Fiction Addict

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Water Brook Press

Publication Date: May 2009

Reviewed by Josh Olds

“Even if we are all broken

We each are a reflection of God

Living with your arms wide open

Spreading your wings to take off.

-          Beautiful Bird by Cindy Morgan

(The song that completes Caitlyn’s journey in Broken Angel)

Run. That’s all Caitlyn and her father Jordan can do. The most infamous bounty hunter of them all is after them. After her. And whatever happens, she cannot be caught. Author Sigmund Brouwer begins the book at an addictive, page-turning pace and the action and intrigue never let up even as the final pages are turned.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world known as Appalachia, Caitlyn and her father are running from a bounty hunter sent by Bar Elohim, the theocratic ruler of the country hewn out of the mountains after years of government infighting in the United States. Father and daughter become separated and Caitlyn must continue on alone, relying only on his messages. She seeks out only to find safety but also understand the dark mystery surrounding her existence. Why had her parents wanted to kill her when she was born? Why was she not like the other children? Why was she being hunted?

In the background, Brouwer fleshes out the world of Appalachia. Created when religious fundamentalism became more about politics than religion, the country is a closed region. None go out and few come in. Everyone inside the country wears a vidpod, which allows their conversations to be recorded and their whereabouts to be tracked. None escape the all-seeing eye of the servant of God who rules Appalachia, the one called Bar Elohim. But secretly, a group called the Clan has been helping those that dissent with Appalachia’s rule escape to the Outside. This is where Caitlyn must run.

The story is a blitzkrieg of events that dare you to stop reading. You feel drawn to Caitlyn’s suffering as she tries to understand what is different about her that she would be hunted. You are aghast as the culture of Appalachia is unveiled—and you wonder how far it is from our own. But in the end, it is the story of one girl who must outwit a treacherous bounty hunter and soar like a broken angel.

Broken Angel is a challenging emotional story that manages to engage the mind while rending the heart. But it isn’t the end of the story. Flight of Shadows (coming Jan 2010) continues Caitlyn’s journey as trouble pursues her as she now faces life on the Outside. I am eagerly anticipating this second novel even as I continue now to wrap my mind around the first one. Truly a remarkable read.