rafael nicholás

Angels Before Man: Revised and Extended

A Queer Retelling of Satan's Fall

In an eternal paradise, the most beautiful angel, Lucifer, struggles with shame, identity, and timidity, with little more than the desire to worship his creator.

It isn't until the strongest angel, Michael, comes into his life that Lucifer learns to love himself. Along the way, their friendship begins to bloom into something else. Maybe the first romance in the history of everything.

But this God is a jealous one, and maybe paradise is not paradise. 

Angels Before Man

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And there was, of course, Lucifer, who held them and comforted them in between all his untouchable coldness.

Lucifer spat at the Lord's feet. Hate, absolute, unfurling for the first time in his heart, and it consumed him.

"We could have had eternity, we could have had forever with one another, we could have counted every ripple in the sea."

'And now you say: it meant nothing to you — none of it.'

'where did you get that golden helmet that obscures your eyes? where have you been? you should have been with me in the center. I think you look pleasant — furious and vengeful and agonized. But you're attacking the wrong god. Crushing the neck you just put your beautiful lips to. im dropping your sword now. why. Michael, your sword has fallen, and its falling to a. Sapphire floor a million miles below; hello Michael, hi, Michael, good day, have you eaten? should I prepare you something?You're tired. give me half your strength. brush my wings. how to respond to your kindness. I'lI leave if you're too tired to talk or wrestle. Do you kiss your other friends this much. Keep complaining and I will make you dance with me. Let me tuck you in. Beloved? Your beloved what, exactly?' 

"It's not about pain, or wickedness, or even the pleasure. Do you think that you must be good to be God? That isn't true — to be God is to be good. I saw it, when He punished me, the second time; I saw everything."

Kissing as if it were the last thing angel Lucifer would ever do, and it was.

"You're everything to me, the stars and the moons, the heat and the cold, the earth and the seeds, the waters and the flowers, but you are not God."

"l asked the Lord, once, if you were really an angel. I couldn't convince myself you were. You made me feel like no other angel had. And He told me that you were simply Lucifer, His most loved creation. That you were temptation — beautiful, ripe, prohibited above all else."

They could kiss for eternity, lay with their legs tangled in the heat of any sun, they could take each other's hands and run until the last star burned out.

"What's sin?" "I created it. Do you like it?"

'The little lucifer crying on the bedsheets of a garden. he puts his hands on my shoulders and tells me he doesn't understand. but you don't need to. you will thank me. you will kiss me with love our chests pressed flush together and say pretty little words of gratitude. youll be happy it was me who did it. it's better if it's you. tending to the weeds and deflowering it. it is better like this. you will thank me. it is better like this than how it was. you'll say you love me. wilted. you'll say thank you.'

Why would God create then ask the creations to bow?

"Let me," 'Pray to this body, mold you into holy communion, cry your name like psalm.' "Let me worship you."

"Take my body, my blood " The lovely shape of each other, fitting almost snug, like they were fit, even inside, for each other. But they were not, they were not.

'You're paradise to me, Michael. And you're not like the others.'

"I can see everything there, in those eyes. We could have it all if we wanted. Let's take it together, let's gather the seeds in our hands and run away as fast as we can past the gates of Heaven.'

'Michael will help me. Michael will protect me. Michael is the only angel who understands me and will always be at my side, even if all the skies collapse. He's my beloved, I adore him, and I want him to hold me, so that I forget everything. Everything but him. The angel of strength. I want to make you feel good, Michael. I want you to help me forget.'

'In vain, I love you; in vain, the dawn streaming onto you, beside me; in vain, I want to be yours, your angel. Angel of love, angel of Michael.'

'I wish I could get even closer to you — I wish we could sink into each other and become one.'

If only the prince could enter him, could spread his very skin, move inside, so that their souls would kiss how lips do.

create with me michael, and let’s call it sin. 

marie

I can see why so many people have been raving about this book and giving it five stars. The writing and imagery is gorgeous. I would have loved to have seen more of the world building. Additionally, it would have been nice to get a more in depth look at some of the side characters and flesh them out some, but what we got of the other angels, I quite enjoyed. I love the spin on the fall of Satan and like seeing how everything unfolds, but I wish the pacing was more consistent. The first half could be tedious at times, and not much happened while the second half came out the gate swinging. I would have loved to have the entire corruption and decline spread out more instead of condensed into the last 30%. Overall, this was beautiful and thought provoking, and I’ll definitely continue the series. 

Angels Before Man

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