A review by intothevolcano
Archangels of Funk by Andrea Hairston

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Archangels of Funk is packed full of great ideas, vivid world building, and lyrical prose that is rhythmic throughout - I would have loved to have seen it in its original theatrical incarnation, which I didn't know about until the acknowledgements. I can really imagine it working well in this format.
As a novel, it felt ambitious and fresh to me. My only quibble is the pacing - the combination of slow plot progression, coupled with very short chapters, meant that this book took me a very long time to read. I found myself dipping in and out, rather than ploughing through in one sitting - and I worry it may have lost some of its impact because of this.
However, when I was reading, the world felt so real and fully fleshed out. I was attached to all of the characters, no matter how minor - and I loved the Bruja and Scout POV chapters. These brought a brilliant perspective, that was so different from the human characters but, as with the rest of the book, bursting with feeling - particularly love.
Thanks to Tor and Edelweiss for the ARC.