Rebecca Roanhorse is one of my all time favorite authors and I will read everything that they ever publish. Of course I have loved this book, I knew I would and it didn't disappoint me. Great atmosphere, intriguing plot and interesting characters, I would have liked this to be a bit longer (but this is just because I love this author so much). Highly recommend!

An interesting Murder mystery story featuring Angels and Demons. Loved the world building and setting of this novel and appreciated the author’s writing style. I’ve never read a novel by this author before but would certainly do so again.
Although there are soooo man “who dunnit” stories out there I found this one to be an interesting and fresh take on the trope!

I haven't seen as much about this Weird Western as I'd expect given that it's Rebecca frickin' Roanhorse, but if you're looking for a diverting adventure into a frontier town of angels and demons (hey, "angels and demons" is a bingo square for Reddit's r/fantasy bingo this year!) you could do much worse than this novella. The setting here is a mining town where the ostracised "Fallen", descendants of rebel angels are put to work mining Divinity (created from the body of Abaddon, because what else would it be) under the watch of the virtuous "Elect". Celeste is a Fallen, but she has been raised by her Elect father and only recently reunited with her sister Mariel, who spent her childhood with the pair's mother. Now Celeste is trying to keep her head down, but when Mariel is accused of murdering one of the settlement's leaders, her sister is given just 24 hours to prove her innocent, aided only by her demon ex-lover Abraxas.

Standing between Celeste and her sister's freedom are an entire town's worth of deep secrets, not least those of her own sister, and most of the action here is about one woman coming up against an entire system which is stacked against her, not least because of the baked-in presumption of moral goodness in the angelic Elect (their leaders are literally called Virtues!) and the stigma against the Fallen. The adventure here is firmly in "satisfyingly tropey" territory, and while the end result is a story that didn't make a huge lasting impression on me, it's certainly an enjoyable read, with depths of worldbuilding that would lend themselves to further stories in this setting.

This was my first time reading Roanhorse's work and I was very impressed by their writing. 'Tread of Angels' is a quick and engaging read about a prejudiced mining town where former Angels and Demons live. It has an interesting story involving a murder mystery and a woman trying to prove her sister's innocence, having to team up with her ex, a demon, to help uncover the truth.

The world building was so interesting and one of my only quibbles was the overall shortness of it - I really wanted to spend more time here to learn more about the culture and class system. I also lacked a connection to the characters, I think because of the limited page count there just wasn't enough time to properly delve into them.

Regardless though this was an interesting novella with an intriguing world that I really hope is explored more in the future!

Many thanks to Solaris and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed a lot of Rebecca Roanhorse’s work in the past and Tread of Angels was no exception. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this one was a novella (no complaints from me though!)

As a novella, this worked well - the pacing was right for most of the story, although I felt that it was a tiny bit rushed towards the end. I did really enjoy the concepts behind this I and liked the take on Heaven vs. Hell / angel vs. fallen angel idea (although I wish that some of it could have been explored in a little bit more depth - with it being a novella, there wasn’t much in the way of world building, which was a shame, as the concept was really interesting).

This novella has sat on my TBR pile for far longer than it should have done! I finally got round to picking it up and was instantly transported into a story that gripped me from start to finish.

Roanhorse’s skill as a writer is really on show here – despite this being a novella and therefore by its nature shorter than a full novel the world building is incredibly rich and the characters fully formed. The world feels real, the warmth, depth and impact of the social structure seep from the pages drawing the reader in.

The social class system split between Virtues and Fallen with the Fallen seen as a lower class of citizen was really interesting and immediately introduced tensions into the world that our protagonist Celeste (of half Virtue and half Fallen parentage) would need to work around.

Celeste was a super interesting character, she felt very ‘real’ in a way that not all characters do. She was a person trying to do her best, sometimes getting it right, sometimes not. She was likeable, frustrating, eyebrow raising, amazing and fallible all at once – in short she was a person.

I will say that this story took me in a very unexpected direction – we didn’t end up where I thought we would at all and it was an emotional journey.

An excellently crafted book that re-inforced how much I enjoy Roanhorse’s writing.

I should start by saying I'm not the biggest fan of short books. That is one thing I have learnt recently and was solidified by this book. I find shorter books/novellas aren't as satisfying for me. That being said, Tread of Angels was an enjoyable read. It's well written with some really unique ideas and themes, and interesting characters. I just wish there had been more development.

So much shorter than I expected, and after reading Black Sun and Fevered Star before I came to Tread of Angels, it never hit in the same way.

I couldn't help comparison and that influenced my feelings.

I am a huge fan of all the authors books, as they explore cultures and themes not often represented or seen in this genre. Always inventive I was gripped from the start of this novella, with its alternate, historical, steampunk, western heaven and hell theme.
Set in the Colorado town of Goetia a mining town in the Old West style. The town supports the mining community who extract divinity from the body of a fallen angel called Abaddon. Working in a saloon called Eden we meet Celeste Semyaza, faro dealer and half Fallen, half Elect. Celeste favours the upper class Elect in appearance however she is reluctant to leave her sister Mariel who takes after the Fallen side of her heritage.
Celeste has a blind devotion to her sister and when Mariel is arrested for murder of a Virtue (enforcers of holy justice) she sets about to prove her sisters innocence.
As the story progresses we see just how self-deluding Celeste is where her sister is concerned with the choices she makes determining not only her own but her sisters future. Those choices are not always wise and as the novella wraps up you wonder what Celeste will do next.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC, all views are my own and slightly delayed due to illness.

I quickly bonded with Celeste, who hasn’t had an easy time of it. Her overwhelming need to keep her sister safe within a rapacious society where the Fallen are automatically at the bottom of the heap shines through. I found her protectiveness endearing, especially when I realised the price she’d already paid to keep looking after Mariel. This drive certainly informs her actions throughout the rest of the book, when a grisly murder occurs and Mariel is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I hadn’t initially appreciated that this was a novella, or I had and then completely forgot about it by the time I got around to reading it, which is probably more likely. But it’s a tricky length to write well and only a relatively few authors manage to pull it off entirely successfully, in my experience.

I was impressed at how much of the world and scene setting unfolds within the narrative, as Celeste desperately scrambles to exonerate her sister. It’s a fascinating world, where the Fallen are immediately identified by their eye colour and because their ancestors happened to be on the wrong side of a heavenly war – they are automatically a downtrodden underclass. However, it’s the Fallen who can identify the valuable remains of Abaddon, whose body fell to Earth during the war. While the Elect reap the financial rewards, it’s the Fallen who have to mine the precious element that powers their Divine inventions. This tension is played out within Celeste’s family, as her Elect father took her away from the rough mining town that is Goetia to mix with respectable Elect society while Mariel and their Fallen mother had to stay behind. Once their father died, Celeste immediately returned to look after her sister feeling guilty and ashamed at having abandoned her and promising never to do so again.

I was swept along by Celeste’s increasing desperation – and a bit floored by the ending. While it certainly works and has had me thinking a lot about the outcome, I’m also left with wanting more. The world is interesting and I found Celeste and Mariel’s adventure riveting, but ultimately also a tad frustrating, as I felt the story ended a bit abruptly. I want to know how both Celeste and Mariel cope with the sudden change in their circumstances. I very much hope that Roanhorse will revisit this world in the future – more please! While I obtained an arc of Tread of Angels from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Very much enjoyed this novella - the world building was fascinating, Celeste and her sister were both intriguing characters, and the twist of the murder mystery took me by surprise without being totally shocking, in the best possible way. I could happily read a full series set in this world!

3.5 stars
It was easy to read and quite captivating, and I loved the descriptions and unfolding of the plot. I know it's a novella but it felt like we didn't get enough time with the characters, so the relationships and ending were a little unbelievable. It did feel a little anticlimactic too but focusing on the themes, it was well thought out and had quite a lot to say.

With thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a murder mystery novella set in a mining town where Elect and Fallen intermingle after Lucifer fought Heaven. I think it’s steampunkesque but it’s not entirely clear. The narrative takes a little while to pick up speed as we follow Celeste as she ultimately has to defend her sister against the charge of murdering a Virtue. It’s a prejudiced society and Celeste herself is half Fallen, half Elect and could pass as the ‘better’ side if she wanted but she has Mariel to think about. The setting and dilemma is rich but the people don’t quite land as more than motivations walking. I do like the conclusion and the way the trial plays out though.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I love Rebecca Roanhorse's work so I was delighted to be approved for "Tread of Angels". This was a quick read centering around a mining town where former Angels and Demons live to mine divinity. In the middle is Celeste and her sister Mariel, they're both Fallen but Celeste can pass more than Mariel can. After a man is killed at the place they work, Mariel is accused of murder and sentenced to death. Refusing to give up on her sister, Celeste teams up with her ex, a demon called Abraxas to discover the truth and do whatever she has to for her sister's life.

The world building was the highlight of this story for me as I loved the class system and backstory but I do wish it'd been longer to give me more of a connection to the characters.

It’s always tempting to think in absolutes of good and evil. The simpler folk tales made it clear who was the one to avoid but we do like complexity. Arthurian legend is often considered chivalry incarnate but then you look at other stories and you go on knights pack it in. Robin Hood is us cheering on the outlaw who dislikes taxation (from a certain point of view as the Jedi knight once said). Heaven and hell have always been seen as lines not to cross but let’s face it Lucifer has the whole rebellion angle and angels do seem a little too keen to smite and before you know it we get good ones. Rebecca Roanhorse has a really interesting angle on this in the wonderfully entertaining weird western mystery that is Tread of Angels and also a reminder that westerns too have seen the concept of white and black hats evolve a great deal over time.

In the mining town of Goetia there are the Elect and the Fallen. The latter are immensely distrusted, the former have the respectable power and of course the ability to use the mysterious Virtues to get their justice. Celeste tried to keep her head down working and occasionally gambling in a bar called Eden. Her night though is ruined when her sister Mariel is accused of a bloody murder and faces summary judgement and execution. Celeste though gets involved and is offered a chance to represent her sister and has 24 hours to get to the truth. She is up against the righteous and powerful with only her fellow bar-staff and a former lord of hell and ex-lover on her side. But once you start to unpeel Goetia’s mysteries you are very likely in a lot more danger.

I loved this novella a lot as Roanhorse throws a whole town of mysteries and unusual concepts to untangle and does not make it too easy for the reader to work it all out and some mysteries are still open-ended. It’s a unique secondary world set in a almost classic western town but once which satin the battle between heaven and hell where the remains of the dead get mined for mystical power sources. It’s delightfully familiar being the classic western town but you feel in new territory not just magic but also everyone seems comfortable with angels and demons being easily accessible. Everything is new again and that’s a lot of fun.

In terms of the plot we get again the innocent woman to be saved from the gallows plot but this time we get the added eternal and infernal dimensions and Celeste has to navigate the eerie and merciless masked Virtues; their wily boss Ibrahim and Celeste’s sometimes kind and sometimes soul-bargaining ex Abraxas (Demon Lord). All these characters are layered and working out their motivations in this strange town and alongside this is Celeste desperately trying to do right; her ideas sometimes just ring more trouble; she’s up against the system and how she reacts to save her previous young sister has the power to surprise. The finale is incredibly smart not just action packed but carries various emotional punches I didn’t see coming.

This novella is deliciously entertaining and respects its traditions but knows how to also play with them. Roanhorse plants potential seeds for the future and I’d love to explore what other secrets are in this small town. Strongly recommended!

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2022/11/22/tread-of-angels-by-rebecca-roanhorse/
My Five Word TL/DR Review : Really liked it, wanted more

I really enjoyed Tread of Angels, it’s pacy, it has a Western setting and a murder mystery that culminates in a court case and it’s a surprise story about good and evil and the surprises you uncover when you jump to hasty conclusions. Basically, this is a world with very clear demarcations, a world of angels and demons. It takes a look at class and privilege and how nothing is ever as black and white as it may seem.

This is such a good read, I really enjoyed myself and almost read it in one sitting. My only real problem, and of course everyone will have different mileage where this is concerned, I really think this could have been a little longer. An extra 100 pages would have given a better build up and less of a rushed feel to the ending. As it is, I seriously hope this is a setting that the author will return to.

Let’s look at the setting. Goetia is a boomtown where wealthy mines provide the source of power for the latest innovations. It’s also a town with a rich history where battles were fought and the Fallen are only now tolerated for their ability to detect where the wealthiest lodes worth mining can be found. Virtues (archangels) rule the town and the inhabitants fall into the Elect (angelic descent) and the Fallen (demons).

The main character, Celeste now lives and works within Goetia’s fallen side of town, although she was raised by her father and could pass amongst the Elect. Her sister Mariel was raised by their mother in the slums. The two now work in a gaming house, Celeste at a card table and her sister, owner of such a beautiful song voice, as a celebrated singer. Things go terribly wrong when the body of a murdered Virtue is discovered and Mariel accused of the murder. Celeste will do anything to protect her sister and finds herself appointed as Advocatus Diaboli (devil’s advocate). She only has a very small window of opportunity to discover the truth and save Mariel from execution.

What I really liked about this in the first instance was the wild west setting which I am a total sucker for at the moment. Couple this with angels and demons and we have this commentary on racism and the opportunity to look at human nature at it’s best and worst. Not everything is always as clear cut as it may first appear and people will at times go to extreme lengths to protect those they love.

On top of this I really enjoyed the murder mystery. To be honest I don’t think the eventual conclusion was a surprise but regardless of that I enjoyed following Celeste on her search for answers.

Overall, this was a really good read although I can’t help wishing for more and I would return to this world without hesitation.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Tread of Angels is a fun little novella following 2 sisters and a murder mystery set in a world featuring the descendants of angels and demons.
It definitely gave me A Dead Djinn in Cairo vibes but was something entirely new.

Roanhorse’s writing is as captivating as expected, perfectly depicting the noir/western atmosphere of the story and mining town setting. Society in this town is segregated with the upper Elect class - those descended from Angels – always looking down upon the Fallen – those descended from Demons. And we follow Celeste who is of a mixed background, as she sets out to save her sister Mariel (Fallen) after she is accused of murdering someone of the ruling Virtue class.

We get snippets of the history and the happenings of this fascinating world that Roanhorse has imagined as well as brilliant commentary on class disparities, morality and the corruption of power throughout the story. The primary plot fit perfectly for the length, fast moving and page turning in the best way however, there is always the case of a novella leaving you with wanting more and this one is no different.

We’re introduced to a intriguing cast of characters but moments between them are fleeting. Our protagonist goes through some interesting developments however, I found myself not knowing enough about her, enough about anyone in the story. By the end everything is wrapped up in a satisfying way but you also feel like you’ve been on a journey with amazing moments but not enough time to fully appreciate them.

Hence I would reeeally welcome additional stories in the future to expand on this world and all its details but this bite sized piece of it was enjoyable all the same.
Final Rating - 3.75/5 Stars

I very much enjoyed the premise of Tread of Angels. It’s a western with angels, basically and that’s pretty awesome. I’m not normally a fan of westerns in general but when you give them a fantasy twist, I find myself enjoying them a lot.

I also found the story very intriguing. The plot focuses on Celeste, a Fallen, who has to defend her sister when she is accused of murdering a Virtue, who happens to be her married lover. I found the twist to be interesting and not what I was expecting. I liked Celeste, I thought she made a great heroine and I also liked Abraxas, Celeste’s ex, who is helping her while she is investigating the murder.

Although the story was good and I loved the world it was set in, I found Tread of Angels to just be a little too short. It’s only a novella which limits the story in many ways. Apart from the main characters, there isn’t much development for the others and the amazing world is somewhat wasted on such a short story. It needs a full-length novel to shine through.

Tread of Angels is a pretty good novella but I wish it had been longer. I enjoy Roanhorse’s writing and I would love to see what she could do with a full-length novel set in this world because I think it would be awesome. There’s a lot of promise in this book that isn’t completely reached because it is limited by its short page count, which is a shame because it has all the elements of being a great story, it just needed to be a little bit longer.

(4.1 rounded down to 4.0.)

This is my first work by this author. I have a couple of books by Rebecca Roanhorse in my (vast!) TBR pile. They will be jumping up the reading order in the very near future as a result of this, you've got a new fan. I really enjoyed this story and was hooked from the first few pages. I love a book with a mystery and a wonderful lore story (particularly angels and demons) and, boy, I wasn't disappointed here.

It's an easy, interesting and exciting read, and it kept my attention until the very last page. I loved the world building and the steampunky-wild-west setting. I can imagine that there are many more stories to be told here. I don't know whether the author is using this as an introductory novella into this world or not, however I personally would love if there were more to follow. In particular, I would like to know more about the past relationship between Celeste and her ex, Abraxas. Feelings appear to run strong and deep on both sides. Very enjoyable reading.

I chose this ARC from a selection. I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed this work. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author.

A weird fantasy story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It could be the start of a new series, I hope, or stand alone set in a fascinating world where the good-are-not-so-good and the bad-are-not-so-bad
It's well plotted and gripping, I loved the characters and the storytelling kept me hooked.
I liked it but I would have liked something more as it's a short novel.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine