The Pros and Cons of Being an Angel - December 6, 2013

I was never a big fan of books involving angels. It wasn't until I read Angelfall by Susan Ee and when I was completely blown away by that book that I decided that perhaps angels were better heroes than I had thought. I am sure that you think I am weird for not liking these heavenly creatures but they were always just a bit too good, a bit too gorgeous and a bit too stereotypical for me to really think they were credible hero material. I have read a number of books since and a few with other avian species such as harpies, gryphons and other birds but I feel that maybe I have been more unfair to more saintly of our feathered friends. I have been thinking about what it would be like to have your very own set of celestial wings and have come up with a list of the pros and cons of being an angel.




Pros:

1. Wings make for the perfect accessory that will never go out of style. 
2. You could save on domestic fights and never get stuck in traffic jams.
3. You have built in sunshade for lounging on the beach.
4. Dusting the house would take half the time with your very own in-built feather dusters.
5. You would be the first choice for christmas concerts or singing in a choir.
6. As you would be immortal you have lots of opportunity to learn several languages, learn to play a few instruments and play the stock market.
7. If you didn't have a pen to hand one of your feathers would make a handy quill. Just remember to carry ink in your handbag.
8. You never have to worry about 'does my bum look big in this' as your wings provide effective camouflage.
9. Your innate ability to play the lute and harp would give you the potential of play at renaissance fairs or in movies set in medieval times.
10. Someone standing to close to you? No problem, just knock them to one side by stretching out your powerful wings. Very handy if travelling on London Underground. The reverse would apply if you wanted to hide any PDAs with your sweetie - you could hide your smooching from the public with your wings.

Cons:

1. Finding clothes that fit over your wings would be extremely difficult or you need to stick to wearing halter tops. If you were a boy angel you would have to go topless which could get chilly.
2. Your friends would always want to bum a ride when they were late for work.
3. You could never have cats.
4. You wouldn't be able to go swimming or scuba diving.
5. You would be prone to show off with your glorious wings
6. You'd be stuck always sleeping on your stomach.
7. Might be hard to keep friends with your gorgeous wings, immortality and omnipotence.
8. It would be impossible to find an umbrella large enough to keep your wings dry in rainy weather.
9. It would be really hard to look over your shoulder.
10. You could never sit in a chair or sofa with a back rest. Furnishing your home might be a challenge.



If you are interested in finding out whether you agree/disagree with my list, here are some series that feature angels to get you on your way. I would LOVE to know what you think of my pros and cons and if you can think of anymore.



Susan Ee - Penryn and the End of Days

1.  Angelfall
2.  World After

Nalini Singh - Guild Hunter 

1.  Angel's Judgment
2.  Angels' Blood
3.  Archangel's Kiss
4.  Archangel's Consort
5.  Archangel's Blade
6.  Archangel's Storm
7.  Archangel's Legion


Kate Griffin - Matthew Swift

1.  A Madness of Angels
2.  The Midnight Mayor
3.  The Neon Court
4.  The Minority Council


Linda Poitevin - Grigori Legacy

1.  Sins of the Angels
2.  Sins of the Son
3.  Sins of the Lost


If you like angels, you may enjoy the Angels of Darkness anthology featuring novellas by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Sharon Shinn, and Meljean Brook.  See Qwill's review of the Sharon Shinn novella, Nocturne, here.