Review of Vagabond
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Samantha Angell
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- Latest Review: Vagabond by Mary A.J.
Review of Vagabond
[Following is a volunteer review of "Vagabond" by Mary A.J..]
Mary A.J. blends the worlds of colonial and present day America with the supernatural flawlessly in this introduction to the world of Vagabond. Set against the backdrop of the oldest standing college building in America, a group of high school students bonded through generations of familial entanglement are introduced to Cecilia; Daughter of the Morning Star, Princess of Hell, and ordinary high school junior on the run from her disapproving father.
After 100 years of joyfully tormenting humans at Lucifer's side, the half-human daughter of darkness grows a conscience and seeks to escape the life set before her. And for the first time in another 100 years, Cecilia is drawn into human society by her intrigue over the emotions of a teenage boy. Learning to be a teenager while protecting her secret identity, it becomes apparent that Cornelia High School is protecting its own long-held secret. Students aren't what they seem, and a family legend threatens the wellbeing of the first humans Cecilia has ever cared about. Torn between protecting the humanity of the first man to introduce her to love and the consuming passion of his hot-tempered demon rival, Cecilia's journey in Vagabond is the perfect storm of supernatural violence and raging emotions clashing and intertwining across centuries to bring forth a rich world of wrath and pain that still somehow feels like it's an ordinary day in the life of these troubled teenagers taking their first steps into the realm of awkward and confusing romance. In a genre based on the fantastical, Mary A.J. has turned the unbelievable into something relatable.
The world-building and story development in this action/drama is second to none. The group of teens boards at a school that predates American independence, abutting historic Williamsburg and lending some cultural normality to the life of Cecilia, who last interacted with humans long before the invention of smartphones and algebra. I finished this book in two sittings, only separated by my work day; the pacing of the story was absolute perfection and it was genuinely difficult to put it down. Between classes, school dances and vicious battles with demons where she has to constantly fight her own nature, you forget she is described as being abnormally powerful and flawlessly beautiful and you just enjoy the ride.
As a consequence of the quick pacing of the story, there were a few instances where I wondered what happened to some amount of time. The most noticeable example to me was when they were attending a basketball game and set up a major supporting character for a big win. Then Cecilia leaves before halftime, seems to occupy about fifteen minutes of time with the activities she completes, and suddenly the game is over and everybody is out wandering around like it never happened. They were predominantly very minor and did not detract from the plot in any way, but I did find myself going back a page or two to check that I hadn't missed anything when it happened.
I would place Vagabond at a solid 4 out of 4 stars, especially given the hit or miss nature of this particular trope. When the story is as engaging and well-written as this one is, it's hard to give it less. The author kept me intrigued through to the end with both minor and rather surprising plot twists. The editing was thorough, errors were very minimal, and this made it very easy to sink into the story and just enjoy it. I loved the characters, and I was genuinely impressed by the skills employed to marry the differing habits and tendencies of the group into people you actually care about. I find myself quite eager to read more of her work.
While I believe that any fan of YA fiction would find themselves enjoying this book, I would specifically recommend this book to anyone who regularly feels let down by supernatural/paranormal tropes in YA fiction, particularly those based upon angels and demons. The tendency towards a Mary Sue heroine when your heroine, by nature, is powerful and flawless is an easy rut to fall into. Mary A.J. neatly sidestepped this by giving Cecilia genuine, understandable internal turmoil that sees her making mistakes just like the mortals surrounding her. Vagabond is a perfect example of the inherent potential in this genre
******
Vagabond
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Mary A.J. blends the worlds of colonial and present day America with the supernatural flawlessly in this introduction to the world of Vagabond. Set against the backdrop of the oldest standing college building in America, a group of high school students bonded through generations of familial entanglement are introduced to Cecilia; Daughter of the Morning Star, Princess of Hell, and ordinary high school junior on the run from her disapproving father.
After 100 years of joyfully tormenting humans at Lucifer's side, the half-human daughter of darkness grows a conscience and seeks to escape the life set before her. And for the first time in another 100 years, Cecilia is drawn into human society by her intrigue over the emotions of a teenage boy. Learning to be a teenager while protecting her secret identity, it becomes apparent that Cornelia High School is protecting its own long-held secret. Students aren't what they seem, and a family legend threatens the wellbeing of the first humans Cecilia has ever cared about. Torn between protecting the humanity of the first man to introduce her to love and the consuming passion of his hot-tempered demon rival, Cecilia's journey in Vagabond is the perfect storm of supernatural violence and raging emotions clashing and intertwining across centuries to bring forth a rich world of wrath and pain that still somehow feels like it's an ordinary day in the life of these troubled teenagers taking their first steps into the realm of awkward and confusing romance. In a genre based on the fantastical, Mary A.J. has turned the unbelievable into something relatable.
The world-building and story development in this action/drama is second to none. The group of teens boards at a school that predates American independence, abutting historic Williamsburg and lending some cultural normality to the life of Cecilia, who last interacted with humans long before the invention of smartphones and algebra. I finished this book in two sittings, only separated by my work day; the pacing of the story was absolute perfection and it was genuinely difficult to put it down. Between classes, school dances and vicious battles with demons where she has to constantly fight her own nature, you forget she is described as being abnormally powerful and flawlessly beautiful and you just enjoy the ride.
As a consequence of the quick pacing of the story, there were a few instances where I wondered what happened to some amount of time. The most noticeable example to me was when they were attending a basketball game and set up a major supporting character for a big win. Then Cecilia leaves before halftime, seems to occupy about fifteen minutes of time with the activities she completes, and suddenly the game is over and everybody is out wandering around like it never happened. They were predominantly very minor and did not detract from the plot in any way, but I did find myself going back a page or two to check that I hadn't missed anything when it happened.
I would place Vagabond at a solid 4 out of 4 stars, especially given the hit or miss nature of this particular trope. When the story is as engaging and well-written as this one is, it's hard to give it less. The author kept me intrigued through to the end with both minor and rather surprising plot twists. The editing was thorough, errors were very minimal, and this made it very easy to sink into the story and just enjoy it. I loved the characters, and I was genuinely impressed by the skills employed to marry the differing habits and tendencies of the group into people you actually care about. I find myself quite eager to read more of her work.
While I believe that any fan of YA fiction would find themselves enjoying this book, I would specifically recommend this book to anyone who regularly feels let down by supernatural/paranormal tropes in YA fiction, particularly those based upon angels and demons. The tendency towards a Mary Sue heroine when your heroine, by nature, is powerful and flawless is an easy rut to fall into. Mary A.J. neatly sidestepped this by giving Cecilia genuine, understandable internal turmoil that sees her making mistakes just like the mortals surrounding her. Vagabond is a perfect example of the inherent potential in this genre
******
Vagabond
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Vagabond by Mary A.J.
