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Celestial by Olivia WildensteinAngels of Elysium #2
Published by Self-Published on January 5, 2021
Age Group & Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
In ninety-two days, the feathered appendages that link me to the people I loathe finally come off. Dear, winglets, you will not be missed.
Celeste has spent the last four years building a life outside of angelic guilds—parties, check—pursuing human ambitions instead of celestial ones—college, check—and shedding feathers across Parisian cobblestones and more recently New York sidewalks—speaking her mind, always check.
She swore off angels, but the death of the woman who took her in the night Leigh died brings them soaring back into her life . . . and not just any angel but the most detestable one, the one complicit in Leigh’s death—Seraph Asher.
Although Celeste tells the archangel to feather off, the unreasonably pretty and obstinate man doesn’t leave her alone. He returns and insists she complete her wings. When she asks him for one good reason to do so, he gives her an unbeatable one: what he did with Leigh’s soul.
Asher never meant to share his damning secret, but he knows it’s the only way to save Celeste—the rebellious Fletching he can’t get out of his head... or heart.
Honestly, after meeting Celeste in Feather with Leigh’s and Jarod’s story, and then finding out Celestial would be about her, I immediately added the book to my TBR. I loved her sass, humor and general disregard for the rules to ruffle everyone’s wings, which was something I looked forward to when picking up the second novel in the Angels of Elysium series.
Olivia Wildenstein did not disappoint with Celestial, which is set not too long after Leigh’s death when Celeste and some of the other characters continue to grieve but have moved on. Celeste is just as quick-witted and continues to give everyone pieces of her mind (especially when they deserve it), while also challenging the traditions and values that have long been set in stone. She’s looking forward to when she no longer has her wings, finally saying goodbye to the very world she’s hated for years and continuing on with the life she’s built for herself.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t come easily, because the very angel she blames for Leigh’s death, Seraph Asher, keeps pestering her to complete her wings. It’s not until she finds out exactly what happened to Leigh’s soul that she decides to change her tune and race against time to complete her wings. I loved cheering her on and seeing her character development as Asher helps her realize she could potentially help change the traditions and values she’s long hated for the better rather than giving up.
Wildenstein continues to build onto the world introduced in Feather, but more on the traditions, values and roles rather than the setting since most of it was already set in the previous one. With Asher’s actions after the first novel, we find out there are some tensions among the Seraphs, which doesn’t help with Asher’s growing feelings for Celeste, and throughout the lower hierarchies that are beginning to challenge the long-standing traditions and values. While there’s not much change that happens in the world in Celestial directly, there are definitely things in store as Wildenstein continues to build onto the world and plot as the series continues.
The only minor issue I had with this one might be the length, which felt a tad too long, but it also could be the pacing of the novel, which sometimes felt off. However, I enjoyed Celestial overall, and I definitely have the third novel on my radar when it is later this year.
Sophia started blogging in February 2012 for the hell of it and is surprisingly still around. She has a GIF for nearly everything, probably listens to too much K-Pop and is generally in an existential crisis of sorts (she's trying her best). More of her bookish reviews and K-Pop Roundups can be found at The Arts STL.
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I came to look because I read a book by Wildenstein which was nothing like this. It’s been a long time since I read an angel book. Glad it was a solid follow up for you
1. This cover is stunning and 2. I’m glad the book didn’t fall to middle book syndrome!