Review: Paved with Good Intentions by Keith B. Darrell

ISBN #: 978-0-9771611-9-5

Page Count: 320

Copyright: 2009

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Exiled on Earth, naive angel Gabriel and amoral demon Lucifer - in the human guise of "Gabe Horn" and "Lou Cypher" - form an unlikely partnership as private investigators in Las Vegas.  Their adventures take them across the seven heavenly realms, into the nine levels of Hell, through the dream realm of the Dreamscape, and even through time to Camelot.  Along the way, the pair encounter a wickedly funny assortment of angels, demons, witches, warlocks, vampires, and other supernatural creatures.

Mandy's Review:

Cover

The picture of the sky on top and fire on bottom are pretty literal symbols of what people think of when thinking of Heaven and Hell.  I like the devil's tail wrapped through the halo ... I think it'd make a good tattoo if you were to design it out a little more.

Plot

The concept of the book was definitely original: An angel and a demon coming together and forming a partnership on Earth, unexpectedly helping each other out during the entire process.  Because of this, I really wanted to like this book.  Anybody who thinks outside the norm is worth a shot in my book.

However, I did have some issues.  Thinking outside the norm can be good (i.e. an angel and demon working together), but if you take away the fundamental aspects of two beings that people expect ... it can get kind of iffy.  For example ... oh ... wait a sec ... let me do this first ....

*Slight Spoiler Alert*

Okay, now you've been warned ... back to what I was saying ...

An example of taking away the fundamental aspects of a being people know is when the author had the angel (Gabriel) have sex with a college student ... I'm sorry, but when people think of Heavenly angels, they think of goodness and purity.  They don't think of them as having human weaknesses, like sexual temptations.

On the flip side, when people think of demons (particularly Lucifer), do they imagine a demon falling in love and behaving well?  They become lustful, definitely, but falling in love ... ???  That was sort of a stretch for me.

As for the flow of the book ... I'm sure the author wanted this book to read straight through like a novel.  It did not read that way to me at all.  The characters experienced so many people, places and things that it read ... jerky ... I almost felt like I had mental whiplash in some parts.

Main Characters

Gabriel - One of God's angels sent to exile on Earth.  He forms a partnership with Lucifer in Las Vegas as private detectives.

Lucifer - A fallen angel a.k.a. a demon from Hell.  Gabriel's partner in their private eye business.

Miss Twitch - A several hundred year old witch straight from Salem ... mmhmm ... she was involved in the Salem witch trials.  She has a cat who is actually a warlock trapped in the cat's body.  There is a spell on him that will not allow him to change back into a human.

Overall

I'm sorry to say I was disappointed in this book.  The concept grabbed me and I was anxious to read it, but it just fell flat for me.  However, that is just my opinion and, if you're interested, you should read it for yourself ... Perhaps you'll enjoy it.  =)