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Melting Stones
(The Circle Reforged #2)
by
An audiobook first!" New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce has written the new novel in her popular Circle of Magic universe to go directly to audio--preceding the print version by at least a year. Residents on one of the islands south of Emelan have sent a call for help to Winding Circle temple: Their plants and trees and the animals that live around them are my
...more
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Audio CD, 312 pages
Published
October 1st 2007
by Full Cast Audio(NY)
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Start your review of Melting Stones (Circle Reforged, #2)

I fell in love with Tamora Pierce's books at the age of about 10 or 11 and because of this I still have a great deal of affection for her writing. I like the the Circle of Magic books quite a lot; and of the Circle Opens books, Street Magic, the book which introduces Evvy (the main character in Melting Stones), is my favorite. However, in general, Tamora Pierce's more recent books have seen a decline in quality, and Melting Stones is definitely not among her best. I found it pretty flat and unor
...more

I absolutely adore Tamora Pierce, and was pretty excited when I saw that Will of the Empress was not going to be a stand-alone book. I really really wish I wasn't going to say this but I found Melting Stones a real let-down. I'm too frustrated to write a proper review so I'll explain my feelings through a list:
The pros:
*Got to learn a little about what happened in Gyonxe
*The stone magic was kinda cool
*Rosethorn was as sharp as ever
*The idea for (view spoiler) ...more
The pros:
*Got to learn a little about what happened in Gyonxe
*The stone magic was kinda cool
*Rosethorn was as sharp as ever
*The idea for (view spoiler) ...more

Wow, what is wrong with this book? I normally love all of Pierce's work but this one was a tremendous letdown. I know the Circle of Magic series is written for a younger audience and has never really rated highly in my reads, but I really enjoyed "the Will of the Empress" which is miles better than "Melting Stones." First off, in "the Will of the Empress" Briar and Tris hint to events that occurred in their lives between the Circle Opens volumes and "the Will of the Empress" and I thought, "well
...more

Oh bummer! I love Tamora's Tortall series, but just can't get into the Circle one. This book in particular was blah. If someone asked me what I thought of it the shortest (and possibly best) answer I can come up with is, "meh". Especially for the last 1/4 of the book. It just lacked spunk or something. I can't explain it. I'll just re-read the Lioness so I can remember why I love Tamora.
...more

I think it's between 3.5 and 4, but not really a 4, so....
It's not that the book is bad, not at all. In fact, I'd be interested in revisiting the book the way it was originally released, as an audio book (perhaps full cast?). As it stands, I love the universe so much, and the characters and everything, that it's a good time, but it doesn't quite hit me where I live. ...more
It's not that the book is bad, not at all. In fact, I'd be interested in revisiting the book the way it was originally released, as an audio book (perhaps full cast?). As it stands, I love the universe so much, and the characters and everything, that it's a good time, but it doesn't quite hit me where I live. ...more

Nov 06, 2015
Kathy Davie
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
middle-grade
Second in The Circle Reforged subseries and tenth in the overall Emelan universe in the fantasy series for middle-grade readers and revolving around four very young mages in magic. The focus here is on the former student of one of those mages, Evvy. It's been four years since Evvy arrived in Winding Circle, and it's taking place at the same time as
The Will of the Empress
, 1 (9). If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Emelan books on my website.
My Take
What I loved abou ...more
My Take
What I loved abou ...more

I just finished listening to Melting Stones. I found it very interesting, and I especially liked the production. This book was written for and recorded by Full Cast Audio, rather than being a printed book and then adapted to the audio version.
Full Cast Audio, as always, did a wonderful job putting this book together. I love audiobooks almost without regard for the narrator; although there have been one or two so horribly narrated that I couldn't listen, in general it doesn't matter to me who's r ...more
Full Cast Audio, as always, did a wonderful job putting this book together. I love audiobooks almost without regard for the narrator; although there have been one or two so horribly narrated that I couldn't listen, in general it doesn't matter to me who's r ...more

I've been a Tammy fan since I was 13. I've always loved her work. It's solid young adult and makes me feel good to read it.
I started reading Circle of Magic when I was 15 and going through difficulties with my hip (which had fractured and continually needed operations). I latched right on to the characters, most of all the two main guardian Dedicates (Rosethorn and Lark). Briar was a favourite of mine as well. The cast of characters supported me through a hard time medically and also guided me t ...more
I started reading Circle of Magic when I was 15 and going through difficulties with my hip (which had fractured and continually needed operations). I latched right on to the characters, most of all the two main guardian Dedicates (Rosethorn and Lark). Briar was a favourite of mine as well. The cast of characters supported me through a hard time medically and also guided me t ...more

WHY IS BRIAR NOT IN THIS STORY.
Yes, yes, I understand. It might be interesting to read from Evvy's point of view. After all, I really liked Evvy as a character in Street Magic. But then again, this is not going to stop me from really wanting Briar to be in this book. Although I promise I didn't base my review on his absence.
The story was interesting enough, with a bit of character development for Evvy which I enjoyed. But that's it. So the lower-than-average rating just comes from comparing it ...more
Yes, yes, I understand. It might be interesting to read from Evvy's point of view. After all, I really liked Evvy as a character in Street Magic. But then again, this is not going to stop me from really wanting Briar to be in this book. Although I promise I didn't base my review on his absence.
The story was interesting enough, with a bit of character development for Evvy which I enjoyed. But that's it. So the lower-than-average rating just comes from comparing it ...more

I'm seriously beginning to question Tamora's pierce's writing process for these last books. I'm mostly confused by the structure of the last three books. Will of the Empress seems to be the last hurrah for the original four mages, but then Melting Stones and Battle Magic are thrown out as spinoffs even though you know how the series is going to end. I was convinced that I had read these out of order until I checked their publication dates. Luvo is introduced as a character that we should be fami
...more

It had an altogether different feel from the other Circle of Magic books, but then I read that it was first published as an audiobook, so that does make sense of the changes. On the whole, though, even though it "felt" different, the core of the action and characters still felt familiar, like those of the previous Emelan books, and I really enjoyed reading it.
...more

Rosethorn sighed. "Lark was worried about this aspect of you. I'm not so fond of people myself, Evvy, but I took my vows for a reason. There are two classes of people in the world, the destroyers and the builders. I want to build, not destroy. You need to ask yourself who you're going to be."This felt like a short story that was forced to become a novel. Like an underachieving student stretching an essay to meet a required word count, it felt repetitive and too long.
I was hopeful going into ...more

I listened to the full-cast audio book while unpacking freight at work. I didn't love this one as much as I love the other Circle books, but it was still a breezy, fun read (err, listen).
...more

I enjoyed all of the Geology references in this, it was really good even though it felt a bit rushed and unfinished compared to the others.

At first I was not sure about this book--but the author, Tamora Pierce, came recommended because she writes for young girls and her books give a positive image of girls and even though they are science fiction, the books make the characters realistic and show positive and good choices that the young girls can make. The book created a world where all things have a spirit--even the rocks, water, and islands.
Summary
Evvy has developed a more pessimistic view of humans since we last saw her, and afte ...more
Summary
Evvy has developed a more pessimistic view of humans since we last saw her, and afte ...more

As a HUGE fan of Tamora Pierce growing up, I was so excited to find there were books I had missed since my last time reading (2005, aged 12). I recently (2015) re-read all of her other books/series (staples from my childhood: the Song of the Lioness, the Protector of the Small, Daughter of the Lioness, the Circle of Magic and the Circle Opens) as well as read the Beka Cooper and Immortal series for the first time. All were amazing and were still SO GOOD 11 years later, reading as an (semi)adult.
...more

At the beginning this book didn't seem this bad. What did seem strange was that this book was much more childish than Battle Magic (which had mature themes) even though it comes afterwards chronologically. Somehow Evvy has become less mature! Also, there was a lot of inconsistencies between this book and Battle Magic , I guess because Tamora Pierce wrote Battle Magic afterwards.
Then I got to all the rock magic/travelling inside mountains stuff. It was really, REALLY weird. I have no idea w ...more
Then I got to all the rock magic/travelling inside mountains stuff. It was really, REALLY weird. I have no idea w ...more

Dec 06, 2008
Glitterfairy
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Those who are currently trawling libraries rather than bookstores
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

I have been addicted to Tamora Pierce novels since middle school. That being said, I've always been a little afraid to continue reading the newer novels in fear of the loosing the magic I once experienced. I have never been more wrong. Listening to Melting Stones brought back the magic from my childhood. It is classic Pierce style with strong female leads, vibrant characters, and engaging plot lines. Specifically, Melting Stones brings back a character from a few novels ago, Evvy the stone mage.
...more

Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce, published 2007.
High fantasy.
Novel. Audio book.
Grades 6-10.
Found via Booklist, reviewed by Pam Spencer Holley.
This book continues the Circle of Magic series by following Briar's apprentice Evvy as she visits an island where a volcano is forming. Readers are expected to be familiar with the previous books in the Circle of Magic series (where there are mages of many elements--Evvy controls stones), though the text does reintroduce old characters to help jog readers' ...more
High fantasy.
Novel. Audio book.
Grades 6-10.
Found via Booklist, reviewed by Pam Spencer Holley.
This book continues the Circle of Magic series by following Briar's apprentice Evvy as she visits an island where a volcano is forming. Readers are expected to be familiar with the previous books in the Circle of Magic series (where there are mages of many elements--Evvy controls stones), though the text does reintroduce old characters to help jog readers' ...more

Melting Stones is a spin-off story from Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series. Evvy, a youngster discovered by Briar in a previous story, is a stone mage who is traveling to an island that is suffering from poisoned water and dying plants. Evvy and her talking-heart-of-the-mountain, Luvo, and the two great mages sent to solve the problem, quickly discover that the problem is that the island is really a volcano about ready to blow its top. Evvy uses her stone magic to traveling underground and a
...more

Although I know that Evvy is supposed to be a victim of post-traumatic stress, I found her a fairly unlikeable character. Considering she was one of my favorites in the Circle Opens quartet, that was surprising. Rosethorn was even fairly subdued and didn’t seem like her old self. I am planning to read “Battle Magic” where we learn what happened to them (and perhaps will make me more understanding), but after this one I feel meh about continuing the series right away.
This book had a decent premis ...more
This book had a decent premis ...more

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com
Evvy left the streets of Chammur four years ago and began training as a stone mage. Now, she's fourteen and on her way to the Battle Islands to help her mentor, Rosethorn, figure out why the plants and animals are dying.
Evvy is supposed to listen and learn, but ends up playing a much bigger role when she discovers the real reason for the Island's troubles. With the help of her friend, Luvo (the living stone heart of a mountain), Evvy must find a way ...more
Evvy left the streets of Chammur four years ago and began training as a stone mage. Now, she's fourteen and on her way to the Battle Islands to help her mentor, Rosethorn, figure out why the plants and animals are dying.
Evvy is supposed to listen and learn, but ends up playing a much bigger role when she discovers the real reason for the Island's troubles. With the help of her friend, Luvo (the living stone heart of a mountain), Evvy must find a way ...more

I love Tamora Pierce's books, but this one took me some time to get used to. She write's from Evvy's perspective, giving it the accurate yet childlike perspective the protagonist sees from. For the most part this works, and has a tendancy to be entertaining, but on occasion I found myself wanting more information on certain things.
The story line itself is interesting, if not following in the paths of unlikely people doing amazing things at such a young age, but hey, it's a fantasy novel so I acc ...more
The story line itself is interesting, if not following in the paths of unlikely people doing amazing things at such a young age, but hey, it's a fantasy novel so I acc ...more

This is my first take on Ms Pierce. And She did not disappoint me. Well, the problem was I never thought this was a part of a series.. Nyahaha! Sorry, if I can't make a good review right now. But I still could not believe I started reading book 2. For what it's worth though, I was really impressed at how she pulled it through. Although, I would have wanted Luvo to die.. That would have given it a more satisfying and a more twisted ending.
If you like this kind of story, where the author really ta ...more
If you like this kind of story, where the author really ta ...more

I hate audiobooks, okay? I HATE them. I can't understand what's going on, I forget details, I fall asleep. But when I read that Tammy re-wrote this from third person to first just so the voice actress who read Evvy in Street Magic could be the narrator, I KNEW I had to listen to this in its intended format, and I'm so glad I did. The casting is perfection (at first, I didn't care for Rosethorn, but she /grew on me/ sorry please don't hang me in the well,) Luvo is powerful, the sea is so seductiv
...more

I do love the series about Tortall, and the first Circle series by Pierce. And The Will of the Empress. But the ones where the four mages become teachers, not so much. Unfortunately this one also rubbed me wrong.
I think it's the fact that Evvy's the narrator and sometimes her cynicism and mean-spiritedness seems over-dramatized. Also, I found the magic harder to follow than in the other Circle series. Evvy didn't make so much an impact on me that I would have chosen her a character to focus on. ...more
I think it's the fact that Evvy's the narrator and sometimes her cynicism and mean-spiritedness seems over-dramatized. Also, I found the magic harder to follow than in the other Circle series. Evvy didn't make so much an impact on me that I would have chosen her a character to focus on. ...more

On reread- So it turns out I've only ever read this once, even though I feel like I must have read it twice already.
This is my least favorite of the circle reforged books, and probably one of my least favorite of the Emelan universe books as a whole. It's odd, because I adore Rosethorn and I really like Evvy. Maybe it's because I don't love Luvo, or maybe it's because this book is jarringly in first person after everything else was in third person. This book was also pretty short, at just about ...more
This is my least favorite of the circle reforged books, and probably one of my least favorite of the Emelan universe books as a whole. It's odd, because I adore Rosethorn and I really like Evvy. Maybe it's because I don't love Luvo, or maybe it's because this book is jarringly in first person after everything else was in third person. This book was also pretty short, at just about ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.
I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join gro ...more
I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join gro ...more
Other books in the series
The Circle Reforged
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We asked fantasy author Tamora Pierce your questions!
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14 trivia questions
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“Every now and then I like to do as I'm told, just to confuse people.”
—
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“Yes Headwoman Azaze. But I never lie to Rosethorn. She, um, discourages it."
"Evvy and I have an understanding." She grabbed the teakettle and poured hot water into the mug. "She tells me the truth, and I don't hang her in the first well we come to. It's a solution that works tolerably well for both of us.”
—
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More quotes…
"Evvy and I have an understanding." She grabbed the teakettle and poured hot water into the mug. "She tells me the truth, and I don't hang her in the first well we come to. It's a solution that works tolerably well for both of us.”