Australian college student Leonard Lumiére sets up a small, makeshift lab in a remote Columbian fishing village to work on a research project for Pravus, a pharmaceutical company interested in developing a life-lengthening elixir based on what it is that allows these particular Columbians to live so long. It is here where he meets Maria who shares with Leonard that she is pregnant–although she claims to be a virgin–and that her father is furious about it. She looks to Leonard for comfort and protection. When she explains to him that she has made a spiritual connection with a macaw parrot, a messenger from God, who tells her she is carrying the new Christ child, Leonard tries to keep an open mind but in his heart knows it can’t be possible. Once the word gets out in the village about Maria’s Divine pregnancy, they bring her gifts and worship her. Leonard continues to help and support her but doesn’t know what to think. And when a Cardinal priest from the Vatican arrives to meet Maria, he is dumbfounded.

Author Angel A has written HOLY PARROT in first-person peripheral POV (point of view), i.e., the narrator (Leonard) is not the protagonist (Maria). Leonard witnesses, and in some cases experiences, Maria’s story and conveys it through his POV. This style of storytelling is risky—it can be very effective if done properly, or it can be disastrous if not. Angel A does an exemplary job using this concept in the HOLY PARROT narrative. Vivid descriptions will pull readers into the Columbian terrain and culture. Leonard’s reactions to the bizarre things that go on around him are described in expressive detail that copiously illustrate the array of emotions he is feeling at the time. People, places, and events are consistently portrayed in a manner that is easy to visualize. The Leonard and Maria characters are unique, well-developed, believable, and memorable–and while the plot in HOLY PARROT is intricate and compelling, it is these two characters who draw readers into the depth of the story. Layers of personality and complexities define who they are and how they feel, making them relatable and worthy of empathy. The author weaves together many story elements in an organized manner, with a rich vocabulary and a good balance of description, dialogue, action, and back story. The pace is quick and appropriate to the narrative, the chapter beginnings are enticing and the chapter endings will make readers want to turn the page to see what happens next.

Angel A’s HOLY PARROT is a well-written, compelling novel with an engaging story line and characters with depth, interesting motivations, and lots of personality.

~Florence Osmund for IndieReader