Jovah's Angel

Last updated
Jovah's Angel
JovahsAngel.jpg
First edition
Author Sharon Shinn
Cover artist John Jude Palencar
LanguageEnglish
Series Samaria series
Genre Science fantasy
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
1997
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Preceded by Archangel  
Followed by The Alleluia Files  

Jovah's Angel is a 1997 science fantasy novel by American writer Sharon Shinn. It is the second book in the Samaria series of novels. [1]

Plot summary

Some 150 years have passed since the events of Archangel and weather patterns have become increasingly unstable. The current Archangel, Delilah, is injured while flying in a storm and her angelico killed. Jovah decrees that she can no longer be Archangel as she is unable to fly, and names Alleluia Archangel in her place. While many protest her elevation, others believe she has been chosen because Jovah never fails to hear her voice.

Alleluia does not feel up to the task of managing the other political powers of Sammorah, but somewhat manages with the aid of the angel Samuel. As pressure continues to mount on her, the old music machines located in Eyrie begin to fail until only one is left. Seeking any diversion, Alleluia goes off in search of the inventor/engineer Caleb, whom an Edori in Velora believes may be able to fix it. She finds him in Luminaux where she discovers the former Archangel performing in a club under the name "Lilah."

Delilah wants nothing to do with Alleluia, but Caleb agrees to visit Velora as soon as possible. Caleb is revealed to be friends with Delilah and another inventor/engineer Noah. The two inventor/engineers theorize that Delilah is seeking thrills to entertain her, so when they mention that they will be travelling to Bereven as part of their work, she decides to accompany them. They travel via Noah's "Beast," a primitive steam-powered car. When Delilah learns of the reason they have travelled there to aid the design of self-propelled ships, she wishes to join the Edori expedition to Ysral. Noah, who is falling in love with her, declares that she cannot go and that he will go in her stead.

Alleluia as Archangel, must also find her angelico. Jovah only refers to him as "The son of Jeremiah" and much of her time is devoted to searching for him, and consulting the oracles. The oracle of Mount Sinai has recently died leaving no third oracle, and in her attempts to better understand Jovah, Alleluia takes several books and begins learning the old language used at the interfaces. She learns through the interface that Jovah is in need of help, and that is also the son of Jeremiah who could help Jovah.

As these events take place, the weather is beginning to threaten their very way of life, and Alleluia finds references in the old texts and Edori songs that the weather is returning to how it originally was when the first colonists arrive. In a particularly harsh storm, Alleluia is also cast to the ground and uses that event to great effect to appease the other political powers. She manages to convince them that it is not the Angels causing the storms in purpose, but that they may all be in genuine danger.

Alleluia begins the theorize that similar to the music machines some sort of device that aids Jovah to hear the angels may begin failing and once again locates Caleb. They meet up at Hagar's Tooth to look for such a device, and amid their budding romance find it and determine that it is working correctly. Alleluia departs as rapidly as she can citing that she can not fall in love because she must marry her angelico as decreed by Jovah.

Caleb chases after her and after a circuitous route meets her at Mount Sinai where she hopes to commune directly with Jovah. Alleluia logs in and teleports up to Jehovah, the spaceship above the planet, just in time for Caleb to see her vanish. He reasons out what she must have done and follows her. On the spaceship she goes through a crisis when it is revealed that Jovah is the AI controlling the ship. Some relief is provided by Caleb being revealed as the son of Jeremiah. Caleb also manages to repair the Jehovah so that all angels' voices will be heard again.

As they leave the Jehovah, Caleb takes several batteries with him. He returns to Luminaux just before Delilah is to depart for the journey to Ysral, and convinces her to try one last time to repair her wing. The battery is inserted and somehow jumpstarts damaged nerves so that while there is no feeling, Delilah can now control her wing. She decides not to go and Noah remains as well. A short time later Delilah triumphantly returns to Eyrie to resume her role as Archangel with Noah as her Angelico.

After much soul searching, and a quick Q&A session with Jovah, Alleluia also returnes to Eyrie shortly after Delilah. She confirms that Delilah will be continue as Archangel and that she will become the new oracle at Mount Sinai. Caleb returns with her and founds an engineering college at the base of the mountain.

Samaria Series

  1. "Jovah's Angel: Review". Kirkus Reviews. April 1, 1997. Retrieved October 7, 2024.

Related Research Articles

The Book of Kings is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of ancient Israel also including the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel.

<i>Samson and Delilah</i> (opera) Opera by Camille Saint-Saëns and Ferdinand Lemaire

Samson and Delilah, Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. It was first performed in Weimar at the Grossherzogliches Theater on 2 December 1877 in a German translation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson</span> Figure in the Book of Judges

Samson was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution of the monarchy. He is sometimes considered as an Israelite version of the popular Near Eastern folk hero also embodied by the Sumerian Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as well as the Greek Heracles. Samson was given superhuman powers by God in the form of extreme strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel</span> Angel in Abrahamic religions

In the Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel with the power to communicate God's will to humanity. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Quran and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Many Christian traditions – including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism – revere Gabriel as a saint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archangel</span> Second lowest rank of angel

Archangels are described as the second-lowest rank of angel in De Coelesti Hierarchia written by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century. The Bible itself uses the term only two times, with no mention in the Old Testament, and does not mention a hierarchy of angels in any detail. The word is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions; similar beings exist in several other religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Worthington III</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1. Warren is a founding member of the X-Men, having used the moniker Angel. Later stories would reveal that prior to joining the team, he had acted as a vigilante under the moniker Avenging Angel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-Force</span> Group of fictional characters

The X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in New Mutants #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series called X-Force. The group was originally a revamped version of the 1980s team, the New Mutants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Shinn</span> American science fiction writer

Sharon Shinn is an American novelist who writes combining aspects of fantasy, science fiction and romance. She has published more than a dozen novels for adult and young adult readers. Her works include the Shifting Circles Series, the Samaria Series, the Twelve Houses Series, and a rewriting of Jane Eyre, Jenna Starborn. She works as a journalist in St. Louis, Missouri and is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Battlefield is the first serial of the 26th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 6 to 27 September 1989. It was the last to feature Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who.

<i>Archangel</i> (Shinn novel) 1997 novel by Sharon Shinn

Archangel is a 1996 science fantasy novel by American writer Sharon Shinn. It is the first book in the Samaria series of novels.

<i>Death Comes to Time</i> 2001 Doctor Who episode

Death Comes to Time is a webcast audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced by the BBC and first broadcast in five episodes on the BBCi Cult website from 12 July 2001, accompanied by limited animation.

<i>The Green Pastures</i> (film) 1936 film

The Green Pastures is a 1936 American film depicting stories from the Bible as visualized by black characters. It starred Rex Ingram, Oscar Polk, and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. It was based on the 1928 novel Ol' Man Adam an' His Chillun by Roark Bradford and the 1930 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Marc Connelly.

<i>Cain</i> (novel) 2009 novel by José Saramago

Cain is the last novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese author José Saramago. The book was first published in 2009. In an earlier novel, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Saramago retold the main events of the life of Jesus Christ, as narrated in the New Testament, presenting God as the villain. In Cain, Saramago focuses on the Hebrew Bible.

<i>Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances</i> 2008 novel by three authors

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances is a fix-up novel comprising three separate stories that intertwine with one another. It was released on 2 October 2008 through Speak. The stories are "The Jubilee Express" by Maureen Johnson, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" by John Green, and "The Patron Saint of Pigs" by Lauren Myracle. The book follows three different teenagers as they experience a huge snow storm in the town of Gracetown during the Christmas season.

<i>The Family Fang</i> 2011 novel by Kevin Wilson

The Family Fang is a bestselling novel written by Kevin Wilson and published by Ecco in 2011.

Son of Angels is a series of young adult Christian fiction novels by Jerel Law. The first book in the series, Spirit Fighter, was released on April 3, 2012, through Thomas Nelson and the second, Fire Prophet, was released on December 11, 2012. The third book, Shadow Chaser was released on May 7, 2013. The fourth book, Truth Runner, was released on November 5, 2013.

<i>Catherine of Alexandria</i> (Palladas) Painting by Ieremias Palladas

Catherine of Alexandria is a tempera painting created by Ieremias Palladas. Palladas was a monk associated with Saint Catherine's sacred monastery in Egypt also known as Mount Sinai. He was a painter and teacher. His nephew became the Patriarch of Alexandria. His name was Gerasimos Palladas. Ieremias was a Sinaitic monk because of his association with Saint Catherine's monastery on Mount Sinai. The monastery encloses the site where it is assumed by Christians that Moses saw the burning bush. Ieremias was one of the most influential figures of his time. The Patriarch of Jerusalem Nectarius wrote about the painter in his archives.