Angel: A Novel [Paperback]

Alton L. Gansky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2009

A wise stranger has come to save our world. But is he too good to be true?

An earthquake shakes Southern California, setting the stage for the appearance of Aster a stranger from a world far from our own. Miracles happen around him, spectacular promises are made, and wisdom flows from his lips.

 

He says he has come to complete our knowledge, to explain our beginnings, and to correct our spiritual errors. And the world is ready to receive him: politicians seek his advice, religious leaders wish to call him friend, scientists want to study him, and philosophers wish to debate him.

But not everything is what it seems. This messenger seems too good to be believed. Priscilla Simms, an investigatory journalist, is the only one close enough to the stranger to get at the truth. But unraveling the truth may cost her reputation, and maybe even her life.  

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alton Gansky is the author of twenty published novels and six nonfiction works. He has been a Christie Award finalist (A Ship Possessed) and an Angel Award winner (Terminal Justice). He holds a BA and MA in biblical studies and has served as senior pastor for three Baptist churches in California, with a total of over twenty years in pulpit ministry. He and his wife live in the High Desert area of Southern California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 293 pages
• Publisher: Realms (March 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599791803
• ISBN-13: 978-1599791807
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alton Gansky (www.altongansky.com) has written a number of other novels, including Zero-G, Finder's Fee, Director's Cut, Before Another Dies, The Prodigy, and the J. D. Stanton mystery series. He also writes nonfiction books that explore the mysteries of faith, the Bible, and God. He and his wife, Becky, have three adult children and live in Southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story from start to finish, October 4, 2007

By 

Brian Reaves (Anniston, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

After being a little disappointed in "Finder's Fee", I was thrilled with "Angel". Starting with a hopeless situation (a woman resigned to die tells her story so SOMEONE will hear it before it's too late). Gansky keeps the character of Aster ambiguous for a while before slowly showing us he has an agenda of his own.

Unlike the slow middle of "Finder's Fee", "Angel" never really slows down. The concept of an alien coming to earth to offer help isn't a new one, but the way Gansky handles his story makes it really unique. The ending is powerful.

One thing that's great about Alton Gansky is the fact that he writes every genre you can think of. If you love speculative fiction or Sci-fi, you'll really enjoy this story.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book by Gansky, February 4, 2008

By 

James A. Nichols (Midwest City, OK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

Alton Gansky has to be one of the top writers around today. He writes every kind of fiction genre and also does non fiction work as well. This book would be classified as a science fiction type book but really it is more than that. The book starts off with a women(Priscilla) who is recording her last will and testament while in hiding. She then begins to tell her storyand how she got to where she is. An earthquake takes place in California and a stranger(Aster) comes after the quake. The stranger an eight foot all being from a spacecraft claims to bring peace and healing to all nations. He wants Priscilla to help him speak to world leaders and to be his voice for the public. Priscilla begins to have questions about what Aster is teaching and questions his teachings. The book shows how everyone is quick to believe people and to think they are doing good things for everyone. People are quick to follow new teachings without checking to see if they are the truth. I though the ending went a little too fast but then again the whole book never really had any slow spots. A great book I would highly recommend this book.

3.0 out of 5 stars A good read!, November 14, 2010

By 

Ian M. Acheson (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading "Angel". The story line was clever and the crossover of the 3 parallel plots was good.

The Biblical perspective of evil masked as good was strong whilst the intersection of the supernatural and the physical is an important concept. The pace of the novel was quick making it easy to read whilst waiting to see how the ultimate conflict pans out. And the conflict is worth the wait, it's a beauty with some surprises (well for me one in particular re:Lizzy) but is over all too quickly.

That would be my major criticism - and perhaps it's designed so that a sequel is in the offing.

Priscilla Simms is a strong character and I'd like to see her further developed in a sequel. And I really liked Lizzy but once her true self is revealed one wonders whether she would have waited so long to go into action and perhaps could have been used more during the middle part of the book.

I'll definitely read another one of Alton's novels, particularly one that has a similar theme.