Review of "Angels in Stone"

Won this book at Goodreads again and it was awesome. I absolutely loved it! It is the first book in the "Stone Series" and the next is due out this spring. The next, which I will definitely be buying. Because this one ended in such an awesome way, I have a feeling that, impossibly, the next book may be even better. Formal review:

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!

So there you have it. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a deep, philosophical read that isn't your usual paranormal. If you're looking for a richly written book with well written, unlikeable characters that begin to turn likeable, then look no further. Tanja Kobasic is your author.

Final Verdict: 7.8/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber

Review of "The Metro Dogs of Moscow"

This is a child's book I won over at Goodreads to review. It's a really cute read and one of those books I'm going to pass on to my children as soon as they can read chapter books. After giving them one to read about cats first, of course. Formal review:

“The Metro Dogs of Moscow” by Rachelle Delaney was a quick, fun read that would be a nice thing to enjoy on a leisurely day with your children or even just by yourself. It’s a novel that falls into place with many movies I’ve seen about a small dog with a big heart who has to go on a mission to help other dogs. It isn’t the most original of novels but it’s cute with innocent, pure-hearted characters and simple, evil villains.

The plot is very predictable in its simplicity—for anyone over the age of ten at least—but nonetheless it’s heartwarming and follows the tradition of someone realizing that they have unexpected friends where they least thought they would. The writing style is also very simple and perfect for any young, reluctant readers who aren’t looking for tons of description about one thing or intricate, complicated explanations about someone’s true motives.

There is a nice amount of characters that reoccur in the novel, and each one is different, if stereotypical, so there’s at least one character for everyone to enjoy. The snobby, but large-hearted Beatrix, the gentle, intelligent Boris, the tough, kick-ass Ania, the grumpy-turns-nice, kind JR, the submissive, cautious Pie and the mischievous, fun-loving Robert are a just a few pups that come to mind. Not to mention the humans—messy, flirty George, dog-loving, rich John, beautiful, intriguing Katerina, mysterious, elusive Filip Filipov… There’s no shortage of characters and each one provides great fun and amusement.

The setting was great fun as well—Moscow, Russia through the eyes of a dog was certainly interesting and, in many circumstances, provided great humour as our sheltered protagonist, JR the embassy dog, soon shows us. This is one novel I could easily see being made into movie that audiences of films like Lady and the Tramp, Bolt, 101 Dalmations, All Dogs Go to Heaven and Cats and Dogs would enjoy. A movie from the dog’s point of view where the dogs can talk and have to solve a predictable problem.

Overall, this book was very light-hearted, quick read. The kind of book that you’ll pick up and read one lazy Saturday afternoon in the sun while sipping some sort of yummy drink and giggling at the childish humour. It’s a perfect book for any child under the age of about twelve, especially a child who loves dogs or just animals in general. If you read it as an adult, you will easily be transported back to your youth and enjoy a book where you won’t have to think about anything that’s going on because it’s not a particularly difficult book. It’s a nice book that deals with the theme of knowing who your friends are and strength in numbers. And not judging a book by its cover (I mean this as in a theme in the book—I personally think the cover of the book itself is cute). So if you’re looking for a book with a deeper meaning that you have to read between the lines to get, I’d suggest reading something else. But if you’re looking for a light, fun read with a child-like simplicity, or simply a book for your child, look no further.

Yes, this was an adorable book and I enjoyed it when I read it. Well it isn't the most memorable of books, it's sweet. In an I-love-the-characters-but-I'd-like-them-even-more-if-they-were-cats kind of way. Although at this very moment I'm dogsitting so we'll keep this our little secret. 

Final Verdict: 6.5/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber