A power kept secret for 2000 years. A woman who stands to lose everything.
India. When a nun is burned alive on the sacred ghats of Varanasi, and the stone she carried is stolen, an international hunt is triggered for the relics of the early church.
Forged in the fire and blood of martyrs, the Pentecost stones have been handed down through generations of Keepers who kept their power and locations secret.
Until now.
The Keepers are being murdered, the stones stolen by those who would use them for evil in a world transformed by religious fundamentalism.
Oxford University psychologist Morgan Sierra is forced into the search when her sister and niece are held hostage. She is helped by Jake Timber from the mysterious ARKANE, a British government agency specializing in paranormal and religious experience. Morgan must risk her own life to save her family, but will she ultimately be betrayed?
From ancient Christian sites in Spain, Italy and Israel to the far reaches of Iran and Tunisia, Morgan and Jake must track down the stones through the myths of the early church in a race against time before a new Pentecost is summoned, this time powered by the fires of evil.
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[It is said that those who die at Varanasi can achieve moksha, release from the suffering of repeated death and rebirth]***
(Independently Published, 16 April 2015, 292 pages, ebook, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I recently read and loved the 9 th book in the series, End of Days so I had to read this to find out how ARKANE started and tie up some of the loose ends I didn't fully understand as I hadn't any other books in the series. This is a great read, not quite on par with End of Days but excellent as the first in a series and presumably the author's debut / early novel. The myth that inspired this book is clearly Prometheus who defied the Gods and gave fire to man. A legend I'm very familiar with. Stone of Fire has all the things I learned to expect from End of Days such as ancient legends, fast paced action, puzzles and intrigue. ARKANE is fascinating and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I wish I'd heard of these books years ago as they are right up my street and a treat. Way cooler than Dan Brown.
