The Lost Angel: A Novel

Javier Sierra

Oct 2011 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Javier Sierra returns with a heartpounding, apocalyptic thriller about mankind’s most ancient desire—and the modern evil some will unleash to obtain it.

Every religion has a story for how our species came to mix with yours and was doomed to this planet. We are the sons of exiles. Cursed. Even man condemned us, blaming us for all the evils of the world. On the one hand you worshiped us, these beings who brought knowledge from the heavens. But you also feared us for what we might want in return. . . .”

In approximately seventy-two hours, a little-known Middle Eastern terrorist group plans to bring about the end of the world. Convinced that they are the descendants of angels, they believe they are on the verge of at last being returned to heaven. Central to their plan is the kidnapping of Martin Faber, an undercover American scientist whose research has led him to an extraordinary secret.

Martin’s only hope for survival is his young wife, Julia Alvarez—a woman born with a rare psychic gift. But she must find the courage to save her husband, all while running from religious extremists and clandestine government agencies.

Sierra takes readers on an adventure across the world, from the summit of Mount Ararat to the high desert of New Mexico, from the monuments of Washington, DC, to the medieval city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Sierra spent years investigating scientific and historical mysteries related to mankind’s efforts to engage directly with the Almighty.

The Lost Angel bears all the hallmarks of Sierra’s erudite yet fast-paced brand of storytelling, combining historical fact and fiction with dazzling narrative feats.

Ratings and reviews

Undercover American climatologist, Martin Fabor is kidnapped by a group calling itself Forces of Popular Defense. The price for his release: immediate withdrawal of all NATO forces from 150 miles of Mount Ararat. The chapters tell of actions of the charcters with Martin's wife, Julia, narrating her actions in the book. This change in point of view is hard to achieve but the author did is professionally. As the action starts, there is an attempt on Julia's life. She's rescued by Col. Nicholas Allen of the National Security Agency who tells her of her husband's kidnapping and that he thinks Martin left clues on how he could be rescued in the body of the message he was ordered to give. He is being held by a group that feel they are the direct descendents of angels and are about to be returned to heaven. To do this, they need two stones that Martin and Julia have. These stones have a spiritual feature that enables the possessor to see things. It was thought that the stones could be used to communicate with angels. The premise of the novel is difficult to believe. I kept thinking of James Jones and his group having a mass suicide in Jonestown in the 1970s. To attempt to overcome any doubt, the author has an interesting index of churches and places in history to support his claim and he has the characters discuss the hostory of events and in persuading each other, they bring the reader into the discussion. It didn't convince me and although this plot driven story is well told, I think that readers have to view it as a trip into fantasy to enjoy it.

About the author

Javier Sierra, whose works have been translated into forty languages, is the author of The Lost Angel, The Lady in Blue, and the New York Times bestselling novel The Secret Supper. One of the most accomplished authors on the Spanish literary scene, Sierra studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. El Maestro del Prado spent a year on the bestseller list in Spain, gaining the admiration of art experts, aficionados, and critics. A native of Teruel, Spain, he currently lives in Madrid with his wife and two children.