There’s no doubt that many modern day audiences have fallen in love with the concept of angels. From the Gothic elegance of the fallen, to the majestic glory of the archangels, angels can be found as the muses of artists, writers, scientists, and the general populace. Even when I was little, I used to take comfort in the fact that angels did exist, and that they care for people, no matter what others may think. 

As you may or may not know, angels also have their place in contemporary fiction. Many authors have crafted masterful stories from their existence, from Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush Hush, to Lauren Kate’s Fallen. There’s no doubt that many readers turn to angels whenever they’re tired of the vampire/werewolf love triangle, or even the normality of human relationships.

So which angels are used in literature? Which types make the most enticing characters? There are many, of course, so much so that I’ve had to classify them all into three neat little categories, which may or may not be controversial. 

The Archangels 

The archangels are usually regarded as the most powerful in heaven. St. Michael is the angel that most people would recognize from the Book of Revelation in the Bible, and the one who will defeat the devil in combat. Yet another archangel, St. Gabriel, was responsible for delivering the message of Christ’s birth to Mary. St. Raphael is the angel of healing, and St. Ariel stands as the angel of repentance. There are more archangels, seven according to Jewish beliefs; however, these four are the most recognizable. Should a character in a book emerge as an archangel, expect them to be incredibly powerful and, for want of a better word, heavenly. 

The Guardian Angels 

Guardian angels are angels that people tend to think about whenever they’re looking for comfort, encouragement, or even protection. These angels are beings that see us safely to sleep, or keep an eye on us whenever we feel like we’re doing something wrong. Guardian angels have been the subjects of books such as Halo by Alexandra Dornetto. They care about humans, and will guide them down the right path. If a character is, in fact, a guardian angel, it means they relate to the protagonist and other human characters more. Out of curiosity, they even study human behavior. 

The Fallen Angels 

The last, and most popular, category of angels would be the fallen angels. These angels were stated to have been cast out of heaven, sentenced to both Hell and Earth until the day of judgement arrives. A lot of writers, myself included, tend to study these fallen angels, and ask ourselves whether or not they still have a chance at redemption. If there is, how would they go about it? Would they fall in love with a human? Would they save someone they care about? And if they decide to choose eternal damnation, what happens to them? These fallen angels are the beings that many people relate to, whether we like it or not. We see them as creatures who dance between the edges of good and evil. They aren’t absolute like the other two classes of angels.

The angels are, no doubt, wonderful creatures to study. The hierarchies of heaven, the parallels they have between angels and humans, and the enemies they may have, leave plenty of room for the imagination. It’s something that writers have taken advantage of. They are timeless beings that audiences can’t help but appreciate, that we couldn’t help but fall in love with.