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sebastianmichael · 06-19-2012, 05:07 AM

ANGEL
Novel
by Sebastian Michael

"A delight to read. So delicate, casually cruel, wickedly funny and wildly alluring."
- Stephen Fry

Damion is a boy who is so beautiful that everybody falls in love with him. This, his greatest advantage in life, gradually turns into his heaviest burden and so as he reaches adulthood, Damion, in an act half wanton, half heroic, destroys what for most people - but not for him - has come to define his essence. - A classic tale of a young man seeking his destiny.

The following description by Alana Jelinek, author of Ohm's Law, is taken from the back cover of the original hardback edition:

"Sebastian Michael's novel, 'Angel', is a great achievement; beautifully written and thoroughly engaging.

At face value it is the story of a young man so beautiful that 'anyone who met him fell instantly in love with him'. His emergence from boyhood is described with an astonishing sympathy for the experience of adolescence. The author has a great gift for subtle and commanding characterisation, one result of which is our developing appreciation of the burden of beauty on the 'hero' of the tale and all who come into contact with him. Events are beautifully described with a perspicacity for place and sensation.

On another level, 'Angel' can be read as an allegory of a society concerned largely with the superficial. Here value is determined by Beauty and the consequence of a great surfeit in power created by fundamental inequalities between people is explored in the trajectories of human lives. 'Angel' raises questions of responsibility and agency, as those privileged by society try to claim some responsibility for what appears to be pre-determined lives. We are asked to consider to what extent we can be responsible for the impact of our existence.

'Angel' is compelling and curious, an intelligent inquiry and a sensual pleasure. Its characters and their experiences feel immediately real and they also resonate over time remaining with the reader: so true is the author's ability with narrative and character. With 'Angel', Sebastian Michael has produced a novel that is a pleasure to read, that has depth and detail, and that raises some of the important questions for the contemporary moment. The ultimate meaning of 'Angel' will be a subject of debate between readers, as is inevitable with a novel that works so well on many levels."

ANGEL is now available on major eBook platforms:

Kindle on amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Angel-ebook/dp/B007AYSTCA

Kindle on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Angel-ebook/dp/B007AYSTCA

iBooks:
http://itunes.apple.com/book/angel/id540881828

Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ange...=9781471744273

Kobo:
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Angel..._5A/page1.html

Also in the ePub format from Lulu, compatible with iBooks, Nook, Kobo and Adobe Digital Editions:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/sebastian-m...-20216926.html

Thank you for reading and please feel free to get in touch by any of the means below.

Sebastian Michael
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

at home: http://sebastianmichael.com
at work: http://optimistcreations.com
at play:
http://twitter.com/#!/sebmichael
http://sebastianmichael.tumblr.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Op...el/25861468759

06-19-2012, 05:07 AM	#1
sebastianmichael The Optimist Posts: 39 Karma: 11676 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: London Device: Kindle; iPhone	ANGEL - "A delight to read ... delicate, funny and wildly alluring." (Stephen Fry) ANGEL Novel by Sebastian Michael "A delight to read. So delicate, casually cruel, wickedly funny and wildly alluring." - Stephen Fry Damion is a boy who is so beautiful that everybody falls in love with him. This, his greatest advantage in life, gradually turns into his heaviest burden and so as he reaches adulthood, Damion, in an act half wanton, half heroic, destroys what for most people - but not for him - has come to define his essence. - A classic tale of a young man seeking his destiny. The following description by Alana Jelinek, author of Ohm's Law, is taken from the back cover of the original hardback edition: "Sebastian Michael's novel, 'Angel', is a great achievement; beautifully written and thoroughly engaging. At face value it is the story of a young man so beautiful that 'anyone who met him fell instantly in love with him'. His emergence from boyhood is described with an astonishing sympathy for the experience of adolescence. The author has a great gift for subtle and commanding characterisation, one result of which is our developing appreciation of the burden of beauty on the 'hero' of the tale and all who come into contact with him. Events are beautifully described with a perspicacity for place and sensation. On another level, 'Angel' can be read as an allegory of a society concerned largely with the superficial. Here value is determined by Beauty and the consequence of a great surfeit in power created by fundamental inequalities between people is explored in the trajectories of human lives. 'Angel' raises questions of responsibility and agency, as those privileged by society try to claim some responsibility for what appears to be pre-determined lives. We are asked to consider to what extent we can be responsible for the impact of our existence. 'Angel' is compelling and curious, an intelligent inquiry and a sensual pleasure. Its characters and their experiences feel immediately real and they also resonate over time remaining with the reader: so true is the author's ability with narrative and character. With 'Angel', Sebastian Michael has produced a novel that is a pleasure to read, that has depth and detail, and that raises some of the important questions for the contemporary moment. The ultimate meaning of 'Angel' will be a subject of debate between readers, as is inevitable with a novel that works so well on many levels." ANGEL is now available on major eBook platforms: Kindle on amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Angel-ebook/dp/B007AYSTCA Kindle on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Angel-ebook/dp/B007AYSTCA iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/book/angel/id540881828 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ange...=9781471744273 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Angel..._5A/page1.html Also in the ePub format from Lulu, compatible with iBooks, Nook, Kobo and Adobe Digital Editions: http://www.lulu.com/shop/sebastian-m...-20216926.html Thank you for reading and please feel free to get in touch by any of the means below. Sebastian Michael ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- at home: http://sebastianmichael.com at work: http://optimistcreations.com at play: http://twitter.com/#!/sebmichael http://sebastianmichael.tumblr.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Op...el/25861468759 Last edited by sebastianmichael; 08-12-2012 at 03:48 AM.