The Angel Stone by Livi Michael

Author: Livi Michael
ISBN # 0141319323
Publisher: Puffin
First Published: 2006
380 pages
Rating: 7/10

The Blurb:
In every generation there are those who believe eternal life is the one way forward for humankind...Manchester, 1605 and Simeon is torn from his mother to sing at the cathedral school. In the here and now of modern Manchester, Kate's father has mysteriously vanished. Suddenly Simeon and Kate's lives are bound together by the power of the cathedral's Angel stone. One of them must make a terrible sacrifice. But who will it be - and at what cost to their future? And their past?

The Review:
Much as I love historical fiction, I have to admit, this was a little confusing in places, due to the switching between modern-day Manchester and the Manchester of 1605 – in fact, whenever the action switched to the present, my heart sank a little, along with my interest and attention, as it just didn’t hold up against the historical aspect which was far more intriguing. To be perfectly honest, this would probably read much better if the modern parts were left out (even if this would remove a plot point). The titular angel stone, although apparently playing a huge part in the plot, is barely mentioned throughout the book, which made me wonder the author had struggled to slot it into the story, having decided beforehand that this was to be a major part of the story. That said, the historical side of the story is wonderfully written and the characters have an olde worlde charm that compensates for the lack of it in the superfluous contemporary chapters.