Pulling the Wings Off Angels

Another quirky, engaging, and twisty novella from Parker

Long ago, a wealthy man stole an angel and hid her in a chapel, where she remains imprisoned to this day.

That’s the legend, anyway.

A clerical student who’s racked up gambling debts to a local gangster is given an ultimatum — deliver the angel his grandfather kidnapped, or forfeit various body parts in payment.

And so begins a whirlwind theological paradox — with the student at its center — in which the stakes are the necessity of God, the existence of destiny — and the nature of angels.

It should come as no surprise to long-time readers of CR that I am a huge fan of K. J. Parker’s novellas and short fiction. As soon as I read the synopsis for Pulling the Wings Off Angels, I was eager to read it. I was lucky enough to get a DRC a while ago, and read it right away. I’m very happy to report that it is classic Parker; I really enjoyed this. Continue reading →

I spotted this a while back in a catalogue, but I’ve been waiting for the cover to be revealed before sharing it. As you might know, K. J. Parker is one of my favourite authors — his shorter fiction is near-peerless, and his recent string of novellas for Tor.com and Subterranean Press have been especially excellent: intelligent, whimsical, extremely well-written. Pulling the Wings Off Angels is his next Tor.com publication, and I can’t wait to read it. Here’s the synopsis:

A whirlwind theological paradox that calls into question the existence of God, repentance, destiny — and angels.

Long ago, a wealthy businessman stole an angel and hid her in a chapel, where she remains imprisoned to this day.

That’s the legend, anyway.

When a clerical student finds himself in debt to a local gangster, he’s given an ultimatum — deliver the angel his grandfather once kidnapped, or forfeit various body parts in payment.

K. J. Parker’s Pulling the Wings Off Angels is due to be published by Tor.com in North America and in the UK, on November 15th.

Also on CR: Reviews of The Devil You Know, The Last Witness, Downfall of the Gods, My Beautiful Life, Prosper’s Demon, Academic Exercises, The Big Score, and The Long Game