Strange Angel 1: Genesis by Adam P. Knave
Die Monster Die! Books
76 pages

First, a disclaimer: I know the author of Strange Angel, one Adam P. Knave. I consider him a pal, AND he writes for thefootnote.com. If that isn’t a conflict of interest when reviewing a writer’s work, I don’t know what is. However, for this column I kept it real, and I am known as a ruthless right bastard anyway, so there should be no worry of sugar coating. You can trust this re-interview (the result of a review and interview having a baby) as much as you would any other.

Susie Sparrow, the titular “Strange Angel” and heroine of the book, is your typical 16-year-old Catholic schoolgirl. Classes, friends, regular family-- the whole bit. In addition to that, though, during an extremely traumatic experience, she was possessed with an angel spirit of vengeance and justice that gave her powers like fiery wings and increased strength… and has now taken up residence in her head. Yeah, there’s that. Now Susie’s new job is to rid the world of regular people possessed by demons who are, naturally, up to no good. It often reads like a more brutally violent and decidedly R-rated sibling or distant cousin to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I mean in a good way. Here, though, the danger is even more real with immediate emotional and often painful ramifications. Strange Angel 1: Genesis is a fun, scary, gory, action packed, and surprisingly touching novella about the age old battle between Heaven and Hell that always seems to be waging here on earth.

Employing character types and terms often found in Christianity, Knave uses religion much like Stan Lee adapted Norse mythology to super heroics in his The Mighty Thor comics. “I went to Catholic school until eighth grade,” Knave explains. “Angels and demons and such are great cultural shorthands now, much like vampires and werewolves, which makes them great fodder for fiction.”

The books origins began as “a short story in the anthology Dark Furies (also from Die Monster Die! Books),” according to Knave. Publisher Vincent Sneed asked him “specifically to use a character he wanted to see, Susie, and we outlined the basic idea together.” After that, they felt the saga could be expanded upon beyond the anthology’s story. “We both realized there was way more to tell than I had touched in the 2,000 word short. I pitched the idea of a series of three novellas spaced six months apart because I wanted a serial drama feel to the story.”

This first part of the trilogy begins with action right off the bat, Susie taking on one of the demon-possessed while still learning to use her new powers with guidance from the angel in her head. Similar -- though increasingly dangerous -- battles are interspersed throughout the novella with a solid set up and all the major players. In the brief page count, Knave wisely fleshes out all of his characters, not just the lead, but her friends and family as well, so the reader actually feels for all of them and worries about what’s going to happen next, which is always unpredictable in this world. His care of character and craft puts Strange Angel head and shoulders above your average “teen horror” genre story. It has heart, which truly raises the stakes.

So, while there’s much super heroic, comic book action -- accompanied by very descriptive prose that goes into gory detail as Susie violently dispatches the demonically possessed -- the reader is also treated to her regular, everyday life. It’s how her alter ego’s adventures disrupt both her family and school worlds that gives the fantastic proceedings an extra layer, with sometimes hilarious, occasionally tragic results.

Though there are two more parts, the set up here is so good that it seems like adventures in the Strange Angel universe could go on indefinitely, either in prose form or as maybe a comic book, which the pulp heroics and dark fantasy adventure seem to lend itself to. “Past the trilogy I have one more possible Strange Angel story I've already been considering,” Knave says. As for a possible comic book version, “It has been thought of, and honestly, I would love for it to happen. I just need to find a publisher and an artist, and I'll be there in a heartbeat.”

But all of that is way down the road. Right now, Strange Angel 1: Genesis is out in trade paperback and sets the stage for what should prove to be a very exciting three part horrific adventure. For readers, Knave hopes they’ll gleam from this story that “Life isn't like TV. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen, too. That's life, and I wanted to reflect life realistically in my story while giving it a fantastic take so that the fantastic becomes all the realer. If anything, I would hope that readers walk away from this one entertained. I just want to spin a good yarn and tell stories that I would enjoy listening to.”

From reading Strange Angel 1: Genesis, Adam P. Knave has definitely succeeded in what he set out to do. This book is highly recommended for any fans of Buffy or just good, fun, dramatic horror and fantasy. Part two cannot come out fast enough…