Regardless of her worthiness, Celeste loves her enough to put herself at risk. Interesting . . . . that is definitely something to think about.
If you are a fan of fantasy or mysteries, then you might enjoy Tread of Angels. I think that the world building is unique but with a familiar setting.
Unfortunately, if you are uptight and holier-than-thou like the church lady, then you may not see the beauty of this book. I’ll be over here praying for a sequel.
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- I received this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own. Obviously
