Rogue Angel


Rogue Angel is a paperback series of novels produced bi-monthly since July 2006 by Harlequin Enterprises, published under a succession of imprints and written under the house name of "Alex Archer". Actual authors are credited with small notes inside the books, but not on the front covers or spines. The main character is Annja Creed. Each novel offers an adventure based on history or mythology, with a heavy fantasy slant.

Background

Although these books can be read individually as discrete adventures, when read in order some continuity of character development and sub-plots is apparent.
Typically, each volume is named for a historical or mythological artifact around which the plot revolves. The plot structure tends to be formulaic: The heroine discovers the item in question, only to have it stolen by, or be herself abducted by, the villain or a more nebulous third party, motivated by their believing that it holds some special power or significance. In the course of the story, the heroine and the reader often learn a little more about some historical period and the people who lived in it.

Series history

The series was first envisioned by Randall Toye, a Harlequin executive who fell in love with the history concerning Joan of Arc and wanted to develop the idea of a present-day Joan. Veteran action-adventure editors Feroze Mohammed and Nicole Brebner teamed up with Mel Odom to flesh out their series.
The first eight novels were written by Mel Odom and Victor Milan. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz, Michele Hauf, Jean Rabe, and Joseph Nassise.

Influences

Rogue Angel's premise and execution displays similarities with earlier franchises such as the Witchblade comic book and TV series, Tomb Raider, and Outlanders.

Characters

Annja Creed

Annja Creed is a world-traveling archaeologist with a penchant for arcane history and adventure. Heir to Joan of Arc's mystic sword and an ambiguous heroic destiny, she frequently finds herself exposed to both. She is portrayed as beautiful and intelligent.
Growing up in an orphanage, Annja, partly due to her lack of knowledge of her own origins, developed a love of history, as well as an interest in martial arts. She then earned a college scholarship and achieved a Masters in Archeology, concentrating on medieval and renaissance time periods, while also acquiring specialized knowledge in anthropology and art. She has written several scholarly as well as popular-scientific articles and books.
Not long after graduating, Annja was offered a job working as a host on Chasing History’s Monsters, a syndicated television show investigating all manner of cryptids drawn from pop culture, folklore, and mythology, and occasionally less far-fetched types of "monsters" such as serial killers. She tries to bring a certain amount of factual material to the episodes she hosts, but the show's producer insists on a more sensationalist and speculative slant. This regularly frustrates her, but the salary and expense account involved allow her to travel freely, and she often puts her status as a minor celebrity to good use.
She resides in a loft in Brooklyn, New York.

The Sword

When Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy, her sword was shattered by an English soldier, and the fragments were widely dispersed. However, Roux and Garin, two of the knights in her personal retinue, were cursed with immortality in order to be able to eventually track down and reassemble the artifact.
Annja was present when this came to pass, and at her touch, the blade magically reformed, making her its new bearer. It cannot be taken from her against her will, and she has the power to remove it to and retrieve it from a supernatural location referred to as "the Otherwhere". This process works regardless of the Sword's current location, giving her the ability to, for example, use the weapon as a projectile and then immediately recall it to her hand.
Moreover, it also enhances her general constitution and helps her recover from injuries.

Recurring

Roux

Roux is apparently in his sixties, but has actually been alive for more than five hundred years. The precise extent of his immortality has not been revealed, though one of the later books shows that it is not merely longevity but imbues him with an ability to recover from wounds that outstrips even Annja's.
He and Annja are in a mentor-protege relationship, however reluctant and long-distance. At the same time, he has his own agenda, such as tracking down a variety of other purportedly magical items for reasons ranging from simple personal ambition to the genuine desire to keep them out of hands that would use them for harm, and he is not above manipulating others, including Annja, to accomplish this.
He resides in a castle-like mansion outside of Paris, France.

Garin

Garin Braden was Roux's apprentice in Joan's day. Physically, he falls squarely into the "tall, dark, and handsome" category, and he has grown considerably wealthy and powerful, with a wide range of employees and resources at his beck and call. He is arrogant and ruthless, but also experiences and acts on the occasional selfless impulse.
His relationships with both Roux and Annja are complicated. He was initially afraid that the reforming of the Sword would put an end to his longevity and consequently made several attempts to destroy or at least separate Annja and the artifact. This concern lessens over time, though, and he increasingly develops fondness of and respect for her. His feelings towards Roux appear to be a mix of deep-rooted attachment and resentment.
His main residence is in Germany, but his lifestyle is even more cosmopolitan than Annja's.

Doug Morrell

Doug Morrell produces Chasing History's Monsters and is a stereotypical media personality - young, supremely self-involved, and with a staggering disregard for facts, especially when they threaten to get in the way of ratings. His relationship with Annja is sufficiently solid to survive the frequent disagreements this causes, though.

Series listing

Series #TitleAuthorDate Released
01DestinyMel OdomJuly 2006
02Solomon's JarVictor MilánSeptember 2006
03The Spider StoneMel OdomNovember 2006
04The ChosenVictor MilánJanuary 2007
05Forbidden CityMel OdomMarch 2007
06The Lost ScrollsVictor MilánMay 2007
07God of ThunderMel OdomJuly 2007
08Secret of the SlavesVictor MilánSeptember 2007
09Warrior SpiritJon F. MerzNovember 2007
10Serpent's KissMel OdomJanuary 2008
11ProvenanceVictor MilánMarch 2008
12The Soul StealerJon F. MerzMay 2008
13Gabriel's HornMel OdomJuly 2008
14The Golden ElephantVictor MilánSeptember 2008
15Swordsman's LegacyMichele HaufNovember 2008
16Polar QuestJon F. MerzJanuary 2009
17Eternal JourneyJean RabeMarch 2009
18SacrificeJon F. MerzMay 2009
19Seeker's CurseVictor MilánJuly 2009
20FootprintsJon F. MerzSeptember 2009
21ParadoxVictor MilánNovember 2009
22The Spirit BannerJoseph NassiseJanuary 2010
23Sacred GroundJon F. MerzMarch 2010
24The Bone ConjurerMichele HaufMay 2010
25Tribal WaysVictor MilánJuly 2010
26The Dragon's MarkJoseph NassiseSeptember 2010
27Phantom ProspectJon F. MerzNovember 2010
28Restless SoulJean RabeJanuary 2011
29False HorizonJon F. MerzMarch 2011
30The Other CrowdMichele HaufMay 2011
31Tear of the GodsJoseph NassiseJuly 2011
32The Oracle's MessageJon F. MerzSeptember 2011
33Cradle of SolitudeJoseph NassiseNovember 2011
34LabyrinthJon F. MerzJanuary 2012
35Fury's GoddessJon F. MerzMarch 2012
36Magic LanternMel OdomMay 2012
37Library of GoldJoseph NassiseJuly 2012
38The Matador's CrownMichele HaufSeptember 2012
39City of SwordsJean RabeNovember 2012
40The Third CaliphMel OdomJanuary 2013
41The Staff of JudeaJoseph NassiseMarch 2013
42The Vanishing TribeJoseph NassiseMay 2013
43Clockwork DoomsdayMel OdomJuly 2013
44Blood CursedMichele HaufSeptember 2013
45Sunken PyramidJean RabeNovember 2013
46Trasure of LimaJoseph NassiseJanuary 2014
47River of NightmaresJean RabeMarch 2014
48Grendel's CurseSteven SavileMay 2014
49The Devil's ChordMichele HaufJuly 2014
50Celtic FireSteven SavileSeptember 2014
51Pretender's GambitMel OdomNovember 2014
52DeathmaskSteven SavileJanuary 2015
53Bathed in BloodJoe NassisseMarch 2015
54Day of AtonementSteven SavileMay 2015
55Beneath Still WatersJoe NassiseJuly 2015
56The Mortality PrincipleSteven SavileSeptember 2015
57Mystic WarriorMel OdomNovember 2015

Post-Shutdown Titles (Graphic Audio Exclusives)

Following the shutdown of Gold Eagle Publishing by Harlequin, the primary creator of audiobook adaptions of the franchise, Graphic Audio, acquired the rights to create original, in-house sequels to the novels, available exclusively in a narrated audio drama format.
Series #TitleAuthorDate Released
58Death LoomsMel OdomDecember 2017
59Eyes of the BeholderScott McCormick/Jillian Levine-SissonMay 2018
60In the Serpants TombScott McCormick/Jillian Levine-SissonMay 2019

Adaptations

Audiobooks

In January 2007, GraphicAudio began releasing the books in a dramatized audio format, starting at issue #1.
As of February 2016 they have produced the entire series up to Rogue Angel #57 "Mystic Warrior."

Comics

In 2008 IDW Publishing released a miniseries written by Barbara Kesel and featuring art by Renae De Liz.

Publisher sites