Scott SpeerBesprekingen

Well, when my uncle brought me this I was really excited, it looks amazing, and the description sounds pretty good. The book itself? Not so much. (Note: the book says "If you quote from this galley, please refer to the final printed book" but as the book isn't available until April, I know I'll forget to write the review then. So please take notice that my review is not of the final book.)

Just a few chapters in, and I already knew this book was going to be all over the place. The book flip-flops between third person limited, and third person omniscient, which gave the book an choppy feeling.

While the main characters' "I can't stop thinking about him/her" rants were annoying, they were not unexpected. However, what was really frustrating, was Maddy's constant disbelief of Jacks' love. We as readers, know from the book description that they fall in love. Even without that, they make it blindingly obvious, going out on dates and such. So why should Maddy be saying "I have to keep myself away from you so I don't get sucked into the illusion that you might actually like me" (Speer 224).

The writing of Maddy's character actually irked me throughout. She goes from defending herself to the "mean girl" angel, to being sad and feeling less worthy than that same angel for the rest of the book. Early in the novel, it says "Sometimes when it came to guys, Maddy found herself a bit tongue-tied [...]" (Speer 16). She acts shy and unsure of herself throughout that whole first chapter. Suddenly, a few chapters later she talks to boys like a normal person and goes on a date and almost kisses a boy suddenly.

EDIT: The ARC cover was shiny and the model was shirtless. With the different cover, I lost my favorite part of the book!

How can a book move quickly but still feel slow?

A breath of fresh air. I loved how unlike the normal and same-y YA angel novel --such as [b:Hush Hush|6339664|Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)|Becca Fitzpatrick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311064637s/6339664.jpg|6525609]-- [b:Immortal City|11443325|Immortal City (Immortal City, #1)|Scott Speer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1321559562s/11443325.jpg|16377085] was! I normally, for me, YA angel books are a BIG no-no because I just can't get into them and I always find the main characters arrogant or pathetic.. This was different. I liked the new approach to angels in society and didn't --overly-- dislike the characters..

Over & Out, T xx

A breath of fresh air. I loved how unlike the normal and same-y YA angel novel --such as [b:Hush Hush|6339664|Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)|Becca Fitzpatrick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311064637s/6339664.jpg|6525609]-- [b:Immortal City|11443325|Immortal City (Immortal City, #1)|Scott Speer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1321559562s/11443325.jpg|16377085] was! I normally, for me, YA angel books are a BIG no-no because I just can't get into them and I always find the main characters arrogant or pathetic.. This was different. I liked the new approach to angels in society and didn't --overly-- dislike the characters..

Over & Out, T xx

Okay. So, what do you get when you cross Angels who have made saving people into a money-making business, a bitter teenage boy with a grudge against them, and a girl who can 'see the future' for mysterious reasons whom both the bitter teenage boy and of the shallow, vapid, money-making angels have a crush on/thing for?
One damn good book, that's what you get.
okay, so, I actually guessed what was up with Sylvester the moment we met him. And I guessed what was up with Maddy about a third of the way through the book. I really wish those mysteries would have been less obvious.
However, the murder mystery part was amazing. I seriously did not who the heck was doing this stuff until the very end, when our main characters figured it out.
Ooh, and oh, my Jacks! what I wouldn't give for that Hunk of Hot.
I like how Maddy was all ignorant of all the 'celebrities', especially living in Los Angeles, or Angel City, where all the celebrities lived to. and she was just like, "I don't get the big deal".
Go Maddy!
And you do realize that it is that very quality that enabled Maddy and Jacks to fall in love. If anyone ever watched the Disney movie Starstruck, it's a very similar situation. Okay, it's the exact same situation, except the Disney movie is minus the angels.
All in all, this is one awesome book.

Bravo! Great book.

I am giving this 4 stars despite my disappointment in the ending. The four stars are for how I was completely drawn into the story all the way through the end. But, the last chapter of the entire book just kills me. Hmph.

I'm editing this review and adding the spoiler alert.

Here's my beef:

Maddy in book 1 is a strong, independent girl with strong beliefs about angels and how they should operate. She falls in love with Jacks who is sweet, not angry or bitter, and loves Maddy.

Book 2...Maddy is a bit of a pushover and Jacks is jealous, proud, and hurtful, and Maddy takes it. This can be believable given the circumstances, but...I don't have to like it. But that's not what really got me. The end...we are on the brink of a possible extermination of human kind and the last paragraph is dealing with which guy Maddy will choose!?! REALLY!? This book was about so much more than a love triangle. It didn't take me by surprise when it finally came to that, but for THAT to be THE cliffhanger is extremely disappointing. You could say that it's more than choosing between guys that it's choosing between angels and humans. If she caves to either side, I will be disappointed. Maddy is her own person and to be led around by either guy is ridiculous. She needs to put her foot down, make a stand, and be the strong Maddy from book 1. PLEASE BRING HER BACK!

That is all. I'm finished venting.

4.5/5
OK, funny thing is, I seem to disagree with the majority of reviewers on many YAs. I hated Obsidian and Half-Blood, and DNFed Touch, but I thought that Immortal City which keeps getting average reviews on Goodreads was an exceptionally entertaining read.

*shrug*

This was a classic Cinderella story, where Jacks is a prince in shining armor and Maddy is a poor waitress working day and night in her uncle's diner and dreaming of college. Predictable, right?

Wrong.

Despite the mass hysteria surrounding angels, both Jacks and Maddy have been sheltered from each others side of life and are more than a little naive. She makes a stupid mistake going on a date with an angelic version of Justin Bieber, he does even worse throwing her to the wolves by taking her to a huge party with paparazzi and all the famous magazines while all the angels around her keep sneering at poor girl...

Los Angeles, Immortal City, is crazily obsessed with angel celebs, the constant interviews, fashion trends, twitting, facebooking, youtubing, reality shows, their own designer lines or new perfumes... The shallowness of it all is a perfect parody on Hollywood living in its own bubble of a fake perfection.

So, Jacks and Maddy seem like a recipe for disaster until things go south, and the REAL action starts. The dizzying chase, exhilarating flights, danger from the dark evil, and the impossible sparks of intense attraction between the couple, - it pretty much becomes an urban fantasy.

If this book is turned into a TV series I wouldn't be surprised. It has the potential of achieving True Blood success. Cheesy, flashy, overblown, overdramatic and intensely entertaining characters in a mad, mad world obsessed with their existence... Instant win!

It's a fast read, and I enjoyed it very much. Give it a go.

Speer uses every trick that makes books sell..and not in a good way..

What the hell was that? I can honestly say epic fail. Sorry Speer, but you pulled a Veronica Roth, on top of a Stephanie Meyer..what was a decent story and interesting take on what would happen if Angels lived among us became a complete, tragic, frustrating boring mess.

I hated Tom. He was random, and didn't act like a military officer at all. I was shocked he didn't get kicked out of his unit with his behaviour around Maddy. Professional, much?

I ended up HATING Maddy and her selfish, whiny..god awful behaviour. She treated both men like garbage, hurt them both in the end and then shrugs off her virginity. She treated Jackson like like a bag of chips that she wanted to try but then decided, "Meh, I want a different kind of chip." Seriously, awkward sex scene..and then Maddy doesn't talk to Jackson at all because shes a self-involved twit who thinks everyone will wait around for her.

Also: Jackson said sex wasn't just sex to an Angel. He lied, clearly. Or this is just another example of how Speer cant keep up with his own lore.

Also, why is Maddy still on Earth? Half-Angel makes her Angelic, meaning she will be called on.

Emily? Clearly bad things happened to her, but no answers.

Mostly I just hated Maddy and who she became. Her Angel training made her a weak, sniveling, selfish child.

Wait, you know what I hated even more? I hated how many loose ends we just left hanging after Maddy decided she'd stay in Angel City to rake in the dough after all other Angels left. Actually, no, the lies Maddy tells to cover up her own greed is the worst part.

I liked the overall plan for the Angels, it made sense and seemed a great way to end it. Returning back to the old city name struck a cord since humanity would just go back to worshiping the rich instead of learning to care about each other from the Angel's example. Yet, the end was pretty terrible, and the execution of the love triangle was clumsy. There was also a marked decline in the quality of Speer's writing. I think he got bored of the series mid-book 2 and never recovered.

Does anyone think Amazon will refund me my money?

A unique take on angels.

Originally reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank

!!!!! Wow… It’s been quite some time that I came across a book this awesome. Okay, I had some troubles with the misleading first chapter. Cause in what world would it be possible for a drunk person that causes a deadly accident to walk free, to not be punished for his actions? I mean, he just killed someone! No, this world focuses only on the fact that he was “saved” by his Guardian Angel. And he was only saved because he paid a heft sum of money, not because he’s a safe-worthy person. There’s not even an investigation or an arrest, no! Instead he’s suddenly the most”wanted” person…. for talk shows and such! What about the family of the person that was killed? Isn’t that unfair? I know this is a bit of a rant, but this was the only part of the world that Scott Speer build that I had trouble with. He did something wrong, so he has to face the consequences… and he definitely should not be treated like he did something amazing! And people should not be saved, simply because they have the money, but because they deserve it!

Fortunately that was only the first chapter, it became way and way better afterwards (except for buying Guardian duty….). There’s a highly detailed and explained Angel Society, history included. We’ve got Angels who, for a change, act more like humans than the distant powerful beings I always thought they should be. They’re even celebrities! *Sigh* How amazing it wouldn’t be to see one in real life, flying through the sky, with wings spread wide…And it all fits so wonderfully, the angels, the humans, the whole alternative history, like it really could have happened! Epic world-building!

And the story! The action scenes were written in such a way that I had a hard time getting my heart out of my throat. It was created so well, you really could feel the angst and uncertainty. Everything was possible. Just thinking about those scenes, now, days after I’ve read the book, gives me a new adrenaline boost. And makes me want to reread the entire book. Amazing! I’ve never read a book I was this involved with, that kept me thinking about the story for so long afterwards. I didn’t even skip to the end to know who the villain was (not a great trait, I know, but I’m not good with not knowing…). In the end it was one big surprise. Totally unexpected, even with all the possibilities I came up with (and that were a lot, believe me, I’m very open-minded ;) ), I still did not guess the right one. This story just kept pulling me in from the first page and stayed thrilling, till the last page. What a book!

Oh let’s not forget Maddy, our heroine! She’s this lovely down to earth girl, who can think before she acts. And she’s definitely not a damsel in distress. Exactly how I like my main characters. And with her visions she makes it even more interesting. What is real and what not? It’s was so hard to see the difference, which made reading this book even more like riding a rollercoaster. I can’t even count the times I thought a scene was real, to sigh in relief and exasperation that it was, once again, not. Another sign how this story had me totally captivated. How could I otherwise forget she had this power and fall for it, again and again?

Jack, however, has his work cut out for him. He has a bit of trouble with understanding Maddy (and humanity). He seems totally clueless to what she really wants, since all he’s been around are angels. Or fangirling humans. Oh well, at the end it seemed like he learned at least some. And since he’s so cute and means well, I’ll forgive him ^^

Conclusion

5 HEARTS. One of the most amazing books I’ve read this year. We’ve got a well created, original look on Angels and the humans they guard. It’s also a totally engrossing story, with captivating action scenes. It was impossible to stay calm and everything seemed possible. Maddy was a great character to spend your time with, as was Jack. Although there’s still room left for improvement for him ;)

Wow. Okay--breath in, breath out.

Before Reading
I was a bit skeptical before reading this book. Mostly because I’d had some major late-downs with book lately (such as Switched), and partly because I don’t think I ever read an angel book that blew my mind away. So I entered the read…wary, unsure of what I was going to find, and mostly encouraged by the fact it was a group read on Goodreads.
Well, I said this once and I’ll say this again – Thank GOD for Goodreads group reads! (And that is still one of the funniest sentences ever).

The Plot
Is very unique. You don’t expect it to be, with all the supernatural boy falls for normal girl scenario, but it is.
It is set in our time, but with one difference; Angels “came out of the closet” years ago and are now saving people—for money. The rich have their own Guardian Angel, saving them from any unnatural death. And the poor… well, as it often is – they’re left to run the natural course of things. And in this case - left to die.
If you’ve no money – you have no angel. Simple as that.
And all of “us”, the normal people, watch the angels—the gorgeous, beautiful angels—with starstruck eyes, watching their every movement, dreaming that one day we’ll win a contest and have our own angel, be thrown into the angel superstar life.
Then we have our characters – normal Maddy, a waitress in her uncle’s diner, one of the poor, and about the only person in her school not interested in the angels.
And Jackson – the superstar angel about to become the youngest Guardian angel ever.
And then there is the horrifying murder investigation surrounding them – the murders of angels, who are impossible to kill – unless by another angel.
This turned out to be very unique, for the most part. It felt like something new and different than I read so far, even if the romance was pretty standard.
I also really liked the fact this book put inside it an issue of superstar falling for normal girl, among other things. It really showed the difference between the two worlds, and the problems.

To read the rest of the review go to my blog Drugs Called Books

3.5 Stars
I really like this one. On an angel streak right now, and have gotten two good ones in a row!

This book was not without some flaws, but it was by no means the worst I have read this year. A lot of the book could have been cut out, since it is quite hefty.

3.5 Stars
I really like this one. On an angel streak right now, and have gotten two good ones in a row!

This book was not without some flaws, but it was by no means the worst I have read this year. A lot of the book could have been cut out, since it is quite hefty.

Author Scott Speer really went in some interesting directions with Natural Born Angel. Once again, his insider knowledge of the Hollywood elite comes into play as he charts the dimming of Jackson Godspeed's star as Maddy's is rising. Suddenly Maddy is the new poster girl for angel-kind, and it looks like they need all the good PR they can get because anti-angel sentiments are running high. And the strain on Jackson and Maddy's relationship is starting to show.

I was extremely surprised to be treated to a love triangle in Natural Born Angel, because I really didn't expect one. However, as Jacks has to deal with seeing Maddy get all the attention that was once showered on him, his ego is taking a major beating and suddenly Jacks and Maddy seem on different trajectories. I thought the way both of them handled themselves under the circumstances seemed pretty realistic. The anti-angel movement adds additional stress, as Maddy finds herself torn between humans and angels as both factions try to get her on their side. With Jacks dealing with his fall in status and the two of them drifting apart, it seemed natural for her to be drawn to the human pilot giving her a crash course in flying techniques. The only problem is a lack of romantic chemistry between Maddy and Tom; I bought them as friends, but the romance seemed pretty much nonexistent until a sudden outpouring of feelings in the final chapters. There wasn't much heat between Maddy and Jacks either, since their relationship was struggling through the majority of the book. Once again romance turns out to be the weakest link of the story.

Meanwhile fallen angel/police detective David Sylvester is investigating more odd happenings around Angel City (bombings of angel holdings, murders, strange disappearances) and uncovering all kinds of dark secrets. I loved the twists his various investigations brought to the story, and the way everything built to a real nail-biter of a finale. The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat; I literally could NOT put the book down!

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Natural Born Angel, there were some rough spots where things felt a little off-balance and "too busy." There were also some pacing issues scattered throughout, where the story would be moving at nice clip and then seemed to slow down before picking back up again. As everything started coming together at the end, however, it all smoothed out and the pacing took off like a race horse. I will DEFINITELY be picking up book three to find out what happens next!

There's a lot more going on in Natural Born Angel than there was in Immortal City, and while the complexities sometimes seemed to get out of Scott Speer's control, he was able to pull all the threads together just in time to present a killer of a finale. Romance continued to be a weak link in the series, while some pacing issues added to the problem this time around, but the mysteries investigated by Detective Sylvester and Jackson's personal struggles helped shore things up. All in all, Natural Born Angel was a great entry in the series and managed to surprise me with the directions it took. Nicely done.

This is a coming of age and a coming to grips with reality (their reality) for Mads & Jackson. They live in a world where angels, trained Guardian Angels, protect people for money. There are also a couple love triangles to sort out along the way with a serial angel killer on the loose to add to the intensity.

The characters are authentic and for the most part, well developed. The plot is well constructed and fairly vivid, except for a couple of parts that left me with questions.

Overall, a fun read!

I recently found out that I really love ‘angel books’. I can’t really explain why, maybe because they are always so heroic, gorgeous, hot and easy to fall in love with.

The idea behind this book is amazing, a world where angels exists and if you have enough money you can buy protection from one of them. To my own surprise it took me quite some time to get into this story. I guess it is because it took Scott Speer about a quarter of the book to finally finish introducing. Then it was another quarter of the book for our main characters to get to know each other, again way to long.

Compared to the beginning the last half was a lot better. We get more insight in the history, relationships start, there are some bad ass fighting scene’s and the ending of the book makes you want to read the sequel (unfortunately we still have to wait a little while for that one).

Maddy doesn’t want anything to do with angels, she believes it is not fair that only the rich can be saved because of their money and the poor are left to fend for themselves. Also the fact that angels earn loads on their saves makes it easy for Maddy to dislike them. I guess that I get where Maddy is coming from. I have the same idea about it, but on the other hand I would also be totally in love with them.

When Jackson, the most popular angel on the planet, meets Maddy there is an immediate chemistry. Jacks can’t stop thinking about her; to find out why he is feeling these things he visits here. But things don’t go as planned and Maddy doesn’t want anything to do with him. This is all new to him; normally girls would pay millions to be near him. After a flight above Angel City and some sweet talk from Jackson, Maddy also can’t hide her feelings for Jackson anymore and gives in.

If I were maddy I would have jumped him right from the beginning, but to be honest I find it all a bit fast. First she really, really dislikes him (even though she feels some weird attraction to him) and then after, well actually nothing, she totally loves him. I wish everything was that easy in real life. The stupid thing of the whole love - hate relationship is that in the book description we already read that they will fall in love, and than to know that at least half of the book is about this..

All in all I did like this book, and I will definitely read the sequel to see what happens to Jackson and Maddy. In the end I guess it was all a little predictable, especially at the beginning (the ending had a really nice twist in the plot).

With thanks to Zili (Zili in the Sky) for sending me this book.

Love,
Anne

http://pursuit-of-books.blogspot.com

loved it! what a fresh take on angels. review to follow very soon!
This was originally reviewed on The Book Hookup.

4.5 stars! I was pretty excited to start this series…you know why: I LOVE ANGELS :) This isn’t your typical angel book though, in this novel angels are out in the open and treated like celebrities with their Angel TV and celebrity magazines. How cool! It also helps that for whatever reason, I am picturing the main character, Jackson Godspeed, or Jacks, as Alexander Skarsgård. Ladies, the visuals in my head are just perfect. ;)

The story starts off with sexy, tall, muscular Jackson Godspeed about to become a full Guardian, which is an angel who is paid to guard the lives of a few select humans. He is treated like royalty, with red carpets, press junkets, fancy cars and screaming girls (again, all I can picture is that sexy man Alexander Skarsgård in a suit on the red carpet). It’s not the lifestyle he really wants, but just what he has been groomed to do. He goes along with that life plan until he meets Maddy Montgomery.

Maddy is a typical teen, although she has had a tough upbringing since both of her parents were killed when she was younger. She has been raised by her Uncle Kevin and works part time in his diner since there isn’t a lot of extra money to spare. She seems to be the only person around who isn’t impressed or obsessed with the angels, the angel blogs and all the angel celebrity news. Her distaste for the superior beings all changes with her chance meeting of Jacks.

I won’t give anything away, but there is total chemistry between the pair, but it isn’t that simple for them. They come from two different worlds and it doesn’t seem like they will ever blend. However, there is an angel serial killer on the prowl, and it appears Jacks is next. Nothing like life and death situations to force people to face their feelings! There are also added complications that make the story quite interesting….from Maddy’s parents, to Jacks’ parents…nothing was as simple as it first seemed. There is a history that slowly begins to come out which cranked up the intensity of the story.

The ending had a few things I was shocked about, and a few things I predicted. Regardless, I loved it and absolutely cannot wait to see where the story goes.

Would I rec it? Absolutely. Scott Speer has written a wonderful debut novel and I can’t wait to start the 2nd book in the series, Natural Born Angel, due out April 2013. In the meantime, if you love angels but want a refreshing storyline, pick yourself up a copy, you won’t regret it!

Happy Reading!

My name is Maddy Montgomery. I'm sorry I'm Maddy Godright. Let me try it again. Third time's always the charm. My name is Maddy Montgomery Godright. Right now my life is a little bit crazy. Not only am I Jackson Godspeed's girlfriend but my Uncle told me some life changing news. It appears I am half angel. No need to freak out or anything. If I'm half angel shouldn't my wings be coming in pretty soon? Or is that up in the air as well?

I am told to keep my head held high. Don't let people get to me. Things will turn out ok at the end. I would be okay if not for Jackson. He hasn't been himself in the last couple of weeks. He tells me he's fine. If he's fine then why does my gut tell me something bad is going to happen?

Maddy has a right to worry. Something will change for all of the Angels around the globe. Who is there to protect the humans if the Angels can't protect themselves?
-from jennation book reviews

Music video/movie director Scott Speer leaps into the YA paranormal book market with his début novel Immortal City, an intriguingly different take on the currently saturated angel market. In Speer’s Angel City (Los Angeles), angels are in the business of saving people for money while living the glamorous life of red carpet events, their own TV shows, and paparazzi. Throw in an interesting mystery, a romance and a surprise ending to round things out, and you have an extremely promising new series.

Let’s start with the angel world Speer has created. His angels spend more time “flying” in their fast cars than in the air. The glitz and glamor of star-studded events, reality TV shows, paparazzi, gossip magazines and blogs, breathless reporting on every miraculous “save” that the angels perform – these angels are celebrities and at the heart of it is the hottest angel of them all, Jackson (Jacks) Godspeed. The youngest angel ever to be commissioned as a Guardian, Jacks is in the spotlight 24/7 with parties and events. His younger sister Chloe has her own reality TV show, mom Kris is a former Guardian who is very active in angel charity work, and stepfather Mark is the Archangel in charge of disciplinary action. Brand names are dropped right and left – Versaci, Burberry, Chanel, Calvin Klein, etc. – and Jacks even has his own publicist keeping an eye on HIS “brand.” Some readers may be irritated by all the name-dropping , but Speer is comfortable in this world (after all he lives in it himself) and brings all his knowledge to bear; he immerses you in it. The fact that angels are in the protection-for-hire business is a fresh take on the genre, but the downside of this capitalism is shown in the very first chapter when a rich drunk driver is “saved” by his Guardian while the innocent victim in the other vehicle is left to die because “he didn’t have coverage.” There is a very dark side to the Guardian Angel business, but young angels like Jacks are still idealistic enough not to see it.

Despite Jacks being a famous rich kid, I liked his character. At heart, he is very serious about focusing on his soon-to-be Guardian duties and basically appears to be doing all the press junkets and events because it is a natural part of his world and expected of him. He is as down-to-earth as he can be under the circumstances. When he becomes unexpectedly caught up in the investigation of the angel murders and needs a place to hide, Jacks ducks into a little diner named “Kevin’s” and meets 17-year-old waitress Madison (Maddy) Montgomery, who has zero interest in angels and their celebrity. Working hard to get into a college far from Angel City, Maddy is about to be caught up in the very world she has always avoided.

Maddy is a solid heroine. She is smart, focused on her goal of getting into college, and waitresses for her uncle Kevin for tips (no salary) because she feels it is the right thing to do. She is just as grounded as Jacks and asks some tough questions about the protection they provide. Confronted at one point by Jacks’ angel ex-girlfriend, she immediately stands up for herself. She even has a secret ability to see visions of bad events that are about to happen, which leads to a couple of exciting sequences. When Jacks ends up targeted by both the angels and the serial killer, Maddy jumps in with both feet to perform a “save” of her own. The only thing I didn’t like about Maddy is that she’s a bit too quick to lie to cover up the fact that she is seeing Jacks – and she does it multiple times. It’s just such a dumb move to lie when you are dating a celebrity; in this age of smart phones and the internet, it is way too easy to have your lies revealed to the whole world.

Even though I liked both Jacks and Maddy, the romance between them was the weakest point of the book. I just didn’t feel like the chemistry was there between them; it felt more like a paint-by-numbers relationship. This is the only point I think needs a bit more “oomph” in the next book. I DID like the twist with Maddy that showed up in the middle of the book and its surprising consequence at the end. How it plays out is going to be very interesting as the series progresses, and I believe it will cause a lot of upheaval in the status quo.

And then there is the mystery: a serial killer is on the loose in Angel City, cutting off the wings of angels to “mortalize” them, killing them and then leaving their wings on their stars on the Walk of Fame. Investigating the case is Detective David Sylvester, a world-weary cop whose knowledge of angels makes him the best man for the job. Tenacious and thorough, Sylvester is convinced there is something major going down. But when he puts the matter before the archangels, he finds they are more a hindrance to his investigation than a help. When his investigation takes an unexpected turn, Sylvester will do everything in his power to see justice done – even if it means going against the angels themselves.

Frankly, the mystery turned out to be my favorite part of the story and I really liked David Sylvester. If anything ever goes criminally wrong, this is the guy you want in your corner; full of integrity and smarts, Sylvester is not to be taken lightly. His history with the angels was not quite what I expected, and I loved the way he stood up to them when he figured out who the killer was. I know a couple of people who say they figured out “the bad guy” pretty quickly, but I’m not one of them. I was stunned by the reveal of who was behind the murders, and reading the book again I’m still not seeing what others picked up on that I missed. Be that as it may, I thought the mystery aspect was very well done and led to an enemy I think will be a force to be reckoned with in the sequel. I liked that the mystery was solved here, but since there was a lot of foreshadowing about problems within and without the angel community I don’t believe we have seen the last of Sylvester. Jacks’ stepfather Mark clearly is up to something, no one has seen the original Twelve True Immortal angels who make up the Council in years, and a whole anti-angel movement is going on in the world – Speer leaves plenty of threads left to explore in this series.

There is definitely a lot going on in Scott Speer’s début novel Immortal City. The twist on the angel genre and the murder mystery at the core of the story are definitely worth checking out. The romance was a bit on the generic side, but the characters were solid and the potential for growth in the next book is huge. Speer shows an incredible talent with Immortal City and I anxiously await what happens next to Jacks, Maddy and Sylvester.

It took a long time for me to get into this, and once I did it was an okay read. Didn't particularly care for the characters all that much, the male love interest certainly didn't have me swooning.

It took a long time for me to get into this, and once I did it was an okay read. Didn't particularly care for the characters all that much, the male love interest certainly didn't have me swooning.

booknook — Young Adult book reviews

This story is so awesome. So, so awesome. I honestly don't even know what else to say. Imagine that 100 years ago, angels revealed themselves to the world. Then, with that in mind, what would the world be like today? The answer to that question is this book. Immortal City is about today's world, plus angels. The angels are celebrities; they dominate advertising, social media, television, news, blogs, and their entire lives are stalked by the paparazzi. But the world of angels is also a corporation. You pay them, and they'll save your life. It gives a whole new meaning to "life insurance."

Once you get past the uniqueness of that overall idea, there are a few cliché details—but I honestly don't care. Because this story completely drew me in and I was HOOKED! I can totally relate to Maddy. I mean, our world is essentially like this book but instead of angels, we have actors, actresses, musicians, models, etc. A lot of the people in my town obsess over celebrity gossip and ensure that they keep up-to-date on all the celebrities' lives. That is so not me. I'm one of those people that's just like, "Who cares? Quit obsessing over their lives and focus on your own." That's how Maddy is about angels. Everyone is drooling over them and stalking them, but Maddy just doesn't care. And I love it.

The way this book is written will totally grip you. The story is told from multiple points of view, including Jackson's, Maddy's, and a police officer's. The constant switching back and forth results in multiple cliffhangers at the end of chapters that make you HAVE to keep reading! And then as soon as that cliffhanger gets resolved, there's another, and another, and another. And then soon you have to read the entire book in one sitting!

Immortal City has romance, action, twists, and incredibly fantasy. The end of the book made me cry! The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the final wrap-up. You know: that moment after the climax when everything settles down and the story comes to a close. I suddenly felt like I went from crying and being blown away by the intensity of the book to going, "What? What just happened?" Things really get cut short and it's disappointing. It's almost like it ended too quickly. The romance kind of got cut off and I still have no clue what happened with Jackson.

But minor bumps aside, this book rocked my world. I still can't get over how incredibly awesome the idea is @_@ And even though this book is a paranormal and is about angels, I can totally and completely believe that this book was real. The society and social life that Scott Speer created was so incredibly realistic. I think it's the perfect portrayal of what our society would be like if guardian angels truly existed.

I'm giving the second book a permanent spot on my "stalking unreleased books" radar!½

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I have to give props to Scott Speer for his great writing style! This male author dabbling in a world (ya paranormal/romance) ruled by females did a fabulous job! I was impressed with how great this book was! The action is top notch! I could see it easily playing out and becoming a movie script. The characters were interesting, nothing was overly predictable, and the concept of angels was taken into a storyline that is different than anything I've read before. I was hooked from chapter one! Jackson is completely likeable despite his persona and Maddy is the kind of female lead character you want to root for. She's not gullible and she's not so swooned by the hot looking guy that she forgets everything she was before meeting him. My only complaint is the building up of their relationship together could have used a bit more finesse. I felt that the development between Jacks and Maddy was at a good pace until it all connected and then it all felt too rushed. This one had a great ending and whether or not there's a sequel, I'm pretty happy.½

I have to say I was kicking myself for picking this one up. I am over angels. And for the first few chapters, I was still over angels, but then I flipped to the inside jacket of the book and read, "Set in a reimagined Los Angeles that sparkles with glamour and celebrity worship, Scott Speer's Immortal City is charged with passion and haunted by themes of power and idolatry." Then, I got it. All the expensive cars and hero worship and Rodeo drive and designer name dropping and the beautiful people. And all the worshiping of the Angels, the networks dedicated to it, the paparazzi, the nonstop talk among Maddy's friends at high school about Jackson Godspeed. What had seemed over the top became more meaningful when Jackson and Maddy's worlds collide. It is ridiculous, the worship of the Angels, but who wouldn't want a Guardian Angel? Who wouldn't want to go through life knowing that someone was there always to snatch them from the jaws of death? Of course only the very, very rich can afford a Guardian Angel and there are only so many to go around so the demand is high and their cost is even higher.

It seems a bit outrageous doesn't it? Angels taking money to protect people?? Yeah, well some people in Immortal City think so too. Maddy for one. Especially people who didn't have their families saved by Guardian Angels. Can you imagine if your mother was in a drunk driving accident and the drunk driver was saved by a Guardian Angel, but your mother died because she couldn't afford protection even though the Angel could have saved her. You see how some people might hold a grudge against the Guardian Angels.

The main characters are likable enough. Maddy was too insecure to believe Jacks, Jackson Godspeed's nickname, would have any real interest in her, and that got a little annoying. Jacks was a little too self absorbed to see what her problem was. Again, some of Speer's more subtle ways of pointing out what worship and idolatry does to both ends of the spectrum. But once the action starts, I really couldn't put the book down and forgot about Angels. This was less about Angels and more a mystery and Maddy and Jacks defying the odds and breaking the rules. I do love rule breakers and those Guardian Angels had some very strict rules. And the penalty for them was very high. That's all I'll say, but even if you're tired of Angels, and I was, give this one a try. It is not the same worn out story. It's got Guardian Angels as A-list celebrities and the only one that can rub elbows with them are the elite rich. And then the up and coming star falls for a nobody and a non-Angel and you've got a story with unbelievable twists and turns and I mean that literally and figuratively! It's a great start to a new series. I can't wait for the next novel!½