Angels & Devils

Mighty winged helpers or agents of unearthly chaos? These books offer some of each...

 

Skellig by David Almond

Paradise Lost by John Milton

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Skellig - David Almond

Paradise Lost - John Milton

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

In 2007 Skellig was voted one of the most important children’s books of the past 70 years by the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Michael and his family are dealing with the joint chaos of moving house and a prematurely born baby. In the back of his new garage Michael finds a man, wasting away, who demands Chinese food and brown ale. Who is he and why is he there?

 Okay, so it's not exactly new, but if you want the supernatural story to end (or begin) them all, it doesn't get much more dramatic than Milton's epic poem about Satan's fall from heaven and the ensuing battle between good and evil for the souls of mankind. It's over 10,000 lines long, but you'll never read anything else quite like it.

If you're not ready to tackle Milton yet, Pullman offers a fine alternative entrance point to the same grand narrative with his gripping trilogy. Lyra Belacqua is an unforgettable heroine, and the way Pullman brings the supernatural world to life is spellbinding.

The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox

The Sandman - Seasons of Mist

The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson

The Vintner's Luck - Elizabeth Knox

Sandman: Season of Mists - Neil Gaiman

The Testament of Gideon Mack - James Robertson

A beautiful and otherworldly tale of a vintner who befriends an angel in early 19th Century France. If the prospect of forbidden love, wine and immortality gets you interested, read on...

Lucifer, first of the fallen, cuts off his wings and locks the gates of Hell, giving the key to Morpheus as he leaves. The Sandman is then faced by choosing a new owner of Hell from the range of gods, demons and other entities who come to petition him for the key.

 Presented as a 'found manuscript' along with notes and an introduction from its puzzled publisher, this gothic account of a Church of Scotland minister's fateful encounter with the Devil is a compelling and thought-provoking work that draws on Scotland's substantial religious heritage to great effect.