Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson

Book Description:
Outcast from Hell. Banished from Heaven. Lost on Earth.
The battle of Armageddon was finally fought... and ended with no clear victor. Upon the mountain, the armies of Hell and Heaven beat each other into a bloody, uneasy standstill, leaving the Earth in ruins. Armageddon should have ended with Heaven winning, ushering in an era of peace. That's what the prophecies said. Instead, the two armies--one of angels, one of demons--hunker down in the scorched planet, lick their wounds, and gear up for a prolonged war with no end in sight.
In this chaos of warring armies and ruined landscapes, Laila doesn't want to take sides. Her mother was an angel, her father a demon; she is outcast from both camps. And yet both armies need her, for with her mixed blood, Laila can become the ultimate spy... or ultimate soldier. As the armies of Heaven and Hell pursue her, Laila's only war is within her heart--a struggle between her demonic and heavenly blood.

My Thoughts:
I very much enjoyed this book. It is set 27 years after the battle of Armageddon and neither side has won the war for Earth. Laila is an enigma, an original. She is half demon and half angel, so she belongs with neither heaven nor hell. Both sides actively recruit her, but all she wants is a place to call home. Michael the archangel is in charge of heaven’s forces on earth and Beelzebub is now the ruler of hell and its armies. Laila is who each believes can win the war for them. She loves the demon but is loyal to her sister, an angel…
The author did a great job with originality here. I like that this story used a fictional version of an event I believe to be prophesied (though not anywhere close to how I expect it to happen). I was surprised that he used so many actual biblical names and terms but it just worked. Also, it wasn’t just a ‘fluff’ book, it was meant to make you think and it does. Laila is an outcast and he wrote her wonderfully, she was a great character. You feel her heartache and pain. Bat El, her sister, is also one of my favorites in the book, but I must say that I did like her wolf, Volkfair, the best! Great character development, wonderful imagery, and just great imagination. Just as an aside I absolutely LOVE the cover art for the book as well!
This was an engaging read. 4/5 if you are into fantasy you will enjoy this book. If you are into actual biblical fiction, I doubt very seriously you will like it.