Libba Bray

Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy—spending time with her friends in the city, attending balls in fancy gowns with plunging necklines, and dallying with the handsome Lord Denby. Yet amid these distractions, her visions intensify—visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened that only the realms can explain.

The lure is strong, and soon Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world that Gemma takes them to. To the girls' great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.

But all is not well in the realms—or out. Kartik is back, desperately insisting to Gemma that she must bind the magic, lest colossal disaster befall her. Gemma is willing to comply, for this would bring her face-to-face with her late mother's greatest friend, now Gemma's foe—Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task. . . .

This sumptuous companion to A Great and Terrible Beauty teems with Victorian thrills and chills that play out against the rich backdrop of 1895 London, a place of shadows and light . . . where inside great beauty can lie a rebel angel.

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy: Book 2

Rebel Angels

Manda

This second installment of the Gemma Doyle Series, by Libba Bray, is just as great, if not better, than the first. Having already become enthralled by her writing, Bray has astounded me once again. In Rebel Angels, Gemma continues on her quest to find the Temple and bind the magic in the Realms. She also is looking for the woman known as Circe. Will she find the Temple and protect the magic? Will she find and conquer Circe? Will everything not be what it seems? These are all questions that will be answered when you read Rebel Angels for yourself. If you read A Great and Terrible Beauty and loved it, you will love Rebel Angels even more. Bray continues this series with another amazing installment. You will again feel what Gemma is feeling and be enthralled by the good and the bad that ensues. There is romance, betrayal, and even action and suspense that will keep you riveted. I can officially say, after reading Rebel Angels, I am impressed with Libba Bray and I can't wait for to read the next installment in this series.

Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . . The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship. But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

Kirsten Simkiss

I just could not get into this book. Try as I might, my inability to latch onto any of the characters left me unhappy with reading it and I couldn't make myself commit to the story. It's really a shame because I really enjoyed The Diviners books, but this just wasn't doing it for me.

DNFed at 22% of the book.

Sara Turner

So much happens in this book! So many great and adventurous things. I am so in love with this sequel and I can’t wait to read the last installment. Gemma has grown so much in this storyline and I love how strong she became. I was annoyed with Felicity and Ann for several reasons in the first book but this book gave them depth that really helped me lean into the story. I am forever wanting more for Kartik and Gemma haha! I am excited to see where their relationship goes. Overall, really beautifully written and formed. Big fan of the emphasis on women and relationships and knowing what you want from life.

Alexa Jade

unfortunately I did not like this book as much as I loved the first one. I felt it was entirely too long, too repetitive and the story was taking forever to actually go anywhere. felicity is such an annoyance and the mistrust of the wrong people every single time got really old.

Kate B-L

I don't love the characters in this series, but I think that's part of the point - they're human, they have flaws and character traits that can be infuriating at times. My biggest pet peeve is the special snowflake trope, because of course that has to be the case in every female-led fantasy novel, just once, i want to read a fantasy book with a female protagonist who isn't the most powerful of her kind. That being said, I love the richness of the detail, and I fully believe the magic in the realms. To me, this is the perfect fall/winter read, cozy, intriguing and can make a cold dreary afternoon exciting.

Maria

короче, не думала, что когда-либо это скажу, но все портит магическая часть! она неинтересная, и вообще неохота разбираться, что там к чему, и кто кому вася

Ha pasado algún tiempo desde que Gemma estuvo por última vez en los reinos. Si embargo, una visita inesperada a la Academia Spence la llevará de vuelta al mundo mágico: Kartik, el guapo y misterioso miembro de los Rakshana que acechaba a Gemma en el primer volumen, le ha pedido que regrese y ate la magia que quedó libre la última vez, antes de que caiga en las manos equivocadas.

Ángeles rebeldes

Emir Andrés Ibañez

Esta saga va remontando. Tuvos sus momentos flojos durante la mitad pero remontó muchísimo en la tercera parte: mucha acción, muchos giros, muchos momentos emotivos. Va, va queriendo.

Marissa Scudlo

A Great book, The fact it's takes place in Victorian England during Christmas I love it.

Anastaciya

That was a cool twist! In fact, this book has several cool twists.

Samantha

3.75ish stars

I enjoyed the storyline of Rebel Angels more than I did for A Great and Terrible Beauty, but like its predecessor, I both liked and disliked this book.

The story itself seemed to have less dead zones than the first book did, and it kept a better pace….kind of.. Gemma knows she needs to find the temple and bind the magic, but doesn’t really put much effort into actually going and trying to do that. But we do get to see a lot of what life was like for young ladies in that time period – balls and operas and courting boys. I did end up guessing the plot twist at the end way before it happened, so I didn’t enjoy the shock factor there. It was just alright I suppose. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t see that coming a mile away.

The girls are all still selfish and rude, especially to each other, so I don’t see how they can claim they love each other. Felicity fat shames Ann, they constantly comment on how she’s not beautiful or pretty or worth anything…but get mad at her when she is down on herself? Hello? Y’all are down on her all the time, where do you think she learns it from??? Felicity still blames Gemma for the death of Pippa when it was really out of Gemma’s control. If she didn’t get the other girls out, they’d all be dead. So she can’t win with any decision there. There is no character growth from any of them except Gemma who, while being appropriately naive on certain things, really comes into her own by the end of the book.

Did I love this book? No. Do I love the characters? Also no. Am I going to read the last book anyway to see how it all ends? Why yes I am.

Amanda Furlan

Wren Hardwick

I need everyone to read this series. It touches on so many topics and it’s just such a pretty tale.

There will be spoilers from the first book, but no spoilers for this current book.

One of the four has passed away from the real world. Felicity, Ann and Gemma are all dealing with the death of their dear friend Pippa in their own ways. Mostly everyone blames Gemma, including Gemma herself, even though no one forced Pippa to eat from the realms. 

They have not been back from the realms since. Stage right: Enter Indian boy Katrik who is basically-in-but-not fully in the Rakshana and most definetly has feelings for strong-headed, red-headed, hot-headed Gemma. Back to the point, he tells her that she must go back and bind the magic she let loose in the realms before someone with not-such-great intentions uses it.

So when the girls go back they [this is not a spoiler, it is in the description of the book] are beyond excited to see that Pippa is still there and as beautiful as ever. It is only Gemma, though, that notices the hunger in her eyes when no one else is looking or the strange way she talks about certain topics. Her mother told her that a spirit must cross over or else it will become corrupted... but certainly not their Pippa....



The character growth is a little stagnant, but the learning the background of a character is very active. You learn more about why Felicity has to be in control at all times. You learn more about Ann being absolutely stuck where she is in her social status and how little she can do about it. You see how Pippa feels left out of everything and even less accepted by her dear friend Felicity (you’ll learn more about them in the last book). You see the struggle Katrik has with decision involving his dear club Rakshana and his wanted-beloved Gemma.



I love the idea of this whole magic system. They even hint that other worlds are connect to the realms. So all the creatures that you see in the realms are from different worlds. It kind of reminds me of the place between the world in The Chronicles of Narnia series. 

Not to mention Gemma gets attention from a rich suitor of her own.. 
Side note: People believe that there was an almost-rape in this and I could see how that was gathered. Know there is nothing that triggered (for me at least) and nothing graphic and nothing that actually happened. 

And Circe comes to light and it will make your jaw just drop

I love this series so much. I have since I was in grade school. It has helped me through a lot and has enlightened me on my own passion of writing. I say give this a shot, but it isn’t for everyone. If you like time-pieces, undefined magic, school-girl drama, forbidden romance and tragedies... this book is right up your alley. 



..and beware you will cry at the end of the trilogy.

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RTC. I am not sure how people don't cry at the end of all three of these books. I love them so much. 

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Reread 1243: still cry from the first chapters. I love this series. I don't know why more people aren't obsessed with it.

Ah, o Natal! Gemma Doyle está desejosa das férias fora da Academia Spence, de passar o tempo com as amigas na cidade, de ir a bailes elegantes e, numa nota sombria, de cuidar do pai doente. Quando se prepara para entrar no Ano Novo de 1896, um jovem bonito, Lorde Denby, parece estar interessado em conquistar Gemma. No entanto, no meio das distrações de Londres, as visões de Gemma intensificam-se - visões de três raparigas vestidas de branco, a quem algo terrível aconteceu, algo que só os reinos podem explicar... A atração é forte, e em pouco tempo, Gemma, Felicity e Ann estão a transformar flores em borboletas no mundo encantado dos reinos a que só Gemma pode levá-las. Para grande alegria delas, a sua querida Pippa também está lá, ansiosa por completar o círculo de amizade. Mas nem tudo está bem nos reinos - ou fora dele. O misterioso Kartik reapareceu, dizendo a Gemma que ela deve encontrar o Templo e vincular a magia, ou algo terrível irá acontecer-lhe. Gemma está disposta a fazer-lhe a vontade, apesar dos perigos que isso acarreta, pois isso significa que irá encontrar-se com a maior amiga da sua mãe - e agora sua inimiga, Circe. Até Circe ser destruída, Gemma não pode viver o seu destino. Mas encontrar Circe revela-se uma tarefa muito perigosa.

Anjos Rebeldes

Patricia Santos

Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Anos depois da publicação de Uma Grandiosa e Terrível Beleza, heis que finalmente, as livrarias nacionais recebem a continuação da série que me fez conhecer uma das autoras que mais adoro e, deixem-me que vos diga, que regresso em grande. Mais sombrio e aterrorizador, Anjos Rebeldes mostra o talento de Libba Bray para criar narrativas cheias de ilusões, magia e sonhos, onde a loucura pode ser a sanidade e a luz a escuridão. Num confronto contra uma inimiga demasiado poderosa, a lealdade e o amor podem levar à ruptura, a beleza pode esconder horrores e a confiança não pode, nunca, ser dada de ânimo leve. Uma história gótica, bela e original, este livro perpetua a tradição do seu antecessor e volta a demonstrar a voz única e brilhante de Libba Bray.
 Depois de um primeiro volume bastante introdutório, cheio de suspense, segredos e mistério, Anjos Rebeldes vem dar resposta a muitas questões enquanto cria mais dúvidas, numa narrativa flúida, complexa e arrepiante. Com uma escrita imaginativa, um humor único e uma adaptação perfeita da época vitoriana à fantasia, Libba dá-nos uma trilogia que nos faz suspender a respiração e percorrer as páginas com uma fome voraz que nem o virar da última página acalma, onde cada momento pode provocar arrepios e exclamações de surpresa, onde tudo pode terminar numa revelação atroz. Num cenário mais gótico e sombrio, este segundo volume é uma caixinha de surpresas prestes a abrir-se quando menos esperámos, assolando-nos com a sua beleza terrível, segredos obscuros e esperanças inalcançáveis. 
 Rapidamente nos apercebemos ao longo desta leitura que Libba é uma mestra em deixar os seus leitores em suspenso, dando respostas ansiadas mas, também, ainda mais questões que fazem a nossa mente fervilhar com hipóteses, conseguindo assim,, surpreender-nos com as reviravoltas que dá à sua história, enredando-nos por completo na complexa teia de magia, fascínio e loucura que criou. Ao colocar a acção deste livro em plena Londres vitoriana em época de Natal, a autora mostra-nos ainda mais o seu talento, ao conjugar detalhes históricos, atitudes e situações próprias da época com a parte fantástica desta história numa sintonia perfeita. Entre os salões londrinos e os reinos, de bailes a hospícios, as nossas protagonistas submergem em segredos e verdades ocultas enquanto vão vivendo a sua vida normal e enfrentam as suas próprias demandas e medos pessoais. 
 É notório ao longo da narrativa o crescimento e a profundidade das três jovens, que a cada momento conseguem mostrar que são mais do que aparentam e que por trás do porte perfeito e comportamento irrepreensível elas próprias escondem demasiado, temem demasiado e à sua maneira, cada uma delas, luta pelo que quer e dá a sua parte sem nunca se esquecerem de si mesmas. Longe de serem perfeitas, Gemma, Felicity e Ann, acabam por ser protagonistas que suscitam o nosso interesse, que nos irritam, nos fazem rir e provocam a nossa pena pois nenhuma delas é apenas uma linda boneca mas sim jovens a caminharem para adultas, a formarem personalidades, com demasiados segredos e medos, e sonhos enterrados bem no fundo de si mesmas. Diferentes em todos os aspectos, elas são a prova que a verdadeira amizade se forma conhecendo todos os defeitos, aceitando todas as fraquezas e unindo-se nos piores momentos.

 Com uma história sobrenatural original, que se vai desvendado ao longo de cada livro mas deixando-nos sempre em suspenso, esta trilogia acaba por se destacar cada vez mais das restantes do género em muitos aspectos, quer pela sua história esotérica, tão bela quanto terrível, e da qual nem nos sentimos capaz de prever o fim, quer pelas personagens profundas e misteriosas ou mesmo pelo temível triângulo amoroso. A forma como Gemma vê os dois rapazes unidos a si acaba por lhe conseguir o nosso respeito pois apesar de se portar como a adolescente que é em algumas situações, ela também prova que a sua tarefa, a forma como foi educada e a época em que vive faz com que ela veja a realidade e impossibilidade de ambos os relacionamentos, colocando a amizade e o seu papel na ordem do mundo antes da vontade do seu coração. 
 Uma continuação que eu ansiava ler e que me surpreendeu muito pela positiva,Anjos Rebeldes é o meio entre o início e o fim, um livro que provoca ataques cardíacos, que mostra os caminhos mas que ainda oculta muitos detalhes e me fez tanto ansiar pelo último livro como querer fugir dele porque nada nesta história é simples, nem me quer parecer, feliz mas isso não apaga a sua excelência, brilho e originalidade.

Rebel Angels The Gemma Doyle Trilogy: Book 2

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