ARCHANGEL

In Mike’s debut urban fantasy, a man learns not only that he’s part-angel, but also that he must go up against a power-hungry demon.

Agent Michael Lieberman’s antiterrorism unit in New York City is working on an arms-dealing case. Things take a frightening turn when a stranger apparently doses him, triggering what appear to be hallucinations of black worms attached to people around him. But he may not be hallucinating at all; according to angel Gabriel, who drops by his apartment, he’s half-mortal and half-archangel and can see things that many others can’t—including demons. These creatures hail from the spirit realm that overlaps the mortal world, and Michael finds out that has little time to unearth the nefarious scheme that archdemon Mammon is cooking up. Meanwhile, Michael joins New York City police detective Sara Wilson’s investigation into a homicide of a notorious billionaire that be related to terrorism. As it happens, this crime links to Mammon’s plan, as does Michael’s complicated past—most notably, his parents’ death when he was young, and his older sister’s disappearance more than a decade ago. The capable agent trains with his newly acquired wings and conjurable flaming sword so he can battle demonic hordes. Mike packs exposition into this first novel in a planned series. This gives the story an initially measured pace as Michael comes to terms with what he is. Things pick up, however, as the mystery deepens and the billionaire’s murder case expands to involve other affluent businessmen. Similarly, several action scenes energize the latter half, and Michael puts his flaming sword and Gabriel’s training to good use. Michael appealingly rolls with the punches, quickly adjusting to such horrific, grotesque sights as creatures “glinting golden” as they writhe around in another character’s mouth. He doesn’t hesitate to put himself at risk protecting the mortal realm, and along the way, he also falls into a smartly understated romance with Sara. There’s surprising resolution for a series opener, though there remain plenty of avenues for sequels to explore.

An engaging otherworldly thriller with an upstanding hero.