Vanishing Twin is a dark, romantic fantasy written by Tanja Kobasic. It's the story of two conjoined sisters, Scarlett and Jade Jennings, who are in their twenties. They were rescued as infants from a nightmarish Bulgarian orphanage by their adoptive parents and raised in Arizona. The two sisters have become celebrities and motivational speakers following the publication of Jade's book, My Sister's Hands. The sisters each have their own torso but share a pelvis, and Scarlett has become resigned to the fact that her sister, Jade, is her lifetime partner, no matter what. This shared semi-existence is shattered quite suddenly when Sebastian Cole, a young magician, approaches Scarlett at a book signing.

Tanja Kobasic's dark romantic fantasy is a remarkable and compelling story that is also very much a psychological thriller. Kobasic explores the ramifications of her characters' plight: a companion who can never be walked away from, the total loss of privacy, and the overwhelming impotence a conjoined twin can feel in every aspect of her existence and her future. Vanishing Twin is also a unique coming of age story as the submissive and repressed Scarlett regains the belief in the realm of possibility she had lost as a child and becomes a person in her own right. Sebastian's story is equally mesmerizing as the doomed, playboy magician who can really work magic but has to contend with the darkness and tragedy of his own past. I had trouble putting down Vanishing Twin as Kobasic smoothly and skillfully wraps her readers in her story line. Her characters are real and finely drawn, and the descriptions of the Nevada countryside are quite literally wonderful. Vanishing Twin is highly recommended.

Vanishing Twin: Stone Series by Tanja Kobasic is about Scarlett and Jade Jennings, twins who are fused at the pelvis. They share everything on their bodies from the waist down and they are the definition of survivors. The twins were born to a Bulgarian mother with a drug addiction, only to be dumped in an orphanage and later adopted by a couple in America. After becoming motivational speakers and authors they move to Las Vegas, where life gets interesting, including a mix of power, magic and possibly demons.

I admit that I have not yet read Angels in Stone, which is also part of the Stone series; with that said, Vanishing Twin is a book that stands on its own merits. I was at first a little taken aback by Scarlett and Jade. I could not believe what it would be like to be conjoined in such a way and to have to share so much of yourself with another person - that said, the sisters are truly inspirational. I love how the author Tanja Kobasic made them into motivational speakers because it just seems to fit with what they should be. For me, the characters were so lively and well written that they could jump off the page and you could find yourself having a talk with them. The supernatural point of this book is well written and creative as well. The story of good and evil is an old one, but it has been presented in a new and creative way. Kudos on this book - it was a fast read for me, cover to cover without setting it down!