Traitor Angels

Starred review from March 1, 2016
Blankman weaves religion, science, literary genius, poetry, and romance into a mystery that, if solved, could turn the world upside down. Elizabeth serves as amanuensis for her father, John Milton, who was blinded by a chemical purported to make the dead live. When King Charles II's henchmen burst into the Milton home, burn the incomplete manuscript of Paradise Lost, and imprison the writer in London, Elizabeth leaves home to save her father and his magnum opus. Joined by Italian Antonio Viviani, and later by Robert Crofts, the bastard son of the king, Elizabeth recovers Paradise Lost from her memory and unearths clues in the poem that she uses to attempt to save her father. This work of historical fiction includes historical figures and events such as Galileo and writer Samuel Pepys, the 1666 plague, and the Great Fire of London. Blankman does a masterful job of wrapping fiction around historical facts and making barely possible details seem plausible and real. Although Elizabeth likely has more chutzpah than a Puritan girl of the mid-1600s would have had, readers will enjoy her penchant for activities such as hurling herself out of a moving carriage to escape men with nefarious intentions and jumping from a burning building into the Thames despite being unable to swim. Like Elizabeth, this story never stands still. Readers will love the journey and learn much on the way. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

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March 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-The mid-1600s is the setting for this Da Vinci Code-esque romantic historical fiction; a metaphysical revelation at the end, however, sours the story's magic. Elizabeth Milton, daughter of poet John Milton, has been raised uniquely for the time; she speaks multiple languages and handles a sword with flair. When the king's men come to arrest her father, Elizabeth is thrust into an adventure with a recent house guest, Antonio Viviani, a mysterious Italian envoy. The two travel to Oxford and London, deciphering cryptic clues from Paradise Lost and trying to uncover a dark secret kept by Milton and Galileo-a secret that could topple the English court and more. An unsought romance between Elizabeth and Antonio blooms amid the sword fights and court intrigue. But who can be trusted, and how far will the repercussions go once the riddle is solved? The book moves at a swift pace, even if set in a less than familiar time period. The romance between Elizabeth and Antonio is an obvious plot choice but enticing nonetheless. The secret of the poem, however, is quite far-fetched, which doesn't fit the rest of the novel. The characters and readers are required to make a fantastical deductive leap that feels out of place in an otherwise realistic book. While Milton's work might not be a hook for teenagers, the intrigue could sell this story, if not for the problematic end. VERDICT While the conclusion is unsatisfactory, purchase where there are fans of the Da Vinci Code who crave further adventurous historical romance.-Lisa Ehrle, Falcon Creek Middle School, CO

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 Elizabeth Milton, daughter of the beleaguered poet John Milton, has been helping her blind father by transcribing his masterpiece, Paradise Lost. Her pleasant life is interrupted when, in short order, a handsome Italian named Antonio arrives with secretive news for John, and agents of the king knock down the Miltons' door, dragging the blind poet to London, where he will await his execution for libelous crimes against the crown. As he leaves, her father whispers a mysterious farewell, which Elizabeth interprets as a clue to his salvation. Together with Antonioand later Charles II's illegitimate son RobertElizabeth follows clues in her father's poetry to uncover a secret with the potential to ruin the divine right of kings forever. Blankman inserts plenty of facts about the Restoration and early science in this Da Vinci Codelike novel, as well as a steamy romance, political intrigue, and some diabolical twists. Though the plot occasionally plods along and the clues are often fairly predictable, teens who like historical fiction featuring headstrong young women bucking convention will find plenty to like.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
After her father is arrested for treason, Elizabeth Milton (daughter of John) seeks hidden messages in Paradise Lost that could save him from the executioner. She's aided by a handsome young Italian man with ties to Galileo and by the king's illegitimate son. The pacing grows repetitive (rush to follow a clue, pause to consider your father, repeat), but the chase is entertaining.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)