Rebel Angels

The title of the book Rebel Angels (by Libba Bray) was inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost, a poem about the angel Lucifer trying to overthrow heaven.

In this second book of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, the girls are back and dreaming about Christmas; all except for Ann who, due to a lack of family, will be staying behind at Spence. Felicity comes up with the genius idea of reinventing Ann as the long-lost niece of some Duke who can trace their ancestry back to Russian royalty so she can enjoy the wonders of the London elite as well.

There is a mysterious new teacher at Spence, Miss McCleethy, who seems to have an immediate dislike for Gemma. Her very presence also causes Gemma to slip into horrifying visions of three girls in white dresses, who are obviously ghosts. Gemma, Felicity and Ann discover that they can still enter the realms and that Pippa is there! However, Kartik warns Gemma that by smashing the runes she loosed the magic in the realms for anyone to use; therefore she must find the Temple and bind the magic to the Eastern Star, which, unbeknownst to Gemma, would allow the Rakshana to control the magic. Kartik is also told that once she has done this, he is to kill her.

Upon their return to London, Gemma meets a young man, Simon Middleton, who is the son of a Viscount and who takes an immediate liking to her. Ann is met with smashing success and treated kindly. Felicity discovers that her father is home again and that her young distant cousin, Polly, has been orphaned and will be staying at her house.

However, Gemma's visions turn more horrifying as they also show Pippa as a creature of the realms. The ghosts plague her even more and she discovers Nell Hawkins, a member of the Order, in Bedlam. After meeting her, Gemma learns that Nell has deliberately driven herself mad to prevent Circe from discovering where the Temple is. Miss McCleethy is also in London and following her leads the girls to a bookstore where she purchases a book on secret societies. Reading the book they discover that many member of the Order use anagrams of their names when in hiding. They also learn that Claire McCleethy spells out: They Call Me Circe.

Each trip into the realm shows the garden growing more wild and dangerous as they discover that other creatures also live in the realms: the water nymphs who lure you into the water for your skin; the gorgon head that has been spelled onto a boat who may not cause harm or lie to a member of the Order but who also lies by omission; the horrible skeleton warriors; and even ghosts who have yet to pass that have been tempted into staying and are heading into the Winterlands.

However, the mad ramblings of Nell offer light as to where the Temple may be found:

"Where shall we go, maidens? Where shall we go? You must leave the garden. Leave it behind with a sad farewell. Down the river on the gorgon's grace, past the clutches of the slippery, nippery nymphs. Through the golden mist of magic. Meet the folk of the fair Forest of Lights. The arrows, the arrows, you must use wisely and well. But save one. Save one for me. For I shall have need of it. ...

"Offer hope to the Untouchables, for they must have hope. Travel on, far beyond the lotus blossoms. Follow the path. Yes, stick to the path, maidens. For they can lead you stray, away, with false promises. Beware the Poppy Warriors. The Poppy Warriors steal your strength. they will gobble you up. Gobble, gobble! ...

"Do not leave the path, for it is hard to find again once lost. And they will take song to the rock. Do not let the song die. You must be careful with beauty. Beauty must pass. There are dark shadows of spirits. Just beyond the Borderlands, where the lone tree stands and the sky turns to blood...in the Winterlands they plot and plan with Circe. They will not rest till the army is raised and the realms are theirs to rule.

"Go where no one will, where it is forbidden, offer hope....go where the dark hides a mirror of water. Face your fear and bind the magic fast to you!" (pgs 360-361)

Like I said after reading A Great and Terrible Beauty, I was terrified to read this story for fear that my expectations would be set so high that this book couldn't possibly live up to them.

In essence, I was right.

However, this book did not try to do what the last one did. I believe that the last book was of choices and living with the consequences of them. In this book, the underlying theme was secrets and lies: Gemma's family is falling apart because her father is addicted to laudanum; however, they are not to speak of it. Ann's experiences in London is because of a huge secret. Felicity's behaviour toward Polly and her parents is due to yet more secrets. Kartik has a secret mission from the Rakshana that was divulged in the beginning of the book.

This book explored more of the realms and the horrible burden of trying to live a lie; to pretend that a girl is what she seems to be: a girl but one who doesn't have a terrible secret that could ruin them in society's eyes. You learn that there is more to each person than what you'd expect. Like Felicity and the secret to why she is the way she is. Gemma's dysfunctional family and irritation brother, Tom, are more of a focal point and how they rally together to hide their father's laudanum addiction. Even beautiful Pippa, the independent Miss Moore, priggish Miss McCleethy and mad Nell are not what you expect.

This book was fantastic and I'm happy to say that I'm looking forward to the third and final book in this trilogy: The Sweet Far Thing, which, I'm sure, will be as well written and enjoyable as the first two. However, I am curious to discover the underlying theme in that book as well.