Angelfall

Angelfall is a 2012 YA apocalyptic fantasy novel by Susan Ee, the first in the Penryn and the End of Days trilogy. It is followed by World After (2013) and End of Days (2015). Ee, formerly a lawyer, started writing Angelfall to reflect her interests in fantasy and science fiction. Reflective of the large, popular movement of young adult dystopian novels in the 2010s, Angelfall begins with the protagonist, 17-year-old Californian Penryn Young, struggling to survive with her family in the ruins of society, which has been decimated by angels—winged, powerful humanoids evidently sent by God. Penryn’s sister, Paige, is kidnapped by the angels, forcing Penryn to cooperate with a wingless angel, Raphael (or Raffe), to rescue her. The novel focuses heavily on the resilience of human nature and taps into biblical angel mythology to develop the setting and characters.

This guide is based on the 2012 Skyscape paperback edition.

Content Warnings: This guide contains descriptions of violence and body horror, as well as references to ableist attitudes within the source text, particularly toward people with mental health conditions.

Plot Summary

California—and by implication, the world—has been largely destroyed by an invasion of angels.