Angels in Stone

by Tanja Kobasic

Not recommended for persons under the age of 19
The first book of the Stone Series.
A psychological occult series told in modern day times — in correlation with the oldest temptations since the beginning of man.

There is an internal struggle between right and wrong, virtue and vice, good and evil, in every man— a battle that pulls us in two directions.

Synopsis
Hidden in plain view of anyone with spiritual eyes is a space teetering over an invisible abyss. In exchange for earthly desires and under the watch of the fallen angels, humans forge alliances with Satan to overthrow God.

In The Bronx, New York, in the same veiled room where demons listen with soundless heartbeats, 43-year old Claire Preston-Lockwood forms an unconventional friendship with a voodoo priestess who promises to help Claire become pregnant, to give her young husband the child he yearns for. Having exhausted all conventional options, Claire follows Esperança's counsel. But when Claire learns of the atrocious secrets connected to the priestess's past, she must make a choice: God or Satan. If she chooses God, she gets nothing and loses her husband.

If she chooses Satan's gift, Claire must journey into the uncharted regions of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and into the lost world where the priestess's life began

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Paranormal

456 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2012

About the author

Tanja Kobasic was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she currently resides.
She is the creator and author of Sugar Mountain – The Golden Key: a transitional children’s book, linked with one of Canada’s largest candy confectionery companies.
When Tanja isn't writing, she runs her paralegal firm, and is a proud and licensed member of The Law Society of Upper Canada.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author asked me to review this book, and sent along a free copy for that purpose.

There are two stories in Tanja Kobasic’s Angels in Stone. The first is that of Claire Preston-Lockwood, an accomplished real estate broker, drop dead gorgeous, and cougarishly older than her studly hubby, Jonathan. Smitten when she met this diamond in the rough, she gave him an education, access to the finer things, and career opportunities, but she cannot give him the thing he most desires, a child. What’s a controlling sort to do? Turns out there is a way. All she has to do is sell her soul to Satan. She finds her hope in a voodoo priestess living in a dodgy neighborhood in the Bronx. And that is where the other piece of this story resides. Esperanca’s story goes back hundreds of years to the jungles of Brazil, and a ground war between the forces of Satan and God.

Claire was damaged as a child when her mother died in an auto accident. She has buried a secret about that event and it eats at her. It is fueled by her hatred of her father, whose infidelities she blames for her mother’s death. Claire shows occasional moment of humanity, but remains, for the most part, a stone cold bitch Angel. Her younger, and pure-hearted sister, Rebecca, was too young, or too innocent to have much recollection of their mother, and seems not to have been damaged by her loss.

The story here takes place in two time lines and with two very different looks and feels. Claire’s story is of her quest to keep her man, and she will do whatever it takes. It is contemporary, set in the high life of New York, where money flows like water and ethics are a sometime thing. Claire is not above the occasional blackmail to get what she wants. She is not a nice lady, and engenders little sympathy, from me, anyway. But the story picks up considerably once she encounters Esperanca.

Esperanca is a voodoo witch. She lives in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, a high-density, primarily minority neighborhood, not nearly as appealing as it’s most famous former resident, Jennifer Lopez. The Canadian author lived there for a while and gives us an informed look-and-feel of the place. Not a prime vacation destination. Claire may be our preening bird of paradise, but Esperanca’s arrival is where the story takes wing. Not only does Espie offer a mechanism through which Claire connects with the real bad guys, but she is also the teller of a fascinating back story. The character of Esperanca makes this tale fly, like a great actor to whom your eyes are drawn in every scene. Hers is the most angelic element of the novel.

Get out your Google, Bing or search engine of choice. There will be names and places to look up, which is part of the fun of this book. Names taken from, or based on angels are rampant. Kobasic takes the back-story to Brazil and peers several hundred years into the past. You will visit coastal Bahia, heart-of-darkness Mato Grosso, and get a front row seat for some nasty good-vs-evil goings on. I found this to be the most engaging part of the book. It also took a bit more attention, as there are several instances in which the rules of engagement were a bit of a challenge to keep straight. Too much maybe, but not quite enough to ruin the adventure. There are some striking visuals here too, as long as you do not suffer from ophidophobia. Some dark scenes are, or should be, a bit too disturbing for sensitive or young readers.

The book is a bit uneven. There are passages that I quite liked.

“You’ve been a bad girl,” Esperanca said, with a lazy smile. “Got a lot of fuckage on you.”
“Fuckage?”
“What I’m getting at is that you fucked over a lot of people. Fuckage…like baggage. The depravity that you drag around with you like a ball and chain.”

But there is a bit too much telling, on top of showing. Kobasic has fun feathering her novel with bird imagery. My copy arrived with an actual black feather in it, a lovely, light-hearted touch. I hope that in subsequent volumes there is some more payload on the actual details of early missions in Brazil. I believe that is the plan.

If the battle between good and evil in its very primal state is your thing, you won’t go wrong with Angels in Stone. The author shows promise, and we expect her skill to continue developing as she works her way through this series.

This book is the first in a series. The second, Ashes in Stone , is due out later this year.

Posted 3/11/13

[Lynne King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of "Angels in Stone" as it was well written and I was intrigued by the unusual story.

Beginning with the Prologue, my interest was immediately aroused with the words:

“ ‘It’s cold down there,’ Rebecca whispered leaning over to her big sister (Claire). ‘Mommy’s gonna be cold,’ she insisted, seated in a chair, facing their mother’s casket.’ ”

The funeral of Claire’s mother, Connie Preston (latterly an alcoholic), sets the scene for the former’s subsequent behavior throughout the book. It’s also evident from this time that Claire thinks very little of her father as when she sees the distress of her five year old sister Rebecca, who didn’t understand what was going on, she shouts out:

“Of course, she thinks her mother’s cold! It’s because she doesn’t understand. She never got to see her dead. But how could she, father? It was a closed casket because our mother’s face was destroyed. Tell her…be a man and let her know what you’ve done.” This is all revealed later on.

So thirty years later, forty-three year old Claire (who incidentally is very beautiful, doesn’t appreciate humor, which is rather sad, a teetotaler, and sometimes a blackmailer) has tried to bury the thoughts of her mother deep into the innermost part of her soul. She is now successful, living in New York and held in high regard in the real estate world. She has also married Jonathon, thirteen years her junior, has a good sexual relationship with him and he’s achieved the one thing that no-one else ever could, he’s found her heart (she is known to be heartless) and he’s now decided that he wants to start a family.

This is where the problems begin. Claire is unable to conceive a child, due I suspect to an abortion, and tries to think of everything to become pregnant but all to no avail. She is terrified that without a child, there’s the distinct possibility that her husband will leave her. She also believed that, as she had made him what he was and had helped him in his successful business career, he belonged to her. So when she sees Jonathon wearing a new tie, and only she ever buys his clothes, her mind goes into overdrive. Another woman? Briefly stated this involves a young woman called Nicolette. What a jealous woman can think up is quite incredible in this book.

With the advice of pregnant Janice, Claire decides to go “to this silly voodoo woman”, a magician, in order to fix her infertility problems. This sordid, distasteful woman is an old crone, in her seventies called Esperança, a rum drinker with a slight Brazilian accent, a priestess who is into Satan and the whole voodoo business. She lives in Castle Hill, in The Bronx, and her whole world is the opposite of Claire’s. I thought Esperança was a great character.

But, finding they have much in common, they slowly become friends and it’s all agreed that Claire will go to Brazil so that she can become pregnant but with Satan’s help, as only he can help her.

From the satanic thoughts and nature of Esperança, who surprisingly also has godly ones, we are also introduced to the granddaughter, Patience, who is ugly but whose beauty comes from within. She represents goodness in the world and is a servant of God. Between the pair of them, each tries to persuade Claire to go their way because by now the “shadows” are surrounding Claire.

When I had finished about half of this excellent book, I was surprisingly faced with another story. This began with the chapter entitled “In the Beginning” when Esperança goes back to when she lived in the late sixteen hundreds, and discusses with Claire, Satan’s chosen people and reincarnation, souls and life in the jungle in Bahia in Brazil. There were dreadful incidents with slaves, including the exquisite Filhote and her remarkable story which was so well portrayed but very unsettling for me to read; and rape (always dreadful), the possible crushing of Christianity, coming across a world of hidden secrets, including Esperança’s, did not go down too well with me unfortunately.

I was quite fascinated, however, by the themes of the moon, fire and that of birds; especially the macaws with their constant refrain, “hungry, hungry”. The latter reminded me of dark, hidden forces.

The appearance of the white raven on several occasions intrigued me. I looked everywhere for the meaning of this bird, as surely it had to be the opposite of the black raven? I always related black ravens with bad omens and a creature that tricks people. I finally decided that it had to be in the Bible but I could only find the following:

“Before Noah sent the dove from the Ark, he sent out a white raven to test the waters. Instead of returning to the Ark, this bird "kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth" (Gen 8:7).”

Is the implication here that the white raven is treacherous?

Even though the book is very well written, I didn’t enjoy this latter part of it as much as the first as it was too “dark” and unsettling for me in parts. Still this is a fascinating book in many respects and I have no doubt that many people will be taken with it.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true Psychological trip.
I don’t know who was more manipulative, the main character Claire or the author? A controlling woman, desperate to keep things exactly how she wants them, can’t control her own body and give her young buck a child. She comes to a fork, and by the powers of evil, finds herself at the mercy of a very powerful voodoo priestess.
The character buildup goes from Claire then switches to the Voodoo priestess. There’s a development happening between the voodoo woman and Claire. At first you don’t see it. But if this were a movie, the camera would pan from one character to the other; from one scene to the next. You come to understand that the two women are meeting in the middle. One wants out of Satan’s circle, while the other, Claire, wants in. But what made the story work, was that Claire, who was so internally broken, friendless and angry, found a genuine connection with the most unlikely person. I loved how the voodoo woman got Claire high and hot-boxed her in the little apartment in the Bronx. I could actually picture this stuck-up, beautiful woman getting stoned. It would also prove that only a woman strong enough could handle such a woman like Claire. And Claire is undeniably unnerved by Esperanca’s power.
There’s a scene in the middle, where Esperanca tells Claire about her history, Satan’s Chosen and how the circle was formed. The imagery in Esperanca’s narration, dating back hundreds of years was a book in itself. You learn a piece of history, the slave trade in Brazil, and the consequences that led to God’s Chosen and Satan’s Chosen. God chose one brother to buy the slaves, teach them Christianity and then release them, in order to spread God’s word. And the other brother was chosen by Satan to kill his own brother and crush Christianity. This leads the two tribes into an ongoing war between good and evil, and their history bleeds into the present, taking you into Manhattan and The Bronx. There are parallels throughout this entire book.
But as the story progresses, I also found myself getting very emotional but loved the dark comedy between the two. As for Patience, the monster-girl, I can only imagine her story in this series. Her sad goodbye to her grandmother was hard; especially the ribbons that the voodoo woman put in her hair as a child because she wanted to hide the bald spots. But that’s what made this book so psychologically deep. A monster on the outside, although she was God’s chosen.
The plot worked, simply because every chapter ended on a hook and took you deeper into the story. The author uses just enough information about God and Satan without the book coming across too preachy. But it gave credence to the story. Maybe we are walking among Satan’s chosen without even knowing it. The ending was a bit hard. On one hand, I wanted Claire to surrender her hate and not accept her invite into Satan’s circle, but on the other hand, if it ended there, then there wouldn’t be another book. That’s where book two will lead you, into the lost city in Brazil, a lovely week with Satan’s Chosen.
The perfect blend of modern day choices and the consequences between right and wrong.

[Elda Furtado · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very dark temptation, that Christians should NOT read unless prepared. Lewdness, sex and cursing.
As a Christian, you cannot taint your spirit by reading, watching and engaging in sinful entertainment. This book was sinful, both good and evil. I found it on Amazon's new listing and believed it was a spiritual read, about Brazil and God’s angels and their war against the Fallen. I could not stop reading, even when I made several attempts to put it down. It was that engrossing.
Spoiler!!!
The book brought out so many emotions to the surface, Anger, grief, confusion. I wanted Claire accept the goodness and let go of her anger but that was not the case. The most disturbing part of the book was a chapter titled, ‘God and His Alter Ego’. This pushed me into a very dark corner. The Voodoo Priestess explained to Claire that when God created Lucifer, that He actually created an extension of Himself. She went on to say that God is at war with His own alter ego and eventually one side of Himself will have to surrender to the other half. I have never heard such a theory, and this left me to question this novel’s validity being that it troubled me. Satan will reach those unsuspecting through unexpected forms of pleasure. Reading is one avenue. And I felt that Angels in Stone was that tool. The Voodoo Priestess also explained that Satan’s Chosen claimed that God was responsible for the slave trade and that He wanted the slaves to be uprooted and have Christianity enforced on them, once they were brought into the ports of Brazil. This part of the book was very distressing, simply because the theory lends itself to evil. Blaming a loving God for such wickedness. I wrote the author about my concerns and her explanation made sense. She explained that it is fiction, and her intent was to tell a story, using what she knew. She also said that she needed to get into her characters and that she wanted to give Satan a voice. And one that was terrifyingly real and original. I’m quoting here.

“People often create comedic versions of Satan, painting him in a naive light - a light that makes Satan look and sound normal. I didn’t want to do that, nor did I want to write what has been done and redone. I also wanted Satan’s Chosen to be loyal to him for a reason; one that made credible sense. Satan’s Chosen are a group of highly intelligent beings/humans. There needed to be a plausible reason for their loyalty, and, book two, Ashes in Stone, will uncover more answers and explanations."
It was then that I understood the series, and respected the writer’s work. I wish she could have written the book without the profanities, sex and lewdness, but I suppose that going outside of my moral comfort zone was the reason for how emotional this book made me. Good writing, and very thought provoking. Brought me even closer to God despite Satan's many attempts.

[Janette Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not expect to love it. I received a copy from a student and was immediately thrown off by the cover, ( a naked, pregnant angel?) I thought, oh boy, this is going to be ugly. Angels in Stone was by far, one of the most complex and enthralling reads I have read in a very long while.
Cons: The sexual escapades were a bit too graphic, and the cursing made my eyes itch. But it made the lightness in the story that much more beautiful.
Pros: Completely original, beautifully written, wicked characters, including Satan and the Fallen, along with many twists that I had no idea how the author was going to conclude the story. The character development was so well executed, that I devoured every page. As someone, who has family living in several New York boroughs, I felt that the author captured the street lingo without a hitch. Every character had their own voice, personality and purpose. The dialogue was spot-on, and the comedic chitchat was so needed in such a dark and deep story. Because if I wasn't holding my breath, rereading certain scenes, I was weeping; especially towards the end. The slave trade is a very sensitive topic, and anyone unfamiliar with history, will find Angel in Stone to be very enlightening. The author’s blend of fact and fiction, while writing about a woman’s need for control was terrific. I loved this book, and will look out for the next.

[Linda Fast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hoping to win "Angels in Stone" on Goodreads but was unsuccessful. Tanja Kobasic offered to send me a free copy if I would give her my honest review to which I accepted.
"Angels In Stone" did not disappoint in the least. The cover was artistically well done and compliments the story to perfection. The novel was an intense read which played on many different levels of emotions and virtues.
Claire Preston-Lockwood wishes to conceive a child but is barren. In order to keep a much younger husband who wishes for a family from leaving her, she needs to bear a child. When she exhausts all medical help she turns to Esperanca, a voodoo priestess to help her become pregnant. Clair is given the choice between a committment to follow God and lose her husband or to follow Satan and journey to Mato Grosso in South America with the promise of bearing a child.
As I finished the last sentence of the book all I could think of was "Wow!". The novel was amazing and very well written, balancing the dark with the light.
Thank you Tanja for sending me "Angels In Stone" and I'm truly looking forward reading the sequel novel "Ashes In Stone".

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was originally contacted by the author, offering me a copy of the book in return for an honest review, and so here it is.

I've marked the book as four stars. Honestly, for me, it falls between 3 and four stars based on other books and authors I've read. I have erred to the side of generosity for Goodreads, for I'd rather slightly over-rate a book that under-rate it.

Angels in Stone is not a perfect book. However, in a novel of good, evil, redemption, and damnation that fits to an almost poetic level.
Tanja Kobasic's prose is engaging. She creates characters who are deeply flawed, but that readers can still care about. Her style itself is easy to read, but not breezy, and gives this hefty feeling book some actual weightiness.

I immediately felt jarred by the author's use of Satan in connection with Voodoo. Since there is no connection between the two, it pulled me right out of the story every time it came up in the early parts of the story. So troubled was I by this connection that I spoke directly to the author on the matter. For the story, it wasn't really a matter of real voodoo so much as the guise of voodoo and what was being done. In the end, it is still a conflict for me. The story discusses all other religions coming from Satan to pull people away from God, something I most certainly not believe (even the Bible recognizes that there are other gods, just that none shall be placed higher than the God of Abraham).

That said, as the story progresses, the trappings of religion versus Satanism fall to the wayside. The book is slow to start, the first act seeming overly long, leaving the final act of the story feeling almost rushed to a climax that leads into another book. A shame, as I feel that the book could have had a wonderful ending and stood on its own, with a bit more expansion....of course, I cannot speak for the novels that follow either.

Slow to start, this book is NOT a "quick read." While I will often tear through a book in a day, sometimes two, this is not one of them. As I said, there is weight to this book, the situations have a feeling of real gravity. It is something to read and then set aside and absorb prior to returning to it.

After the characters are established, as the story begins to unfold, interesting concepts of good and evil begin to play out. Challenging concepts, like the murder of a child to save them, or to halt future evil, are delved into....and these are not topics that everyone is going to be comfortable with, but they are well handled.

These powerful issues lead up to some of the most powerful imagery in the book. The main character's tale is truly secondary, but the secondary character's road if one that will touch even the most jaded reader.

The end is left open to continue to the next book, and I'm not certain how I feel about that. Much like Hitchcock's Psycho, we are lead to invest in a main character who is, in the end, not the important figure in the story. Instead Claire's journey (which continues) is only used to tell us the real story of the novel.

Esperanca's story.

That is the story you are reading in this book. Everything else is merely secondary beyond how it plays through Esperanca's personal tale.

This is a book to savor. Not over many hours, or many nights, but over the course of several weeks. Those of you who believe in the 50-page test? This book will not grip you in 50 pages. It may interest you, but it will still release you should you wish. However, should you invest in twice as many pages, it will grab you and not let go.

Well worth the investment of time.

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride. "Angels in Stone" by Tanja Kobasic is an amazing book filled with thrilling twists at every turn that will leave you breathless for the next book. “Angels in Stone” follows Claire, a narcissistic, snobby woman who cares only for herself and will do anything to get what she wants. Even if it means selling her soul to the devil. And when she meets the voodoo priestess Esperança, that option is made readily available.

The first thing that caught my attention in this novel was the originality of it. There aren’t many books with a character that has you rooting for their demise, and if there is, you’ll usually drop the book because you can’t stand reading about the character. This book, however, manages to pull it off flawlessly and at times—dare I say it?—you may actually find yourself rooting for Claire because, as cruel as she is, she has qualities that are much easier to relate to than a perfect character with no flaws.

The second thing I noticed, of course, was the beautiful prose. The writing was lovely and managed to make the complex plot easy to understand, though it was not, by any stretch of the imagination, simple. Everything was so easy to picture and it was as if you were there, experiencing what Claire was experiencing and seeing what she was seeing. Emotion seeped through the pages and you were never confused unless the author wanted you to be.

Then we get to the characters. Yes, as I’ve said, Claire was unlikeable… in the beginning. But as she grew and we began to understand why she was so bitter and angry, she became more and more likeable to the point where you’re wishing she would give up her hate and accept the light inside of her. And Claire wasn’t the only one to grow; Esperança the voodoo priestess, who was probably my favourite character though I did end up loving them all, changed in ways I never expected; ways that shocked me in a good way. Patience, Esperança’s “granddaughter” also shocked me when I found out who and what she really was. Even if nothing else in this book was good—which definitely isn’t the case—I’d still enjoy it because of the characters and the dark, humorous banter between them.

Now, finally, the plot. Wow. Really, wow. The pacing wasn’t the lighting-paced, fast-flowing pace that most amazing books are, but it was a slow, smoldering pace that was so intense you couldn’t tear yourself away from the pages for a breath of air. You may think a slow pacing would be a bad thing but, like Claire’s narcissism, it was an amazing thing. It’s not that I love slow paces but it’s just that the author pulled it off so well.There’s a part where Esperança is telling stories of the past and they’re so rich, full of life and just so…well, fantastic that I think I may even reread the book.

The one thing that may turn readers away from this book is the deepness of it—there are times when the reader must read between the lines to really understand. Yes, it may turn some readers away, but I found it only added to the richness of the plot, characters and writing. There are great themes and if you have to think a little to get them, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. So overall, I love this novel. And with the cliff-hanger that it ended on, I cannot wait to read the next one!

*book won in Goodreads First Reads giveaway*

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noteworthy and no clichés here. A 4.5 What is up with the Goodreads rating? Someone, please add the half stars.

It’s not often I find a read that leaves me with a 'hun'? I have read everything pertaining to the lost city of Eldorado in Brazil, otherwise known as Z. To give you a brief synopsis, before we get back to the novel in review, I’ll explain why I even bothered with Angels In Stone.
In the summer of 1925 Colonel Fawcett , a legendary explorer, embarked on an expedition into the dark and uncharted heart of Brazil in search of the lost 'City of Z'. He was never seen again. Rumours flourished that Fawcett had been killed by Indians or wild animals or that he had lost his memory and become chief of a cannibal tribe. People became obsessed with discovering what had become of him. This city has never been found, and regardless of what some explorers have claimed to be Z, it was not so.
My girlfriend, whom I adore, convinced me to buy Angels in Stone, being that she had purchased the Sugar Mountain book for her niece. Somehow, the author pitched her new book to my sweetheart and won her over. I was presented with this read, signed and all, with the understanding that I would get my fill of the lost city. I thought that the author using this legend to tell her story was somewhat of a great angle. I soon forgot Z, and was submersed in this ‘drama/horror’ type read, ultimately reading every page.
The setback? Eldorado wasn’t a factor in Angels in Stone, and I may have to chomp on the bit again, awaiting the release of book 2. Ash in Stone. The main character, Clare, must make a choice: go into Brazil, take part of a satanic ritual, which would result in a pregnancy. The plot, was by far, one of this novel’s finest aspects. The part about the Blue Tit Bird was genious. Truly. And the sex? My "man's man" welcomed every word. I do have to wonder if Clare really does have a set of balls under that skirt of hers. There was no telling where the author was going, and when I made the mistake of guessing, I kicked myself for it. The writing was a bit emotional, but that’s just my “man’s man” opinion. Who really cares how the sunset looks against the Hudson River? And do we really have to read about how stunningly beautiful Clare is over and over again? I normally opt for a direct approach, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. I was pleased that there was a glimpse of book 2, located at the back of the book. And from what I have read, I get this sneaking suspicion that the author’s portrayal about Z will be fantastic.
A 4.5 out of 5. But because I'm in a good mood, I'll give her the 5.
Read my other reviews. http://www.undertheshadeofmytree.

[Candida D'mello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met the author at a fair in Hamilton, and got the book at half the cost as long as I gave her a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. I had no idea that this place existed. I finished the book sooner than I thought. First of all, the author signed my copy and misspelled my name. Not cool.

Now for my review as promised.

Parts of the book were shocking, especially where the main character has sex with a demon and isn't afraid of it. A normal reaction would be terror and not pleasure. I really liked hating the main character and was anticipating her demise. I've known women like Claire and recognized the narcism. There was a scene where Claire goes into Brooklyn, and she's confronted by a Latino gang. Her Portuguese was incorrect and she misspelled a few words. But I could be wrong, especially if they're speaking in Spanish.
On a positive note, being that I am Brazilian, I thought that the slave trade regarding Brazil and how Christianity spread among the slaves was pretty accurate, particularly the part about the two brothers that sailed from Portugal, and settled in Bahia. I'm not too sure about the lost city of Z and how it ties into the series, but there's a lost city in Brazil, which has never been found. I was a little annoyed that the lost city and Snake Island wasn't in the first book and now I have to wait for the second book to read about it. I would buy the second book. I really liked the story, and her descriptions of each scene, along with the author's attention to each character's personality. As gross as the Priestess was, I loved her most of all. I heard myself laughing out loud in several scenes, and maybe few tears too. The originality was something that needs to be praised. I had no clue where the author was going, and had no way of guessing. I was glad for the element of surprise. The swearing was a bit much. She lost a star for that. My favourite author, hands down, is Anne Rice. The Interview with the Vampire had the similar elements, particularly where the Satan's Chosen tells Claire about her family circle. Almost perfect, but no Anne Rice.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Tanja Kobasic was gracious enough to send me a free copy for a potential review.

This book kind of crept up on me.

It starts out pretty simple... rich lady wants to have things go her way so she makes a deal with Satan thru an old nasty voo-doo lady that has a crippled angel as a grand-daughter. Say what?

But somewhere along the line the story kind of shifted and grabbed me by the guts and I actually started caring for the characters of Claire (the lady), Esperança (the nasty voo-doo be-otch) and Patience (to nice to be true). The line still remained hazy as to wether they were good or bad, but hey, our imperfections are what make us what we are.

All I really know is that I couldn't voluntarily put this book down, and when I did HAVE to put it down, to, you know, live and stuff, I couldn't wait to get back to it.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, even though, most times, we're left with the impression that good things happen to the worst of what society has spit out.

This book does require you to think and wonder "what-if".
What if you were offered everything you ever wanted?
Would you? and
What if everything you ever wanted wasn't what you really needed?
Who can really say they would know the true difference between our wants and our needs?

It's one of those books that I find difficult to review and will probably be coming back to edit my review as more "thoughts" come to me. A truly thought-provoking novel by Tanja Kobasic on the nature of good and bad and the power of redemption... and damnation.

[Esther Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanya has masterfully cast her spell and woven a convincing web demonstrating the ever-presence of free will in dealing with constant daily choices between the forces of good and evil. She clearly paints the picture of the guaranteed repercussions involved when this God-given gift.

The author takes the reader on a journey of the story of personal pain in understanding the feelings of fear, anger, doubt, greed and despair. The book triggers emotions that are capable of awakening our own Truth about alignments of heart and body in our decisions about how to live in order to have a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Congratulations Tanja for tackling the age-old story of Creation and having the courage to validate our continuous evolvement by choosing to side with the Loving Presence of God. This alignment of Spirit and Will automatically directs our character righteously. In today’s world – Love must be found now. There is no other way to sustain us.

Personally, the book has resurrected deeper meaning in the resurgence and recitation of:

“ Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. Forever and ever. Amen.”

Thank you!

Esther Hanson
Shiatsu/Acupuncture Therapist

[Fred Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was received free from the author.

There are two main characters in this book and everyone else involved acts as colour, texture and back ground to these characters.

Claire is married to a younger man who is pushing to start their family. The only problem is that Claire can’t conceive. In addition Claire is starting to think that her husband is fooling around with other woman. Her only chance to keep him is to conceive a child, which she can’t which pushes Claire into a corner.

Claire decides to hire someone to follow her husband to see if he is unfaithful to her. She also tracks down a voodoo priestess called Esperanca.

Esperanca makes a deal to help Claire as long as she does her a favour in Brazil.

The rest of the book revolves around the evolving interaction between Claire and Esperanca.

Who is evil and who is good ?

Will Claire perform the task in Brazil ? Will Esperanca solve Claire’s current predicament, or make it worse ?

The author keeps you guessing as the story arc proceeds and we learn more and more about the two central characters. Good read

[Oliver Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated rating.

After much consideration, and after reading the first chapter of Ashes in Stone, the book that follows Angel in Stone, I decided that a five-star rating was merited. Ashes in Stone has a different voice, and the writer was able to write in the POV of a Southern Preacher flawlessly. Tanya shouldn't lose a star over a word like *****-packer. She does have a unique writing style and may be a bit too descriptive, but it worked for me.

Not for the simple minded and not predictable. I had to read every page in case I missed a key point. The writer plays with the reader's mind and only shows portions of what the characters are thinking. Go slow and pay attention. Clare reminded me on an ex-girlfriend, controlling and selfish. An aging woman holding on to her youth for dear life. The voodoo woman's motives threw me for a loop, and at times made me uncomfortable. I would have preferred if Tanya didn't use words like *****packer, but one could argue that those were the voodoo woman's words and not the writer's. Angel in Stone had me at 'God has nothing to do with this.' And lost me at *****packer. But worth the ride.



Purchased from Amazon.uk

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

For disclosure purposes I received this book from the author.

If a book could have schizophrenia I would diagnose this one as having a form of it. I've seen stories do an about face but this one had me shaking my head in almost disbelief. It's a shame as the author writes quite well and can tell a story if she wants. You see it shine through here and there.

I'm also never a fan of intended sequels with cliffhanger endings. I find them disingenuous. If I'm enjoying the book I will seek out the next but being forced to greatly annoys me.

I guess it sounds like I'm savaging this book and I guess I am but only because I saw such promise in her writing to start and great potential for this tale. I still enjoyed most of it but am really not sure I'll ever seek out the sequels.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tricky book to review because I liked everything that was in it, but I wanted more detail about the main character Claire. Loved the voodoo princess and the good vs. evil set up. There's tons of riveting background on the voodoo princess, but not very much about Claire--just enough in there to try and draw you in for the sequel. I was a tad disapointed that we don't get more "reaction" from Claire or explanation about her background, particularly her religious knowledge. It also seems a bit strange that she can have sex with a demon and not react to it. Overall, however, this was a great read.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

Revieved a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I tried to like it, I really did. It is a very well written book that is engaging. This just was not my cup of tea! The book is really long and drawn out. It is not my type of paranormal at all. On top of that is was difficult to read because the print is small and there are no margins. This made the 400 plus pages seem to go on forever! Also the cover image looks sloppy and weird. It was a much deeper read that I was at first looking for. But really well thought out and executed.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book kept me engaged even though it wasn't a genre I would normally choose. I am glad that it wasn't a "happily ever after" ending. There was some unpredictability which I liked. I thought the story got a little bogged down in the middle of the book during Esperanca's long explanations to Claire. Definitely a book about the occult! I thought the book was closer to a 4 than a 3. I believe Tanja is a good novelist; sometimes I question the word choice, but overall the character's have a consistent voice.

[Krissys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angels in Stone is a very intense book from the beginning page through to the end that will leave you questioning just how far would you go? Tanja is amazing, I didn't set the book down until it was done. A great read.

Goodreads first read contest.

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a different type of book for me to read. I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to seeing how it will turn out in the next two books. I hope God wins in the end but I am nt sure how you think. Thanks for sending me the book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. As much as you hate the main character you find yourself sympathizing with her. It is a dark story, wonderfully told. Looking forward to the second book and hope it comes out soon.