The Angel StoneAuthor: Juliet Dark
Series: Fairwick Chronicles #3
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Format: eARC
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher
A can’t-miss read for fans of Deborah Harkness and Karen Marie Moning, The Angel Stone weaves a tale of ancient folklore and thrilling fantasy with a passionate love story that transcends time.
For Callie McFay, a half-witch/half-fey professor of folklore and Gothic literature, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove—a sinister group of witches and their cohorts—many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust.
With her unique magical abilities, Callie is the only one who can rescue her friends from exile and restore order to the school—a task that requires her to find the Angel Stone, a legendary talisman of immense power. Propelled on an extraordinary quest back to seventeenth-century Scotland, Callie risks her life to obtain the stone. Yet when she encounters a sexy incarnation of her lost love, she finds the greater risk is to her heart. As the fate of Fairwick hangs in the balance, Callie must make a wrenching choice: reclaim a chance for eternal passion or save everything she holds dear.
The Angel Stone is the third and final book in the Fairwick Chronicles, and unfortunately it wasn’t always been smooth sailing with this series. I loved the first book, The Demon Lover, but I had issues with the second book, The Water Witch, so of course I was hesitant about reading The Angel Stone. There were a couple of irritating moments, but I ultimately enjoyed it. It also had a faster pace than the last book, which I was very grateful for.
Since the door to Faerie closed, Fairwick hasn’t been the same. A large portion of the unique population are stuck in Faerie, while the College is being taken over by the Grove and their nephilim allies. There is a much more sinister agenda in the works than Callie could imagine. The only way for her to stop it is to go back in time to 17th century Scotland. Yes, the fact that there was some magical time travel bumped it up for me.
Callie’s character bugged me in last book, but I liked her again in this one. It felt like she was clueless to what was right in front of her for way too long. Thankfully though, she turned out to be a stronger character in The Angel Stone. I was also pleasantly surprised with Frank. We get to see a lot more of his personality, and I liked him quite a bit more than I previously did. He brought some much needed humor to the story. I enjoyed the other characters, too, but not as much as Frank.
I mentioned that Callie goes back in time, and honestly, this was my favorite part of the book. I liked how the author weaved the past and the present together. There were certain aspects that weren’t really explained and kind of brushed aside. While that would normally bother me to no end, I was okay with it in this case. I also enjoyed the romance a lot more in The Angel Stone. This is a major facet of the series, and I was pleased with how everything pulled together. I thought the name variations was a nice touch.
Overall, I’m happy with the way the series ended. It was a tough hump to get over with the second book, but The Angel Stone made up for it. If you like magic, folklore and romance, then you should give the Fairwick Chronicles a shot.
I would love to read this
Glad this one was better for you. Sounds good, and I have the first two in the series. I think I should get reading them soon.. 🙂 Great review.
Look at you finishing up all these series, that is awesome!
I loved the time travel too and was glad Callie found herself.
Glad this worked out for you despite some problems. I didn’t get along with Demon Lover right off the bat so I didn’t continue on to this series.
Fab review, Christy.
The Demon Lover was one of those books that I didn’t realize how much I liked it until I finished it. I’m glad to be done with the trilogy though.
I’m really glad you enjoyed this one, Christy! We have a lot of the same thoughts/feelings about The Water Witch and this one. I LOVED the time travel aspect, and I liked that Callie wasn’t as wishy-washy as she was in the 2nd book. I really liked Frank in this one too. He seemed so arrogant at first, but he really came through for Callie and it was nice to see some growth. Great review! 🙂
I just saw another review of this book today, and I can’t believe that I didn’t know there was a second or third book out yet! Shame on me. I really want to check out this series, and I finally have some time for reading so maybe I will do just that.
Thanks for the great review!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I haven’t read Juliet’s works before, but I like a lot these topics. Now I’m going to start from the first book of the series. Thanks for your review
I actually liked the second book I think better than the first. I started this last night and so far I am enjoying it. I have always liked Frank and I am happy that he has a bigger role in this one. Anyway glad that you liked this overall and that the series wraps well.
I’ve been seeing this one EVERYWHERE today! This is a series that I really think I might like a lot. I have been warned about the second book but I’m glad you enjoyed this third one. Hopefully one day I can pick this series up!
Ooo time travel! I definitely need to catch up on this series.
I’m glad to hear Callie turns into a stronger character in this book and that the ending is strong. I’m so behind on this series, but after reading your review I’m more enthusiastic about catching up than I was before (lots of book two slump reviews were holding me back). Awesome review! 🙂