Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: A Candle in the Sun
SERIES: Archangel Chronicles
AUTHOR: L.J. LaBarthe
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 224 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2015
BLURB:
It is time for final revelations and an end to the enemies’ machinations. Now that they have all the information needed to fight the decisive battle, the Brotherhood of Archangels, led by Michael and Gabriel, march hand-in-hand into the very den of terror and fear. With their allies, the Archdemon Guild of Glass Knives and the Venatores, they face uncertainty and the possibility of their destruction. But Gabriel is determined not to fail, and Michael’s love for him gives him strength.
Now is not the time for sword and shield, however, but the time for guile and cunning. Gabriel and Michael must rely more and more on old foes now turned allies, and with growing uncertainty that they will prevail and save not just humanity and Earth, but all life everywhere.
As the ultimate confrontation draws close, Michael and Gabriel must battle fear, anger, and doubt as they strive to save the world and each other.
REVIEW:
After the last two books of this latest trilogy, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this one; the story line in this trilogy was, I think, one of, if not my absolute, favorites of the series. The events of the last book are still causing waves as everyone is gearing up to take the latest threat down but there is also a sense of hope as alliances are strengthened and new allies come forward.
I have to say that this book didn’t go at all like I had expected it to; the beginning was fairly straight forward in that information was being gathered and plans were being made in order to take TCC and all its affiliates down. Among the familiar faces were a couple that, while not unexpected, played bigger roles in this one than anticipated which was nice, honestly. Secondary characters like Max and Minnie always seem to be the go to’s for information but I loved that they were absent here and that Hiwa got to take center stage for a little while instead. I also have to say that I was really looking to the big take down, especially after everything that had transpired already, but while it did happen, it came about in an entirely unexpected manner that kind of caught me off guard. After thinking about it, I decided that it totally fit and that I liked it but still, total surprise about how this was wrapped up.
The pacing of the book was steady and the novel as a whole had a kind of laid back feeling to it, if that makes sense. After the big bad had been taken care of, pretty much every other loose end was wrapped up with a tidy little bow; I enjoyed seeing everyone finally get a chance to stand down from the near constant state of alertness that’s been there over the entire series, but I’m not sure what that means in regards to any following novels. This could very well be the last book of the series with how it all ended. If you enjoyed the other books in the series, you’ll enjoy this one, as well; final ending or not it was an enjoyable, low angst read that gave me more time to spend with some of my favorite characters.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: