Ideas about angels vary widely throughout mythology,
religious doctrine, and popular media. The Bible (in its many versions)
describes everything from the winged variety (six wings each, to be exact) to
fantastical beings that look like wheels with eyes embedded all around their
rims. In artistic works, angels are essentially depicted as winged humans. In
literature and the movies (or on television), they run the gamut from robed and
white-winged, residing in a celestial paradise, to wingless and ever-present
among humans. So what is the common factor? Is
there a common factor?
In most instances, angels are portrayed as having been sent
to aid humans in some way, whether it’s to protect us against an imminent
threat (the movies Legend and Constantine) or as messengers sent to
help us see the error of our ways (movies Michael,
It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story). Essentially, angels
– with the exception of the fallen ones – have existed solely to lend a helping
hand and there has always been a clear delineation between the “good” ones and
the “bad” ones.
It’s right about here that my dark urban fantasy series The Grigori Legacy veers from the norm.
I did a tremendous amount of research into angel mythology
while building the world for Sins of the
Angels and Sins of the Son, and
the same four questions kept recurring in my writerly brain. (1) What if angels were never supposed
to interact with our world at all, except to maintain some kind of status quo
where the fallen angels were concerned? (2)
If the line between good and bad can become blurred for humans, why not in
angels, too? (4) What if they had free will? And (3), if humans had been created in the image of God and we turned
out to be less than perfect, who was to say angels weren’t equally so?
Ultimately this translated into one lovely, potential-filled
question: What if you took imperfect angels, forced their interaction in a
world that was never supposed to know of their existence, returned their free
will to them, and then placed impossible choices in their paths? For one
Toronto homicide detective, the answer is the unraveling of her entire life…and
a race to prevent Armageddon itself.
I do so love what if
questions… :)
Linda
http://www.lindapoitevin.com
5 comments:
I love the idea of imperfect Angels. Angels would be among my favourite beings.
to me that seems perfectly normal. They aren't perfect since at least one of them became corrupt etc ^^It's also something rassuring i think
( one day i will get both of your books! ^^)
I think they're my favorite, too, Marybelle...but then, you'd probably guessed that!
It is somehow reassuring, isn't it, Miki? Perhaps because it makes us feel better about our own imperfections. ;)
That's an interesting thought about angels being as susceptible as us to corruption and of course they are because some did fall.
Loved the first book in the series and look forward to the second one.
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