‘Angelology’ by Danielle Trussoni

There are angels among us, but they aren’t protectors of the human race, they are destroyers.

The Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and human women, possess great power and wealth, hiding under the guise of rich and influential families. But after years of reproducing with humans, the once luminous creatures have become weak — plagued by human traits — and the Nephilim are desperate to stop their degeneration.

Fighting against the winged monsters are the angelologists, who seek to protect humanity and keep from the angels the one thing that could end their diminishment — the lyre of Gabriel.

It’s this spiritual warfare that Sister Evangeline becomes aware of after living for years with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in New York. Old letters start Evangeline down the path to her destiny. She follows clues that unravel the mystery of her own family and will ultimately land her in the middle of a battle that could determine the fate of humankind.

Evangeline’s adventure is only one part of Danielle Trussoni’s “Angelology,” a Gothic thriller that mixes theology and mythology.

The first section, beginning in 1999, focuses on Evangeline as she learns of her role in the conflict, primarily from Sister Celestine, one of the oldest nuns at the convent. The second section flashes back to 1939, recounting Celestine’s early experiences as an angelologist as well as her relationship with Gabriella, Evangeline’s grandmother, who’s still alive.

Both these sections further develop the main characters as well as repeatedly explain the theology behind the Nephilim. The content is fascinating but a bit tedious, making the story slow but interesting at the same time.

The third section of the book is where the action kicks in. The race is on to find the lyre, and the deadly Nephilim will kill anyone who tries to keep it from them. Several new characters are randomly introduced in this section, which wraps the story up after a quick treasure hunt. The end seems a little too easy after such a long buildup of back story. Add to that a completely unbelievable and underdeveloped love story and you have a flawed book getting a lot of buzz.

Despite the weaknesses of the story, fans of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” surely will be entertained by “Angelology.” And for readers feeling a little disappointed in the end, perhaps Trussoni can make amends — she leaves the story open for a sequel.