"Broken Wings" by Shannon Dittemore

Spiritual warfare is happening over the town of Stratus, Oregon, in this much-anticipated sequel to one of my favorite books of 2012, "Angel Eyes." The Prince of Darkness is after Brielle, the girl who can see through the celestial veil into the world of angels. He's also hunting Jake, Brielle's boyfriend, on whom God has bestowed the gift of healing. Once again we're in for heavenly battles as good fights against evil.

It was such a joy to see how much Brielle has grown from one book to another. Having only become a Christian towards the end of "Angel Eyes," it's wonderful to see her memorizing Scripture, praying, and learning to sing her redemption song in order to fight the dark forces of the enemy. But now she's having disturbing nightmares - or are they visions? - and is unsure how to deal with them.

Jake, one of the steadiest characters of the first book, is fighting an inner fear. I enjoyed reading his struggle, as I felt it very realistic for anyone who tries to follow the directions of the Throne Room of God. They often seem confusing to our human mind! Sometimes God does have us start something and then tells us to finish it is not His will, and that is what Jake is terrified of.

We're introduced to a new angelic character in this story. Pearla is a cherub, a small angel spy. A friend of Michael the archangel, she carefully watches the enemy and reports what she discovers to the leader of the heavenly host. She proves a valuable asset as the long battle unfolds.

Many characters return, including Marco and Kaylee, who are about to learn the full truth about what Jake and Brielle can do. Brielle's father is having a very difficult time, falling back on the drinking that has caused him problems in the past. A strong reaction from Canaan's halo and an angelic disturbance at Brielle's mother's grave set a series of events in motion to uncover the past and set up a compelling story for the final installment of this trilogy, coming out in August 2013. I can hardly wait!

"Broken Wings" will be available at bookstores everywhere on February 19, and is available now for preorder. I would definitely recommend reading "Angel Eyes" first, and then diving straight into this engaging second installment. What will stick with me most from this story is how our prayers, our worship, our faith impact the unseen world around us. We know that with our heads, but being able to see it so beautifully brought to life gives us new understanding. I am on board with the truths Shannon is drawing out in this series!



I received my copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.