Thursday, August 13, 2015

The Way of Sorrows - Jon Steele - A Book Review


The Way of Sorrows
By
Jon Steele

SYNOPSIS
The earthly—and cosmic—adventures of Katherine Taylor and Jay Harper come to an electrifying, action-packed conclusion in The Way of Sorrows, the final installment of Jon Steele’s critically acclaimed Angelus Trilogy.
The earthly—and cosmic—adventures of Katherine Taylor and Jay Harper come to an electrifying, action-packed conclusion in The Way of Sorrows, the final installment of Jon Steele’s critically acclaimed Angelus Trilogy.

After the heart-stopping cliff-hanger that concluded Angel City, Katherine Taylor and Jay Harper return in this ultimate portrayal of good versus evil—Apocalypse-style. Will the remnants of the Nephilim—fallen angels from time immemorial—capture and destroy baby Max, Katherine’s half-mortal/half-heavenly child? Or will otherworldly Special Agent Harper be able to thwart these hideous plans and prevent the end of mankind? Spanning the globe—and the heavens—Jon Steele’s brilliant, rich, and imaginative book is a masterpiece of science, religion, and fantasy.

REVIEW
The Way of Sorrows was a unique read that required the full attention of this reader.  Maybe I wouldn't have been so distracted if I wasn't a student of prehistory of ancient Biblical history, but my brain kept working in overtime as I processed the complex story up against my own internal database of "ancients" knowledge.  I absolutely loved the added twist of the time dimensions and the way he inferred their beginnings.  What I am now dying to do is to go back and read books one and two.
I feel that Jon Steele has come the closest to verbalizing some of my personal concepts of pre-history and the war between good and evil than anyone else I have read and to do it in this fantastic sci-fi setting is totally awesome.  The Way of Sorrows is a classic example of a mash up of genre.  Even though it is definitely listed as Sci-fi, I would also not hesitate to place the book in historical fiction, or is it possible to create a new genre, Historical Sci-Fi Fiction?  I have actually read several books in the last few years that I could place in this category.  For students well versed in a certain historical period, i.e. ancient pre-history, they would identify the mash up quickly and easily.  They would see the parallels and draw history out of the Sci-fi setting.   Knowing this history, broadens the enjoyment and fills in and answers potential questions that might otherwise left me puzzled.
To say Jon’s characters were complex and deeply developed would be an understatement.  Each of the characters lived in multiple times and in multiple dimensions, with their earth and “other worldly” names.  Not having read books one and two yet (my bad, and soon to be remedied) this was at first confusing, but I caught up and was soon deeply immersed into the story.
His over-lay of the God family and the kidnapping was fantastic.  His understanding and being able to lay-out so clearly the concepts of inter-dimensional time and the layers and layers of time, as well as the creative way he had for moving between them was fabulous.  The conclusion was fabulous and gave you a sense of hope for tomorrow.    
Jon would be wonderful to sit down and visit with sometime.  His book is well worth the read for any true futuristic sci-fi addict, as well as anyone willing to take on a mental rollercoaster challenge.  I give this a full FIVE STAR for thrills and great reading.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JON STEELE is an award-winning journalist and author of The Watchers and Angel City. Born in Spokane, Washington, he traveled the world, working as a cameraman for Independent Television News. After a twenty-year career, Steele wrote the critically acclaimed War Junkie. In 2008, he co-wrote, codirected, and shot Baker Boys: Inside the Surge, a documentary about an American combat unit in Iraq. He lives in Switzerland.

·        File Size: 4376 KB
·        Print Length: 512 pages
·        Publisher: Blue Rider Press (August 4, 2015)
·        Publication Date: August 4, 2015
·        Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC





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