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Stonewiser #1
The Heart of the Stone
As a Stonewiser, Sariah can read the stories hidden deep within the sacred stones. She has the power to witness the past and change the future.But when she discovers dangerous lies that have been interwoven with the truth in the stones, she is forced to turn to her a man who is as intoxicating as he is powerful... ...and her world won't ever be the same again.
453 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
55 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
Dora Machado
8 books89 followersDora Machado is the award winning author of the Stonewiser series. She is one of the few Hispanic women exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy genre today.She holds a master's degree in business administration and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in history from Georgetown University. She was born in Michigan but grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a bilingual fascination for writing, a preference for history, and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She enjoys long and winding walks, traveling, and connecting with the amazingly clever readers who share in her mind's adventures. She is currently working on several projects, including her next novel, The Curse Giver, which is set to be published August 15, 2013. She lives in Florida with her indulging husband and three very opinionated cats.
To learn more about Dora Machado and her award winning novels, visit her website at http://www.doramachado.com/. You can also email her at Dora@doramachado.com, find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101 or follow her on Twitter @DoraMachado.
To learn more about Dora Machado and her award winning novels, visit her website at http://www.doramachado.com/. You can also email her at Dora@doramachado.com, find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101 or follow her on Twitter @DoraMachado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 6, 2020
I was given this book for free by the narrator in return for an honest review, so here goes. I had never heard of the Author or narrator, but after listening to this, they are both a revelation. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world that has been rebuilt somewhat by separating the rotten lands from the still viable areas. Knowledge is stored on stones in a magic process, and they are readable by magic users called Stonewisers. The stonewisers guild controls all the stonewisers, keeping them in a form of slavery. The main character, Sariah, is a particularly rebellious but strong stonewiser. She breaks into the archive and wises Twin Stones, which are supposed to be unreadable. They show her a scene from the breaking of the world, and an Intrusion gives her a prophesy. She is punished for her troublemaking, and as she ends up escaping with some badlanders who had been captured by the Shield, which is the enforcement arm of the Stonewisers. They escape to the badlands after a series of adventures, where Sariah Stonewises for the clan, until circustances force her to return to the goodlands. There, she is held by the main Shield as she trys to finish learning the rest of the knowledge of the breaking. When she does, it changes everything about the world, causing multiple forces to be arrayed against her to try and keep her silent. Meanwhile, she discovers that love is a real thing, haveing never seen it before. This is a very original take on these themes, with the action moving along at breakneck speed. The characters are deep and thoughtfully created, with strengths and flaws to help flesh them out. The villains are suitably evil and not cliched, with realistic motivations. I can't wait to get into the second book. Melissa's narration was spectacular. She used multiple voices, tones and accents, handling both male and female voices while giving each character a distinct flavor. I would recommend this book to any fantasy fan, you won't regret it!
May 12, 2015
In truth, a 3.5 rating would be more appropriate for Stonewiser as it had only one major flaw, and that was eventually resolved. For the most part, Stonewiser is well written book that takes place in a decently imaginative world, not hugely so but enough to maintain interest. The characters are solidly developed with organic emotions, actions and thoughts, while the plot is entertaining, if slower than most fantasy books at the moment, and solidly constructed. Stonewiser's main flaw, however, is that its protagonist, Sariah, is unlikable through the first half of the book. She is at once petulant and querulous then adds in a hearty dose of poor decisions and the inability to admit when she was wrong. Later on, she adds deceitful and manipulative to her list of shining traits. Thankfully this only lasted half the book before her character improved, though not from any natural development or any event that catalyzed the change. The change to her character is less of an evolution or natural improvement and more of a gradual vanishing of the unlikable traits, they just fade from view and only get one more mention after another couple hundred pages. Finally Stonewiser has some very graphic sex, rape and torture scenes, just something to keep in mind before picking it up.
April 22, 2014
Sariah has always thought that stones were pure in judgement. That only the truth was held throughout their natural substance, and on that supposed truth lies the very fate of the lands. But what happens when that truth is hidden or changed to submit to one, or even many, who does not want the true truth to come out?
When Sariah finds a terrible tale within stones she finds in the Guild's Vaults, a tale that was not meant to be found, and is almost killed because of it, she begins a journey that will take her from the Guild into the real world outside of it. A journey that will show her how strong she must be in order to throw away all she believes in order to realize the truth: that there is a rot infiltrating the very recesses of the world she thought to be protected from such things.
Throughout this journey, she will pair up with a group of New Bloods, and one in particular, Kael, seems to hold a slight animosity toward her, because she is at first unwilling to admit that the Guild might be part of the disease, and possibly even her kind. But thankfully this does not prevent him from protecting her when trouble comes calling. And, believe me, it will come calling a lot.
This book is different from a lot of the other fantasy books I have ever read. They way the characters speak, the beautiful descriptive writing, the storyline behind the whole thing, everything is intricate and intimate and so wonderfully put together. It is definitely worth the read, and I absolutely adored this novel.
When Sariah finds a terrible tale within stones she finds in the Guild's Vaults, a tale that was not meant to be found, and is almost killed because of it, she begins a journey that will take her from the Guild into the real world outside of it. A journey that will show her how strong she must be in order to throw away all she believes in order to realize the truth: that there is a rot infiltrating the very recesses of the world she thought to be protected from such things.
Throughout this journey, she will pair up with a group of New Bloods, and one in particular, Kael, seems to hold a slight animosity toward her, because she is at first unwilling to admit that the Guild might be part of the disease, and possibly even her kind. But thankfully this does not prevent him from protecting her when trouble comes calling. And, believe me, it will come calling a lot.
This book is different from a lot of the other fantasy books I have ever read. They way the characters speak, the beautiful descriptive writing, the storyline behind the whole thing, everything is intricate and intimate and so wonderfully put together. It is definitely worth the read, and I absolutely adored this novel.
June 7, 2017
2.5
The world building is uneven, deep in many places but often it feels like the word "stone" or "wiser" is all you read. The magic system was in every aspect of the book but ultimately felt unfinished and convoluted.
Also, the whole world is predicated, it seems for some odd reason, on chopping other people up, like its some alt-world butcher shop. Da fuq?
Rape, maiming, dismemberment, and torture on every other page, no lie. And lets not forget baby murder. That we get reminded of at least 20 times in the book.
Surprisingly the hero comes back from his "quartering" execution torture and stoning, lets not forget that, in some fantastic mystical bath. Uh. No.
The world building is uneven, deep in many places but often it feels like the word "stone" or "wiser" is all you read. The magic system was in every aspect of the book but ultimately felt unfinished and convoluted.
Also, the whole world is predicated, it seems for some odd reason, on chopping other people up, like its some alt-world butcher shop. Da fuq?
Rape, maiming, dismemberment, and torture on every other page, no lie. And lets not forget baby murder. That we get reminded of at least 20 times in the book.
Surprisingly the hero comes back from his "quartering" execution torture and stoning, lets not forget that, in some fantastic mystical bath. Uh. No.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2013
The only negative thing I really can say about this book is that it has some intense sex scenes. For most readers that won't be a negative, but they just aren't my style. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading it and quite liked the characters. It is a VERY dark fantasy, so do keep that in mind if you decide to read it. Don't expect a happy fluffy adventure, but an intense story filled with pain and challenges for the characters. But what I like is not seeing people suffer, but how they choose to cope with the pain and come through it. I definitely would love to find more of this series!
February 17, 2017
Not good
It was an interesting concept (the only reason for the second star), but not well executed. It was difficult to follow what was happening with the magic. Although there are plenty of descriptions and flowery language, it's useless at actually explaining anything. And the heroine was hard to like so I gave up.
It was an interesting concept (the only reason for the second star), but not well executed. It was difficult to follow what was happening with the magic. Although there are plenty of descriptions and flowery language, it's useless at actually explaining anything. And the heroine was hard to like so I gave up.
February 20, 2014
Horrible book! Bondage, sexual sadism, graphic detail. Had to stop early on. I had gotten interested in it, before the "manure" was dropped into my mind in one big load. Really hacks me off. So mad to be subjected to this crap.
May 18, 2015
I really wanted to like this book.I did not.I was gifted a copy through Audioblast for an honest review.I found it very hard to follow,meandering,and full of dogma,it seemed,just for dogmas sake. The narrator ,Melissa Reizian,was fine for this project.
January 17, 2019
What can I say about Stonewiser, it was a good read but story line was slow in some areas.
Author Dora Machado writes with some twist and turns that kept me reading, but honestly I was not completely into the book. In all fairness she has built a realm that has an interesting history.
The older stonewiser were to keep their history and share with the new stonewiser when they come in for:
To read more of my review: https://breathoflifebookreviews.blogs...
Author Dora Machado writes with some twist and turns that kept me reading, but honestly I was not completely into the book. In all fairness she has built a realm that has an interesting history.
The older stonewiser were to keep their history and share with the new stonewiser when they come in for:
To read more of my review: https://breathoflifebookreviews.blogs...
January 13, 2021
Wow. I absolutely enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It’s really good from start to finish. There is a lot angst. But I love that. To me there are different emotions through the book, and I love it.
September 5, 2017
Good book
You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
March 9, 2014
I had the great experience of listening to the Audible version of this very long book, read by the very enthusiastic Melissa Reizian Frank. Her ability to take on different characters, and add different voices, really helped me to digest the story.
Stonewiser Saraiah (our protagonist) was taken from her true parents as a child to live in servitude at the Stonewiser’s Guild beyond the Wall, and was raised to believe that the Guild stands for truth and justice. But when wising twin stones (which means, absorbing the Truth from within them) illegally, she nearly dies, and she discovers step one in her all consuming search for Truth. A different one, found outside of the Guild’s teachings. One which is not so clear cut.
But she is forced before the Guild for justice to be served when she is discovered, and Sariah has a choice of being licensed out to yet another cruel Guild Master, who will use her skills and her body as he sees fit like the others, or to escape with a people she’d been taught to hate and fear – The New Bloods. She chooses the latter, and this story is about how she learns not only the Stone’s Truth, but also about herself, and her own capacity for life away from stones, and about loving flesh more than stones.
The Heart of the Stone is high fantasy, and a wonderful and imaginative, thought-provoking story. The writing was packed to bursting with evocative descriptions of all things, from ever changing environments, to the intense emotions of the characters. The romance between Sariah and Kael was dealt with beautifully, if a little predictably (they hate each other, then they love each other). The sex scenes (only a few, no smut, beautifully done) were so well written, their emotion so infused me, my tears gushed on more than one occasion.
Sariah was likeable, if difficult to understand in places due to her emotionless upbringing. And Kael was the typical strong brooding silent type, with a big a heart and burning passion beneath the tough exterior. I found the cast, on the whole, well developed; I found it easy to picture them, their actions, their expressions, and I cared for them.
If it’s so great, why 4/5 stars?
I have a few grievances:
It was a little heavy on description for me, in places. Sometimes, less is so much more. It allows me to enjoy it without being overwhelmed by it. Give us one simile, not a string of them.
A major irritant by the end of the book, for me, was how often characters (especially our protagonist) says, “Meliahs help me,” (and variations of this phrase). My stomach actually began to clench at this throughout the last five or six chapters.
When characters mentioned Ars (a name) e.g. Kael, son of Ars. it pulled me but of the story. Am I child? Perhaps. It wouldn’t have been so bad if this word were mentioned once or twice, but it was mentioned a lot at one point, and interchangeably with mention of actual ‘arses’ (he slapped her arse, etc). Especially on Audio, it was confusing and inappropriately amusing.
My main beef with the story though, was the unbelievability of Sariah’s belief that the Guild stood for truth and justice, and her utter surprise when she realised that might not be the case. The Guild and its inhabitants did nothing but abuse and use her (body and stone-wising abilities — enforced slavery) throughout her life, and did the same to anyone unlike them. They were clearly both corrupt and deceitful. As this was the backdrop of the story premise, it wasn’t fully justified or explained. I spent the initial part of the story thinking, why did she believe in them in the first place?
* Overall, this is a superb high fantasy. If you love fantasy, you’ll be glad you took a chance on this one, and will no doubt be as eager as I am to see what is in store for Sariah in books two and three.
Stonewiser Saraiah (our protagonist) was taken from her true parents as a child to live in servitude at the Stonewiser’s Guild beyond the Wall, and was raised to believe that the Guild stands for truth and justice. But when wising twin stones (which means, absorbing the Truth from within them) illegally, she nearly dies, and she discovers step one in her all consuming search for Truth. A different one, found outside of the Guild’s teachings. One which is not so clear cut.
But she is forced before the Guild for justice to be served when she is discovered, and Sariah has a choice of being licensed out to yet another cruel Guild Master, who will use her skills and her body as he sees fit like the others, or to escape with a people she’d been taught to hate and fear – The New Bloods. She chooses the latter, and this story is about how she learns not only the Stone’s Truth, but also about herself, and her own capacity for life away from stones, and about loving flesh more than stones.
The Heart of the Stone is high fantasy, and a wonderful and imaginative, thought-provoking story. The writing was packed to bursting with evocative descriptions of all things, from ever changing environments, to the intense emotions of the characters. The romance between Sariah and Kael was dealt with beautifully, if a little predictably (they hate each other, then they love each other). The sex scenes (only a few, no smut, beautifully done) were so well written, their emotion so infused me, my tears gushed on more than one occasion.
Sariah was likeable, if difficult to understand in places due to her emotionless upbringing. And Kael was the typical strong brooding silent type, with a big a heart and burning passion beneath the tough exterior. I found the cast, on the whole, well developed; I found it easy to picture them, their actions, their expressions, and I cared for them.
If it’s so great, why 4/5 stars?
I have a few grievances:
It was a little heavy on description for me, in places. Sometimes, less is so much more. It allows me to enjoy it without being overwhelmed by it. Give us one simile, not a string of them.
A major irritant by the end of the book, for me, was how often characters (especially our protagonist) says, “Meliahs help me,” (and variations of this phrase). My stomach actually began to clench at this throughout the last five or six chapters.
When characters mentioned Ars (a name) e.g. Kael, son of Ars. it pulled me but of the story. Am I child? Perhaps. It wouldn’t have been so bad if this word were mentioned once or twice, but it was mentioned a lot at one point, and interchangeably with mention of actual ‘arses’ (he slapped her arse, etc). Especially on Audio, it was confusing and inappropriately amusing.
My main beef with the story though, was the unbelievability of Sariah’s belief that the Guild stood for truth and justice, and her utter surprise when she realised that might not be the case. The Guild and its inhabitants did nothing but abuse and use her (body and stone-wising abilities — enforced slavery) throughout her life, and did the same to anyone unlike them. They were clearly both corrupt and deceitful. As this was the backdrop of the story premise, it wasn’t fully justified or explained. I spent the initial part of the story thinking, why did she believe in them in the first place?
* Overall, this is a superb high fantasy. If you love fantasy, you’ll be glad you took a chance on this one, and will no doubt be as eager as I am to see what is in store for Sariah in books two and three.
June 15, 2012
First: I received this book free from Goodreads Firstreads. Now for my honest review:
This book is a fantasy book for adults with some romance. It creates a rather interesting, disturbing and confusing world. The belief system, the New Bloods, the Old Bloods, etc. were very difficult to figure out. As you go along, you slowly start to piece things together but I still felt a bit befuddled at the end of the book.
The plot moves along at a decent pace. The description of the settings were well done, especially of the New Bloods' world. The characters were very believable with their various flaws. The right choices for them were not clear cut. Both sides (or should I say all three sides?) were very intelligent, somewhat manipulative, and I was regularly surprised. I must say, I was surprised by all of the plot twists that were revealed at the end of the book. That doesn't happen very often for me.
Sariah was a strong, intelligent protagonist, though I felt like smacking her for some of the decisions she made. I understood why she made them but I still wanted to yell at her. I liked Kael but I found him rather predictable. I thought the minor characters were actually more interesting. Arron, the Prime Hand, Horatio, Malord, etc.
One of my issues with the book:
The other issue, as mentioned above, was that it got very confusing trying to figure out the politics (especially the Guild's), what exactly is a stonewiser and why are they so important, why does the protagonist have to say, "Meliahs help me," on just about every page, etc. Since this is the first book of a trilogy, I would hope some of the answers would be found in the sequels.
Overall, a good first book from author Dora Machado. Just not quite up my alley. If you like fantasy novels with some violence, romance and a quickly moving plot, you may like it.
This book is a fantasy book for adults with some romance. It creates a rather interesting, disturbing and confusing world. The belief system, the New Bloods, the Old Bloods, etc. were very difficult to figure out. As you go along, you slowly start to piece things together but I still felt a bit befuddled at the end of the book.
The plot moves along at a decent pace. The description of the settings were well done, especially of the New Bloods' world. The characters were very believable with their various flaws. The right choices for them were not clear cut. Both sides (or should I say all three sides?) were very intelligent, somewhat manipulative, and I was regularly surprised. I must say, I was surprised by all of the plot twists that were revealed at the end of the book. That doesn't happen very often for me.
Sariah was a strong, intelligent protagonist, though I felt like smacking her for some of the decisions she made. I understood why she made them but I still wanted to yell at her. I liked Kael but I found him rather predictable. I thought the minor characters were actually more interesting. Arron, the Prime Hand, Horatio, Malord, etc.
One of my issues with the book:
The other issue, as mentioned above, was that it got very confusing trying to figure out the politics (especially the Guild's), what exactly is a stonewiser and why are they so important, why does the protagonist have to say, "Meliahs help me," on just about every page, etc. Since this is the first book of a trilogy, I would hope some of the answers would be found in the sequels.
Overall, a good first book from author Dora Machado. Just not quite up my alley. If you like fantasy novels with some violence, romance and a quickly moving plot, you may like it.
October 29, 2013
This is the first book of Dora's that I have read. I thought it was amazing. I have read over a hundred books and this is the second book that made me cry. Her story telling felt so real to me and I don't get that from a lot of books.
Sarah who is the main character is a stonewiser who leaves the guild with the new blood. While she swore to work with the new blood she searched for the seven pairs of twin stones. In her journey she falls in love with Kael who is one of the new bloods that helped her escaped the guild. The new bloods took her in as if she was one of their own. There she meets a young child name Mia who is Metelaus's daughter and Kael's niece. While meeting Mia Sarah learns that Mia is as well a wiser. Sarah was in distraught when she was tricked by a marcher. She was stuck living with the Shield who was out to collect her for her lease Aaron and who was out to kill her love Kael. While in the Shield's domain Sarah learned not only of the Shields past but of Kael's. She escapes the Sheilds domain to find out that Kael's brother Lazar was kidnapped and was in the Shield's domain. The only way for him to live was for Kael to surrender his life. And so he did. Days later Sarah couldn't wait any longer for his death. She tricked Metelaus and went back inside. She bargained with the Shield and the Prime Grim. She read the final pair of twin stones and they all learned the truth. But not with out starting a war. As they escaped they watched the Shields domain burn to the ground. For now they were safe and at peace.
As you can see this is just a short version of what I have read. Its a awesome book. The details are perfect. Everything about this book bring you to wanting more and thank goodness because there is.
Sarah who is the main character is a stonewiser who leaves the guild with the new blood. While she swore to work with the new blood she searched for the seven pairs of twin stones. In her journey she falls in love with Kael who is one of the new bloods that helped her escaped the guild. The new bloods took her in as if she was one of their own. There she meets a young child name Mia who is Metelaus's daughter and Kael's niece. While meeting Mia Sarah learns that Mia is as well a wiser. Sarah was in distraught when she was tricked by a marcher. She was stuck living with the Shield who was out to collect her for her lease Aaron and who was out to kill her love Kael. While in the Shield's domain Sarah learned not only of the Shields past but of Kael's. She escapes the Sheilds domain to find out that Kael's brother Lazar was kidnapped and was in the Shield's domain. The only way for him to live was for Kael to surrender his life. And so he did. Days later Sarah couldn't wait any longer for his death. She tricked Metelaus and went back inside. She bargained with the Shield and the Prime Grim. She read the final pair of twin stones and they all learned the truth. But not with out starting a war. As they escaped they watched the Shields domain burn to the ground. For now they were safe and at peace.
As you can see this is just a short version of what I have read. Its a awesome book. The details are perfect. Everything about this book bring you to wanting more and thank goodness because there is.
March 21, 2014
I will start off saying that this was my first experience reviewing an audio book, and it was an awesome experience! Really, Melissa Reizian Frank did a fabulous job with the story-telling and I enjoyed the experience immensely:)…
Ms. Machado’s story in one word was fascinating…wow! The story concerns Sariah who is a Stonewiser and has always believed that the Stonewiser Guild and those of her kind stood for Justice and all that was True…but after a harrowing experience, she discovers that what she has been told lies and that there was betrayal within the Guild and she sets out on a journey to find the Truth…along the way she makes unlikely acquaintances and discovers much about herself and the Stonewisers.
I will say that I truly enjoyed Ms. Machado’s storytelling. This author is an expert at world building, the world she created was intricate, magical, dark and sometimes very painful. But Ms. Machado did a fantastic job of guiding her characters through the maze of this world which kept me on the edge of my seat through the telling of this story.
I liked Sariah and I admired her thirst for her calling…(the stones) and the strength she exhibited in not simply accepting what was told, but discovering the truth on her own terms…
Stonewiser was a gripping, novel that is Dark Fantasy at its best. Steady, engrossing pace, detailed and interesting plot that will keep the readers hooked and characters that are realistic and easy to become invested in their lives.
I fully recommend Stonewiser:Heart of The Stone to those searching for a fresh, unique voice in fantasy! I do recommend this for Mature readers.
Ms. Machado’s story in one word was fascinating…wow! The story concerns Sariah who is a Stonewiser and has always believed that the Stonewiser Guild and those of her kind stood for Justice and all that was True…but after a harrowing experience, she discovers that what she has been told lies and that there was betrayal within the Guild and she sets out on a journey to find the Truth…along the way she makes unlikely acquaintances and discovers much about herself and the Stonewisers.
I will say that I truly enjoyed Ms. Machado’s storytelling. This author is an expert at world building, the world she created was intricate, magical, dark and sometimes very painful. But Ms. Machado did a fantastic job of guiding her characters through the maze of this world which kept me on the edge of my seat through the telling of this story.
I liked Sariah and I admired her thirst for her calling…(the stones) and the strength she exhibited in not simply accepting what was told, but discovering the truth on her own terms…
Stonewiser was a gripping, novel that is Dark Fantasy at its best. Steady, engrossing pace, detailed and interesting plot that will keep the readers hooked and characters that are realistic and easy to become invested in their lives.
I fully recommend Stonewiser:Heart of The Stone to those searching for a fresh, unique voice in fantasy! I do recommend this for Mature readers.
September 20, 2013
I enjoyed the very unique concept of the book and I was immediately drawn into the story in the first half, but about midway I began to lose interst. In my opinion the writer put too much emphasis on the romance in the story and to me it felt out of place. It was almost like she had two different stories in mind, one the formulaic romance of the couple who start out hating each other and then end up up in love. Yawn. The other, a fantasy story. She couldnt figure out which one to write so she cobbled them together but it didnt work.
I also found that I didnt really like the protagonist all that much. She simply wasnt very likable. She was sneaky, self absorbed, intrusive, rude, impulsive and obnoxious. I also found that the big mystery of the twin stones was so disjointed that I didnt feel drawn into the drama of the unfolding tale. I didnt understand enough of what was going on to have any interest in it.
I also found it completely implausible that a woman who had served two masters who were horrible people would be shocked to discover the guild was corrupt and full of intrigue. Supposedly her whole life had been lived among these people who used and abused her and others like her, but she was stunned to find they were corrupt? I didnt get it at all.
I made it about half way and then started skipping ahead more and more and finally gave up. I just didnt care what happened next.
I also found that I didnt really like the protagonist all that much. She simply wasnt very likable. She was sneaky, self absorbed, intrusive, rude, impulsive and obnoxious. I also found that the big mystery of the twin stones was so disjointed that I didnt feel drawn into the drama of the unfolding tale. I didnt understand enough of what was going on to have any interest in it.
I also found it completely implausible that a woman who had served two masters who were horrible people would be shocked to discover the guild was corrupt and full of intrigue. Supposedly her whole life had been lived among these people who used and abused her and others like her, but she was stunned to find they were corrupt? I didnt get it at all.
I made it about half way and then started skipping ahead more and more and finally gave up. I just didnt care what happened next.
June 20, 2013
Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone picks up where Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone leaves off with Sariah running for her life. She was banished by The Guild for revealing the truth of the stones, so now she searches for the only truth that can change her own and the world's fate.
Sariah is an exceptionally gifted stonewiser who always seems to find trouble. She's now on a quest to locate the one stone tale that can unite a divided people before a war breaks out.
Kail is a rebel leader, a warrior and a land-healer. He falls in love with Sariah and joins her on her quest. His gifts come in handy as they travel. Along the way they make enemies, form unlikely friendships and dodge assassination attempts and much more. They also come to realize that the lives of the people they meet and their worlds are not that much different than their own.
Machado has created a extraordinary new fantasy series that will grab you hook, line, and sinker. The characters are unique, full of depth and vitality, and you either like them or you hate them. The world she has built is painted so richly, you won't want to miss a word. Your drawn in so deep, you won't want to let go until the final page. A fantasy series that will have you addicted in no time!
Sariah is an exceptionally gifted stonewiser who always seems to find trouble. She's now on a quest to locate the one stone tale that can unite a divided people before a war breaks out.
Kail is a rebel leader, a warrior and a land-healer. He falls in love with Sariah and joins her on her quest. His gifts come in handy as they travel. Along the way they make enemies, form unlikely friendships and dodge assassination attempts and much more. They also come to realize that the lives of the people they meet and their worlds are not that much different than their own.
Machado has created a extraordinary new fantasy series that will grab you hook, line, and sinker. The characters are unique, full of depth and vitality, and you either like them or you hate them. The world she has built is painted so richly, you won't want to miss a word. Your drawn in so deep, you won't want to let go until the final page. A fantasy series that will have you addicted in no time!
May 11, 2015
Gritty and well-written but a tad bit confusing at the start and maybe a little bit hard to get into before it really takes off. Nothing is sugar-coated or sweet about this one. Characterization and dialogue were done well. The plot mostly made sense except for a few minor confusing bits. The only real problem I had with it were the idiot masses, and they weren't really a problem - just a plot aspect that really annoys me when I run across them in whatever book I happen to be reading. The fate of the main character at the end of this book relies on a judgement handed down to her by the majority vote of a group of people who seem too stupid to live - the kind who make judgements based on whatever their ancestors believed despite the fact that the obvious is staring them in the face. I have come to think of this (surprisingly common) character group as the idiot masses and I find I hate to read about them. This is also a series, so that judgement of course won't be revealed until the next book and serves as a cliffhanger of sorts.
I really enjoy the way this author writes. The setting too is very imaginative and I really like the way more and more of it is gradually revealed instead of just a huge amount of info shoved at the reader all at once.
I really enjoy the way this author writes. The setting too is very imaginative and I really like the way more and more of it is gradually revealed instead of just a huge amount of info shoved at the reader all at once.
January 19, 2014
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.
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.
April 23, 2015
If nothing else, Machado has come up with a very interesting and thought out world. I wouldn't be surprised if this series turned into a multiseries like the Dragons of Pern books. I really enjoyed the book, although it started out slow and quite confusing (although, it didn't exactly get less confusing as the book went on.) I thought the characters were pretty interesting and their upbringing impacted their emotions/ reactions believably. There were some extremely graphic mutilation and rape scenes, but I honestly didn't find the (consenting) sex scenes all that graphic. If anything, the metaphors and similes were irritating after the first scene. One big frustration for me was the “Meliahs help me” in every other paragraph. Even die hard Christians don't have this sentiment as often as our protagonist.
I listened to the audio version and I must say that Melissa Reizian Frank did an excellent job. Her pace was refreshingly fast and her characters were distinct. The only real issue I had was the strange accent for the Guild and the Shield characters. It just felt like too much.
High fantasy in a brand new world.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I listened to the audio version and I must say that Melissa Reizian Frank did an excellent job. Her pace was refreshingly fast and her characters were distinct. The only real issue I had was the strange accent for the Guild and the Shield characters. It just felt like too much.
High fantasy in a brand new world.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
August 4, 2016
C2008: my first thoughts after closing the book is that it was terribly meandering. I thought that the overarching plot was good but there needed to be some focus as to what was the main aim of the story. Despite copious descriptions, the characterisation was pretty poor and the dialogue was not particularly sparkling. There were were some really gory parts that seemed to be plonked in there with a view to upping the gravity levels . Unfortunately, I felt that the gory sections were not an integral part of the story so they kind of stood out for all the wrong reasons. Sadly, I was sniggering every time the characters mentioned that they were related to Ars eg Kael, son of Ars. This lack of maturity probably coloured my whole outlook of the book from the very beginning. Sadly, unable to recommend to the normal crew.
March 12, 2014
My thoughts:
The storyline is original and interesting. The world has been created with great detail. I admit that I was somewhat lost at the beginning of the story, wishing for more explanation about Stonewising. It was a slow starter, but as the book progressed I found myself very interested. My heart went out for Sariah. The author has filled her story with a wide range of emotions and action. I will be getting the next book in the series so I can see where the story goes next.
This review is of the audio book, so I want to include just a quick piece about the audio itself. The reader of Stonewiser did a great job. The reading was well paced and easy to listen to. I listen to at least one audio book a week while I commute to and from work, so the reader is vital to the enjoyment of the book.
The storyline is original and interesting. The world has been created with great detail. I admit that I was somewhat lost at the beginning of the story, wishing for more explanation about Stonewising. It was a slow starter, but as the book progressed I found myself very interested. My heart went out for Sariah. The author has filled her story with a wide range of emotions and action. I will be getting the next book in the series so I can see where the story goes next.
This review is of the audio book, so I want to include just a quick piece about the audio itself. The reader of Stonewiser did a great job. The reading was well paced and easy to listen to. I listen to at least one audio book a week while I commute to and from work, so the reader is vital to the enjoyment of the book.
March 1, 2013
Every once in awhile when I'm reading through a plethera of book summaries, I'll come across one that makes me stop and think, "Well, this sounds like something new." Stonewiser - The Heart of the Stone was one such book summary. I found the magic system of this story, stonewising, to be a fresh and innovative idea. The story is fully fleshed out and includes characters with internal conflict, struggle and growth; humor; stories within stories (swoon!); betrayal; battle scenes; a little dab of romance; and much more - all in appropriate portions. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something original to enjoy!
September 7, 2013
Very good storyline and I did get so hooked that I sped through it in two days. However, it seemed written more like a sequel. There wasn't enough explanation about the world in the first portion of the book. I spent the entire book trying to piece together what little information the author provided about the setting and history of the old world. A little information plainly stated in the beginning would go a long way in being able to get engrossed in the story more quickly. Still, a good read and a series I will continue.
June 18, 2012
What a refreshing and unique storyline!!! I am always on the lookout for new fantasy authors and Dora Machado definitely fits the bill! Her world building and characterization is detailed and her story telling is captivating. It is rare these days to find the complete package in one author. Usually an author will be strong in in one or two aspects, but hardly ever all three. Dora Machado is that rare find!!
January 12, 2014
True to epic fantasy this is a book I will only recommend to lovers of the genre.
It is well written, world building is very well done and with extreme attention to detail this is not a fast read. It is however a novel premise and even though it took me some time to read I will read the other two books in the series in short form!
WaAr
It is well written, world building is very well done and with extreme attention to detail this is not a fast read. It is however a novel premise and even though it took me some time to read I will read the other two books in the series in short form!
WaAr
June 12, 2014
The Heart of the Stone by Dora Machado completely floored me. I have never read a story like this. And it was so well written. The characters are strong and consistent, the scenes are imaginatively described and consistent. I am not sure where the story line idea came from, but it never missed a beat. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. And now I want to wise stones...
September 7, 2014
Excellent writing
Dora Machado's writing is tight. Her characters are multidimensional, her plot arch thorough and satisfying, and her world a rich and well thought out place that makes sense. She also writes the most interesting sex and passion I have ever read. I'm thrilled and excited to find this writer!
Dora Machado's writing is tight. Her characters are multidimensional, her plot arch thorough and satisfying, and her world a rich and well thought out place that makes sense. She also writes the most interesting sex and passion I have ever read. I'm thrilled and excited to find this writer!
April 12, 2015
Sometimes hard to follow, but well worth the time.
Interesting storyline, different. I like that it is complicated, though at times it seems to be almost missing pieces and had to just keep going to figure out exactly what had just happened. Definitely off to read the next one.
Interesting storyline, different. I like that it is complicated, though at times it seems to be almost missing pieces and had to just keep going to figure out exactly what had just happened. Definitely off to read the next one.
September 23, 2013
Reasonable characters and plot. I do not, however, feel transported to the action as the novel seems somewhat lacking in description.
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