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Rogue Angel is a series of paperback novels produced bi-monthly since July 2006 by Harlequin Enterprises, published under a succession of imprints and written under the house name of "Alex Archer". Actual authors are credited with small notes inside the books but not on the front covers or spines. Each novel relates to history or mythology with a heavy fantasy slant, and the main character is Annja Creed.
Books in the series can be read individually, although when read in order, character development and sub-plots may be followed.
Typically, each volume is named after a historical or mythological artefact, around which the plot revolves. The plot structure tends to follow a pattern where the heroine discovers the item in question. The villain or another party then steals the item or abducts the heroine, motivated by their believing the item holds special power or significance. In the course of the story, the heroine discovers more about a historical period and the people who lived in it.
The series was first envisioned by Randall Toye, a Harlequin executive who fell in love with the history concerning Joan of Arc and wanted to develop the idea of a present-day Joan. Veteran action-adventure editors Feroze Mohammed and Nicole Brebner teamed up with Mel Odom to flesh out their series.
The first eight novels were written by Mel Odom and Victor Milán. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz, Michele Hauf, Jean Rabe, and Joseph Nassise.
Rogue Angel's premise and execution display similarities with earlier franchises such as the Witchblade comic book (published since 1995) and TV series (2001-02), Tomb Raider (1996-present), and Outlanders (1997–present).
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Annja Creed is a world-traveling archaeologist with a penchant for arcane history and adventure. Heir to Joan of Arc's mystic sword and an ambiguous heroic destiny, she frequently finds herself exposed to both. She is portrayed as beautiful and intelligent.
Growing up in an orphanage, Annja, partly due to her lack of knowledge of her own origins, developed a love of history, as well as an interest in martial arts. She then earned a college scholarship and achieved a Masters in Archeology, concentrating on medieval and renaissance time periods, while also acquiring specialized knowledge in anthropology and art. She has written several scholarly as well as popular-scientific articles and books.
Not long after graduating, Annja was offered a job working as a host on Chasing History’s Monsters, a syndicated television show investigating all manner of cryptids drawn from pop culture, folklore, and mythology, and occasionally less far-fetched types of "monsters" such as serial killers. She tries to bring a certain amount of factual material to the episodes she hosts, but the show's producer insists on a more sensationalist and speculative slant. This regularly frustrates her, but the salary and expense account involved allow her to travel freely, and she often puts her status as a minor celebrity to good use.
She resides in a loft in Brooklyn, New York.
When Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy, her sword was shattered by an English soldier, and the fragments were widely dispersed. However, Roux and Garin, two of the knights in her personal retinue, were cursed with immortality in order to be able to eventually track down and reassemble the artifact.
Annja was present when this came to pass, and at her touch, the blade magically reformed, making her its new bearer. It cannot be taken from her against her will, and she has the power to remove it to and retrieve it from a supernatural location referred to as "the Otherwhere". This process works regardless of the Sword's current location, giving her the ability to, for example, use the weapon as a projectile and then immediately recall it to her hand.
Moreover, it also enhances her general constitution and helps her recover from injuries.
Roux is apparently in his sixties, but has actually been alive for more than five hundred years. The precise extent of his immortality has not been revealed, though one of the later books (River of Nightmares) shows that it is not merely longevity but imbues him with an ability to recover from wounds that outstrip even Annja's.
He and Annja are in a mentor-protege relationship, however reluctant and long-distance. At the same time, he has his own agenda, such as tracking down a variety of other reportedly magical items for reasons ranging from simple personal ambition to the genuine desire to keep them out of hands that would use them for harm, and he is not above manipulating others, including Annja, to accomplish this.
He resides in a castle-like mansion outside of Paris, France.
Garin Braden was Roux's apprentice in Joan's day. Physically, he falls squarely into the "tall, dark, and handsome" category, and he has grown considerably wealthy and powerful, with a wide range of employees and resources at his beck and call. He is arrogant and ruthless, but also experiences and acts on the occasional selfless impulse.
His relationships with both Roux and Annja are complicated. He was initially afraid that the reforming of the Sword would put an end to his longevity and consequently made several attempts to destroy or at least separate Annja and the artifact. This concern lessens over time, though, and he increasingly develops fondness of and respect for her. His feelings towards Roux appear to be a mix of deep-rooted attachment and resentment.
His main residence is in Germany, but his lifestyle is even more cosmopolitan than Annja's.
Doug Morrell produces Chasing History's Monsters and is a stereotypical media personality - young, supremely self-involved, and with a staggering disregard for facts, especially when they threaten to get in the way of ratings. His relationship with Annja is sufficiently solid to survive the frequent disagreements this causes, though.
| Series no. | Title | Author(s) | Date Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Destiny | Mel Odom | July 2006 |
| 02 | Solomon's Jar | Victor Milán | September 2006 |
| 03 | The Spider Stone | Mel Odom | November 2006 |
| 04 | The Chosen | Victor Milán | January 2007 |
| 05 | Forbidden City | Mel Odom | March 2007 |
| 06 | The Lost Scrolls | Victor Milán | May 2007 |
| 07 | God of Thunder | Mel Odom | July 2007 |
| 08 | Secret of the Slaves | Victor Milán | September 2007 |
| 09 | Warrior Spirit | Jon F. Merz | November 2007 |
| 10 | Serpent's Kiss | Mel Odom | January 2008 |
| 11 | Provenance | Victor Milán | March 2008 |
| 12 | The Soul Stealer | Jon F. Merz | May 2008 |
| 13 | Gabriel's Horn | Mel Odom | July 2008 |
| 14 | The Golden Elephant | Victor Milán | September 2008 |
| 15 | Swordsman's Legacy | Michele Hauf | November 2008 |
| 16 | Polar Quest | Jon F. Merz | January 2009 |
| 17 | Eternal Journey | Jean Rabe | March 2009 |
| 18 | Sacrifice | Jon F. Merz | May 2009 |
| 19 | Seeker's Curse | Victor Milán | July 2009 |
| 20 | Footprints | Jon F. Merz | September 2009 |
| 21 | Paradox | Victor Milán | November 2009 |
| 22 | The Spirit Banner | Joseph Nassise | January 2010 |
| 23 | Sacred Ground | Jon F. Merz | March 2010 |
| 24 | The Bone Conjurer | Michele Hauf | May 2010 |
| 25 | Tribal Ways | Victor Milán | July 2010 |
| 26 | The Dragon's Mark | Joseph Nassise | September 2010 |
| 27 | Phantom Prospect | Jon F. Merz | November 2010 |
| 28 | Restless Soul | Jean Rabe | January 2011 |
| 29 | False Horizon | Jon F. Merz | March 2011 |
| 30 | The Other Crowd | Michele Hauf | May 2011 |
| 31 | Tear of the Gods | Joseph Nassise | July 2011 |
| 32 | The Oracle's Message | Jon F. Merz | September 2011 |
| 33 | Cradle of Solitude | Joseph Nassise | November 2011 |
| 34 | Labyrinth | Jon F. Merz | January 2012 |
| 35 | Fury's Goddess | Jon F. Merz | March 2012 |
| 36 | Magic Lantern | Mel Odom | May 2012 |
| 37 | Library of Gold | Joseph Nassise | July 2012 |
| 38 | The Matador's Crown | Michele Hauf | September 2012 |
| 39 | City of Swords | Jean Rabe | November 2012 |
| 40 | The Third Caliph | Mel Odom | January 2013 |
| 41 | The Staff of Judea | Joseph Nassise | March 2013 |
| 42 | The Vanishing Tribe | Joseph Nassise | May 2013 |
| 43 | Clockwork Doomsday | Mel Odom | July 2013 |
| 44 | Blood Cursed | Michele Hauf | September 2013 |
| 45 | Sunken Pyramid | Jean Rabe | November 2013 |
| 46 | Treasure of Lima | Joseph Nassise | January 2014 |
| 47 | River of Nightmares | Jean Rabe | March 2014 |
| 48 | Grendel's Curse | Steven Savile | May 2014 |
| 49 | The Devil's Chord | Michele Hauf | July 2014 |
| 50 | Celtic Fire | Steven Savile | September 2014 |
| 51 | Pretender's Gambit | Mel Odom | November 2014 |
| 52 | Death Mask | Steven Savile | January 2015 |
| 53 | Bathed in Blood | Joe Nassisse | March 2015 |
| 54 | Day of Atonement | Steven Savile | May 2015 |
| 55 | Beneath Still Waters | Joe Nassise | July 2015 |
| 56 | The Mortality Principle | Steven Savile | September 2015 |
| 57 | Mystic Warrior | Mel Odom | November 2015 |
Following the shutdown of Gold Eagle Publishing by Harlequin, the primary creator of audiobook adaptions of the franchise, Graphic Audio, acquired the rights to create original, in-house sequels to the novels, available exclusively in a narrated audio drama format.
| Series # | Title | Author(s) | Date Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Death Looms [2] | Nanette Savard | December 2017 |
| 59 | Eyes of the Beholder [3] | Scott McCormick/Jillian Levine-Sisson | May 2018 |
| 60 | In the Serpent's Tomb [4] | Scott McCormick/Jillian Levine-Sisson | May 2019 |
| 61 | Secret of the Monkey King [5] | Christopher L. Bennett/Nanette Savard | August 2022 |
| 62 | Treasure of the Monkey King [6] | Christopher L. Bennett/Nanette Savard | August 2023 |
| 63 | The Queen Jewels [7] | Octavia J. McKenzie/Nanette Savard | August 2024 |
GraphicAudio have adapted all of the 57 Harlequin books into their dramatized audio format.
In 2008 IDW Publishing released a miniseries (five issues) written by Barbara Kesel and featuring art by Renae De Liz. [8]
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