Such a change in tempo & direction across the whole trilogy. The humour, characters & the out-there-nairness of the writing style are consistent at least which is what drew me into this trilogy from the get-go, with The Watchers

What can i say about the Way of Sorrows without giving it away...... well there’s more of the science in this chapter, about the cosmos in particular & a lot of jumping around in the timeline which makes it harder to follow at times than the first two books which were set mostly in “Nowtimes” – you’ll have to read it to understand the concepts of “beforetimes” & “nowtimes” as they are described. I’ll admit to not liking this book as much as the first two as it did overload me with an awful lot of the cosmic, religious & angelic “method” we’ll call it for want of a better expression. Whilst the first two were jus great escapist stories this contained at times a lot of hard cold fact & fantastical reveals. Alaska, Lausanne, American North West, Vladivostok & Jerusalem are featured in this chapter.

As to the trilogy itself - All three books are very different, the first maybe could have had a little more knowledge imparted into us, book 2 had a fair bit of action whilst three is a tad overload on the information dump about the impending apocalypse.... does that say the trilogy isn’t well balanced as a whole? I don’t know....? I jus know that I really enjoyed The Watchers as it lead you into a landscape that left you wanting more, of what it’s fair to say I didn’t really know at the time but I WAS captivated & enchanted by it all, Angel City really ramped up the pace & kept the characters & humour that id grow to love from the first book, whilst The Way of Sorrows was a tad choppy along the way, a mix of both perhaps but not always working for me.

For Way of Sorrows I would score it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. I’m also saying that as the first two books set a high bar with me.

Overall for the trilogy we’ve got a 4.5 Stars rating & for a debut work comes highly recommended for all interested in the Angel genre, good vs evil & good ol’ escapism.
2015-shortlist horror-super-para6 s Nigel881 124

This has a very deep tense, yet at times gentle, sense of impending doom running right through it. Jon Steele's ability to hold the reader through such intense (& often violent) action and then thoughtful periods of less action is second to none for me currently. His use of history of some of the religions of the western world and their thoughts is well researched and strung together in a clever and creative way. The cast of the book including the regulars such as Harper, the inspector, rock band roadie and the guet at Lausanne make a very welcome return and the characters are further developed. The reappearance of people (& Monsieur Booty!) from both the previous books is also very welcome and they are well used. In the end it is classic goodies v baddies stuff at a quasi religious level I guess however that simply emphasises Steele's talent as a writer to take a simple story to another level. Jon Steele manages to combine action thriller with mystical thriller and send shivers down the spine in doing it. While I've loved these books and would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone with an interest in this sort of fantasy I am now sad that this trilogy is over - I've love to read something else by Steele.

As a rider I would just say this is a book that you are plunged into right from the start and I would certainly suggest reading the previous two before this one. The author does manage to cover the fairly important parts of the previous two books here however they are so good they really should be read anyway. This book seems to me to take the story back up to the outstanding levels of The Watchers - all in all the Angelus trilogy is excellent.

There really is only one way I can close this review and it has sent shivers down my spine in all of the books - “C’est le guet. Il a sonné l’heure!” - I will miss it.

Disclosure - I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.
best-recent-ones fantasy netgalley6 s Kate1,631 378

The Angelus trilogy ends - and, as with its predecessors, The Way of Sorrows is written beautifully. This is a powerful novel, steeped in fantasy, legend and history, presenting a tensely dangerous, sometimes humorous and often moving world in which angels walk among us, albeit sometimes disguised as police and Grateful Dead roadies. The ending is spectacular and brilliantly located - a magnificent, fitting conclusion to a trilogy the of which I doubt I'll read again.

This is not a book that can be read in isolation, you must being with The Watchers.favourites-read-in-2015 out-in-2015-and-read4 s Paul723 67

Sadly all good things must come to an end. I felt slightly conflicted when I started reading The Way of Sorrows. Part of me wanted to know how this story was going to pan out, things have been building towards an epic conclusion since book one, but another part of me was dreading that there was going to be an end at all. I love it when I connect to a book, or series of books, this. An author has proven their worth as far as I am concerned if I am actively concerned about what happens next to a character.

When The Way of Sorrows begins, the ultimate evil that has been working in the shadows for millennia is finally revealed. Across the world, traps have been sprung for the angelic half breeds and those that are aware of their existence. With the descendants of angels gone, there is little to stop the coming apocalypse but a small group comprised of a deceased ex-soldier, a whacked out roadie, a former prostitute and her young son. This is where Steele excels; his characters are brilliant fun. I’ll happily admit that I’ll miss the eclectic group of misfits the author has assembled. Jay Harper with his sardonic wit and world-weary view, Krinkle with his ‘magic bus’ and cosmically mind-bending attitude toward everything. Katherine Taylor has also proven to be an engaging lead, her determination and steadfast refusal to accept her lot in life and make things better for her son Max has always came across as entirely genuine. Hell, I’ll even miss the man in the camel coat, Inspector Gobet, and the ever mysterious Monsieur Booty.

My only criticism, and it is a very minor one, is that I would have d to have learned more about Komarovsky, the villain of the piece. I can appreciate that he needs to be enigmatic up to a point, but I just felt a bit more of his back story could/should have been revealed. He has been hiding in the shadows for so long learning more about him would have been a bonus.

The Way of Sorrows ends on a beautifully bittersweet note and I have thoroughly enjoyed this series of books. The author has proven he has a natural talent for pacing and maintaining a reader’s interest with an engrossing plot. Characters Marc Rochat (I still miss him), last seen in book one, resonate throughout the entire narrative. His presence is felt right up until the final pages of this book.

I suspect that Steele’s work could easily be viewed on multiple levels. Most straightforwardly this could be seen as a thriller, with some supernatural elements, but it is when you start to dig a bit deeper you realise that there is much more going on. The plot explores some interesting metaphysical questions. I never expected way back in 2011 when I started reading Jon Steele’s debut novel that I would eventually find myself pondering our place in the universe. I can’t help but be impressed with fiction this that promotes such introspection.

On a personal note, I have to say I still find Steele’s depictions of Lausanne damned evocative. I have a profound desire to visit just so I can say I have walked those same streets. Perhaps one day I will, who knows?

My advice, if you haven’t done so already, is seek out The Watchers and Angel City. There is much to enjoy and reading them will add some splendid additional depth to your enjoyment of The Way of Sorrows. Once you have completed those novels you won’t just want to read book three you’ll need to read it. If you’ve already read the first two parts of the trilogy then what the hell are you waiting for? You are in for a treat.4 s Dgordon211

A great conclusion to a great series. what a great read, Angels, whores , the devil, religion, a war to save mankind
And the birth of a new species of human. Just agreat story really well told, sad that it's over.
DGordon3 s Dawn McEachin3

Too inspiring to put down

Too awesome to put down, these books are inspiring. Makes you really think about all that is and that can be .3 s Karen BrooksAuthor 15 books631

The conclusion to The Angelus Trilogy, The Way of Sorrows by Jon Steele, sees the cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil, which has been building over the last two books, reach its climax in none other than the holiest of cities on earth, Jerusalem.
Apart from an epilogue, which takes us back to the crucifixion of Jesus (each epilogue in this series has been poignantly and meaningfully crafted), this novel commences exactly where the second one, Angel City, left off – literally with a bang and with Katherine Taylor attempting to protect her son, Max, from the brutal forces trying to kidnap and kill him. Her erstwhile protector, Jay Harper, a guardian angel come detective, is slowly having his memories restored as the huge gap between ‘beforetimes’ and ‘nowtimes’ is painstakingly narrowed. What Jay gradually relearns about his two and half million years on earth and the role he’s played in the past and must again in the future, may yet save the world.
So, once again, the quest to save human souls from the dark forces that will devour them is on and heading it is Jay. Accompanying him are his buddy from beforetimes, Krinkle, the DJ, and the mad defrocked priest, Astruc, and his peculiar son, Goose as well as Katherine. Inspector Gobet and his allies play a huge role while minor characters such as the new keeper of the hours in Lausanne Cathedral and Corporal Amy play less but still significant ones.
The prophecy of which we’ve heard parts in the previous instalments is now finally revealed, as are those who have functions within that. Time is of the essence and, from the first page, the countdown begins…
For all that the writing is poetical in parts and Jon Steele is able to craft a story both enormous and galactic in scope, drawing on myths, legends, religion, science, philosophy and maths, as well as crafting intimate portraits of romance, self-exploration and self-doubt, I found this novel less satisfying than the others.
I am still trying to work out why, except that in some ways, there’s a sense in which too much is thrown into the mix. As each step of Harper’s, or Katherine’s (or name any other character) journey towards the end is taken, it seems more convenient (or inconvenient) truths are laid bare. A bit more of the prophecy crops up, or a mathematical conundrum or historical fact/family/act is expediently laid bare/discovered, which progresses the plot and characters forward. Sometimes, it seems so messy and hard to follow. There’s a sense of too much ex machina handiness that at times makes it difficult to suspend your disbelief. I am not sure why this happened at this stage, as in the previous two books, the context and world created made everything plausible within the tale. But maybe it’s just me.
The real and fantasy violence (which is breath-taking and fitting in terms of what’s occurring) is interspersed with inappropriate humour at times, and this I also found didn’t sit well. For example, Krinkle, particularly, as a character, while really interesting, was often given one-liners that detracted from the plot trajectory which was often fast and tight and meant you disengaged, thus destroying the flow of the narrative. His lexical interruptions made you wish he’d disappear in a cloud of ash. wise, the arch-villain and God, Komarovsky, is so dark and evil, he is almost a caricature. Any attractiveness or sensuality he once possessed has gone completely, but maybe that’s the point.
Once more, Steele takes us to amazing locations and peppers the book with different languages – Latin, Italian, Hebrew, French and so many more. Sometimes, this is as frustrating as it is interesting and a translation or at least contextualisation of the Latin particularly would have been rewarding. There are ways of doing this in fiction that aren’t didactic or obvious and I just wish Steel had deployed it a little more – particularly in this book where there is so much of it and so many references to the past.
In fact, it’s the scenes that take us back in time that I found really compelling. Whether it was with members of the Qumran Sect, the families (including the wonderful Israeli major) who have preserved and protected the angels’ secret for millennia, the Cathars, or the scenes which take us back to the time of Jesus, Herod and the Pharisees and Essenes, Steele evokes the past with a masterly hand.
A cross between an action-thriller, science fiction, police procedural, military strategy, fantasy-religious retelling and a philosophical treatise on the state of humankind, The Way of Sorrows has much to offer the reader and as far as novels that explore angelogy, is intelligent, well written and mostly, very gratifying.
2 s Debbie1,486

In for a penny in for a pound. I read the first two so I was determined to finish the third. And it took determination. This had the makings of a great story but it got lost is all the crap the author put into the book. Time warps, bible stories, a hippy angel, the holy grail, mythology, messages from space, quantum mechanics, astrophysics, etc. What? Where's the kitchen sink? Once again Harper is in the dark about everything unless his superiors think he needs background or explanations. I suspect this is a way for the reader to learn what's going on along with Harper but it just comes across is tedious and clumsy . The entire 'angel' hierarchy is deliberately mysterious and is inefficient as throughout all three novels the bad guys have outwitted the good guys at almost every turn until it hinges in a last ditch battle. Instead of suspense I was wondering all through the books how the good guys could be so incompetent. I can see that my take on this trilogy is the minority. I said this had the makings of a great story- but this one isn't for me.fantasy fiction paranormal-stuff2 s EstherAuthor 3 books43

I'm not sure whether this third book of the trilogy really got even better than the previous two.
But I am sure that it is a very worthy ending to the story.

As with the previous two books, I am in admiration for the imagination and the storytelling of Jon Steele. Though this fantasy kind of story is not my usual reading preference, I loved every moment of it. And though I am not a big fan of series either, I wish I could look forward to a fourth book to stay with all of this a bit more.

I hugely enjoyed this trip from Lausanne (where I live) through France, US and to Jerusalem with these characters. Harper, Katherine, Max, Inspector Gobet, Krinkle, Karoliina, Marc, Ella, even Astuc and the various Swiss Guards, some of them are going to stay in my heart for a while.

I do have one hope: that a movie maker reads this trilogy and sees the potential that I felt in it for an incredibly cool film !2 s PopcornReads - MkNoah938 102

Book Review & Giveaway: When the publisher sent me an email about The Watchers, Book #1 of the Angelus Trilogy by award-winning journalist and author Jon Steele, I wasn’t sure what to do because I don’t normally review novels about angels. When I read the concept, however, I sensed that this trilogy was going to be very different. I was intrigued to say the least, so I agreed to read The Watchers while making it clear that if I didn’t it, it wouldn’t be reviewed. I have to laugh about that now. All three novels in this trilogy are tomes yet I did not want to put any of them down, even when my arms were screaming at me or I needed to do something silly eat or sleep. I would finally reluctantly stop reading only when I got double vision – they’re that good. I’ve included links to my of the first two books, The Watchers and Angel City at the end of this review.

Book #3 is The Way of Sorrows and I put off reading it because I hated to think the Angelus Trilogy was going to end. I’ve grown to love these characters, the world they inhabit, and the story. I didn’t want to say good-bye to any of them, with possibly the exception of some super-bad uglies and Inspector Gobet. Gobet just irritates the hell out of me with his “need to know” reticence even when I understand why he behaves that way. I’m still calling this trilogy a thriller, with paranormal, supernatural and spiritual threads running through it. I realize it could also be called sci-fi – oh what the hell – it simply defies genre classification and that’s one of the things I love about it.

Whether you’ve read the first two novels or not, I encourage you to enter our giveaway because you can always download e-books of the first two novels to read – and – someone is going to win The Way of Sorrows at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8657.
angel demons detective-story ...more1 Francesca Markus3

Jon Steele’s THE WAY OF SORROWS is an exquisite end to his ANGELUS TRILOGY. Every thread of plot and character is woven with a master’s touch, along with meticulously researched history, religious studies, and quantum physics into a tapestry that is rich with mystery, myth and legend, and sound science. It is not for the faint of heart. A masterpiece this requires solid commitment and leaves the reader mind-blown, and soul touched. After I put it down I realized that I would probably never read another book so well written. It is a “MUST READ.”1 Brittnie18 1 follower

I received an ARC of this book, and I must say Jon Steele is now on my 'Must Read Authors' list. What a wonderful mixing of mystery, thrills, and adventure. I will admit I have not yet read the first two books in this series, which I plan to do before a revisit to this book, and so was a little lost for the first couple of chapters. Even so, the story sucked me in until I was so invested I could not help but finish. What a wonderful book!first-reads1 Susan801 13

Great conclusion to the Angelus trilogy. The dialogue that incorporates science with creation and evolution will never be the same!
The characters of this novel pushed the boundaries of the possibilities to the edge, while incorporating the myths and legends as told through the centuries. Makes one wonder 'what if'...
Good for book clubs, but need to read the whole series ~ then there is much to discuss.1 Leila603 13

After listening to the first novel, I thought the story was fascinating, despite the vulgarity. Following the second installment, my interest was beginning to wane, but I thought I would continue to the end. Finishing this novel was definitely not worth it. I felt the ending did not justify the build up and harsh language. I lost interest several times and barely made it to the end. The premise of the story was so promising and I am disappointed that it did not deliver.1 Thelma Melendez194 18

I received a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways

"The Way of Sorrows" was so much better than I thought it would be! Should definitely become a movie!
fiction-drama first-reads giveaways ...more1 Sharon544 50

Review to come nearer publication date.2015 highly-anticipated1 Christine Zibas382 36

"Then the fast moving clouds rolled in from the Mediterranean Sea and the stars were hidden from him."


This was a very confusing book, and choosing a star rating is trying to pin down a cloud. At times, it didn't seem possible to finish the book. Other times, it was impossible not to be amazed by the sheer magnitude of what the author was trying to accomplish, combining physics, fantasy, the story of Jesus, the angst of religious conflict, and the ultimate struggle between good and evil.

Not being one who places much value on fantasy, often there were moments that it was a struggle to simply press on reading the book. The finale, loaded with violent battle, also didn't appeal much. Along the way, however, there were moments of delight, when the author would take a concept from antiquity or Christianity and tie it to the unfolding storyline.

Those were the moments that garnered the 5-star rating. Many times, however, it would be easy to question such a grand gesture as that, and say it was more a 2 or 3-star sort of book.

This is the end of the trilogy, and for my money, the first book was much easier to enjoy, its logic much easier to follow. Ah, but with difficulty and frustration often comes keen flashes of insight. That's what readers have to look forward to with The Way of Sorrows.


Thanks to Blue Rider Press and Good Reads for allowing me to read this book.2016-around-the-world-contest 2016-books10 s Jia Cherng433 12

Emotional and thrilling ending to the trilogy. From a slow pace first book, to a book filled with exhilarating action. This series is plotted carefully from start to end and filled with details to the brim to create an imagery. The author is bold, willing to kill off characters (Marc Rochat, Officer Janssen, Harper among others), but still leaves hope for readers craving for a happily ever after that they still live on one way of another, it makes the reader that much more emotional. One thing I really d about this series is the characters, they are dynamic and readers can resonate with one character or another.

As for this book, there is nothing to complain about, I just thought that Marc Rochat could actually play in this book rather than just addressing his presence, but I guess the readers miss him more this way and that's the whole point.

Overall, a thrilling thirty hour read from start of the trilogy to the end. An emotional, detailed journey with the characters. More than worth a read.

Ps. I found out that the author only has this trilogy and one or two other books written. I hope that if you do stumble upon this review that you will consider picking up your pen and write again in the near future. William Crosby1,240 10

Starts with the Jewish revolt of 70 AD against the Romans who then destroyed the temple, masada, etc. Goes on to reinterpret history and religion. (In some ways it reminded me of the Golden Compass trilogy.)

Then it moves to Harper and the new LeGuet and an amnesiac Katherine (who, initially, does not know that she is missing Max who has been kidnapped).

I was greatly disappointed that the origins of these creatures was never explained.

Too much Harper in this book. I wanted more Katherine, Max, Monsieur Booty and the return of Rochat.

This book has deranged angels who are supposedly the good guys, but they are constantly forgetting who they are and what they did. These "angels" also use egg timers to tell when are out of time in a time pocket.

The "bad guys" seem to have more power and info than the good.

Music is a major theme.
Elisa CarothersAuthor 7 books5

I FINALLY got this series finished! Pheww! I think the best book was the first one, even though things do not really take off until after page 300! This last book hinted at something I am personally very much against...that an Archangel took the place of Yeshua, or Jesus on the cross. I know it is fiction, but still...I got rubbed the wrong way. I love Archangel Michael, but; he did NOT die for us! I give two stars for the writers talent at the ability to tell a story, and keep it going this far. I love books about angels, but that was another thing... Was Harper really Archangel Michael? You were pretty much left guessing. If he was, I was not a fan of Michael with this series! He came off worse than John Travolta in his yucky rendition of the Archangel in his sleazy movie " Michael". Read if you imagine angels as unattractive, vulgar, cussing, slobs who act worse than we do! Deborah461 2

This was a great ending to the trilogy. A bit lengthier than anticipated, but it brought in little threads from the previous books very nicely. I LOVED Harper, the protagonist with his moralistic attitude and always wanting to protect mankind. Beforetimes and nowtimes - two additional words to add to my vocabulary. Rachel1,871 23

I really this series. My only problem with this last book is the villain's court. Certain aspects make it seem a caricature and not as scary as one would think from the previous books. Still the theological aspects were fascinating and the characterizations of the main good guys were great. Joy847

This was quite a slow start; something common to all three books in the trilogy. Once it got going though, it was incredible. It made me cry at the end, which seemed a fitting end to the trilogy as the ending of the first book made me cry too. Rick Bavera671 42

Good read....but did not live up to the high standards and excitement of the first book in the series.

At least for me. I d book #1 best. fiction Cheryl103 6

If there was an option for ten stars...I would’ve clicked it.... loved it so vey much. What a great Trilogy. Ally Feldman119

The end of the trilogy. I really enjoyed it. The start of this book took a while to get going but I was just as engrossed by the end as the first two. Brett T644 10

Former war correspondent and cameraman Jon Steele's first foray into fiction, "The Angelus Trilogy," wraps up with this year's The Way of Sorrows, bringing Jay Harper, Katherine Taylor and their surrounding casts into battle with the evil forces that want to see humanity enslaved and chaos reign.

Way opens with a resolution of sorts to the cliffhangers that closed Angel City, but the resolution itself leaves more questions for Harper and Taylor in their respective arenas. There's plenty yet to learn before the villains can be brought to battle, but events may not give them the time.

Angel City, Way lacks a first-person narrative from Marc Rochat, the Lausanne Cathedral bell-ringer whose point-of-view sections infused volume number one, The Watchers, with a real sense of magic. Steele also reduces some more of the cosmic elements of the earlier parts of the series to as much of a science-fiction premise as the urban fantasy he began with. Some of that is interesting, but it also helps bake the magic out of the story, and that dimension was one of The Watchers' most compelling aspects.

And where in the first two books Steele eschewed most of the "this is how things really happened and all traditional Christian teaching has been wrong" patter that makes so many religious-themed thrillers annoying, he drops a lecture doing exactly that into an otherwise mundane travel sequence. The final battle is a little confusing and requires a couple of page-flips backwards to re-set the scene now and then.

Steele's excellent style and vivid characters remain, though, although this climactic volume understandably leans more on Harper as its main protagonist and leaves Katherine Taylor in about the same place she started. "The Angelus Trilogy" winds up as a good set of reads, even if it doesn't really live up to some of the promise of the first volume.

Original available here.full-review-available science-fiction thriller Karen Laird113 3

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 dimensional 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.
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-deminsional time and the layers and layers of time, as well as the creative way he had for moving between them was fabulous.
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 do believe that reading the entire series would most ly allow for the most enjoyment and thrills.
I give this a full FOUR STAR for thrills and great reading. reviewed Dave Suscheck113 1 follower

What an ending to an interesting and unique trilogy. I was concerned how it would all be tied together after such a strong debut novel in "The Watchers" and a weaker second novel. This third book does not disappoint. There were some unexpected twists involved that kept me reading until the end. I d the mix of catholic religious imagery with the unique mythology created by Steele. There was a confusing, open ended scene in the end with the protagonist and this mysterious voice from the edge of the universe (yeah, you read that right. It's trippy) that could have been further explained. It felt dropped and rushed.
This novel was as strong as the first in the area of character development and depth. Steele has a tremendous ability to paint characters that feel real. I became connected to his characters and their arcs throughout the three novels and wish he would have spent more time explaining where they went after the climactic battle at the end. Otherwise, it was a solid read I highly recommend. The only caveat being: you need to read all three in order to have any chance of understanding what the hell is going on. Great novel! Gary Hall214 3

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