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

Witch of Painted Sorrows

By

M J Rose

M J Rose is known for her haunting stories.  Witch of Painted Sorrows lived up to all I had read about the novel before I picked it up and opened to the first page.  With the first words, I found myself compelled by the story of the young woman who the novel revolved around.  Betrayed by her husband, abandoned in death by her beloved father, and finally desperate to understand and unravel who she truly was, the story moved from New York to Paris of the mid-1890s.  Pure genius of story and plot took the reader to the Ecole des Beaux Arts, the great Parisian arts academy, as Sandrine applied to study there under the guise as a male, to the oddities of living under the shadow of one of Paris’ greatest horizontals. 

Woven through the pages of a poignant love story between a young Parisian Architect and this American heiress, both lives seemed to slowly spin out of control in front of them.  Their worlds seemed to melt into the very oil pots of color described in the scenes of the Le Lune’s fables and mysticism.  But not all was fables, and family myths were more than stories. 
This reader felt the tugs of insanity pulling from the pages and the wet stickiness of the paint dripping from the words, as Sandrine’s world continued to turn on end.  I could not get to the end fast enough, for I had to find the answer that would save the family, and Sandrine’s sanity.  The attention to detail that M J paid to the era’s worship of the occult, the details of some of the art work in the books, and to the art itself was magnificent.   

As to the story and the character development, M J did a masterful job.  Each of the characters breathed.  L’Incendie, the Grandmere, was magnificent.  I could almost see a very regal Kathrine Hepburn, and could on occasion see and hear her breath fire.  To be able to have such strength and still be able to entice and entrance men, for so many years, was believable from this great lady. 

A Five Star rating across the board.  I continue to look forward to the future offerings of M J Rose.  Publication date is set for March 2015.
Net Galley provided a copy of Witch of Painted Sorrows for review.

About MJ Rose  

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice...  Books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Rose is a the Co-President and founding member ofInternational Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz. She runs the blog, Museum of Mysteries.

In 1998, her first novel Lip Service was the first e-book and the first self-published novel chosen by the LiteraryGuild/Doubleday Book Club as well as the first e-book to go on to be published by a mainstream New York publishing house.

Rose has been profiled in Time magazine, Forbes, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Working Woman, Newsweek, andNew York Magazine.

For more information and a complete list of her novels go to www.MJRose.com