Book Description
Do-it-yourself killer fixes small-town thug...
For ex-Wall Streeter Jacobia Tiptree and her teenaged son, Sam, September promises tranquil days winter-proofing their rambling handyman's special of a home in Eastport, Maine. But there's nothing idyllic about this Down East autumn. For starters, the return of truly vicious native son Reuben Tate stirs up the town. And when somebody slits Reuben's throat and hangs his corpse on the cemetery gate, the police trace a bloodied scalpel to surgeon Victor Tiptree—Jacobia's former husband. Yet Jake knows her troublesome, trouble-prone ex is capable of just about anything except murder. Proving that, though, is another matter.
Eastport is packed with tourists and former residents for the annual Salmon Festival—and Jake soon realizes any Eastporter, past or present, has motive for Tate's murder. To nail the real killer, Jake and her best friend, Ellie White, must probe a past as rotten as crumbling clapboard, while a secret hatred builds toward a series of murders even more brutal than Reuben Tate himself....
Customer Reviews:
Disturbingly close to home.......2006-04-16
I live in the area that is described in the Eastport mysteries -work in Lubec, sing in Eastport, travel the roads, frequent the restaurants, and sometimes think I recognize elements of Grave's characters in my neighbors. This is a great but disturbing read. Great, because this author writes a good mystery with relevant characters and she is a skilled story teller. Disturbing because of the reality that the themes in this book have for me as a counselor in this area.
What is disturbing about this mystery for me is the number of characters who die, the violence of their deaths, and the chilling denouement. These are all appropriate to the subject matter, however, and if you view fiction as an allegory for real life, a form that is both entertaining and informative, the very intensity and scope of the violence in this work of fiction are indicative of the harm that sustained child abuse can create both in the individual psyche and in the culture at large.
I prefer to have only one murder victim in a mystery; too many murders seem gratuitous and detract from the plotline (for me). As a pacifist, one of the things I like about murder mysteries is the symbolic way we can vanquish the enemy without actually harming anyone. To feel OK about enjoying a story in which people are killed, however, I need to feel a character's death is "justified." That wasn't always the case here.
Throughout this book I kept wondering why a superfluous character in a bar was killed ... he didn't seem to fit. Though he appeared to be a loser and a bum, I have known many men like him who have come up hard, have lived hard, and who have no where to go. While I find it impossible to like them, I do feel compassion for them. Where is the possibility of redemption if we kill such weak and ineffectual characters off?
I was also offended, a first with this author, by the description of a character as physically unattractive and hairy and ape like. Harping on physical characteristics that one has no control over seemed prejudicial and it was a jarring note in this author's otherwise wise and compassionate approach to characterization. The venomous description was out of character for the author and I wondered why this hadn't been edited out. These are minor points, however. It was the subject matter itself that left me pondering for days ...
The ending was disturbing in that a child was involved in such violence; where will this lead her? I see the results of this violence in developing children. I feel uneasy about murder mysteries that involve children, though the scene with the rag doll at the town celebration was chillingly real, as were the instances of child bullying, if not the actual child murder. Also, the crime of omission, the preacher not protecting a child who desperately needed relief from ongoing abuse, this was also close enough to reality to have a tinge of despair set in.
But perhaps this isn't bad. Good fiction can inform us about social problems as well as entertain. We need to wake up to child abuse and its life long effects. We need to have the courage to take a stand against violence, even when it may make us more vulnerable, or we may lose status, or friendships, or family we love.
Not all things are sad in this story. Wade is a rock; there are actually fishermen (and other men) in Maine like him. Men of few words and great integrity. Wouldn't that be something nice to clone! The women are strong and resourceful and the kids are realistic, so like the kids I know and work with. Not bad, not good, but people in the making, youth in need of guidance and positive role models. The cop is a nice, fair guy, and he loves and respects his attorney wife - no macho testrionics there. In fact strong women abound in these books, and not at the expense of the male characters, who remain true to life, fully fledged, feeling, conflicted, and often noble human beings.
We actually do not have many murders in Maine - it's one of the safest states to live in. But we do have all the problems that plague the rest of the country; we are, perhaps, more aware of them because there are so few of us in any one place. The victims of abuse are people we know, intimately, as are the perpetrators. This was a brave book. It's easy to write flighty stories about things that don't really matter. I commend this author for taking on a difficult topic and still making a good, readable story while forcing us to look more honestly at ourselves, and to motivate us to find a way to change.
Maine Mystery.......2002-02-07
I enjoyed this book. It is the first one in this series that I have read. I plan to read the 2 previous books now as well.
I enjoyed the characters. Jacobia is a smart amateur sleuth. She and Ellie are a great team for investigating. She is a newcomer to the area but was knowledgeable about the area and with Ellie's help got the locals to talk to her.
Her exhusband is an unlikeable fellow and I was glad he wasn't too involved in the story.
I would like to see a little more interaction with her son Sam and her boyfriend Wade.
I felt this story was very good. I did have an inkling as to who did it before it ended, but I wasn't sure.
I recommend this book.
By the pricking of your thumbs. . ........2001-05-25
. . .you'll know that something wicked this way comes, when you pick up this delicious book! Third in the Mainely Murder Mysteries, Sarah Graves just swoops you right into her world of Eastport Maine and doesn't let you go until she's good and ready.
Wicked here is personified by Reuben Tate, a native Eastporter who's come back to visit for the annual Salmon Festival. Or, maybe just to make trouble, at which he specializes with a capital S and a capital T, as well. Actually, he doesn't really need an excuse; he just likes to stir things up. And does he ever!
Jacobia Tiptree is the kind of clever, capable woman most other women would like to have as a friend, and when she hurts, you hurt, also. It doesn't take long in this book for Jacobia to be hurting in a big way. Used to standing on her own two feet, it never dawns on her that her best friend Ellie Carpenter is exactly the same kind of woman as Jake is herself, and the two of them together are formidable, indeed.
Except, of course, when Reuben's evil ways have been passed along to one of his disciples, who enlarges on them in his own unique fashion. Jake and her new love Wade, her son Sam, her former husband Victor, her friends Ellie and George, plus many of the townsfolk appear in this book, and by the end, they'll all be your good friends, too. Or you'll wish they were, just because they're such wonderful people. Even Victor has some saving graces.
This is not a cozy novel, however, and if you prefer non-violent, non-graphic wickedness, then maybe you won't care for it as much as I do. But then, I don't usually like those elements either. These books succeed on every level, however, the writing is purely superb; lyrical and expressive, while the characters are so strong they breathe! You'll be able to smell the sea, it's so much a part of the setting, not to mention the lobster and the salmon and the . . . just another reason for that 'delicious' in the first sentence of this book. I think I've recommended these books to everyone I know. My only grumble is that I can read the book faster than the author can write it. I tried to slow down, but I just couldn't--I HAD to know the who and the how and the why. And I had to know it, now.
This is for You if you love New England.......2001-02-14
Jacobia Tiptree gives up Wall Street to move to a small Maine town in order to remove her teenaged son from the less-than-desirable influences. She buys a fixer-it-upper that never seems to be fixed up. When a vicious ex-resident returns, the townspeople are none too happy about it. When he is found dead, the evidence seems to point to Jacobia's ex-husband. While she doesn't exactly wish him well, she knows that he's not capable of cold-blooded murder. In order to prove that, she has to discover who the murderer really is. This series gets better with each outing. The author has created characters who are likable, the plots are interesting and well constructed, and you almost smell the burning fall leaves.
A great read!.......2000-06-29
This series is so much fun, and this book is my favorite of the three. The characters are engaging, the plots imaginative, and the writing lively. What really sets these mysteries off from similar books is their ingenuous use of Eastport, Maine, as a setting. I hope other readers enjoy them as much as I have.
Book Description
In Stone Maiden, Ariel Knight, a nine-hundred year old gargoyle and ex-warrior for God opens a presentday bodyguard agency with her three sisters. At the request of the Angel Gabriel, they take on protecting Logan McAllister, playboy country music songwriter who has suddenly become a prime target for all of the evil supernatural beings in the area. While Ariel tries to unravel who is behind the mysterious attacks, she is also battling a growing affection and attraction for him. To make matters worse, Logan's business manager turns out to be a master vampire who broke her heart two centuries ago and still seems to have feelings for her. Nothing like fi nding out your lover is a soulless bloodsucker to ruin a relationship.
Customer Reviews:
incredibly dumb.......2007-09-16
I thought the editing lacking and the writing horribly corney. According to Tina Gerow's novel, Stone Maiden, God made gargoyles because satan preverted man into vampires. Now, there's some sort's prophesy told by a naked miniture faery with butterfly wings (who gets off flirty with and exposing herself to hero) that a country music writer will father a hero and/or a distroyer. Of course, upon meeting, said country music star and gargoyle, fall in love. Yes, nothing like screwing like mad bunnies without saying more than a few words to each other to win the hearts of millions of readers---NOT. Then there is the crazed zombie's who try to bite off country music writer's manly parts. Ugggg! I couldn't read more than 1/2 of the book. I was afraid if I read more I would continue to distroy my brain cells.
Stone Maiden by Tina Gerow.......2006-09-04
In the beginning, God made man. Envious because he was not able to create life, Satan instead perverted man and made vampire. To fight them, God in turn created the gargoyles.
Milena later, there are only five gargoyles left. For their service throughout the ages, God has released them to live their lives as they see fit - and what should they do but open a security firm?
Logan McAllister is a country music composer, and it is up to Ariel Knight to protect him. Or, his family jewels, to be exact. It seems that everyone wants them... off of his body, that is. As the man and the gargoyle search for the reason, various things come to light: Logan is the son of the only moral vampire, and his offspring will either save or doom the world.
The plot twists when a country music star shows up pregnant, claiming that Logan is the father. The problem? Ariel is also pregnant. But who carries the child of doom, and who carries the child of peace?
The plot was decent, in that there actually was a plot, but I think that zombies trying to rip a mans privates off is a little far fetched. The style itself could have been better, but I think that an editor would have helped with that. I gave it three stars because it was an enjoyable, light read, as hookey as it was.
stunningly good!.......2006-07-22
An ancient prophecy foretells of the daughter of destiny and the son of the blood. Will this prophecy result in the rise of Good or Evil?
Ariel Knight is one of four remaining gargoyles. Formerly a warrior for God (who is female), Ariel and her three sisters have created the Knight Security Agency to continue protecting humanity. The Archangel, Gabriel, specifically requests their assistance with protecting Logan McAllister, a hot country singer. Logan is being beleaguered by attempts to emasculate him but doesn't want a bodyguard, particularly a female one he finds attractive. Ariel quickly demonstrates her abilities by poking holes in his current security and Logan reluctantly accepts the help.
Ariel is furious when she discovers Logan's business manager is none other than James Wellington, the vampire who broke her heart 200 years ago. Ariel and James will have to deal with their past history while a very jealous Logan has his own dilemma with the reappearance of his occasional girlfriend, Charity Taylor. Meanwhile, a whole host of supernatural beings are descending on Logan and it will take everyone's best efforts to ensure that the prophecy is fulfilled for the Good.
STONE MAIDEN is a stunning tale full of all sorts of interesting supernatural characters! Ariel is a strong woman and her gargoyle characteristics are particularly intriguing, including her tattoo that masks the wings when she is not using them. Readers will empathize with her emotional turmoil while admiring her fortitude in the face of adversity.
The cast of secondary characters is also enjoyable as Tina Gerow provides an unexpected level of depth to several minor characters. The fairy, Alonna, is quite entertaining and the imprint signifying her healing powers is a stroke of genius on the part of Tina Gerow. One can only hope to read more about Alonna's antics in future books.
Tina Gerow has done a fantastic job with world building! Gargoyles appear very real and she provides a rather unique and believable background for their existence. The variety of supernatural beings in STONE MAIDEN is impressive and also includes vampires, zombies, succubi, and even a rokurokubi (Japanese goblin). Paranormal fans will be delighted with the mixture without being overwhelmed.
STONE MAIDEN is an incredible start to what appears to be a fabulous series. Tina Gerow is obviously a very talented writer and she expertly combines action, romance, and the paranormal to create a book that readers will not want to put down. FIRE MAIDEN is the second book in the series and this reviewer cannot wait to read it!
STONE MAIDEN is a compelling read and one that will belong on any paranormal reader's keeper shelf. Tina Gerow has woven an intricate storyline that will leave readers begging to know when the next book will be out. Highly recommended!
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
Gargoyles rock!!.......2006-01-25
I was thoroughly entertained by this book. And that's just how it it supposed to be. Witty dialogues, great characters and the writing style kept me glued to the pages. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long for the sequels....this author is now on my auto-buy list.
C/O Romance Junkies-Teri C.......2005-10-25
Ariel and her three sisters are the last of their warrior Gargoyle race that had been created by the Creator. They have protected humans from various forms of evil through out time from their birth to their rebirth when they were placed to live among the humans. Released after 500 years of loyal service the sisters have continued their role as protector's of humanity by forming the Knight Security Agency. Even though their powers remain intact they have lost their wings and don't turn to stone to sleep anymore. Ariel has been asked by a close and trusted friend to protect Logan McAllister, with or without his agreement. Nor will she be stopped by her libido, which had been locked in the deep freeze for a few hundred years and seems to be in overdrive while around him.
Ariel is a "take charge and take no prisoner's" kind of gal with a soft and fragile heart; you can't help but like and respect her. She says what she means and does what she says. She has had incredible heartache in the past which initially makes her suspicious of her intense response to Logan. As you read about her you empathize and champion Logan through their various dilemmas. You feel her resolve to do the right thing and fall in love with both of these characters in spite of and because of their subtle flaws.
Logan McAllister one of the "most sought after songwriters in Nashville" and has been the target of several minor skirmishes of someone either attempting to cut off the family jewels or harpoon them with an arrow. Either way it can't be very comfortable when someone is trying to harm your privates and he has no clue why. Scoffing at the idea that these incidents were not accidents, he attempts to sabotage his meeting with Ariel. Unfortunately, it fails abysmally when Ariel destroys all his comfort zones with her analysis of his shoddy security, not to mention she demolishes his hulking male bodyguard with in minutes of meeting him.
This was a fantastic read. It had action, comedy, hot love making and the best part...it read so smooth it went down like the richest chocolate. Ms. Gerow peppers the story with witty comments that make you smile or laugh out load. The characters are rich in their admirable traits and balanced by their imperfections. The reader falls in love with both of them as they continue to read and that makes this story an incredible read. The other fantastic thing in this story is the potential for a sequel. Ms. Gerow introduces many secondary characters that you fall in love with too. Hopefully, she will work on several sequels, particularly with regards to James, the Dark Redeemer.
Amazon.com
Setting: Scotland Highlands, 1170
Sensuality Rating: 7
The last surviving member of her family, Alainna MacLaren is heiress to the rich properties of Kinlochan and chief of Clan Laren, whose ranks have been decimated by a centuries-old feud with a neighboring clan. Desperate to protect her clan, she asks the king to choose a husband for her who is both a mighty warrior and one who will consent to take her surname so that her family name will not die out. Though sympathetic to her plight, the king has the security of all of Scotland to consider and orders a Breton member of his honor guard, Sebastien le Bret, to wed the lady, govern her lands, and build a castle at Kinlochan to secure the western Highlands.
Alainna and Sebastien are powerfully attracted to each other, but each has commitments to clan, family, and king that compel them to place honor first and love second. Despite the pledges, the treachery of Clan Laren's enemies, and threats to both their lives, neither can deny the deep love that grows between them. Whether they will survive and save the clan is another matter.
Strong and true, King's voice resonates with the lyric rhythm of Highland poetry. The Scotland of 1170 comes to life with vivid color, and each character, from the hero and heroine to the smallest player, is sharply drawn and unforgettable. Hearthside tales, the legend of the stone maiden, and the heroine's artistry with stone cutting are only a few of the fascinating details that make this novel unique. --Lois Faye Dyer
Book Description
In this first of a trilogy inspired by great Scottish legends, a woman saves her Highland clan by answering to the call of war--and the promise of a magical love....
Susan King...
"...evokes the people and land of Scotland."--Romantic Times
"...is destined to be one of the superstars of historical romance."--Romance Fiction Forum
"...entrances the reader with the days of yore. Her books will stand the test of time."--Affaire de Coeur
Customer Reviews:
Very Sweet, Wonderful Historical.......2005-08-12
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, how they spoke and interacted seemed to ring true to the time period, yet the hero was kind and caring. I also loved the poetry involved in the handfasting - beautiful! As much as I liked it, this book was not perfect - seems like King is stuck on the same theme, played out in several of her books - gets a little redundant. All in all, though a great historical read.
This book was my Waterloo.......2005-07-11
Never before in my life have I begun to read a book and failed to finish it...until now. I tried, I really tried to get into this. I gave it my best. I stuck with it for several hundred painful pages. But finally I had to admit defeat as I realised that I simply could not go on. Frankly, given a choice of a trip to the dentist for a triple tooth-pulling without anaesthetic or having to read this book, sadly, I'd have to pick the dentist.
Unintentionally, Susan King's writing is actually more terrifying than Stephen King's. In fact, I read out several paragraphs of it to a friend of mine and he began screaming, he was so horrified by how poorly it was written. I find it scary that something this bad even made it to print. And I find it scarier still that it got so many good reviews on Amazon. Did I read the same book as the rest of these people? The only other reviewer I wholly agreed with was Renee Cartwright, who said she was in pain from reading it. I totally concur with that judgement, Renee.
This is supposed to be an historical novel, set in the Scottish Highlands of 1170. But seriously, it was about as authentically Scotttish and historical as non-vintage chanpagne. The dialogue is totally Americanised (the occasional "Ach!" does NOT make it Scottish) and the supposedly wise and proud clan elders sounded more like a group of foolish old fogies from a Florida retirement village--and uninteresting, two-dimensional ones at that.
The excessive description of background detail in this is excrutiatingly dull and usually thrown in at the wrong times, impeding the flow of the storyline. For instance, in the midst of Alainna running away in a sulk, and Sebastien racing after her, for some reason the author feels the need to stall the action to give us a long, boring, irrelevant, almost full page description of the courtyard they are running through, right down to the last detail. PUR-LEASE! The right time to give this description (if at all) would have been when Sebastien first arrived and was looking around with fresh eyes, not when he's supposedly moving quickly in the near-dark of twilight, when one could hardly see anything anyway. This author apparently hasn't a clue about timing, or writing in general for that matter. She also feels the need to insert as many adjectives into sentences as she possibly can, rendering all her sentences painfully long and boring, and yet still not really saying anything poignant...my advice to this author is 'less is more', as any decent writing coach will tell you.
The dialogue in this is appalling and infantile--no one ever says anything really logical or intelligent or funny or clever, least of all Alainna or Sebastien. It shocked me to think that this couple would be allowed to breed and pass on their stupidity to their offspring.
This book could have been so exciting. The ideas behind it are good, and Alainna being a stonemason was an interesting concept. But this writer made Alainna's stonework boring, just as she did Sebastien's swordplay. I LOVE medieval weapons, and I like ancient architecture and stonework, but this writer sucked the life out these subjects. Also, I felt as if the author only made Alainna into a stonemason in a lame 'girls can do anything' pseudo-feminist token effort. In the end, though, Alainna was just a typical wimpy heroine whom anyone with a hint of feminism in them will dismiss. For instance, at one point Alainna is holding a bow and arrow (which we are told she knows how to use for hunting) when she sees a wild boar. Even though she could have shot the pig then and there, instead she turns and runs screaming like a prissy city girl, only to be saved by--you guessed it--the hero, who of course saves her in the nick of time, as the hero always predictably does. Everyone in the clan then spends the next week saying how wonderful the hero was for killing the boar, and that he is the bravest man of them all and a true hero, as if no one had ever speared a pig before! I thought it was a tad pathetic...almost as pathetic as the hero's attempt at storytelling. He told a poor, uninteresting tale that went for about a minute or two, tops, and suddenly everyone in the clan declared him a master storyteller with the soul of a bard. PUR-LEASE! Scheherazade must be lying awake all the long Arabian nights at the mere thought that that man could be considered a storyteller at all, let alone a good one. I've heard three year olds word their stories better than he did. He took what might have been a lovely tale and ruined it.
This book is full of lots of pretty words, but the writing style that throws them together higgledy-piggledy is just plain ugly. If a thirteen year old wrote this at school, I'd give it a B+ to encourage them for their efforts, but I'd also tell them to keep working on improving their craft. But for an adult, this only rates an F.
Still, it might encourage aspiring writers everywhere to know that you can write a steaming heap of crap like this and still get it published! Apparently, ANYONE can make a living out of writing books, even the barely literate.
A Subtle, Beautiful Love Story.......2004-10-12
Either Sebastien "clicks" with readers or he doesn't. If he dosen't, those readers found the story to be slow. But for those readers like myself who were drawn to him from the beginning, Sebastien was the perfect hero. (He didn't have a silly line anywhere.) Since I did like him so well I found everything about this book endearing and interesting. I hated to see it end. I loved Sebastien's humble ways, I loved the way he respected the elder clan members, and respected Alainna as a clan leader; he never once doubted her ability to lead a clan (although she never actually "led" her clan in my opinion). Sebastien was the perfect man.
A Nice Love Story.......2004-09-14
This was a very laid back setting and the story was interesting. The hero was one of the best ever. He had everything; looks, intelligence, compassion, and he was sexy. Honestly, though I could have cared less about the "Stone Maiden" herself, I was too enthralled with Sebastien and his courtship of Alainna.
One of the best of the lot.......2004-09-14
This is one of the most endearing and sweetest books around, and unlike some S.K. novels, this one isn't slow and boring, it's relaxed and romantic. Sebastien was not only handsome, he was a man of wonderful character. I'm not quite sure Alainna deserved him though.
Average customer rating:
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Maiden's Stone
Drew Brinson
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
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ASIN: 0595412653 |
Book Description
In 1515, Thomas Lillard gave up Knighthood and Scotland. He sailed to France where he married a beautiful French woman. It seemed that the fates had smiled upon Evett. That God had heard her prayers. The two settled on a large plot of land in the Loire River Valley. Thomas became known for his vineyard and fine wines. The English he had fought against called upon him for his vintage. But everything was not as it seemed on the surface.
Thomas's real mission was one of secrecy. The vineyard was just a cover for the Scots Garde to practice the ancient arts of Scottish battle.
Thomas and Evett's daughter, Rene, would change the course of history for the Scots Garde. A descendant of Joan of Arc, she would live to fight with her father's men, teach them another way of fighting, and fall in love.
Rene wanted to be with Jared more than anything in the world. Fate led them back to Scotland. What was written long ago was sealed. Somewhere out in the deepest reaches of space and time, the stars were waiting.
Today the words are upon the Maiden's Stone.
Average customer rating:
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The Maiden Stone (NHB International Collection)
Rona Munro
Manufacturer: Nick Hern Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
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ASIN: 1854592432 |
Average customer rating:
- Pretty Good
- awsome and enchanting
- An interesting work of fantasy
- nice start ,but dies by mid book
- Not Bad, but not Great
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The Stone and the Maiden (House of Pandragore)
Dennis Jones
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
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ASIN: 0380978016
Release Date: 1999-08-03 |
Amazon.com
The Stone and the Maiden has all the elements of a great fairy tale--a corrupt king, an evil wizard, a conniving stepsister, and, of course, a beautiful princess and a handsome soldier. Author Dennis Jones weaves an intricately threaded story around these classic characters in this action-packed tale.
The Ascendancy is rotting from the inside out. Archates, incompetent Dynast, is fearful and easily manipulated, willing to sacrifice his kingdom, his people, and even his own daughters to preserve himself. The barbarian Tathars are on the march, taking advantage of the Dynast's cowardice and slowly crushing the Ascendancy. Evil Erkai the Chain aids the Tathars with his forbidden Black Craft--the magic of death. In the middle of this desperate situation, the luminessa Mandine, uncertain heir to the Ascendancy throne, experiences a vision in which the God and Goddess instruct her to find the Signata, enigmatic tool of Deep Magic. If she succeeds, Erkai and the Tathars can be defeated. If not, the universe will be threatened by unspeakable evil. To make matters worse, Mandine's stepsister Theatana has designs on the throne and is willing to torture, kill, and dabble in the Black Craft to get it.
But never fear, our plucky heroine doesn't have to go it alone. She's got the able strength of hunky Key Brander at her side, not to mention the assistance of the mysterious forest-folk, the hemandri, and their familiars, the small dragon-like pandragore. This first fantasy novel is a terrific quest adventure and a romantic fantasy all rolled up into a delightful package--beginning Dennis Jones's House of the Pandragore series in high style--plus the complicated setup promises many sequels. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
The Legend
The myths name it the Signata: the place that contains all places, the moment that contains all moments. As enigmatic to the gods as to mortals, the sacred treasure is said to have appeared but thrice in forty centuries, always in a different form, and each time to vanish as suddenly as it came. Its purpose and powers, no one knows. Yet in a world threatened by an ancient and merciless evil, it seems the only hope--if it can be found.
The Evil
The barbarian Tathars cut a scarlet swath across the lands of the Ascendancy, led by Erkai the Chain, a master of the dreaded Black Craft. However, there exists a power that dwarfs even Erkai's sorcery: the force known as Deep Magic, long ago banished from the world. But now Erkai has found a way to break the ban, and seize that terrible power for his own.
The Destiny
Defeating Erkai and the Tathar horde falls to Mandine Dascaris, heiress to the throne of the Ascendancy, and to the young soldier Key Mec Brander, an outlander from the distant lands of the Elthame. Together they embark on a secret, desperate search for the Signata. To fail means the ruin of their world--but the price of success may be no less than their lives.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty Good.......2005-10-25
It is a shame that Dennis Jones didn't get more notice for this book or the sequel The Mask and the Sorceress. While neither is groundbreaking, the writing is solid and shows real promise. You can get these two books very cheaply in the Marketplace, and I think they would be a very good buy to anyone who likes a well paced, pleasant fantasy.
awsome and enchanting.......2003-03-09
this book was so amazing i couldnt put it down. Teachers yelled at me in class to stop reading it.
You have love fighting and not your everyday migic story. Instead of just having mages and people with magical powers u have everyday people from an empire under attack trying to save their future.
this story was very unique and always kept u guessing what was going to happen next.
I would recommend this to any big fantasy reader and even if u are just starting to get interested in fantasy this book is a good way to start.
kaitlin
also i recomend- Mask and the Sourceress:dennis jones, The Darkangel:Merideith Ann Pierce, Wit'ch Fire:James Clemmens.
An interesting work of fantasy.......2002-08-17
The Ascendry is under attack by the violent Tathars and it looks like the country may never recover. But the Tathars are not alone in their attack. Erkai the chain, a powerful sorcerer, swears vengeance on the Dynast and his bloodline. The Dynast himself is weak and fearful, caring about no one but himself. To top it off the Dynast's youngest daughter is corrupt with the black arts and plans on taking the throne as soon as possible. It looks like there is no hope for the Ascendry and the country will not survive.
But there is. Mandine, the future Dynatessa, has been given the task by the Two (the God and Goddess) themselves. She must find the Stingtana a powerful tool that affects everyone that it touches. Her only companion is to be Key, a young soldier who she finds herself strangely drawn and attracted to. But before their journey can even start Mandine finds herself trapped in her father's castle. Can they ever escape? And what will happen when they do?
I was a bit unsure about reading this book, considering half of the reviews on amazon were negative. To tell the truth the only real reason I read this book was to read the sequel (The Mask and the Sorceress, which looks very entertaining.) When I read this book I was pleasantly surprised. Sure some of the characters were a bit underdeveloped but the storyline was entertaining and it took place in a new and intereresting world. The Stone and the Maiden is a good start to an interesting looking fantasy series. I would probably recommend it.
nice start ,but dies by mid book.......2002-01-23
The start of the story was very good, but by the middle of the book it just limps along. The main characters kept second guessing what they had done. This gets old fast. Skip this one.
Not Bad, but not Great.......2001-08-31
It's an entertaining read. It is. If you want a nice, interesting read pick it up. There are quite a few elements going for this book, like the main characters. Mandine, the heir to the throne, is a competent heroine, neither a wishy-washy shrieker or a muscle-bound amazon. Key, the noble born soldier is brave and experienced without being the typical "I'm a tough soldier and you've gotta listen to me cause I'm a guy." I also like the setting, a world left over after wizards had decimated the old empire and destroyed themselves with powerful magics. The Ascendency is the government ruled by a Dynast or Dynastessa, an interesting change from a King, Queen, etc and has a medieval setting without too much stereotyping. The different species are cool too, the forest dwelling Hermanders and Hippaxas, huge cavalry mounts with horns.
Things that are NOT going for the book. Interesting characters that lack depth. You don't really feel connected toward Mandine or Key. You can still feel worried for a character even though you know they'll probably be alright, but I didn't feel worry or anything else towards them. They just got a little boring after awhile. The melodramatic love story was also a little gagging. And Erkai, a "servant to no one" sorceror with Black Craft, was a cool villain without a meaningful existence except to terrorize some people and go away. I felt like I was waiting for the book to really rev up and get going but it ended before it did, and ended with a petit pop instead of a bang. Not unexpected, but a little disappointing. It is not however a bad book, I was just expecting more. Take it out from the library would be my advice.
Average customer rating:
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The Stone Cutter and the Navajo Maiden
Vee F. Browne
Manufacturer: Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Native North & South Americans | Multicultural Stories | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 189335492X |
Book Description
In the deep, deep Dinetah lives a young Navajo maiden named Cinnibah. She looks after her widowed father, and every day she grinds corn into flour to make their bread. To do so, she uses a metate - an ancient grinding stone that has been passed down in her family for generations. When Cinnibah accidentally shatters the metate, she sets out on a journey to find someone who can help her mend the stone. Her quest brings her to a Moccasin Maker, a Potter, and, finally, the mysterious Stone Cutter. Will he be willing to help her?
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THE STONE MAIDEN
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0425025241 |
Books:
- A Catskill Eagle, a Spenser Novel
- A Darker Place
- Act of Mercy (Sister Fidelma Mysteries)
- Agents of Innocence
- Always a Thief
- Animal Appetite
- Art, Anti-Art, Non-Art: Experimentations in the Public Sphere in Postwar Japan, 1950-1970 (Getty Trust Publications: Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities)
- Badger's Moon: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland (Sister Fidelma Mysteries)
- Blind Bloodhound Justice (Bloodhound)
- Bones to Ashes: A Novel
Books Index
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