Book excerpt: A dissatisfied angel falls to Earth to pursue his long-held dream of becoming a heavy-metal rock ’n’ roll god For Volos, heaven is a bore; the real action is in the world of mortals. So the restless celestial abandons the eternal realm, transforming himself into a beautiful, decadent example of the human male while keeping his wings intact, and sets out to become a rock star. Needing appropriate lyrics for his soon-to-be hit singles and having no firsthand experience with mortal emotions and concerns, Volos finds everything he needs in the personal writings of a sexually repressed wife and mother from the Bible Belt. The daughter of a tyrannical fundamentalist preacher, Angie composes poetry in secret, and she is shocked when she hears her own words on the radio. Surely a higher power is calling her to Los Angeles. But the music is leading her to a shining star who is more than a man yet less than human—a true soulmate capable of changing her world in ways she never could have imagined. Multiple award–winning fantasist Nancy Springer reinvigorates the fallen-angel trope in a delightfully inventive and thought-provoking story of a celestial being who is unhappy in the service of a distant and unapproachable God. Metal Angel is an enthralling exploration of belief, spirituality, sexual awakening, and superstardom.