Meredith Ann Pierce

A Gathering of Gargoyles picks up where the first book in the Darkangel Trilogy left off. Here, we see the protagonist, Aeriel, head off on a quest of her own. At first, I wondered if this book might fall into the dreaded category of "middle book in a trilogy, so it's mostly filler to set up the plot of the final book," but it turns out that this book isn't filler at all - it stands on its own two feet!

While I wish the motivation for Aerial heading off on her quest had been a little more show more clear and compelling from the start, and sometimes the plot slowed and meandered a little, Aerial's journey ultimately ends up being so interesting that those flaws hardly detract at all. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next, and Pierce includes moments of true peril for the characters that had me white knuckling my way through the story.

I love that Aeriel is slowly morphing into a more independent and assertive character - all of the work with her character Pierce put into the first book really pays off here. The characters in the first book were fantastic, but Pierce adds on some real standout characters in this book. I couldn't help but fall in love with Aerial's faithful dustshrimp companion - that was such a beautiful idea on Pierce's part. The story also contains a brilliant twist that I didn't see coming, but it fit so well with all of the info we've already been given!

This is shaping up to become one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. Looking forward to seeing how she concludes the series in the final book! show less

Yeah I can't imagine what about the unicorn book where the characters exist in an extremely authentic animal headspace but also have a society and everything is SUPER pagan and also there's moral relativity and also the main perils fall into the category of 1) vore, 2) mind control, 3) literally a tornado coulda possibly appealed to me. Just really drawing a blank here!

There are one or two minor annoyances towards the end of the book, specifically the fact that Tek and Dagg basically no-sell show more their best friend (and future love interest for at least one of them probably) almost dying? Like, they don't really react at all when he wakes up and is fine? And you really are kinda missing that moment where they're like OMG YOU'RE OKAY. Its absence feels pretty glaring? The other issue, which actually happens basically simultaneously, is that there's a brief shift to first-person narration which in and of itself is fine especially since the prologue and epilogue are both that way, but in those cases the first person bits are italicized and here it isn't? And the first person isn't even maintained consistently throughout that entire passage? Like, there's a part where it briefly lapses back into third person and even tells us what another character is thinking?

But that kind of thing is pretty understandable in someone's first book, and the things I love about this book are so vital and so unique that a few warts that are that nitpicking REALLY KINDA DON'T MATTER? Like, this is the kind of thing that would super annoy me in a more conventional book but it's really kinda beside the point here? show less

WOW! "The Darkangel" is a new all time favorite, and Meredith Ann Pierce is now one of my top authors to read! The writing has a classic, old-school sci-fi feel, reminiscent of C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy but with a more concrete narrative structure.

Though categorized as young adult fantasy, it has strong sci-fi elements (it's even set on an entirely different planet). The story reminds me at times of the movie "The Neverending Story," and it also made me think of the gruesome fairytale show more "Bluebeard."

The romance label is definitely misleading, as the vampyre in the book is a narcissistic, hellish creature guarded by demonic, wailing gargoyles. In the business of collecting wives and stealing their souls, leaving them pitiful husks of their former selves, the vampyre is definitely not a "loveable" character. On the other hand, the protagonist, Aeriel, starts off strong and grows even more compelling throughout her character arc!

With its complex world-building and immersive descriptions, "The Darkangel" pulled me into its world so vividly that I found myself actually feeling physical sensations along with the characters as I read. As it's the first book in a trilogy, it ends on a mild cliffhanger, so I can't wait to read the next book! show less

The DarkAngel - A young slave girl is witness to the abduction of her mistress by a vampyre. These DarkAngels have long haunted the lands as a kind of bogeyman, although many doubted their existence. In fact, many doubt the slave girl's account, and none go forth to hunt the beast. It's up to Aeriel herself to avenge her mistress. She journeys alone to the place and waits for the creature to return. She plans to kill it but upon being seized she falls immediately under his spell. He takes show more her back to his castle to weave garments for his 13 wives who have become howling wraiths. In the castle she learns to be charitable and cares for the wraiths and the starving gargoyles the vampyre keeps as guard dogs. She meets a small gave-dwelling creature who practices magic. This kindly friend helps her survive and teaches her about the history of the vampyre. There is a poem that foretells the death of such a creature and it will be up to Ariel to discover the means. If she doesn't kill him within the year, he will take his final bride and become invincible and together with his brother DarkAngels with dominate the world. Aeriel travels the world to recover the artifacts required to undo her capture, but along the way the unthinkable happens - she falls in love with him.

A Gathering of Gargoyles - Aeriel and Irrylath have escaped to Isterness where the prince is reunited with his mother at long last. Although she is finally safe from the water witch, Aeriel cannot be happy. It is clear to her that her husband does not love her and, in fact, can barely look at her. The previous darkangel wives come to her in a dream and tell her the second part of the rhyming prophecy. It is up to Aeriel to gather the lons that were overthrown by the vampyres and bring them back for Irrylath's brothers to ride. The prince is not strong enough on his own to defeat six darkangels. Though the task seems impossible, Aeriel sees to reason to remain in this kingdom in a loveless marriage. She sets out with little hope but finds unexpected allies along the way. Despite her fears, she begins to be successful and will shortly uncover a secret about her own past.

The Pearl of the Soul of the World - This book opens with the protagonist, Aeriel wandering senselessly through underground caverns. She has no memory of who she is or where she is going. If she tries to recall anything or even focus her thoughts, a silver pin in her skull gives her excruciating pain. She is discovered by a group of friendly duroughs who care for her. They eventually notice a softly glowing pearl at her throat. Who is this upperland creature? Eventually, they stubble upon a bricked up underground road that leads to the crystal-domed city of Ravenna. Gaining entry, the goddess Ravenna removes the pin from Aeriel's head and heals her. With her memory restored, Aeriel recalls that she wandered away from the camp after witnessing her husband's affection for another woman. Accosted by one of the White Witch's birds, she was pinned and lost herself.

Ravenna gives Aeriel an enchanted sword, a newly altered pearl, and the final verse of the prophetic rime that has driven the other novels. Aeriel is to bear the pearl to the Witch, who is revealed to be Ravenna's daughter. Ravenna hopes that the power and knowledge contained within the pearl will redeem her daughter to be the new caretaker of this world. She then dies and imparts her essence to the pearl. Ultimately, the Witch is destroyed by the gift of the pearl and Aeriel gains its powers instead. Locked now within her blood, the voice of Ravenna speaks to Aeriel and commands her to continue her work. Like a whispering devil, it convinces Aeriel that her husband doesn't really love her and she's better off leaving him. It tells her that her body died after the pin was removed and Ravenna fashioned her a new body that won't age as other mortals. It's her duty now to return to the crystal city to learn the ways of the Ancients and fully restore the world. Ultimately, the book ends with Aeriel retreating into the desert with Erin to live a life of solitude and sacrifice.

This series is one I read as a teenager and it has not aged well. Both the protagonist's main motivation and the bedrock structure of the world itself are super problematic. The way the first book romanticizes an incredibly abusive relationship is frankly not healthy for young readers. Moreover, the way Aeriel is considered ugly for the first half of the book and then beautiful after her skin is bleached by the sun is disturbing. Now that she is "fair" to look at, her appearance is acceptable and the monster she inexplicably loves is willing to take her as a bride.

This gross theme continues in the later books as her husband ignores her and flirts with other women. Her continued, irrational love for him is unpalatable and insane. Later, in the second book, when she finds out that they are cousins, it gets even worse. By the third book, when there is a three-way cousin love triangle, I got really uncomfortable. Especially when the author kept talking about how one of the cousins looked exactly like Irrlayth and how that's somehow, romantic? WTH, Pierce?

The other bizarre reveal in the third book is the true nature of the Ancients, worshiped by all races as gods. The Ancients, it turns out, were actually aliens that came to this moon to create pleasure palace for themselves. They seeded it with plants, and sexy lower life forms, but didn't really bother to make it self-sustaining. The other Ancients were happy to abandon the world to destruction when they got bored with it, but Ravenna stayed behind to try to develop a self-sustaining ecosystem. Ravenna had also boned among the locals, which is where the White Witch came from. Ravenna thought it would be a good idea to lie to her daughter about her pedigree. The Witch grew up thinking she was an Ancient too and that some day they would all go home to Oceanus together. When she found out she was only a half-breed and would not be allowed to return with the other Ancients she flipped out and became a super-evil child-rapist. I can't even blame her for this, since all the Ancients merely created life so that they could have sex with it (thus completing the incest theme which runs through the novels).

The way the novels end with Aeriel essentially being possessed by Ravenna and commanded to give up everyone and everything in order to "save" the world is actually pretty dark. Though the book presents Ravenna as a benevolent god, there's actually little reason to believe this is true. The way she lies, manipulates, and bullies Aeriel into this task is pretty disturbing. It seemed like once Aeriel had finally achieve a requited love with her husband, she was forced into a new, more abusive relationship with a being that clearly didn't care for her. As if the unwavering message of this book to young women is that they don't deserve love, but only servitude. Weird. show less