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421 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
The story takes place in the city of Deepgate. A whole city held up by chains and ropes over a bottomless pit that supposedly their god lives at the bottom. The church runs the city, and had angels that were the defenders of the city. But, over the ages they have all died and only Dill, a 16 year old "boy" is left as the last angel. He is now old enough to start his tasks at the funeral of the dead. Anyone who has died comes on set days to have the bodies of the dead cast into the pit so their souls can join the army to retake heaven. But if they have lost their blood, well that way opens up to The Maze of hellish afterlife. Quite the well developed religion.
On top of this we have an insane angel who kills a person a month to drink their blood to live on. We have the Spine, the churches assassins who try to kill her. We have the official Poisoner who developed weapons to destroy the unbelievers in the desert, but now wants to kill the entire city. We have a father who's daughter was killed by the angel for her blood and now wants revenge. And finally we have the church that knows that the god below is really coming to destroy them all. A lot of stories that connect in many ways and forms throughout the book.
This story was very well written and takes us from the streets, to the desert, to the pit below and back. I really have to say, I totally enjoyed the imagination of the author. This is not your typical fantasy story with the set roles that we all know and expect. The characters are well developed and you really start to feel for them during the course of the book. It may not be for everyone, but I do say if you want a different story, dive on in.