The Angel Within is the published work of author Della Boynton, which was released under her pseudonym of “Kracken”. Kracken has been a long-time, not to mention well known, member of the fan fiction¹ community and has contributed a number of stories to multiple subjects. The majority of which fall under the Yaoi² and Angst genres.

Kracken’s The Angel Within tells the story of Sunnie of Truheart clan, a native of the planet Geranto, and a boy who just isn’t able to conform to the expectations of his community. From conception to adulthood, Sunnie remains different and apart from his fellows. Sunnie was born into his family at a time when the majority of his siblings were already considered young adults by the community’s standard or already had families of their own. Because society viewed sex as a necessary sin only undertaken to sire children, Sunnie’s father found himself having to explain exactly why he felt the need to have yet another child so late in his life to the strict and hard-nosed priests. This marked the first of many times that Sunnie did not meet the standards of his strict and highly religious community.

Sunnie, despite his best efforts, completely fails to be stoic and pious like his dark skinned and haired brothers. Instead this bright-eyed, blond haired youth always has a smile on his face and never fails to lighten the moods of those around him. In this austere society, where a religion that is comprised of the more extreme aspects of modern-day religions, such as Type IV FGM,³ Sunnie’s inability to smother the “angel within” him brings him nothing but pain, misery, and ultimately leads to his banishment.

Kracken does do a rather good job of allowing Sunnie’s actions, and the happenings around him, to describe and add depth to his character rather than implicitly dictating the character’s actions and thoughts. Likewise, the antagonist Scott Rohan, whose cunning and duplicity is abhorrent, is handled in the same manner. Sadly though, the main love interest of the story, Rhani Jhai, is handled in a much less skillful way which results in a rather flat and unbelievable hero.

A rather common trait of fan fiction writers is the assumption that all readers of the works are fans who are very well-versed in the subject’s canonical universe. As a result, fan fiction writers may not delve too deeply into character design, the mechanics of the setting and universe, or any other factors which may be perceived as a “given”. This is not to say that fan fiction writers are inept or lacking; in fact one has to agree that, in these instances, to do otherwise may very well border on the redundant. With regards to original fiction however, these are very important elements that simply cannot be ignored or skimmed over.

Kracken’s style of writing in this novel leans more towards a fan fiction-based style of writing. The Angel Within is the only source of a reader’s knowledge of the world (or rather worlds) that Sunnie and the others reside in. Readers do not have prior knowledge of the technology used, the characters and their background, or the political and governmental structures. While Kracken does take the time to explain most aspects, there still remain a number of times where no explanation is given and readers are left fumbling to picture just how it fits and looks in their heads. The most prominent example of this is Dr. Rhani Jhai.

Jhai plays a pivotal role in the story, as he is the source of the protagonist’s rescue and salvation, and yet very little depth is given to the character. Indeed, as a reader, I had an easier time connecting and understanding the natives of the planet Kevare, who are introduced towards the end of chapter eighteen, and make brief appearances in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two. A handful of pages were used to introduce Raul Aganaren and Aranit Tyreya Kri, of which only Kri makes a second and third appearance, and yet I found myself connecting with and understanding these two characters in a way that was simply not possible with Jhai’s character. Ironically enough, despite my understanding and sympathizing with these characters, they provide yet another example where the author took the reader’s ability to understand the inner machinations of the author’s universe for granted.

When the Kevarians are first introduced Sunnie comments on their appearances and notes that five veiled Kevarian council members are present. Readers are informed through Sunnie’s recollections that the purpose of the veils is to give the council members anonymity so that they may remain impartial. In the same mental-breath however Sunnie refers to Aganaren as the Chi’ n’Chi of the High Chi Family and Kri as Soldier of Kri. These are clearly titles of some importance since, after the initial introduction, Aganaren is only referred to as “the Chi’ n’Chi” and yet no detail or explanation of these titles and their importance is given. In fact, with the exception of the council, the Kevarian’s ruling structure is completely unknown. Because the Kevarians help provide a pivotal turning point one would expect a little more attention to be given to them. In the end, the Kevarian subplot is shunted to the side and wrapped up far too quickly. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Another aspect I found disappointing was the rushed and subsequently unbelievable romance between Sunnie and Jhai. Sunnie is a horribly confused man-child from a backwards planet who has been uprooted from his home after having been banished for committing sins he didn’t commit by a man who sees Sunnie and something to dominate and own. The knowledge of the worlds he possesses, the new confidence he has in himself, and security of loving relationship have all been given to him by the very man who stole him away from his previous home, Scott Rohan. It’s easy to see that Rohan is Sunnie’s everything. He rescued him from a home that wasn’t a home, he gave him everything he has, and loves him. When this loving relationship falls apart and turns into an abusive one it is easy to understand how Sunnie wouldn’t be able to leave. In fact, given his upbringing and insecurities, it makes a great deal of sense that leaving would make no sense at all in Sunnie’s mind because he “deserves” it and it is all he knows. This is seen every day in abusive relationships.

Despite this, Jhai manages to convince Sunnie to not only leave Rohan but attempt to turn him in to authorities and he does this all in one conversation. It should also be noted that at this point of time Sunnie has had very limited contact with Jhai – they are little more than acquaintances. On top of this, Sunnie and Jhai’s relationship develops into a sexual one with a budding romance and it occurs within a very short time frame to boot. I have a very hard time believing that anyone who has been sexually, mentally, and physically abused over a lengthy time can not only leave their abuser but also enter into a healthy romantic relationship in the span of a few weeks. It just doesn’t fly. At this point any credibility the characters had is completely shot.

The story is not all bad however, The Angel Within does boast an interesting and intriguing premise while subtly raising questions and challenging aspects of society and religion as a whole. The first half of the book also has a steady build up that slowly but surely grasps the reader and keeps them turning pages. However the flatness of prominent characters, the confusing and oft unexplained aspects of the world that the characters move in, and the hurried romance and healing of Sunnie and Jhai will leave readers feeling as though they missed several somethings and incapable of truly connecting with the story. Frankly, the most captivating part of the story revolved around Sunnie’s time on his home planet and initial life with Rohan, and the Kevarians. Loved the Kevarians.

Joana’s Rating: (2 out of 5 stars)

1. Fan fiction (alternately referred to as fanfiction, fanfic, FF, or fic) is a broadly-defined term used to describe stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator. Works of fan fiction are rarely commissioned or authorized by the original work’s owner, creator, or publisher; also, they are almost never professionally published. Fan fiction, therefore, is defined by being both related to its subject’s canonical fictional universe and simultaneously existing outside the canon of that universe. Most fan fiction writers assume that their work is read primarily by other fans, and therefore tend to presume that their readers have knowledge of the canon universe (created by a professional writer) in which their works are based. -Wikipedia
2. Yaoi is a popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by female authors. Originally referring to a specific type of doujinshi (self-published works) parody of mainstream anime and manga works, yaoi came to be used as a generic term for female-oriented manga, anime, dating sims, novels and d?jinshi featuring idealized homosexual male relationships. -Wikipedia It should also be noted that not all manga and novels are billed as “Yaoi”. The term “Yaoi” is beginning to become a catch-all phrase for stories that revolve around homoerotic and homoromantic fiction. However, traditionalists do still make the distinction that “Yaoi” references material that revolves around fiction that focuses on the erotic content while “Boys Love” (also known as “Shounen-ai”) contains works that give more focus on the relationship of the characters that may contain little to no erotic content.
3. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is defined by the World Health Organization as: all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons. -Wikipedia

Upon completion of this novel I was sorely tempted to dangle my copy above some candles and watch it burst into flame. I suspect that would have been more entertaining than reading it proved to be. The pyromaniac temptation, no doubt, was inspired by the candle pictured on the cover. I’m really not sure what the other item on the cover is supposed to be however. A cat paw maybe? The ambiguity of the second item is reminiscent to how I felt when I thought about what the author’s purpose in writing this book might have been.

Cat Toy revolves around four characters, primarily Yai (John) a human space pilot who crashed on a planet inhabited by Cat People, of which the population seems to be made up primarily of men. Tryl is the cat man who found John, named him Yai, and took him as his slave.

A human male, a pilot, unsure of his place in the world and unsure of what he wants in life. What happens when one lone man crashes on a planet inhabited by men very different?

He learns that cats are playful, aggressive creatures who value their toys a great deal.

Initially, the story’s synopsis sounds promising. Science fiction meets romance, right? While there is space travel, planets inhabited by strange creatures, and some interesting technology, by way of the shuttles and the translating devices, that’s about it for the science fiction aspect of it. There is no real character exploration, no real discernible plot, and a complete lack of depth. The story itself is roughly eighty-plus pages in length; the author could have really used another eighty pages to flesh out her characters and plot.

By the end of the book I was just absolutely stunned at the complete lack of believability and realism in this book. Yes, it’s a work of fiction, however, as a reader I should feel as though the characters themselves are real. I should feel as though I had come to know them and their actions and thoughts should have been realistic to me. Instead I’m torn between laughing or cringing at the absurdity of the characters in this book.

Yai is a human who has crashed upon this strange planet inhabited by cat people. He spends days holed up in his shuttle with no memory of how he got there let alone who he is and what to do now. Eventually he is found by a poacher and later rescued by Tyrl, the leader of the cat people. Tyrl claims Yai as his slave, and Yai makes no protest to this and succumbs happily and readily enough.

Wait, back that up. Let’s read over the book’s summary, does Yai sound like the same pilot described on the cover? No, not really. On top of this, when Yai is captured by the poacher and Tryl intervenes he is granted a moment to escape, which he takes. Tryl catches him and pins him to the ground. After a fruitless struggle to break free from Tryl’s hold, Yai bares his throat and chooses to “die like a man”. Then through the course of the book Yai follows Tryl around like a little lost dog and succumbs to Tryl’s every wish.

Maybe there is something in the air on this planet that robs people of their will and sense of freedom? That has to be it, because I have a really hard time believing that a person, who would choose to “die like a man” and who has essentially been a man who has enjoyed his freedom, would readily submit to becoming another’s slave and sex toy at the drop of a hat. I just don’t buy it. After a period of time where he got to know more about his “Master” and had time for self-discovery? Okay, that sounds more likely. But in less than a day? No, I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that. I do however have bridge to sell you. On top of that, within pages Yai becomes a completely submissive being prone to tearing up at the slightest provocation.

Think I’m exaggerating? My second case in point: Karl, a fellow pilot and a friend of John (Yai) who is captured while trying to rescue his friend, who by the way, does not want to be rescued. Karl is captured by Mank, one of Tryl’s subordinates who has been searching for a new slave. After his capture and being carted off to his captor’s room, Karl proceeds to conduct himself as any person would expect. Instead of answering his captor’s questions with answers, he merely repeats his name and rank. When Mank drags his canines over Karl’s jugular, as though he might rip out his throat, Karl understandably has a bowel movement. After Mank rips Karl’s clothes off and douses him with a pitcher of water, that seemingly appears out of thin air, Karl is most understandably scared and embarrassed. But in the next second he is straddling his captor’s lap, begging for his touches, and telling Mank his life story. Yes, I can really see that happening.

On top of the unbelievability of the characters there is the fact that, aside from the immediate (and I mean very immediate) vicinity where the characters are, no detail is given about the planet and the scene around them. The complete lack of detail to the world around the characters robs the author of the chance to give more depth to her characters by way of allowing the readers to draw inferences about them and step into the world. The lack of detail also adds to the unbelievability of the story as nothing seems to connect.

After reading this book, the only things I could tell you about this world is that it has a ruling class of cat people that enslave other cat people and off worlders who they view as inferior to them. They have some technology and technical know how which seems at odds with the barbaric society and culture. They don’t have beds, but sleep on piles of furs, and the shower room has a waterfall and a drain pool to do your business in. So detailed isn’t it?

In short, this author is completely incapable of writing a world that the reader can step into, understand, and believe in. Her characters are flighty and whimsical at best due to the fact that the reader can see the author’s metaphorical hands forcing characters to dance to her tune, whether it fits with their individual personalities or not, and the world that these characters exist in gets so little attention that, for all intents and purposes, it’s not there for the reader. The only character the author seemed capable of making realistic and managed to keep “in character” was Tryl, and I highly suspect that it’s because he’s two dimensional at best.

I’m all for more books out there where the main couple, or one of the main couples are of the same sex. But it seems as though the tendency for authors is to try too hard and tip the scale to one extreme or another. The tendency is to either write the novel geared to the intellectual with too much emphasis placed on metaphors and the abstract, or to turn the novel into the perfect script for a porno flick. Let’s try for some realism instead okay?

Joana’s rating:

Now it’s been brought to my attention by several would be authors that managing to find a publisher who will publish your works if the main couple is not of the stereotypical heterosexual stock is exceedingly difficult. And while there are publishers who actively seek out homosexual works to publish getting published under one of them is apparently a death knell to an author’s career. This is what I have been told so I can not say that this is the absolute truth but it does appear to be the opinion held by many.

I have also read several book reviews for “homosexual” literature and most reviewers seem to be of the opinion that the genre is filled with trite fiction. After reading Michael Schiefelbein’s Vampire Vow I can see how people could come to these conclusions.

Vampire Vow tells the story of Victor Decimus, a former Roman officer who served under Pontius Pilate. Victor is a twisted character from the beginning, which will serve to intrigue and draw the reader in. He has an unnatural blood lust and thirst for violence, but the real attention grabber is the object of his affections – Jesus. Yes that Jesus. The one who walks on water and heals people.

Victor and Jesus met prior to Jesus’ firm faith in his Holy Father was firmly established and Victor was drawn to the young boy and ultimately fell for him. Needless to say, despite Jesus’ professions of love he rebuffed Victor. Victor than later sought a way to attain power to for the young prophet to his feet and was made into a vampire. Until the end Jesus refused Victor which enraged the man. For two thousand years Victor has enjoyed infiltrating the orders of the monks and priests of the religion that his beloved Jesus spawned in order to wreck havoc, death, and destruction. All in hopes of getting the attention of his lost love and to cause him the sort of pain that he has felt.

Now Victor is in a new monastery and finds himself falling for Brother Michael, but Victor’s lust for violence knows no bounds and after Michael falls prey to his anger an investigation is launched. It becomes a race against time and the law.

The idea behind the story is exciting not to mention original and rich with potential and yet it’s as though the author spent all of his creative energy creating the character of Victor, the doomed courtship of Jesus, and the exciting book summary because once Victor arrives at the new monastery and meets his first victim the book just nose dives into the dark waters of boredom. Victor, while a compelling character on his own and in the ancient Rome setting, becomes a laughable buffoon in the monastery of the Appalachian Mountains.

For a creature that is supposed to have survived for over two thousand years moving from order to order killing monks and priests he is utterly incapable of pulling off a convincing persona of “Brother Victor”. And how the other characters can just ignore the fallacies in his character is beyond me. Granted this is fiction, but there must be a core of believability for a story to carry it’s own weight and Schiefelbein fails horribly at this. A devoted monk that doesn’t keep the silence along with the other monks during the proper times, who states publicly that religion is dogma, and who cares not that one of the younger brothers he seduced is confessing about their activities regularly is hardly a believable and convincing character.

And if that wasn’t bad enough the plot and actions of the characters continues to spiral out of control for the rest of the book before being hastily slammed into a conclusion and declared finished. How Michael Schiefebein and Vampire Vow itself could be so heavily lauded on Amazon.com is beyond me.

I am agnostic so rest assured I didn’t like this book based on it’s supposed blasphemy, rather the entire time I was reading this I couldn’t shake the feeling that the author wrote this as a means to rail against the religion he was once a part of. Please, spare us. If you still have unresolved issues with the church than seek therapy instead of cluttering the bookshelves with trite garbage. Despite the fact that this was supposed to be a paranormal romance it was oddly lacking in romantic affections as every act between Victor and Michael came off as oddly stilted and lacking of any feelings other than lust, which was clearly not the intention of the author. Revision is in order sir.

The concept itself had potential and the character of Victor was the guy you loved to hate. But when Schiefelbein attempted to put them together, well the effect was very similar to mixing oil and water.

Congratulations Schiefelbein yours is the first book to earn the not-at-all honorable no stars rating.

Joana’s rating:

My first knee-jerk reaction to this book and it’s shocking contents was a jaw-dropping oh dear I cannot believe there are real people like this. It was like watching a horrible and bloody accident unfold on the side of the road. You see the blood and body parts splatter on the pavement right before your eyes, and you know the pain and horror of it will traumatize you so you should avert your gaze, and yet you are oddly transfixed it. At the same time reading this is akin to watching a horrible Indie (Independent) film where the deep thinking director and writer tried a little too hard to make their characters off the wall in an attempt to create a “thought provoking” film that just makes you wonder what they were smoking.

It’s made all that much worse and sensational because you know it’s real and that these things did happen and that these sick, twisted, and just plain messed up people did exist and do exist. It’s almost like being a child and having your parents walk up and tell you that, yes the bogey man does exist and would you like to meet him? It’s not something you want to fathom and the true horror of it is the veracity of the tale.

Despite my initial shock and the offensiveness of some of the content I found myself flipping the pages and reading the book in one sitting. Augusten Burroughs has a talent for writing and his own satirical style of writing mixed with this exotic and twisted tale is enough to curl your hair captivate you all in one fell swoop.

I must say this though: this book is not for the faint of heart. Your moral sensibilities will be pushed to their limits and you will be forced to ask yourself painful questions such as: what is wrong with this picture and why does it offend me? I consider myself to be a very open minded person yet even I was left feeling horribly scandalized. Once I recognized what this reaction was I was forced to ask myself why I felt this way. Was I being narrow minded and what basis did I have for my stance on this?

After I had turned the last page in the book and read the prologue there were only three things floating in my mind: 1) That was wrong on so many levels, I cannot believe there really are people like that out there; 2) I really, really love my mom and how she raised me and; 3) I need a drink. No joke, those were my exact reactions and in that order.

So what exactly is Running with Scissors all about? Running with Scissors is the true story of Augusten Burroughs. It chronicles his early years living with his mother and father who were locked in an unhappy marriage and follows the events that lead up until the point he decided to pursue a writing career. Along the way the reader is regaled with tales of his youth living with with his psychotic mother whose “shrink”, and I use that term very loosely, should have been stripped of his license long ago, the escapades he got into while living with the Finches and later when he was legally adopted by his mother’s shrink (Dr. Finch).

Burroughs writes it all out there with no regard for the reader’s tender sensibilities. So if you have qualms reading about a thirteen year old girl being adopted out for money, by her father, to a forty-one year old man who she is sleeping with or a thirteen year old boy involved in a sexual relationship with a pedophile in the family’s own household (with no real objections made mind you) among other things you may want to skip this book. Is there such a thing as having too much freedom? Can it be possible to have so many options available that you actually have no options or opportunities? These are the things that Augusten had to find out for and deal with himself.

Your perception of this world will be forever altered after this read. In all honesty I’m not altogether sure whether I liked this book or rather I disliked it. On one hand the writing style flowed and captivated the audience as much as the shocking content, yet at the same time some of the scenes and incidents both horrified and sickened me. This is one book in which I really had mixed feelings on.

Joana’s review: