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Probability Angels
Matthew knows that he died twenty years ago. He has, after all, been bouncing around New York city ever since, causing mischief and having fun as a supernatural being. But recently some problems have been cropping not only is he hallucinating things in garbage cans, but his mentor doesn’t think he’s working up to his full potential, his best friend can’t offer any solace but drunken confusion, and his wife is dying in Central Park. See, the past twenty years haven’t meant a thing because now it’s time for Matthew to make his second choice and become a tester of humanity. And that’s all before the zombies show up. Come explore the world of Matthew and Epp and see what a samurai from Feudal Japan has to do with the course of modern physics, what a two-thousand year old Roman slave has to do with the summit of Mount Everest, and what a dead man from Brooklyn has to do with the fate of the world.
282 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2008
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707 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
January 7, 2011
This book startled and surprised me. It will evade most attempts at sound-byte descriptions -- but if you throw Showtime's "Dead Like Me" into the blender with "Jonathon Livingston Seagull" and add hints of zombies and vampires, Jedi and "Jumper", quantum technology and probability theories, magic and mental powers, maybe even a dash of "Spiderman" and "Monsters Inc" and "Kungfu Panda" -- you will only BEGIN to get a feel for what to expect. I received this book (for free through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads) earlier this week, I was captured within the first several pages, and have read it cover to cover twice -- and it is going into my stack of books that deserve to be reread every couple of years.
The author has evolved an awesome concept, created a whole new ecology of mind and spirit, and handled it cleanly with interesting artful and technical flourishes. Fairly early on, for just long enough, the discourse becomes almost violently non-linear AND it works both to shake the reader loose from a "typical" mindset AND to foreshadow later development. Several noteworthy mental images arise: "testers" scattered on mountaintops around the world, recuperating, and "I had to jump through two different particle accelerators to lose him"... It is worth mentioning that, like any good cook, the author never allows the range of possible "gimmicks" to overpower the flavor of the central storyline.
Out of literally hundreds of books I have read in the last year or so, "Probability Angels" ranks with only one or two others that cry out for wider distribution, having a core message with the potential to warm, encourage and strengthen people, that warrants being SEEN. Screenplay opportunities here should not be ignored -- the story offers a strong core concept which CAN be defined visually AND offers the opportunity to showcase a variety of interesting (and not gratuitous) special effects.
And that core message isn't pushy or gushy. "None of them ever grasp that they become who they are in this world BECAUSE of the obstacles in their lives, not in spite of them."... "I only saw that you existed and so you had a right to be better than you are"... And paraphrasing one passage that encompassed almost everything: "I didn't knock him off his skateboard and skin his knee -- I 'pushed' him and made him get back on it."
Another reviewer commented feeling like the ending was somehow insufficient, a let-down, or maybe leaving the option of a "sequel"... Personally, I felt like the ending accurately described MY feelings as I finished the book -- that yes, life is unpredictable and uncertain -- and yet in the core of my mind, underneath that uncertainty, there IS a sense of hope and freedom, newfound strength and potential. Self-referentially, the book seems to accomplish what its characters set out to do.
To those who are about to read this for the first time, I salute (and envy) you.
The author has evolved an awesome concept, created a whole new ecology of mind and spirit, and handled it cleanly with interesting artful and technical flourishes. Fairly early on, for just long enough, the discourse becomes almost violently non-linear AND it works both to shake the reader loose from a "typical" mindset AND to foreshadow later development. Several noteworthy mental images arise: "testers" scattered on mountaintops around the world, recuperating, and "I had to jump through two different particle accelerators to lose him"... It is worth mentioning that, like any good cook, the author never allows the range of possible "gimmicks" to overpower the flavor of the central storyline.
Out of literally hundreds of books I have read in the last year or so, "Probability Angels" ranks with only one or two others that cry out for wider distribution, having a core message with the potential to warm, encourage and strengthen people, that warrants being SEEN. Screenplay opportunities here should not be ignored -- the story offers a strong core concept which CAN be defined visually AND offers the opportunity to showcase a variety of interesting (and not gratuitous) special effects.
And that core message isn't pushy or gushy. "None of them ever grasp that they become who they are in this world BECAUSE of the obstacles in their lives, not in spite of them."... "I only saw that you existed and so you had a right to be better than you are"... And paraphrasing one passage that encompassed almost everything: "I didn't knock him off his skateboard and skin his knee -- I 'pushed' him and made him get back on it."
Another reviewer commented feeling like the ending was somehow insufficient, a let-down, or maybe leaving the option of a "sequel"... Personally, I felt like the ending accurately described MY feelings as I finished the book -- that yes, life is unpredictable and uncertain -- and yet in the core of my mind, underneath that uncertainty, there IS a sense of hope and freedom, newfound strength and potential. Self-referentially, the book seems to accomplish what its characters set out to do.
To those who are about to read this for the first time, I salute (and envy) you.
January 16, 2011
This was a delightful surprise. One of the things I credit to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ is the discovery that many of the most interesting writings can be found in independent press or self-published books. Of course, you have to dig through the haystack to find the diamond but it can be worth it. Probability Angels is one of those diamonds. How the larger publishing companies have missed Joseph Devon, I have no idea. The novel is as original a work as you will find and the prose is almost brilliant. I say "almost" because Devon still appears to be tuning his craft. The first half of this novel is a marvelous set-up concerning "angels" who push humans to their best potential. It is a task that is more harrowing for the spirit than the human. The second half attempts to become epic with a battle of good and evil involving something like zombies which I felt took away from the more personal struggles of our protagonists. Nonetheless, the author does pull it off and it had an immensely satisfying ending. (Note to author: No sequel please. It's great as it is.) I felt the author could use a good editor to tighten up the loose spots. But still, easily four and a half stars teetering into five star territory.
September 9, 2016
Probability angels are humans who died after making an important choice, who now work as testers - those who “push" human beings towards different paths, whether the results will be positive or negative is always questionable. The novel focuses primarily on Epp and his trainee, Matthew. Matthew is in training to be a tester. His “pushes� will help present people with the crossroads they need to traverse in life. However, every choice has its consequences (which you will see) � even those made by the probability angels themselves.
Probability Angels is a humorous, thought-provoking, and at times uncomfortable novel. I think it’s good that the book can make you uncomfortable � in order to grow, everyone needs to face hard choices and the parts of themselves they don’t like exposing to the light. Probability Angels is a welcome addition to the fantasy, sci-fi, alternate and inspirational genres. It is a unique and well-written novel, which sticks with you long after you close the cover.
Probability Angels is a humorous, thought-provoking, and at times uncomfortable novel. I think it’s good that the book can make you uncomfortable � in order to grow, everyone needs to face hard choices and the parts of themselves they don’t like exposing to the light. Probability Angels is a welcome addition to the fantasy, sci-fi, alternate and inspirational genres. It is a unique and well-written novel, which sticks with you long after you close the cover.
October 31, 2011
The premise of Probability Angels sort of reminded me of City of Angels where there are angels walking around everywhere. You know, the scene where all the angels are in black trench coats at the beach at sunrise? That’s how I imagine these characters, except more mischievous and not in a good way really. I can’t say I warmed up to them immediately because they were tough to like. They definitely didn’t become probability angels because of their sainthood. However they did make an important selfless decision to become what they are. Matthew Huntington is still considered a noob in the angel world doing minor mischief like making foreigners fight over directions and encouraging a heart-broken man to go after his just married love. You know, that sort of thing.
We soon find that Matthew has to make an important decision to either shadow the life of a loved one and eventually fade, or move on to the next step and become a tester. A tester being someone who pushes a person to their moral breaking point. Which isn't fun at all, but challenges reveal the man and eventually sharpen them. However if he chooses this route he is told what will happen once the tether snaps,
“You will know for certain that you are entirely alone on this earth, and that you are loved by no one. You will be cast adrift with no compass and no oar. Your brain will expand in ways you never thought possible, but your heart will remain frozen in the same place forever containing nothing but the memories of your two choices.�
Pretty harsh, right? Well he becomes a tester and meets some others like him Kyo, Mary, and Bartleby along with their trainer and strongest of them all Epp (Epictetus). Of course it's at this point where they meet with some trouble. Hey even probability angels need some opposition as well. Another type of undead trouble is waiting for them.
My review really doesn't go into the complexities of the book, but I will say things get pretty interesting. Most importantly for those of you who like zombies you might like this book. There's an army of zombies. If you like to read about a group of paranormal misfits sort of like Dead Like Me, then you might like this. It took me a while to get into this book, but it was an interesting premise and pretty creative.
We soon find that Matthew has to make an important decision to either shadow the life of a loved one and eventually fade, or move on to the next step and become a tester. A tester being someone who pushes a person to their moral breaking point. Which isn't fun at all, but challenges reveal the man and eventually sharpen them. However if he chooses this route he is told what will happen once the tether snaps,
“You will know for certain that you are entirely alone on this earth, and that you are loved by no one. You will be cast adrift with no compass and no oar. Your brain will expand in ways you never thought possible, but your heart will remain frozen in the same place forever containing nothing but the memories of your two choices.�
Pretty harsh, right? Well he becomes a tester and meets some others like him Kyo, Mary, and Bartleby along with their trainer and strongest of them all Epp (Epictetus). Of course it's at this point where they meet with some trouble. Hey even probability angels need some opposition as well. Another type of undead trouble is waiting for them.
My review really doesn't go into the complexities of the book, but I will say things get pretty interesting. Most importantly for those of you who like zombies you might like this book. There's an army of zombies. If you like to read about a group of paranormal misfits sort of like Dead Like Me, then you might like this. It took me a while to get into this book, but it was an interesting premise and pretty creative.
April 5, 2011
First, I need to mention that I received this through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway.
This is not a book I would normally read, but it did sound interesting. And it was interesting, even more so than I thought. The idea of probability angels is quite unique. I enjoyed the twists of the story, the explanation of the characters and where they came from and even how the ending panned out. I have a two year old daughter, so my reading time is very limited. However, every spare moment I had, I was reading this book to see what would happen.
The main reason I could not give it a five star rating was because I felt that some matters were not explained fully. I still don't understand why the summit of Mount Everest is so important. Why do these angels need to go to the tops of mountains? Apparently they go there after each major push to regroup.
Another question I have is that if they are "pure energy" as Epp explains to Matthew, why do they seem to have so many limitations, expecially at crucial moments. They seem to be able to jump around the world as much as they want to, but when a conflict arises, they lose that ability. A good example is Robin. He jumps all over the place looking for Epp, but then Nyx caught him so easily. Why couldn't he jump out of there, or, if he was pure energy, why couldn't he just zoom over to Epp.
Thus it seems that these angels have a lot of skills and powers, but they have arbitrary limitations that only show up in order to move the plot.
While these inconsistancies niggled at me, they were not enough to limit my enjoyment of the book. I would definitely recommend this book.
This is not a book I would normally read, but it did sound interesting. And it was interesting, even more so than I thought. The idea of probability angels is quite unique. I enjoyed the twists of the story, the explanation of the characters and where they came from and even how the ending panned out. I have a two year old daughter, so my reading time is very limited. However, every spare moment I had, I was reading this book to see what would happen.
The main reason I could not give it a five star rating was because I felt that some matters were not explained fully. I still don't understand why the summit of Mount Everest is so important. Why do these angels need to go to the tops of mountains? Apparently they go there after each major push to regroup.
Another question I have is that if they are "pure energy" as Epp explains to Matthew, why do they seem to have so many limitations, expecially at crucial moments. They seem to be able to jump around the world as much as they want to, but when a conflict arises, they lose that ability. A good example is Robin. He jumps all over the place looking for Epp, but then Nyx caught him so easily. Why couldn't he jump out of there, or, if he was pure energy, why couldn't he just zoom over to Epp.
Thus it seems that these angels have a lot of skills and powers, but they have arbitrary limitations that only show up in order to move the plot.
While these inconsistancies niggled at me, they were not enough to limit my enjoyment of the book. I would definitely recommend this book.
May 1, 2011
I won this book from a goodreads giveaway... I was so excited! Such a cool concept to be able to read books from new authors. This was an extremely interesting book. It took a bit to get interested in it, but when I got to the end, I wished it was longer.
January 2, 2013
Matthew is a spirit that tries to negatively influence people. The bigger the negative influence, the more money he gets. But his current existence is going to change. Matthew gave his life so his wife could live. Now she is going to die so he has to make a decision about if he wants to become a probability angel or just keep going at his current job.
Epp is going to train Matthew to be a probability angel. The idea is that at a given time, a person is presented with several different options and how they react is going to lead them on different paths. The idea is to present the path that has the most probability for happening. But there is a lot more to it than that. There is the strife that Epp continually brings to the group. Then there is the training that Matthew seems to have trouble getting down.
I understand most of the concept of the probability angels and how Matthew has to learn his new role. But I admit that I had a hard time staying with this story. I put the book down a couple times and came back several weeks later and still couldn’t get into the story. I feel for Matthew, he made a tough decision to save his wife. But I just couldn’t get into the probability angle.
I do think this was a good story. It was just tough for me to follow. I honestly can’t way one was or another if anyone would like it. Give the book a try and you may fall in love with it. If so, check out the second book in the series Persistent Illusions.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Epp is going to train Matthew to be a probability angel. The idea is that at a given time, a person is presented with several different options and how they react is going to lead them on different paths. The idea is to present the path that has the most probability for happening. But there is a lot more to it than that. There is the strife that Epp continually brings to the group. Then there is the training that Matthew seems to have trouble getting down.
I understand most of the concept of the probability angels and how Matthew has to learn his new role. But I admit that I had a hard time staying with this story. I put the book down a couple times and came back several weeks later and still couldn’t get into the story. I feel for Matthew, he made a tough decision to save his wife. But I just couldn’t get into the probability angle.
I do think this was a good story. It was just tough for me to follow. I honestly can’t way one was or another if anyone would like it. Give the book a try and you may fall in love with it. If so, check out the second book in the series Persistent Illusions.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2011
Matthew Huntington can not seem to catch a break. His mentor, Epp is displeased with Matthew. Epp thinks Matthew has been slacking off too long now and wants him to really get into the game. As if that was not bad enough, Matthew’s wife is lying in a pool of blood, dying in a park. Matthew can’t do anything as it just so happens that Matthew is an angel.
Probability Angels is one of those books that you are glad you picked it up and gave it a chance. I thought this book was unique and a nice change from all the vampires, werewolves, wizards and other creatures of the night. Though, if you are expecting a mushy story and weak characters than you will be in for a surprise. In fact, as I was reading this book, there were a few times that the movie; City of Angels would flash into my head.
What I most liked about this book was that Matthew was not your typical angel. He had a cynical attitude about him but at the same time it showed that he may be an angel but he is just a normal guy trying to do good for others. The second half of this book was a battle of good vs. evil. While I found it interesting, I sort of lost some interest. Overall, Mr. Devon deserves kudos for Probability Angels.
Probability Angels is one of those books that you are glad you picked it up and gave it a chance. I thought this book was unique and a nice change from all the vampires, werewolves, wizards and other creatures of the night. Though, if you are expecting a mushy story and weak characters than you will be in for a surprise. In fact, as I was reading this book, there were a few times that the movie; City of Angels would flash into my head.
What I most liked about this book was that Matthew was not your typical angel. He had a cynical attitude about him but at the same time it showed that he may be an angel but he is just a normal guy trying to do good for others. The second half of this book was a battle of good vs. evil. While I found it interesting, I sort of lost some interest. Overall, Mr. Devon deserves kudos for Probability Angels.
May 31, 2012
Have you ever read one of those books that you wanted to like so much, that starts out great, but then becomes a major disappointment later on, and leaves you feeling hollow and unsatisfied, worse than it had started out bad?
I'm really sorry to say that Probability Angels by was one of those books for me.
The first half of the book is really quite interesting. In Probability Angels people are sometimes given a choice when they die, a choice that will change destiny (or probability). If they make this choice they become a newbie. Matthew is one such newbie, having made the choice to die in place of his wife during a mugging. He has become a being made of energy, yet bound to this world, and can't be seen unless he wants to be seen. Newbies cause most of the problems in the world, from people who start random brawls to inspiring people to cheat on their significant others, and they get money in return for their work. Well, it's not really money. They receive energy which is represented by money. However, these newbies later get a second choice, when their first choice dies, If they choose to detach from their second choice, they become testers. Testers are responsible for all great achievements in history, as they “push� their targets to inspire them. Pushing is rough and can destroy a tester if done wrong or too hard, but the rewards are enormous amounts of energy. Epp is one such tester, who has been doing this for thousands of years, and is Matthew's mentor.
Most of the book's first half is spent setting up the world of the testers and how it works. The above is only a quick summary. We see the history of some of these characters, such as when Epp pushed Isaac Newton, which was, in my opinion, one of the most interesting parts of the book. It almost feels like it could have been an insightful story on the nature of death, inspiration, and the universe itself. In fact, the first half reminded me a lot of Dan Millman's .
Unfortunately, at about the halfway point, the book takes a hard turn, and not for the better. You see, some tester can't make that second choice, and instead follow their choice to the grave, becoming too attached and lying on those graves, unable to remove themselves. They loose energy and essentially become zombies, needing to feed off the energy of other testers. And it's at this halfway point that the book becomes little more than an afterlife-based zombie apocalypse novel, and not a terribly good one either.
That felt weird to write. It's about the undead dead. Hmmm...
Here's the problem: If the book had started out making it clear that it was going to be this way, I might have been able to handle it much better, or I'd at least have been more accepting. Instead, the author caused me to develop inflated expectations only to watch it crash and burn.
Another issue is that Matthew is clearly set up as the protagonist early on and we watch him as he learns about this world and the history of it. But upon the drastic switch in tone, we almost completely lose sight of Matthew and he's rarely that significant during the second half, if he appears at all. It feels like the author forgot what and about who he was writing and just went for an all out brain dump. Or he got bored with Matthew and his exploration of the testers and started going off in a different, not to mention random, direction.
The ending was, frankly, terrible. It ends far too quickly and with little in the way of satisfaction or answers. I understand that Joseph Devon has written a sequel which many reviewers seem to like much more. I may give it a shot, but I have to judge this book on its own merits. It gets an extra star just because the first half of the book is interesting, but in the end, I can't give this one a high score.
Probability Angels by Joseph Devon earns 2 pushes out of 5.
Note: A free copy of this book was sent to this reviewer through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Read giveaway. This did not affect this review in any way.
I'm really sorry to say that Probability Angels by was one of those books for me.
The first half of the book is really quite interesting. In Probability Angels people are sometimes given a choice when they die, a choice that will change destiny (or probability). If they make this choice they become a newbie. Matthew is one such newbie, having made the choice to die in place of his wife during a mugging. He has become a being made of energy, yet bound to this world, and can't be seen unless he wants to be seen. Newbies cause most of the problems in the world, from people who start random brawls to inspiring people to cheat on their significant others, and they get money in return for their work. Well, it's not really money. They receive energy which is represented by money. However, these newbies later get a second choice, when their first choice dies, If they choose to detach from their second choice, they become testers. Testers are responsible for all great achievements in history, as they “push� their targets to inspire them. Pushing is rough and can destroy a tester if done wrong or too hard, but the rewards are enormous amounts of energy. Epp is one such tester, who has been doing this for thousands of years, and is Matthew's mentor.
Most of the book's first half is spent setting up the world of the testers and how it works. The above is only a quick summary. We see the history of some of these characters, such as when Epp pushed Isaac Newton, which was, in my opinion, one of the most interesting parts of the book. It almost feels like it could have been an insightful story on the nature of death, inspiration, and the universe itself. In fact, the first half reminded me a lot of Dan Millman's .
Unfortunately, at about the halfway point, the book takes a hard turn, and not for the better. You see, some tester can't make that second choice, and instead follow their choice to the grave, becoming too attached and lying on those graves, unable to remove themselves. They loose energy and essentially become zombies, needing to feed off the energy of other testers. And it's at this halfway point that the book becomes little more than an afterlife-based zombie apocalypse novel, and not a terribly good one either.
That felt weird to write. It's about the undead dead. Hmmm...
Here's the problem: If the book had started out making it clear that it was going to be this way, I might have been able to handle it much better, or I'd at least have been more accepting. Instead, the author caused me to develop inflated expectations only to watch it crash and burn.
Another issue is that Matthew is clearly set up as the protagonist early on and we watch him as he learns about this world and the history of it. But upon the drastic switch in tone, we almost completely lose sight of Matthew and he's rarely that significant during the second half, if he appears at all. It feels like the author forgot what and about who he was writing and just went for an all out brain dump. Or he got bored with Matthew and his exploration of the testers and started going off in a different, not to mention random, direction.
The ending was, frankly, terrible. It ends far too quickly and with little in the way of satisfaction or answers. I understand that Joseph Devon has written a sequel which many reviewers seem to like much more. I may give it a shot, but I have to judge this book on its own merits. It gets an extra star just because the first half of the book is interesting, but in the end, I can't give this one a high score.
Probability Angels by Joseph Devon earns 2 pushes out of 5.
Note: A free copy of this book was sent to this reviewer through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Read giveaway. This did not affect this review in any way.
February 3, 2011
Probability Angels is a heavy, somewhat complicated read with an interesting storyline. I had a hard time getting into this book, I mostly felt lost and confused. The constantly shifting POVs and flashbacks of past events made this novel very difficult to follow. The lack of any introduction to the concept and terminology also left me struggling to fit the pieces together. I tried to read this book with an open mind but never managed to really get into the story nor develop any sort of understanding of the characters.
The premise is an interesting one and the main reason why I opted to read this novel. Angels choose "meatbags" (a.k.a. humans) to "push" to go above and beyond their limits in order to accomplish great things. Isaac Newton was one such charge. His angel pushed him to greatness so to speak. But then the rest of the story is a little fuzzy. The author uses a bunch of terminology that's never really explained. Readers will figure out what most of it means while reading the book but I think this novel would have benefited from a stronger introduction. A good foundation would have made the story a lot more coherent. If I would have had a better idea of what the author was trying to express from the beginning I think my views on this book would have been vastly different.
The story is told from various POVs that are constantly shifting; add to that numerous flashbacks into the past and you're left with one confused reader. At least I was anyway. The character who was narrating and the time period sometimes changed within the span of a paragraph without any indication that that's what happened. The book jumped around from present day, to Japan in the time of the samurai to ancient Rome. I had no idea what was going on half of the time. I enjoyed getting glimpses into the samurai's life but he was the only character I liked.
I'm not entirely sure how much actual "pushing" these angels accomplished. It seemed like most of the "meatbags" were doing okay on their own and would have gotten to the same place regardless of whether there was an angel helping them or not. The characters had awfully high opinions of themselves when in reality their main purpose seemed to be a moot point. The angels think that humans would never accomplish anything if it weren't for them. Maybe in this reality but I kinda took offense to the author's portrayal of present day society.
I was hoping that the ending would make up for this book's shortcomings but it did not. It was weak and offered very little resolution to the overall story. The writing style changed a great deal towards the end only adding to the confusion. There are plenty of glowing reviews out there for Probability Angels but for me, reading this book felt more like a test of patience than an enjoyable diversion.
The premise is an interesting one and the main reason why I opted to read this novel. Angels choose "meatbags" (a.k.a. humans) to "push" to go above and beyond their limits in order to accomplish great things. Isaac Newton was one such charge. His angel pushed him to greatness so to speak. But then the rest of the story is a little fuzzy. The author uses a bunch of terminology that's never really explained. Readers will figure out what most of it means while reading the book but I think this novel would have benefited from a stronger introduction. A good foundation would have made the story a lot more coherent. If I would have had a better idea of what the author was trying to express from the beginning I think my views on this book would have been vastly different.
The story is told from various POVs that are constantly shifting; add to that numerous flashbacks into the past and you're left with one confused reader. At least I was anyway. The character who was narrating and the time period sometimes changed within the span of a paragraph without any indication that that's what happened. The book jumped around from present day, to Japan in the time of the samurai to ancient Rome. I had no idea what was going on half of the time. I enjoyed getting glimpses into the samurai's life but he was the only character I liked.
I'm not entirely sure how much actual "pushing" these angels accomplished. It seemed like most of the "meatbags" were doing okay on their own and would have gotten to the same place regardless of whether there was an angel helping them or not. The characters had awfully high opinions of themselves when in reality their main purpose seemed to be a moot point. The angels think that humans would never accomplish anything if it weren't for them. Maybe in this reality but I kinda took offense to the author's portrayal of present day society.
I was hoping that the ending would make up for this book's shortcomings but it did not. It was weak and offered very little resolution to the overall story. The writing style changed a great deal towards the end only adding to the confusion. There are plenty of glowing reviews out there for Probability Angels but for me, reading this book felt more like a test of patience than an enjoyable diversion.
March 21, 2011
In reading the hook on the back of the book, you might think any number of things could be the focus of this story. We know the main character dies or is dead and he has embarked on an employment we know nothing about. In fact, the back left such a mystery as to where the story would go, that I was very pleasantly surprised to find the book unlike how I could have imagined.
In essence, during tragic events of loss in someone's life, they trade their lives or take the place of the one they wish to save. In doing so, they enter the ranks of a being or a step beyond death, but before passing on, that keeps them as a sort of servant of humanity, in a way. They become something capable of pushing people to achieve their greatest potential and their own history reaches back into times so far back, it would boggle the mind and suggests even, an existence of energy or being before we became what we are today, though this is simply hinted at and not heavily explored.
While the start of the book follows Matthew, a relatively new arrival to the rank and file of these people, the focus turns more toward who we may at first think to be peripheral and it is through these additional characters that we see the extremes of potential occur. Always working on the probability of a person's potential, they do serve as angels of a sort, but without understanding of what enables them and allows for their existence or what lies beyond their level of existence.
I thought perhaps this might be an exploration into the grappling of becoming such a supervisory individual after death and having to deal with outliving the choices that brought them there, and to a certain extent, that is a big hurtle for them all, but in the end, I think we see the realization of potential even within their existence that was not recognized before. In turn, it takes a considerable and potentially lethal challenge for them to rise to the occasion, just as they push the living to greatness.
In essence, during tragic events of loss in someone's life, they trade their lives or take the place of the one they wish to save. In doing so, they enter the ranks of a being or a step beyond death, but before passing on, that keeps them as a sort of servant of humanity, in a way. They become something capable of pushing people to achieve their greatest potential and their own history reaches back into times so far back, it would boggle the mind and suggests even, an existence of energy or being before we became what we are today, though this is simply hinted at and not heavily explored.
While the start of the book follows Matthew, a relatively new arrival to the rank and file of these people, the focus turns more toward who we may at first think to be peripheral and it is through these additional characters that we see the extremes of potential occur. Always working on the probability of a person's potential, they do serve as angels of a sort, but without understanding of what enables them and allows for their existence or what lies beyond their level of existence.
I thought perhaps this might be an exploration into the grappling of becoming such a supervisory individual after death and having to deal with outliving the choices that brought them there, and to a certain extent, that is a big hurtle for them all, but in the end, I think we see the realization of potential even within their existence that was not recognized before. In turn, it takes a considerable and potentially lethal challenge for them to rise to the occasion, just as they push the living to greatness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2009
Enjoyed this story a lot.
No book is perfect, though.
The three things I felt could have used some extra attention in the book were:
1) The 'probability' part. There were charts/pictures mentioned about three times or so in the story, two times at least by the main character. That's fine and dandy, but I was expecting them to use it more in the story than they did. If they just innately could see the probabilities, again, I would've been fine with that, but there's still not really much mention. When they start using the various "tricks" and stuff, I understood that this was part of where probability and a little nudging was involved, but I just thought that could've been elaborated on a bit.
2) The Elders. They are mentioned towards the beginning of the story, but that's about it. No one knows who they are? They are all gone? Kind of hard to say one way or the other.
3) Kyo. There was so much buildup behind him and then, well, nothing. Yes, he kept more or less his same personality (if not a bit happier version) and his intelligence, but his change just seemed a bit unnecessary.
Now for the good:
1) It was a fairly original story concept.
2) Except for the story jumping back and forth when Kyo is first introduced, I liked the writing style.
3) If you find an previously undiscovered typos in the book, you can get a signed copy of one of the author's book or a $5 Amazon gift card. I found two typos, neither of which had been reported before. Wish more authors would encourage readers like this. Rewards them for reading your book and allows you to fix the problems before new readers see them.
No book is perfect, though.
The three things I felt could have used some extra attention in the book were:
1) The 'probability' part. There were charts/pictures mentioned about three times or so in the story, two times at least by the main character. That's fine and dandy, but I was expecting them to use it more in the story than they did. If they just innately could see the probabilities, again, I would've been fine with that, but there's still not really much mention. When they start using the various "tricks" and stuff, I understood that this was part of where probability and a little nudging was involved, but I just thought that could've been elaborated on a bit.
2) The Elders. They are mentioned towards the beginning of the story, but that's about it. No one knows who they are? They are all gone? Kind of hard to say one way or the other.
3) Kyo. There was so much buildup behind him and then, well, nothing. Yes, he kept more or less his same personality (if not a bit happier version) and his intelligence, but his change just seemed a bit unnecessary.
Now for the good:
1) It was a fairly original story concept.
2) Except for the story jumping back and forth when Kyo is first introduced, I liked the writing style.
3) If you find an previously undiscovered typos in the book, you can get a signed copy of one of the author's book or a $5 Amazon gift card. I found two typos, neither of which had been reported before. Wish more authors would encourage readers like this. Rewards them for reading your book and allows you to fix the problems before new readers see them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2011
Probability Angels by Joseph Devon brings to light the probability of certain situations like life and death. The reader is introduced to interesting 'angels' who are responsible for inspiring and choosing the fate of their charges. What gives us inspiration when we question ourselves? Who determines the outcome of a struggle in the park? The answer of course are people like Matthew Huntington, who has been dead for over two decades.
Mr. Devon has created a complex world that consists mainly of what-ifs. Within this world there are intriguing characters such as Epp the two-thousand year old Roman Slave and Kyo the Japanese Ronin. Backs must be watched because just as in the real world, there are power struggles and enemies pretending to be allies. Gregor, another Probability Angel who pushed Bram Stoker to write Dracula, is leading a cause to overthrow Epp and his followers who strongly believes that Epp has been in power too long.
Each chapter is broken down into smaller sections, each following certain characters and what they are up to at the time. There were some times that I would be into the story and then it would jump to another part and I would have to wait to get back into the story in which I was pulled. Either way, Mr. Devon does a fantastic job and has created a world that is unique and unforgettable.
Mr. Devon has created a complex world that consists mainly of what-ifs. Within this world there are intriguing characters such as Epp the two-thousand year old Roman Slave and Kyo the Japanese Ronin. Backs must be watched because just as in the real world, there are power struggles and enemies pretending to be allies. Gregor, another Probability Angel who pushed Bram Stoker to write Dracula, is leading a cause to overthrow Epp and his followers who strongly believes that Epp has been in power too long.
Each chapter is broken down into smaller sections, each following certain characters and what they are up to at the time. There were some times that I would be into the story and then it would jump to another part and I would have to wait to get back into the story in which I was pulled. Either way, Mr. Devon does a fantastic job and has created a world that is unique and unforgettable.
November 22, 2009
This is an incredibly complex novel which is made all the more compelling by the way the robust and endearing main characters fit together in a most satisfying fashion.
The Probability Angels are responsible for pushing their living charges into making life changing decisions. I think this concept is one which would be readily familiar and acceptable within many cultures and faiths and for this reason I am confident that this book will eventually be translated into many languages.
The vivid imagery which flows from every page made me think that this could be made into a blockbuster film but as always, the written word provides a richness and depth that no movie will be able to offer. I suggest you read Probability Angles first and, when the movie is made, enjoy it for for the added dimension it will provide.
You get a lot of book for your money folks. Trust me, you'll thank me for it later.
This is the first book that I have read by Joseph Devon but I have since found out that he has written a couple of others, including a book of short stories (my fave), so I've got some catching up to do!
The Probability Angels are responsible for pushing their living charges into making life changing decisions. I think this concept is one which would be readily familiar and acceptable within many cultures and faiths and for this reason I am confident that this book will eventually be translated into many languages.
The vivid imagery which flows from every page made me think that this could be made into a blockbuster film but as always, the written word provides a richness and depth that no movie will be able to offer. I suggest you read Probability Angles first and, when the movie is made, enjoy it for for the added dimension it will provide.
You get a lot of book for your money folks. Trust me, you'll thank me for it later.
This is the first book that I have read by Joseph Devon but I have since found out that he has written a couple of others, including a book of short stories (my fave), so I've got some catching up to do!
August 9, 2011
First, I just want to say thank you to Good Reads for giving me this book to review. I am not sure it would have been a book I would have picked out on my own, and yet, I really enjoyed it! It is always wonderful to read something unique and that leaves you with telling your friends to read it...just so you have someone to talk about it with.
I found this to be an intriguing book that takes place in the afterlife, and enjoyed the unraveling of each of the characters lives to see how it all came together in the end. Joseph Devon's characters seem to slowly develop before your eyes, and really, in the beginning, I wasn't really sure that I liked the characters or the storyline as it moved along slowly and was a little confusing. But, as you read further into the book and discover that the main character, Matthew Huttington,and his mentor, Epp his mentor are far more complex than it first appeared as other characters are introduced.
I found this to be an intriguing book that takes place in the afterlife, and enjoyed the unraveling of each of the characters lives to see how it all came together in the end. Joseph Devon's characters seem to slowly develop before your eyes, and really, in the beginning, I wasn't really sure that I liked the characters or the storyline as it moved along slowly and was a little confusing. But, as you read further into the book and discover that the main character, Matthew Huttington,and his mentor, Epp his mentor are far more complex than it first appeared as other characters are introduced.
August 9, 2010
It was refreshing to read a book with such an original idea. Originality is definitely difficult to come by these days. Looking back on the book, I realize there was very little character development but it doesn't really seem like it was necessary. The book seems to be more about a critical moment in time and less about the cast of characters.
I will have to agree with those that have said this book's conclusion is somewhat weak but I'm not entirely sure how I would have attempted to improve it. As with most wars, for lack of a better term, eventually life balances out and things return to normal.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone with the understanding that it isn't going to change your life but it is going to keep you entertained for 275 pages.
I will have to agree with those that have said this book's conclusion is somewhat weak but I'm not entirely sure how I would have attempted to improve it. As with most wars, for lack of a better term, eventually life balances out and things return to normal.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone with the understanding that it isn't going to change your life but it is going to keep you entertained for 275 pages.
March 30, 2011
Works like "Probability Angels" are the reason we shouldn't turn up our noses at self-published books. An original story-line, with interesting characters throughout, "Angels" takes us to a world where the ultimate sacrifice to save a loved one can lead to an eternity of service to mankind, albeit not the saccharine assistance you expect from an angel. This novel should appeal to fans of scifi, fantasy, suspence, and adventure genres. A good read.
August 21, 2012
I really enjoyed this. It's fun, clever and not at all what I was expecting. Hints of absurdist comedy blend with a fast story and memorable characters who are nicely differentiated. Devon manages to educate you about the rules of this world almost by osmosis so you never get a sense of back story or 'As you know Jim..." conversations for the reader's benefit. It's fun, unusual and exciting ... and frankly at 77p on Kindle a real bargain.
January 21, 2009
Got this for free from manybooks.net and was pleasantly surprised. I had to backtrack a few times to re-read pages to make sure I got it, but I really liked it.
The dialog needs some polish and punctuation and there are a few typos, but the concept of the book interested me.
The dialog needs some polish and punctuation and there are a few typos, but the concept of the book interested me.
Want to read
January 1, 2011Won this - thanks! To be read soon.
September 3, 2022
I'll be completely honest - I've become rather jaded with the whole angels-among-us theme, and have generally lost patience with the concept of dead loved ones watching over us. It's a story that's been done to death, and usually with such heavy-handedness, and such intimate ties to matters of faith, that I lose interest long before the end.
Imagine my surprise, when Probability Angels turned out to be, quite possibly, one of the most original additions to the theme that I've read it many years. It's definitely not an easy read, either in terms of the telling or the ideas within, but it's a rewarding one . . . provided you're not so tied to those aforementioned matters of faith that you can't allow of an entirely new and different philosophy.
Here, the dead are not so much loving protectors, but curious souls who have been rewarded for their selfless choices with an eternity of . . . well, call it human experimentation. Alone, and emotionally disconnected from their memories, these probability angels make it their mission to find human beings with the potential for greatness, to analyse their possible futures, and to then push them towards the one they feel best serves humanity. Think of them as the forces of fate, but with a bit more backbone, and little regard for their target's happiness. It's an unsettling idea on several levels, and one that's not without its flaws, but it makes for an engaging story.
As you might expect from the title, it's also a book that's liberally sprinkled with mathematical and scientific concepts. Rather than drag the story down, though, they add something new to the telling, taking the place of the more generic spiritual metaphors and similes. It's a book that forces you to step back from the page and think on a regular basis, one that raises the questions, but doesn't necessarily give you the answers.
The second half of the book stumbles a bit, sacrificing the novelty of the opening chapters for a more generic good vs evil storyline involving angels and zombies, but not so much that it kills all momentum. It's still a great story, full of equal parts inspiration and entertainment, and the ending (while it may not be to everyone's tastes) completely lives up to the promise of the original concept.
Imagine my surprise, when Probability Angels turned out to be, quite possibly, one of the most original additions to the theme that I've read it many years. It's definitely not an easy read, either in terms of the telling or the ideas within, but it's a rewarding one . . . provided you're not so tied to those aforementioned matters of faith that you can't allow of an entirely new and different philosophy.
Here, the dead are not so much loving protectors, but curious souls who have been rewarded for their selfless choices with an eternity of . . . well, call it human experimentation. Alone, and emotionally disconnected from their memories, these probability angels make it their mission to find human beings with the potential for greatness, to analyse their possible futures, and to then push them towards the one they feel best serves humanity. Think of them as the forces of fate, but with a bit more backbone, and little regard for their target's happiness. It's an unsettling idea on several levels, and one that's not without its flaws, but it makes for an engaging story.
As you might expect from the title, it's also a book that's liberally sprinkled with mathematical and scientific concepts. Rather than drag the story down, though, they add something new to the telling, taking the place of the more generic spiritual metaphors and similes. It's a book that forces you to step back from the page and think on a regular basis, one that raises the questions, but doesn't necessarily give you the answers.
The second half of the book stumbles a bit, sacrificing the novelty of the opening chapters for a more generic good vs evil storyline involving angels and zombies, but not so much that it kills all momentum. It's still a great story, full of equal parts inspiration and entertainment, and the ending (while it may not be to everyone's tastes) completely lives up to the promise of the original concept.
February 18, 2024
Well written. Imaginative. Not my cup of tea.
April 6, 2011
The terrible summary of the story aside, Probability Angels was a difficult read, but incredibly amazing. Not because of the plot, which was original; the characters, who were extremely well developed; or the dialog, which flowed seamlessly perfect and fit the characters nicely. This book was difficult because it was an incredibly heavy read. Every time I picked it up something would make me stop and I would think on it for several days. I got me thinking a great deal which does not happen that often for me.
Matthew, the character you are introduced to in the description is not the main character. You would think so, since the story follows his existence as a Newbie and the change to life as Tester, but he's still not the main focus of the story. Probability Angels doesn’t have one main hero. It has five: Matthew, Epp, Kyo, Mary, and Bartleby. All of them are Testers. As a Tester, you have to obtain gain energy to survive and Push people for energy.
Matthew is relatively new to his second life. Its been twenty years since he died in place of his wife and he is still learning the ropes. When his wife dies he has to make his Second Choice. He can either follow his choice for the remained of it’s life to the grave and fade out, or cut ties and become a tester and Push people into greatness and gain power and knowledge from his Pushes. This is what Epp, his mentor tells him. Epp with 2,000 years under his belt is the strongest Tester currently in existence. His character is thoughtful, highly intelligent, and arrogant. Usually arrogance is the flaw in characters, but for Epp it is a defining trait that made him push his own abilities to what they are today.
Epp's best friend is Kyo, a Sammeri from the early feudal era of Japan. He is unique compared to other Tester’s and in someways more of a feared and respected anomaly then Epp. Kyo is an unknown which makes him mysterious to his enemies and confusing to his friends. He doesn’t Push. At all. How he survives for centuries which out energy from humans is a mystery, but thankful explained in the book.
Mary and Bartleby are former students of Epp who respect him greatly. Mary is second guesses her own ability as a Tester and Bartleby is an overconfident child. Both characters make trumendous progress and deveolpe as the book progresses. Bartleby even gains a new ability thanks to Epp, but Barleby still doesn't know if he is thankful or pissed off at Epp, but most of the time its a combination.
All five have to deal with a conspiracy plot of a former tester who starts a vendetta against Epp. Departed testers who continue to follow their choices long after they have died begin to root when they don't obtain energy, essentially becoming zombies. To resurrect the "dead" Tester he must be fed live Testers to regain energy. Now imagine a small army of one hundred Zombie Testers being put to use with the only Kyo who can successfully fight them off, but only six at a time.
What I liked most about Probability Angels was the concept of Pushing. Pushing represents a symbiotic relationship for both Tester and human. Whoever is Pushed gains inspiration, you might say. The Tester doing the Pushing, if he survives, gains energy. The stronger the charge, the stronger the Push. To compare what a Tester is to something more familiar, think of them as Muses. Without them nothing would happen in the world because no one would Push them to do it.
Spoiler:
The one thing that did not sit well with me with the book was the ending result with Epp. The way he died was sad but perfect for the book's development. To have him come back was great as well and expected of Epp. Being awesome and surprising the hell out of people is what he does best, but after his conversation with Bartleby the whole being incredibly powerful and being an Undead Tester and overcoming his hunger to kill live Testers was a bit to much. I was hoping he wouldn't have been Undead at all and just had kept some spots of amnesia, but they way it worked out was still good.
End of Spoiler.
This book was a great read and really got me thinking about what Epp would say and went through. A couple of grammar errors were found, but it did not annoy me enough to put the book down. The way the story ended also left the feeling of a second installment to come. I hope not because I liked how the story closed and I don't want to see Epp be ruined if he overcame another insane obstacle of this magnitude. Definitely a book worth being place on my bookshelf.
This was a goodreads first reads winner for me. This in no way affected my review of Probability Angels in anyway.
Matthew, the character you are introduced to in the description is not the main character. You would think so, since the story follows his existence as a Newbie and the change to life as Tester, but he's still not the main focus of the story. Probability Angels doesn’t have one main hero. It has five: Matthew, Epp, Kyo, Mary, and Bartleby. All of them are Testers. As a Tester, you have to obtain gain energy to survive and Push people for energy.
Matthew is relatively new to his second life. Its been twenty years since he died in place of his wife and he is still learning the ropes. When his wife dies he has to make his Second Choice. He can either follow his choice for the remained of it’s life to the grave and fade out, or cut ties and become a tester and Push people into greatness and gain power and knowledge from his Pushes. This is what Epp, his mentor tells him. Epp with 2,000 years under his belt is the strongest Tester currently in existence. His character is thoughtful, highly intelligent, and arrogant. Usually arrogance is the flaw in characters, but for Epp it is a defining trait that made him push his own abilities to what they are today.
Epp's best friend is Kyo, a Sammeri from the early feudal era of Japan. He is unique compared to other Tester’s and in someways more of a feared and respected anomaly then Epp. Kyo is an unknown which makes him mysterious to his enemies and confusing to his friends. He doesn’t Push. At all. How he survives for centuries which out energy from humans is a mystery, but thankful explained in the book.
Mary and Bartleby are former students of Epp who respect him greatly. Mary is second guesses her own ability as a Tester and Bartleby is an overconfident child. Both characters make trumendous progress and deveolpe as the book progresses. Bartleby even gains a new ability thanks to Epp, but Barleby still doesn't know if he is thankful or pissed off at Epp, but most of the time its a combination.
All five have to deal with a conspiracy plot of a former tester who starts a vendetta against Epp. Departed testers who continue to follow their choices long after they have died begin to root when they don't obtain energy, essentially becoming zombies. To resurrect the "dead" Tester he must be fed live Testers to regain energy. Now imagine a small army of one hundred Zombie Testers being put to use with the only Kyo who can successfully fight them off, but only six at a time.
What I liked most about Probability Angels was the concept of Pushing. Pushing represents a symbiotic relationship for both Tester and human. Whoever is Pushed gains inspiration, you might say. The Tester doing the Pushing, if he survives, gains energy. The stronger the charge, the stronger the Push. To compare what a Tester is to something more familiar, think of them as Muses. Without them nothing would happen in the world because no one would Push them to do it.
Spoiler:
The one thing that did not sit well with me with the book was the ending result with Epp. The way he died was sad but perfect for the book's development. To have him come back was great as well and expected of Epp. Being awesome and surprising the hell out of people is what he does best, but after his conversation with Bartleby the whole being incredibly powerful and being an Undead Tester and overcoming his hunger to kill live Testers was a bit to much. I was hoping he wouldn't have been Undead at all and just had kept some spots of amnesia, but they way it worked out was still good.
End of Spoiler.
This book was a great read and really got me thinking about what Epp would say and went through. A couple of grammar errors were found, but it did not annoy me enough to put the book down. The way the story ended also left the feeling of a second installment to come. I hope not because I liked how the story closed and I don't want to see Epp be ruined if he overcame another insane obstacle of this magnitude. Definitely a book worth being place on my bookshelf.
This was a goodreads first reads winner for me. This in no way affected my review of Probability Angels in anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2011
I consider myself to be something of an explorer in the ebook world. Ever since I got my eReader I've been scouring the internet for out of the way oddities and unsung gems, and every once in a while I'll stumble across a fantastic book it seems like no one else has ever heard of. Whenever this happens I just want to shout the news from the housetops, but the last time I stood on my neighbor's roof and started screaming about how great Joseph Devon's Probability Angels was I almost got arrested, so I'm just going to write this review instead.
Probability Angels is a book about these supernatural beings called the Tempters, people who at the moment of a loved one's death wished for themselves to die instead and got their wish. In return they must walk among the people of earth "pushing" them to achieve something beyond their normal potential. There's more to the mythos, but that's the basic gist of the thing.
This book is fun. It just is. It takes the threads of the world it inhabits and uses them to weave a strange and fantastic story. It's got fantastic fight scenes, it's got epic heroes, it's got zombie angels, and... You know what? That's all you need to know. This book has zombie angels in it. What more do you need?
I say the story is great, and it is to a point, but really the characters are really what make Probability Angels so engaging. First on the roster is a Tempter named Epictetus, and he is awesome. He's basically the pinnacle of what all the other Tempters want to achieve. He's been around for thousands of years; he's learned every trick in the book and written a few books of tricks himself. When he shows up, look out. It's about to get real. Then there's Kyo, a unique Tempter with no powers, but he's a samurai which is really the BEST POWER EVER.
This isn't the kind of book that requires a lot of deep thought. You can enjoy it just for the coolness of the whole thing if you want. But there is more there. One speech in particular that Epictetus gives toward the end of the book had a big impact on the way I think about life in general and writing in particular:
"You were nothing special. For god’s sake I am so sick of that mentality. That you have to be special to be special. The biggest anchor on the progress of all humanity is the notion that good comes with clear signs, that greatness can’t possibly exist within the confines of an ordinary existence. I saw nothing special in you, Bartleby. I only saw that you existed, and so you had a right to be better than you are. That is it, and that is why I did what I did. The only thing holding you back was you and I was sick of it!�
You are nothing special. So go out and do something unbelievable anyway. That's a lesson that we all need to learn, and its as good a reason as any to read this book.
In the end, Probability Angels is not a perfect book. It has its flaws, particularly toward the end when the plot becomes less nuanced and more standardized, but in spite of not being perfect it's still a great read.
Read Probability Angels. Read it for the action. Read it for the heroes. Read it to learn something about life. But read it.
Probability Angels is a book about these supernatural beings called the Tempters, people who at the moment of a loved one's death wished for themselves to die instead and got their wish. In return they must walk among the people of earth "pushing" them to achieve something beyond their normal potential. There's more to the mythos, but that's the basic gist of the thing.
This book is fun. It just is. It takes the threads of the world it inhabits and uses them to weave a strange and fantastic story. It's got fantastic fight scenes, it's got epic heroes, it's got zombie angels, and... You know what? That's all you need to know. This book has zombie angels in it. What more do you need?
I say the story is great, and it is to a point, but really the characters are really what make Probability Angels so engaging. First on the roster is a Tempter named Epictetus, and he is awesome. He's basically the pinnacle of what all the other Tempters want to achieve. He's been around for thousands of years; he's learned every trick in the book and written a few books of tricks himself. When he shows up, look out. It's about to get real. Then there's Kyo, a unique Tempter with no powers, but he's a samurai which is really the BEST POWER EVER.
This isn't the kind of book that requires a lot of deep thought. You can enjoy it just for the coolness of the whole thing if you want. But there is more there. One speech in particular that Epictetus gives toward the end of the book had a big impact on the way I think about life in general and writing in particular:
"You were nothing special. For god’s sake I am so sick of that mentality. That you have to be special to be special. The biggest anchor on the progress of all humanity is the notion that good comes with clear signs, that greatness can’t possibly exist within the confines of an ordinary existence. I saw nothing special in you, Bartleby. I only saw that you existed, and so you had a right to be better than you are. That is it, and that is why I did what I did. The only thing holding you back was you and I was sick of it!�
You are nothing special. So go out and do something unbelievable anyway. That's a lesson that we all need to learn, and its as good a reason as any to read this book.
In the end, Probability Angels is not a perfect book. It has its flaws, particularly toward the end when the plot becomes less nuanced and more standardized, but in spite of not being perfect it's still a great read.
Read Probability Angels. Read it for the action. Read it for the heroes. Read it to learn something about life. But read it.
November 11, 2024
I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. I mean, I didn't hate it; but I did struggle with finding the motivation to pick it up. I think the biggest thing is that I wanted more world-building. For example, can we talk a little more about probabilities? Because the book is called "Probability Angels," but probabilities only came up two or three times, and I'm still not entirely sure how they factor. Unfortunately, the world-building was definitely secondary to the plot, and the plot wasn't my cup of tea. The plot was very political, in a supernatural post-death kind of way, and "political" is always difficult to sell to me. I struggle to engage with politics in real life, despite the very real consequences of not engaging (I do vote every year, but I generally ask my more politically-minded friends/family/colleagues whom I should vote for), so getting me engaged with fictional politics requires something superficial or something special. Unfortunately, invisible ghost zombies are neither. (Yea, that surprised me, too.) Also worth pointing out that the GoodReads blurb and the cover blurb both make this sound like it's a book about Matthew Huntington, but it's really a book about hypothetical politics of a hypothetical supernatural group, centering around this Epp guy (supposedly the post-death-uncarnation (not a typo) of Epictetus). Also, for a group of people who don't have real bodies, they sure do have a lot of bones and muscles and blood and teeth and stuff.
So while this sounded like it was up my alley but wasn't, that doesn't mean it isn't up your alley. But check out some other (more coherent) reviews, because the book description only applies to about the first, oh... 100 pages? Slightly less? Once we start following Kyo, we stop following Matthew and it isn't Matthew's book anymore. It's a book about a series of events that Matthew is involved in, but it isn't about Matthew. It kind of feels like Devon thought up the idea, wrote a chapter or two, wrote the blurb, then finished the book but the book got distracted by zombies. Which, I mean, zombies. Fair. I guess I just wish someone had revised the blurbs.
A free copy of this novel was provided through GoodReads' First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
So while this sounded like it was up my alley but wasn't, that doesn't mean it isn't up your alley. But check out some other (more coherent) reviews, because the book description only applies to about the first, oh... 100 pages? Slightly less? Once we start following Kyo, we stop following Matthew and it isn't Matthew's book anymore. It's a book about a series of events that Matthew is involved in, but it isn't about Matthew. It kind of feels like Devon thought up the idea, wrote a chapter or two, wrote the blurb, then finished the book but the book got distracted by zombies. Which, I mean, zombies. Fair. I guess I just wish someone had revised the blurbs.
A free copy of this novel was provided through GoodReads' First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2016
Who knew the afterlife could be this complicated? Most people, when they die, move on to...whatever comes next. Some people are chosen for a different kind of existence. These people - call them probability angels - exist both in and out of the material world and are tasked with "pushing" mortals into reaching their full potential. Nearly every significant development humankind has made was the result of this pushing. New to his role as a tester, Matthew is just getting used to the idea of "pushing" when a group of testers with a very morbid streak shatter the status quo, putting all of humanity at risk with their monstrous hunger.
Don't let the fact that this is a self-published book throw you. Probability Angels is an extremely well written novel that deserves a much wider audience. Author Joseph Devon has presented a fascinating concept, compelling characters, crisp dialogue, and an overall story that is just crying to be made into a movie. Probability Angels recalls bits of Stephen King (think short stories like "The Ten o Clock People" and "Low Men in Yellow Coats", Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, and some of Warren Ellis's stranger Planetary work. In very short order, the reader is presented with exciting concepts, fast paced action, and enough mortal peril to keep you glued to your seat, so to speak.
Devon's style is as unconventional at times as his story is, and I sometimes found myself going back to reread a page in order to make sure I really grasped what was going on. Oddly enough, that made the story all the more rewarding. Matthew is ostensibly the main character, but I found myself gravitating towards the fascinating supporting cast, particularly the powerful mentor figure Epp, unpredictable tester Bartleby and the restless ancient ronin Kyo.
I'm still not sure how to classify this one, but it should appeal to fans of urban fantasy, horror and to some extent science fiction. Genres aside, Probability Angels is the kind of novel that anyone who appreciates a good unusual story should love. I know it won't be too long before I go back for another read.
Don't let the fact that this is a self-published book throw you. Probability Angels is an extremely well written novel that deserves a much wider audience. Author Joseph Devon has presented a fascinating concept, compelling characters, crisp dialogue, and an overall story that is just crying to be made into a movie. Probability Angels recalls bits of Stephen King (think short stories like "The Ten o Clock People" and "Low Men in Yellow Coats", Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, and some of Warren Ellis's stranger Planetary work. In very short order, the reader is presented with exciting concepts, fast paced action, and enough mortal peril to keep you glued to your seat, so to speak.
Devon's style is as unconventional at times as his story is, and I sometimes found myself going back to reread a page in order to make sure I really grasped what was going on. Oddly enough, that made the story all the more rewarding. Matthew is ostensibly the main character, but I found myself gravitating towards the fascinating supporting cast, particularly the powerful mentor figure Epp, unpredictable tester Bartleby and the restless ancient ronin Kyo.
I'm still not sure how to classify this one, but it should appeal to fans of urban fantasy, horror and to some extent science fiction. Genres aside, Probability Angels is the kind of novel that anyone who appreciates a good unusual story should love. I know it won't be too long before I go back for another read.
April 13, 2011
I was intrigued by the premise of this book. The idea that there are angels all around us is perhaps not that original but the twist: that they are there to push us into making life altering choices and by doing so, they get their energy to continue on, was unique. These angels are no saints and I liked that very much. Especially considering they used to be humans themselves. I was really impressed with the writing and the story and then all of a sudden, zombies appeared in the mix! What?! I guess my first clue as to where it was going should have been when the “angels� constantly referred to the humans as “meat bags� - ugh, I thought, “well- a small flaw in this otherwise intellectual offering�. Why, I wondered, is the author going in that direction when it held so much promise as being a little more- shall we say “high-brow�? Then as I mentioned, zombies show up. They are former angels who got tired of testing (pushing) humans and just gave up resulting in their loss of energy and then dying and rotting away. A super villain of sorts comes on the scene to wake up these former angels out of death and turn them into a zombie army. I am not the typical zombie book reader, but I have to admit- this book drew me in. The quality of the writing and the intellect of the author are top notch. I enjoyed the main characters although some of the many many side characters were hard to keep track of. The ending of the book is set nicely for a series. For those of you into the zombie thing- I am certain that this book would be among the best of that genre. You might wonder how I can say such a thing when I just told you I don’t really read zombie genre books? I would say to you its not hard to recognize that this is good writing no matter what the genre. Joseph Devon is definitely an author I will be keeping an eye on. And if he comes out with further adventures of Matthew, Epp, Kyo, Mary and Bartleby, I will be first in line to buy the book. I highly recommend checking out his website: JosephDevon.com
May 8, 2011
I won this book in a first reads giveaway and I'm very glad I did! Not what I would call in my typical wheelhouse, I completely enjoyed it anyway. At first I was intrigued by the idea of the "probability angels" who push us humans to reach our greatest potential--I like that idea. When the zombie, bad guy angels showed up, I became a bit skeptical. But this is where the book really became compelling to me, and I couldn't put it down. True, it is the age-old struggle of good vs. evil, but with a fantastical twist that I found absolutely eye-opening. Joseph Devon writes with an understated sense of humor that made me chuckle. I LOVE the literary allusions that crop up, and his imagery is vivid and beautiful. I really cared about this collection of unlikely characters who practically jumped off the pages they were so well-drawn. And--BTW--as a high school teacher of soon-to-be grads who have frustrated me all year--I identified with and found comfort in Epp's admonishment to his student: "You were nothing special. For God's sake, I am so sick of that mentality. That you have to be special to be special. The biggest anchor on the progress of all humanity is the notion that good comes with clear signs, that greatness can't possibly exist within the confines of an ordinary existence. I saw nothing special in you, Bartleby. I only saw that you existed, and so you had a right to better than you are...that is why I did what I did." What wisdom! Thank you goodreads--and Joseph Devon--for a fun ride!
January 17, 2016
Probability Angels by Joseph Devon - a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Read free giveaway book won on February 28nd, received on March 16th.
Probability Angels is about Matthew, a non-lowlife, come what may, Alfie type who is an interdimensional afterlife Adjustment Bureau-like worker for profit. Any contact he has with anyone has the ability to shift a moment of someone's life or their entire life and then, ta-da, money appears for him to collect. The dialogue, characters, and description are simple enough to grasp - it's just the construction of these that makes the book hard to follow and easier to just scan through.
When Matthew's pre-death wife and daughter's lives become his to amend and he begins to travel the world with other afterlife cohorts, the book becomes alot more complicated. Eventually, there are new characters introduced when you've just barely met ones from the chapter before, all while they speak and interact in a casual, witty manner about concepts that come about very quickly and only seem to make sense for the world that the book describes.
All in all, it was okay. There is definetely an audience for this sort of book, but my brain must be too closed to the idea of someone's fate being changed by someone already dead. However, if Matthew were to somehow try to change my mind by bumping into me on my commute to work, I have a feeling it would probably earn him about $2.75 in quarters.
Probability Angels is about Matthew, a non-lowlife, come what may, Alfie type who is an interdimensional afterlife Adjustment Bureau-like worker for profit. Any contact he has with anyone has the ability to shift a moment of someone's life or their entire life and then, ta-da, money appears for him to collect. The dialogue, characters, and description are simple enough to grasp - it's just the construction of these that makes the book hard to follow and easier to just scan through.
When Matthew's pre-death wife and daughter's lives become his to amend and he begins to travel the world with other afterlife cohorts, the book becomes alot more complicated. Eventually, there are new characters introduced when you've just barely met ones from the chapter before, all while they speak and interact in a casual, witty manner about concepts that come about very quickly and only seem to make sense for the world that the book describes.
All in all, it was okay. There is definetely an audience for this sort of book, but my brain must be too closed to the idea of someone's fate being changed by someone already dead. However, if Matthew were to somehow try to change my mind by bumping into me on my commute to work, I have a feeling it would probably earn him about $2.75 in quarters.
June 11, 2011
I received an early publication of this through the First Reads program.
This book started off very promisingly. The author immediately places you into his alternate reality where humans are constantly being influenced by ghosts, or "demons" acting as an anti-conscience. This is further complicated when we learn that these demons, formerly human, are merely the noobies, and can further evolve into Testers. These Testers are responsible for taking people who have had negative experiences, sometimes caused directly by the noobies, and influencing them to create something positive from it. Some famous names that are mentioned as having been "Tested" include Anne Frank and Isaac Newton.
The story takes an overly complicated twist now when we're introduced to other rotting "things". These things are former testers who have lost the will to test and begin to degenerate. But when they feast on Testers, they come back even stronger. (Yes, I guess this does have zombie-ish undertones). The rest of the story follows the battle between the "Testers" and the "things". The Tester side is helped by a couple of anomalous super testers who are impervious to the "things".
I think that the author has a lot of good ideas, but may have tried to include too much in this novel.
This book started off very promisingly. The author immediately places you into his alternate reality where humans are constantly being influenced by ghosts, or "demons" acting as an anti-conscience. This is further complicated when we learn that these demons, formerly human, are merely the noobies, and can further evolve into Testers. These Testers are responsible for taking people who have had negative experiences, sometimes caused directly by the noobies, and influencing them to create something positive from it. Some famous names that are mentioned as having been "Tested" include Anne Frank and Isaac Newton.
The story takes an overly complicated twist now when we're introduced to other rotting "things". These things are former testers who have lost the will to test and begin to degenerate. But when they feast on Testers, they come back even stronger. (Yes, I guess this does have zombie-ish undertones). The rest of the story follows the battle between the "Testers" and the "things". The Tester side is helped by a couple of anomalous super testers who are impervious to the "things".
I think that the author has a lot of good ideas, but may have tried to include too much in this novel.
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