Book Review: Stonewiser, The Heart of the Stone

Stonewiser Saraiah was raised to believe that the Stonewiser’s Guild stands for truth and justice. But when she nearly dies wising twin stones no sane person would touch, she learns that the stone truth may not be as it appears. Deception surrounds her and the rebllious Sariah sets off on her own desperate quest for truth.

The Heart of the Stone is a difficult story to describe. It’s high fantasy that steps outside of cliched genre norms to tell the story of a woman hungry for both love and truth, cast adrift in a world full of selfish deceit and manipulation. I suppose there’s a certain uncomfortable truth to that: It isn’t safe to assume that the things we’ve been taught our entire lives are true just because someone told us they are.

This is an imaginative, thought-provoking tale. Sariah is easily sympathetic, even if her need for stones sometimes felt strange or alien — that was a part of the other worldliness of the story.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. Melissa Reizian Frank did a very nice job with the story. She has a strong voice for story-telling.

I recommend this book (in audiobook or text format) to fantasy lovers looking for something a little outside the mold.

Title: Stonewiser, Heart of the Stone

Author: Dora Machado

ISBN: 9780979968204

Originally published in June of 2008