Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf: Book Review and Graphic Art Feature: Afterlight by Joseph Corsentino

This is an apocalyptic battle of Angels and humans in graphic beauty.
Time of the Faeries: Afterlight, End of the World

Paperback: 98 pages
Publisher: Time of the Faeries; First edition (July 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0578085488
ISBN-13: 978-0578085487

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25

Product Description:
This is the end of the world. The end of our world. What went wrong? Why do the angels, once guardians charged with our protection and safety, now hunt us to extinction? As we become fewer and fewer will the questions be answered, or lost in the fires of ritual? When all things fade in the Afterlight...What will be left of hope?

Time of the Faeries: Afterlight, End of the World is the first of a four part graphic novel series featuring the photographic art of J. Corsentino.

Review: This is a different read for me - amazing artwork and an engaging story.

The story presents an interesting take on Mortal Angels... or are they demons, or fallen angels? The year is 2078 and a third world war has decimated the earth leaving only a remnant of humans. The Angels used to gain strength from the energy, or Kai, of the humans. Now, with the limited population, the Angels find themselves dying too.

The Angels are reminded of an ancient prophesy that says that E’ven will open up again only when mankind exists no more. So the head Angel, Sovereign Terra, issues orders to kill the remaining humans so the gates of E’ven will open and the Angels can return home.

This is contradictory as the prime purpose of the Angels has been to protect the humans from themselves. The Angels have spent thousands of years interfering in the lives of mankind to subtlety direct their choices. Now the Angels are trying to kill all remaining humans justifying their actions by claiming the humans were killing themselves anyway.

Some of the Angels are driven to kill by the drug like “high” of the energy “fix”. One particular Angel, Anavere, is on the verge of madness but is still a phenomenal tracker of the human Kai energy scents. Anavere is leading her sister Angels to the last communities of humans hiding under the streets of Los Angeles. Yet one Angel, Halyon, looks out across the burning streets and puzzles what went wrong. She keeps looking for a thread to change the outcome of man’s destruction and she cannot bring herself to kill the humans.

The humans have their own warriors who are leaders from the Angelarchy rebellion. They are intent on using all their cunning and years of experience to help the small group of civilians to run, hide and stay alive. These leaders include shapeshifting wolves with extra strength and powers.

Can the humans trust Halyon if they take her to their hiding place or is it a trap? Will she really stand with the humans against her sister Angels? Do the humans have enough warriors left to prevail? All of those questions remain.

The story opens with the Prophesy in prose, continues with a brief narrative of history explaining what has occurred, then moves into the action of the current conflicts. Certain characters are more developed than others but I suspect that some will be more visible in sequel volumes. I enjoyed the story which is a quick to read. The fairies are not featured yet but there is more to come. The overwhelming feature of the book is the absolutely amazing artwork which is vivid and striking.