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A Pyradisté Adventure #0
Lady of Stone
Lady Sylph's only concerns should be inheriting her title, marrying well, producing an heir, and lording it all over the peasantry. It's what her father insists upon, and she never knew she needed anything or anyone else until her magic comes, an ability her class is not supposed to possess.
Thana never coveted the title of monarch's pyradisté because her knowledge exceeds her ability. She hopes the royals will never depend on her, but then the palace's pyramids go haywire. On top of that, a beautiful, spoiled noblewoman needs her help to conceal a new power.
Could Sylph's ability and Thana's magical mystery be related to a new kind of crystal being smuggled into the kingdom or a possible pyradisté coup? They'll have to work together and overcome their biases, admit their feelings, and maybe surrender to their fierce desire before time runs out.
Thana never coveted the title of monarch's pyradisté because her knowledge exceeds her ability. She hopes the royals will never depend on her, but then the palace's pyramids go haywire. On top of that, a beautiful, spoiled noblewoman needs her help to conceal a new power.
Could Sylph's ability and Thana's magical mystery be related to a new kind of crystal being smuggled into the kingdom or a possible pyradisté coup? They'll have to work together and overcome their biases, admit their feelings, and maybe surrender to their fierce desire before time runs out.
314 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2020
About the author
Barbara Ann Wright
25 books196 followersBarbara Ann Wright writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories when not adding to her enormous book collection or ranting on her blog. Her short fiction has appeared twice in Crossed Genres Magazine and once made Tangent Online's recommended reading list. Her first novel, The Pyramid Waltz, was one of Tor.com's Reviewer's Choice books of 2012 and was a 2012 Foreword Review Book of the Year Award Finalist as well as a Golden Crown Award finalist. It won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best Lesbian Fantasy and made BookRiot's 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels By Female Authors. She's won five Rainbow Awards total, and Coils was a finalist in the 2017 Lambda Awards.
Her writing career can be boiled down to two points: when her mother bought her a typewriter in the sixth grade and when she took second place in the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing in 2004. One gave her the means to write and the other gave her the confidence to keep going. Believing in oneself, in her opinion, is the most important thing a person can do.
Visit her Bold Strokes page for more information.
Her writing career can be boiled down to two points: when her mother bought her a typewriter in the sixth grade and when she took second place in the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing in 2004. One gave her the means to write and the other gave her the confidence to keep going. Believing in oneself, in her opinion, is the most important thing a person can do.
Visit her Bold Strokes page for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 27, 2020
I don’t usually choose to read Fantasy stories, but I kept hearing wonderful things about Barbara Ann Wright’s fantasy novels, so when Lady of Stone became available, I decided to give this book a try. It is the fifth book in her series, The Pyradisté Adventures, but it is a prequel to the stories, so I figured it would be fine to read it out of order. I’m happy to tell you that I totally enjoyed the book, and had no problems understanding this fantastic universe Ms. Wright has created.
This tale takes place about two hundred years before the first book in the series, and involves two young women from very different stations in life. Lady Sylph is the daughter of a Duke and in line to inherit the title, lands, and wealth that comes with it. Thana is a peasant and the royal pyradisté to the queen. Only peasants are supposed to be pyradistés (able to perform magic using special crystals). When Lady Sylph realizes that she has not only pyradisté powers, but unusually strong ones, she asks Thana for help, and thus begins a fantastical adventure that could end with the destruction of the entire kingdom if things go wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The setting of this tale is a universe that has already been created for four other books, so it is obviously well developed. I connected with the two main characters immediately, even though Lady Sylph is very much an ice queen to begin with. I quickly realized why she was that way, and enjoyed seeing her character develop through the book. There is a beautiful and dangerous romance that develops between Sylph and Thana on top of everything else that they’re facing. The story is well constructed and exciting, I was hooked right away and was kind of sad when the book ended. I wanted more. It’s a good thing I have four more books to read in this series.
If you like romantic fantasy, then try this book. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
This tale takes place about two hundred years before the first book in the series, and involves two young women from very different stations in life. Lady Sylph is the daughter of a Duke and in line to inherit the title, lands, and wealth that comes with it. Thana is a peasant and the royal pyradisté to the queen. Only peasants are supposed to be pyradistés (able to perform magic using special crystals). When Lady Sylph realizes that she has not only pyradisté powers, but unusually strong ones, she asks Thana for help, and thus begins a fantastical adventure that could end with the destruction of the entire kingdom if things go wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The setting of this tale is a universe that has already been created for four other books, so it is obviously well developed. I connected with the two main characters immediately, even though Lady Sylph is very much an ice queen to begin with. I quickly realized why she was that way, and enjoyed seeing her character develop through the book. There is a beautiful and dangerous romance that develops between Sylph and Thana on top of everything else that they’re facing. The story is well constructed and exciting, I was hooked right away and was kind of sad when the book ended. I wanted more. It’s a good thing I have four more books to read in this series.
If you like romantic fantasy, then try this book. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
September 30, 2020
I had a lot of hope for this book; it features an interesting magic system, a sapphic romance, and a political mystery! Although I'm not rating it particularly highly, I think other people should give it a go, as what impacted my reading experience was very niche.
The book is a prequel in the 'A Pyradiste Adventure' series. It takes place in a world where magic is amplified through different types of magical pyramid. The Pyradiste's, people who have magic, are only found in the peasantry. They're treated with a lot of disdain and sometimes outright hostility. Lady Sylph is a Baronness to be and she shouldn't have magic. Yet, somehow she has the most powerful magic they've ever seen. As she desperately tries to conceal it, the royal pyradiste offers to help train her. Thana doesn't have much in the way of magical ability, but she's trying to uncover a mystery involving magical pyramid explosions. The two women will have to work together to protect the kingdom.
I loved the world this was set in. The idea of magical pyramids was incredibly unique and made it such an interesting read. The relationship dynamic was a soft enemies-to-loves with a lot of sapphic longing, in theory, I should have completely loved it. Here's where it went wrong for me. It wouldn't be wrong to say I'm a very political person. I adore books where there's revolution, challenging the status quo, and discussions of real-world issues. This book was strange on all those fronts. Lady Sylph, the upper-class woman, is described as absolutely perfect, there's nothing wrong with her at all other than being a bit cold. Meanwhile, Thana, who belongs to the peasantry, is lectured for having a bias about nobles. As if nobles haven't been actively oppressing people like her throughout this book. That alone would have been fine; I don't change my mind about books that quickly. The major issue for me is this book is the opposite of a revolution - it's about stopping one. The characters spend their time proving that they are good and peaceful and they'd never hurt anyone, unlike the other side who are trying to violently overthrow the royals. At the end everyone's like, thank god we stopped those oppressed people from overthrowing the institution that oppressed them, everything is saved, and they can go back to where they belong! But hey, everything's okay because the nobles get to have magic now. So yes, hello, I didn't like this book for very me reasons, and if you don't share those reasons, I'd recommend picking it up. I'm probably going to check out the author's other work as I truly enjoyed some aspects of this book.
(Thanks to NetGallery and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Blog | Twitter
The book is a prequel in the 'A Pyradiste Adventure' series. It takes place in a world where magic is amplified through different types of magical pyramid. The Pyradiste's, people who have magic, are only found in the peasantry. They're treated with a lot of disdain and sometimes outright hostility. Lady Sylph is a Baronness to be and she shouldn't have magic. Yet, somehow she has the most powerful magic they've ever seen. As she desperately tries to conceal it, the royal pyradiste offers to help train her. Thana doesn't have much in the way of magical ability, but she's trying to uncover a mystery involving magical pyramid explosions. The two women will have to work together to protect the kingdom.
I loved the world this was set in. The idea of magical pyramids was incredibly unique and made it such an interesting read. The relationship dynamic was a soft enemies-to-loves with a lot of sapphic longing, in theory, I should have completely loved it. Here's where it went wrong for me. It wouldn't be wrong to say I'm a very political person. I adore books where there's revolution, challenging the status quo, and discussions of real-world issues. This book was strange on all those fronts. Lady Sylph, the upper-class woman, is described as absolutely perfect, there's nothing wrong with her at all other than being a bit cold. Meanwhile, Thana, who belongs to the peasantry, is lectured for having a bias about nobles. As if nobles haven't been actively oppressing people like her throughout this book. That alone would have been fine; I don't change my mind about books that quickly. The major issue for me is this book is the opposite of a revolution - it's about stopping one. The characters spend their time proving that they are good and peaceful and they'd never hurt anyone, unlike the other side who are trying to violently overthrow the royals. At the end everyone's like, thank god we stopped those oppressed people from overthrowing the institution that oppressed them, everything is saved, and they can go back to where they belong! But hey, everything's okay because the nobles get to have magic now. So yes, hello, I didn't like this book for very me reasons, and if you don't share those reasons, I'd recommend picking it up. I'm probably going to check out the author's other work as I truly enjoyed some aspects of this book.
(Thanks to NetGallery and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Blog | Twitter
September 16, 2020
I picked Lady of Stone to read because it is in a genre that I typically don't read. I found Lady of Stone to be similar to the other books I have read in this genre. Over all Lady of Stone turned out to be an okay read, but I admit I struggled to understand what was going on throughout most of the book. Maybe I needed to read some of the others but not sure if that would have helped me. Lady of Stone started out slow for me. I did find that I enjoyed the ending of this. I just feel that Fantasy romances aren't really for me. I have a hard time getting into them.
3 stars.
This arc was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
3 stars.
This arc was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
Want to Read
September 5, 2020I absolutely loved Wright's novel Coils, so when I saw this on Netgalley I hit the request button *so* fucking fast. Can't wait to read this one!
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Booktube | Book Blog | Twitter
ARC Note: Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an e-ARC to review. All opinions my own.
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Booktube | Book Blog | Twitter
ARC Note: Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an e-ARC to review. All opinions my own.
August 31, 2020
This was a good read. Intrigue with mix of magic and romance.
Lady Sylph is going along with the plans her father had made for her she doesn’t really mind because she never needed anything.
Sylph is surprise when she starts to possess magic ability that she isn’t suppose to have. Thana who exceed with great knowledge of magic hope no one have need for her help especially the royals.
Thana is called upon when things at the palace starts to get out of control on top of that she needs to help Sylph with her magic and she start to wonder if this is all connected to what happening.
I won’t spoil it which I tend to do sometimes especially when the books deal with magic. I like Sylph even though she wants to do what her father wanted she started to see she can be her own person I like how she struggles with magic and afraid what that means for her. I like Thana how she was patience’s even when she was frustrating.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Lady Sylph is going along with the plans her father had made for her she doesn’t really mind because she never needed anything.
Sylph is surprise when she starts to possess magic ability that she isn’t suppose to have. Thana who exceed with great knowledge of magic hope no one have need for her help especially the royals.
Thana is called upon when things at the palace starts to get out of control on top of that she needs to help Sylph with her magic and she start to wonder if this is all connected to what happening.
I won’t spoil it which I tend to do sometimes especially when the books deal with magic. I like Sylph even though she wants to do what her father wanted she started to see she can be her own person I like how she struggles with magic and afraid what that means for her. I like Thana how she was patience’s even when she was frustrating.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
September 2, 2020
In a world where magic was dismissed and associated with peasants, the story opens up with a royalty who seemed to be endowed with magical powers but desperate to shun it.
Attempting to run from her powers, Lady Sylph sought the help of the Queen’s Pyradiste, Thana, to coach her on ways to contain her gifts. The story took off with a life of its own, entrapping readers into the realm of magic and fantasy.
I am not an avid fan of fantasy but the book captured my interest. Fans of the genre can expect to be charmed on the variety of pyramids, their functionalities and be treated to an intriguing plot while following on the trails and adventures of Sylph and Thana. With the class divide between the two main leads, master and protege, there is also no lack of angst in the romance department.
I just reviewed Lady of Stone by Barbara Ann Wright. #NetGalley
Attempting to run from her powers, Lady Sylph sought the help of the Queen’s Pyradiste, Thana, to coach her on ways to contain her gifts. The story took off with a life of its own, entrapping readers into the realm of magic and fantasy.
I am not an avid fan of fantasy but the book captured my interest. Fans of the genre can expect to be charmed on the variety of pyramids, their functionalities and be treated to an intriguing plot while following on the trails and adventures of Sylph and Thana. With the class divide between the two main leads, master and protege, there is also no lack of angst in the romance department.
I just reviewed Lady of Stone by Barbara Ann Wright. #NetGalley
September 14, 2020
This is an excellent return to the world of the Pyradiste for Wright. Usually, she's a pretty solid fantasy/ sci-fi writer that leans very heavily into either high fantasy or hard science fiction. Very few lesfic authors do this, so I always check her stuff out if I can.
This story is set about 1,000 years before the story told in the arc starting with The Pyramid Waltz. I honestly don't remember much of those first books, but with this book, the magic users are usually discriminated against. So, when the Lady Slyph finds out that she has magic, she turns to the only person she can, the Queen's pyradiste, Thana. Thana is torn, though, because while she has privileges being the Queen's pyradiste, she is often bullied and looked down on in the court. It's made more difficult because of Sylph's reticent behaviors. But once a treasonous plot is uncovered, can Thana and Slyph work together?
I enjoyed reading Slyph and Thana. They are very layered characters that helped make a pretty generic uncover-the-traitor-and-save-the-day plot much more enjoyable. Slyph is very reluctant to show her feelings (or even really understand them at times) because of her upbringing, and despite her being part of a powerful noble family, her powers would make her a pariah. She'd lose her standing and her freedom if her powers came to light. Thana is proud of her powers and knowledge, but is still not very respected at court. She feels the resentment, and is understandably angry at her treatment. It doesn't stop the attraction between the two, and some of the conflicts that arise when they have to work to empathize with each other.
There are some lovely parallels with Slyph's affinity for stone, and her taciturn appearance. I also liked that this helps readers along who have not read the original novels, with a healthy bit of understated world building. There are some call backs to the original series, but some of the references might be a little difficult to decipher if you haven't read those books.
I enjoyed this read, and it makes me want to go back and check out the other books from this series - I have most of them, but they are pretty deep in my backlog of books. I also love a solid lesfic high fantasy, and this fits the bill perfectly.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This story is set about 1,000 years before the story told in the arc starting with The Pyramid Waltz. I honestly don't remember much of those first books, but with this book, the magic users are usually discriminated against. So, when the Lady Slyph finds out that she has magic, she turns to the only person she can, the Queen's pyradiste, Thana. Thana is torn, though, because while she has privileges being the Queen's pyradiste, she is often bullied and looked down on in the court. It's made more difficult because of Sylph's reticent behaviors. But once a treasonous plot is uncovered, can Thana and Slyph work together?
I enjoyed reading Slyph and Thana. They are very layered characters that helped make a pretty generic uncover-the-traitor-and-save-the-day plot much more enjoyable. Slyph is very reluctant to show her feelings (or even really understand them at times) because of her upbringing, and despite her being part of a powerful noble family, her powers would make her a pariah. She'd lose her standing and her freedom if her powers came to light. Thana is proud of her powers and knowledge, but is still not very respected at court. She feels the resentment, and is understandably angry at her treatment. It doesn't stop the attraction between the two, and some of the conflicts that arise when they have to work to empathize with each other.
There are some lovely parallels with Slyph's affinity for stone, and her taciturn appearance. I also liked that this helps readers along who have not read the original novels, with a healthy bit of understated world building. There are some call backs to the original series, but some of the references might be a little difficult to decipher if you haven't read those books.
I enjoyed this read, and it makes me want to go back and check out the other books from this series - I have most of them, but they are pretty deep in my backlog of books. I also love a solid lesfic high fantasy, and this fits the bill perfectly.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 17, 2020
Excellent fantasy novel. Magic, nobility. Rich-poor action-packed romance. Set as a 200-years before prequel to Wright's Pyramid Waltz series. I have not read the original series and highly enjoyed this book. It definitely can be read as a stand alone.
Lady Sylph is languishing under her father's thumb, but she is terrified of the secret she holds: she is a nobel pyradiste. She can work pyramid magic, and her kind should not exist - pyramid magic is for peasants only. Thana is the royal pyradiste - pyramid magic practitioner to the royal family. But things are not right in the kingdom or in the pyradiste world. Something is amiss.
As Sylph's magic threatens to explode, she and Thana for a (initially reluctant) partnership to keep Sylph safe. But safety is not an option and soon the two must work together to try to stop new magic, a coup, and the unleashing of an all-destroying Fiend.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Lady Sylph is languishing under her father's thumb, but she is terrified of the secret she holds: she is a nobel pyradiste. She can work pyramid magic, and her kind should not exist - pyramid magic is for peasants only. Thana is the royal pyradiste - pyramid magic practitioner to the royal family. But things are not right in the kingdom or in the pyradiste world. Something is amiss.
As Sylph's magic threatens to explode, she and Thana for a (initially reluctant) partnership to keep Sylph safe. But safety is not an option and soon the two must work together to try to stop new magic, a coup, and the unleashing of an all-destroying Fiend.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
October 11, 2020
trigger warning
In a world where the nobles pride themselves on not having the magic they think beneath them, one noble discovers she has unexplained abilities and tries her hardest to keep them hidden.
The royal pyradisté realises this and is torn between her duty to her employer and feelings toward a fellow magician.
Let me start with the strongest point of this: The character's queerness is not a problem. I repeat: Queerness is not a problem!
This doesn't mean there are no problems, simply that it's not important what is hidden under the finery of your crush. For example, the queen is unavailable for most parts of the book as she has a new female paramour, and it's okay as long as she won't marry a person that may be in for power and money.
Our main characters come from different worlds and upbringings and thus have different abilities. Both are shown to have strengths and weaknesses, and overcoming prejudice is something both have to do.
The magic system took a while to get used to. The mages have pyramids from a special crystal that allows them to focus their intent and their abilities. Pyramids can be tuned for different kind of jobs, a light pyramid makes light, a mind pyramid is usefull for poking into people's thoughts. And the term pyradisté... yeah, not the most creative but that makes it believable as something that would be used.
Apart from that, it's pretty standard high fantasy fare. Courtly shemes that have to be stopped because threat of magic, bigger than the opposition knows. Travel is exactly as quick as your horse can run.
It's quite sad, really, that queerness in characters is enough to make old stories very appealing, but it is how it is.
My only critique so far would be that the views shared by a monk of the gods of love and beauty felt ace-exclusionary. You know, the kind of sex positivity that only is for people who do have sex and excludes everyone who simply has no interest.
Please work on that. I like sex positivity, but not if it makes my particular brand of queerness a problem.
Apart from that, full recommendations.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
In a world where the nobles pride themselves on not having the magic they think beneath them, one noble discovers she has unexplained abilities and tries her hardest to keep them hidden.
The royal pyradisté realises this and is torn between her duty to her employer and feelings toward a fellow magician.
Let me start with the strongest point of this: The character's queerness is not a problem. I repeat: Queerness is not a problem!
This doesn't mean there are no problems, simply that it's not important what is hidden under the finery of your crush. For example, the queen is unavailable for most parts of the book as she has a new female paramour, and it's okay as long as she won't marry a person that may be in for power and money.
Our main characters come from different worlds and upbringings and thus have different abilities. Both are shown to have strengths and weaknesses, and overcoming prejudice is something both have to do.
The magic system took a while to get used to. The mages have pyramids from a special crystal that allows them to focus their intent and their abilities. Pyramids can be tuned for different kind of jobs, a light pyramid makes light, a mind pyramid is usefull for poking into people's thoughts. And the term pyradisté... yeah, not the most creative but that makes it believable as something that would be used.
Apart from that, it's pretty standard high fantasy fare. Courtly shemes that have to be stopped because threat of magic, bigger than the opposition knows. Travel is exactly as quick as your horse can run.
It's quite sad, really, that queerness in characters is enough to make old stories very appealing, but it is how it is.
My only critique so far would be that the views shared by a monk of the gods of love and beauty felt ace-exclusionary. You know, the kind of sex positivity that only is for people who do have sex and excludes everyone who simply has no interest.
Please work on that. I like sex positivity, but not if it makes my particular brand of queerness a problem.
Apart from that, full recommendations.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
September 3, 2022
A prequel to her Pyradisté Adventures, Lady of Stone is a perfect introduction to Barbara Ann Wright’s world of fantasy and magic. Even though it’s been ages since I read The Pyramid Waltz, and I’ve yet to catch up with the other 3 books in the series, I had no trouble settling in and familiarizing myself with the world and its magic.
The first thing that struck me about this is just how quickly Wright defines the classes of her world, and just how powerfully she outlines the prejudices between them. As a result, we have no trouble understanding Lady Sylph’s horror at being caught with magic, or her awkwardness in being forced to accept the secret tutoring of a pyradisté peasant. Her entire world has been flipped upside down, her entire future put into question, and compounding matters is her attraction to Thana, something upon which it would be entirely improper to act. Thana shares that same problem of impossible attraction, chafing against that class barrier, but she has the added awkwardness of envying Lady Sylph the effortless strength of her magic – something the noblewoman wants only to hide and suppress.
This a story I would describe as a plot-driven fantasy first (with violent scenes of explosive action) and a character-driven romance second (with passionate scenes of frustrated longing), but that mix does shift nicely in the second half. There’s a fascinating mystery regarding magic going awry, one that’s compounded by acts of treason, and being thrown into those conflicts, both magic and mundane, is what slowly brings Lady Sylph and Thana together. Two strong, independent women with real depth, there’s no question they are the primary appeal here. As much as they frustrated me at times, had me cursing at them for not telling each other what they were thinking or how they were feeling, I understood them . . . I understood their distance . . . and, because of that, I appreciated their gradual bridging of that powerful divide.
Interestingly, as much as this world is divided along lines of class and magic, it’s wonderfully open and inclusive of gender and sexuality, complete with a very open love affair between Queen Earnhilt and Lady Lucia that delivers some early moments of ribald humor. In restricting the attraction between Lady Sylph and Thana to something forbidden solely because of class, not because of gender, Wright allows the story and the romance to progress without any sort of secret, closeted angst. As for being the Lady of Stone, that’s both a reference to Lady Sylph’s personality (which does soften and crack) and her magical affinity (which involves very different breaking down), two aspects that play off one another nicely.
Yet another stellar read from Barbara Ann Wright, Lady of Stone is a wonderful blend of magical fantasy and lesbian romance that had me eager to find out how it all ends, and yet reluctant to have it end.
https://www.sallybend.com/2020/09/lad...
The first thing that struck me about this is just how quickly Wright defines the classes of her world, and just how powerfully she outlines the prejudices between them. As a result, we have no trouble understanding Lady Sylph’s horror at being caught with magic, or her awkwardness in being forced to accept the secret tutoring of a pyradisté peasant. Her entire world has been flipped upside down, her entire future put into question, and compounding matters is her attraction to Thana, something upon which it would be entirely improper to act. Thana shares that same problem of impossible attraction, chafing against that class barrier, but she has the added awkwardness of envying Lady Sylph the effortless strength of her magic – something the noblewoman wants only to hide and suppress.
This a story I would describe as a plot-driven fantasy first (with violent scenes of explosive action) and a character-driven romance second (with passionate scenes of frustrated longing), but that mix does shift nicely in the second half. There’s a fascinating mystery regarding magic going awry, one that’s compounded by acts of treason, and being thrown into those conflicts, both magic and mundane, is what slowly brings Lady Sylph and Thana together. Two strong, independent women with real depth, there’s no question they are the primary appeal here. As much as they frustrated me at times, had me cursing at them for not telling each other what they were thinking or how they were feeling, I understood them . . . I understood their distance . . . and, because of that, I appreciated their gradual bridging of that powerful divide.
Interestingly, as much as this world is divided along lines of class and magic, it’s wonderfully open and inclusive of gender and sexuality, complete with a very open love affair between Queen Earnhilt and Lady Lucia that delivers some early moments of ribald humor. In restricting the attraction between Lady Sylph and Thana to something forbidden solely because of class, not because of gender, Wright allows the story and the romance to progress without any sort of secret, closeted angst. As for being the Lady of Stone, that’s both a reference to Lady Sylph’s personality (which does soften and crack) and her magical affinity (which involves very different breaking down), two aspects that play off one another nicely.
Yet another stellar read from Barbara Ann Wright, Lady of Stone is a wonderful blend of magical fantasy and lesbian romance that had me eager to find out how it all ends, and yet reluctant to have it end.
https://www.sallybend.com/2020/09/lad...
December 1, 2020
Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/11/...)
Overall Rating: 3.0 stars
Library recommendation: Not recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
__________________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 2
Love story speed: Insta-attraction; medium burn
Relationship dynamics: The High-Ranking Noblewoman (h1) / The High-Ranking Wielder of Magic (h2)
Sexual content: Some; on-page, but very vaguely described. Some sex is ritualistic
Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2)
Sexual Identity: Neither are self-declared, but lesbian is implied for both
Triggers: If you are claustrophobic, there are parts of this book that will make you very uncomfortable
Acceptance Rating: 5.0 stars
Acceptance Rating Explanation: Love is love; while there is parental estrangement, it is not due to identity.
Grammar/Editing: Minor typos but, otherwise, this was a fairly clean ARC.
Review: This was a fairly slow-paced book for me, although it picked up toward the end. That being said, the world building was good – it was obvious that the author has spent a lot of time in-world. I read this book without having read the others and could follow along easily, for the most part. I did read the synopses for the other books in the series, but it was not clear to me how this book fits in – this may be more obvious to those who have read the other selections.
The main characters in this book are Sylph and Thana. Their romance is incredibly tentative and feels very “new adult” in tone. I found that the couple dynamics were not to my taste – they bicker constantly and neither really gives way. While we receive cues from the supporting characters about what we should be feeling at certain points in the story, I didn’t find that I was witnessing the same relationship that they were seeing. I was honestly more invested in the action of the novel than the romance and finished the book for the plot resolution rather than the happily ever after.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall Rating: 3.0 stars
Library recommendation: Not recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
__________________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 2
Love story speed: Insta-attraction; medium burn
Relationship dynamics: The High-Ranking Noblewoman (h1) / The High-Ranking Wielder of Magic (h2)
Sexual content: Some; on-page, but very vaguely described. Some sex is ritualistic
Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2)
Sexual Identity: Neither are self-declared, but lesbian is implied for both
Triggers: If you are claustrophobic, there are parts of this book that will make you very uncomfortable
Acceptance Rating: 5.0 stars
Acceptance Rating Explanation: Love is love; while there is parental estrangement, it is not due to identity.
Grammar/Editing: Minor typos but, otherwise, this was a fairly clean ARC.
Review: This was a fairly slow-paced book for me, although it picked up toward the end. That being said, the world building was good – it was obvious that the author has spent a lot of time in-world. I read this book without having read the others and could follow along easily, for the most part. I did read the synopses for the other books in the series, but it was not clear to me how this book fits in – this may be more obvious to those who have read the other selections.
The main characters in this book are Sylph and Thana. Their romance is incredibly tentative and feels very “new adult” in tone. I found that the couple dynamics were not to my taste – they bicker constantly and neither really gives way. While we receive cues from the supporting characters about what we should be feeling at certain points in the story, I didn’t find that I was witnessing the same relationship that they were seeing. I was honestly more invested in the action of the novel than the romance and finished the book for the plot resolution rather than the happily ever after.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2020
The story unfolds in a world where magic is dismissed as a “peasant” occupation and where nobility disapproves of everything and anyone magic-related.
Lady Sylph is the quintessence of this type of noble, as her father wishes her to be, but problems begin when she discovers to have the power of the Pyradistes. A LOT of power. She is even more gifted than the Queen’s Pyradiste, Thana.
Sylph needs to learn to contain her gifts so as not to be discovered and disowned and seeks Thana’s help. And that has nothing to do with Thana being gorgeous and dark, and kind, and…as I said, nothing to do.
I liked the dynamic between Thana and Sylph. As you can tell there is an immediate attraction but I liked how it collided with their different status and most of all with the fact that Sylph refuses her great gifts, greater even than Thana’s and the envy that Thana feels for it. I liked this dynamic so much that I wished it had been developed even more, but I felt it was resolved too quickly.
The magic system is brilliant and truly fascinating, nothing like I have read before. The magic is conveyed trough an actual pyramid made of some type of mineral that serves multiple purposes depending on the magic the magician intends to use.
I really enjoy fantasy books with a well-built world and characters and this one is no exception but I have to say it relies a lot on the others of the same series. I wouldn’t say it’s mandatory to read the other books before reading Lady of Stone but sure would have helped because at first I was confused by terms and names which are kind of took for granted since are not explained very well.
My final thought is that is a very good fantasy, but one in which the romance perhaps steals too much of the spotlight from the untapped potential of character development.
Lady Sylph is the quintessence of this type of noble, as her father wishes her to be, but problems begin when she discovers to have the power of the Pyradistes. A LOT of power. She is even more gifted than the Queen’s Pyradiste, Thana.
Sylph needs to learn to contain her gifts so as not to be discovered and disowned and seeks Thana’s help. And that has nothing to do with Thana being gorgeous and dark, and kind, and…as I said, nothing to do.
I liked the dynamic between Thana and Sylph. As you can tell there is an immediate attraction but I liked how it collided with their different status and most of all with the fact that Sylph refuses her great gifts, greater even than Thana’s and the envy that Thana feels for it. I liked this dynamic so much that I wished it had been developed even more, but I felt it was resolved too quickly.
The magic system is brilliant and truly fascinating, nothing like I have read before. The magic is conveyed trough an actual pyramid made of some type of mineral that serves multiple purposes depending on the magic the magician intends to use.
I really enjoy fantasy books with a well-built world and characters and this one is no exception but I have to say it relies a lot on the others of the same series. I wouldn’t say it’s mandatory to read the other books before reading Lady of Stone but sure would have helped because at first I was confused by terms and names which are kind of took for granted since are not explained very well.
My final thought is that is a very good fantasy, but one in which the romance perhaps steals too much of the spotlight from the untapped potential of character development.
September 20, 2020
I loved Barbara Ann Wright's first four Pyridisté books, and I'd give those 5 stars each.
Lady of Stone, not so much. When I am reading lesbian romances, the biggest turn off is two women who will not and do not talk honestly to one another about the things that bother them. Lady of Stone is not a lesbian romance, but the aggravation is the same: our heroines talk past one another, or bottle up their true feelings, etc. You just want to slap them.
The miscommunications might have been bearable if I liked the heroines better. In fact, we have two women with poor self esteem. There is an attempt to confront class issues in Lady of Stone, but it isn't well-supported and ultimately fails. The noble's self-centered terrors were annoying, the peasant's snotty attitude was worse. At no point was I really rooting for the heroines to get their love lives in order, because I could not sympathize with either character.
Lady of Stone, not so much. When I am reading lesbian romances, the biggest turn off is two women who will not and do not talk honestly to one another about the things that bother them. Lady of Stone is not a lesbian romance, but the aggravation is the same: our heroines talk past one another, or bottle up their true feelings, etc. You just want to slap them.
The miscommunications might have been bearable if I liked the heroines better. In fact, we have two women with poor self esteem. There is an attempt to confront class issues in Lady of Stone, but it isn't well-supported and ultimately fails. The noble's self-centered terrors were annoying, the peasant's snotty attitude was worse. At no point was I really rooting for the heroines to get their love lives in order, because I could not sympathize with either character.
October 7, 2020
I realize this book is a prequel to the series, though I do wish a little more world building was added before laying out some very important facts about the story world. Overall liked the relationship of the leads, seemed a little rushed but I’m privy to a slower burn. Overall I enjoyed the book, the characters were relatable in their struggles to not being able to speak out and to leaning more to lashing out at times. It felt very natural too, to just fall in love so easily without question of ones sexuality, enjoyed that part immensely.
September 7, 2020
When I was 12 and voraciously consuming teen fiction featuring fantasy with romance subplots, this is the kind of book I was looking for. No, it’s not perfect. I found both Sylph and Thana irritating in their own ways, as they could have had more depth to their personalities. Their relationship was really cute, though, and I liked the overall storyline. Four and a half stars.
October 2, 2020
I'm giving this a solid 4 stars, but tending towards a little more. This was a wonderful read, sweeping me away into a completely different world where noble families protect terrifying secrets and peasants possess magic. Yet everything was intertwined.
This is the prequel to the Pyradisté Adventure series. I haven't read any of that series yet, but I am so pleased I have the first book - The Pyramid Waltz - coming in the post as I type.
I found the two main characters, Lady Sylph (the noble) and Thana (the magic wielding peasant and the queen's pyradisté - she controls magic via various pyramid crystals) to be individual, three dimensional and relatable. I honestly did feel for them during their trials, despite the fact that Sylph comes across as a stuck up ass at first and Thana has a chip on her shoulder about whether she is worthy of her role as queen's pyradisté. Thana knows a lot, but if anything really terrible happened, would she be able to do a lot? Turns out we find out.
The two main characters are supported by a cast of well-rounded secondary characters. Each of them is individual and none of them run together so the reader gets confused as to who is who as sometimes happens with secondary characters. Each of them have an important role to play in the story.
I loved the world building and the magic system which was sort of a cross between elemental and meditative channelling using the various pyramid crystals. I liked the idea that without a functional pyramid, the pyradisté has to fall back on traditional means of defence or attack. It makes them vulnerable and more relatable.
Both main characters essentially go on a hero's journey and learn much about the world, themselves and each other as they go. They both change, which is essential.
I believed in the attraction between Sylph and Thana. They worked well together, initially as opposites and then as two sides of a single coin. The bickering and blushes were fun. As far as the romance goes in this book, it isn't graphic. There is kissing and scenes where the two women sleep together, but it is described in the lightest of terms or along the lines of fade to black. And that's fine, this isn't primarily a romance novel, it is fantasy with an ff pairing as lead. I would have been disappointed if the author had dumped a graphic sex scene in there just to titillate.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful read. The only reasons it didn't get 5 stars was that I got slightly overwhelmed towards the end when so many things were happening all at once to so many people in so many ways, and the suddenly new way of transferring a Fiend (I'll not spoil - there was some foreshadowing for it, but it was a bit of a leap of faith). I understand why it was done though.
I'm looking forward to reading the first in the actual series.
This is the prequel to the Pyradisté Adventure series. I haven't read any of that series yet, but I am so pleased I have the first book - The Pyramid Waltz - coming in the post as I type.
I found the two main characters, Lady Sylph (the noble) and Thana (the magic wielding peasant and the queen's pyradisté - she controls magic via various pyramid crystals) to be individual, three dimensional and relatable. I honestly did feel for them during their trials, despite the fact that Sylph comes across as a stuck up ass at first and Thana has a chip on her shoulder about whether she is worthy of her role as queen's pyradisté. Thana knows a lot, but if anything really terrible happened, would she be able to do a lot? Turns out we find out.
The two main characters are supported by a cast of well-rounded secondary characters. Each of them is individual and none of them run together so the reader gets confused as to who is who as sometimes happens with secondary characters. Each of them have an important role to play in the story.
I loved the world building and the magic system which was sort of a cross between elemental and meditative channelling using the various pyramid crystals. I liked the idea that without a functional pyramid, the pyradisté has to fall back on traditional means of defence or attack. It makes them vulnerable and more relatable.
Both main characters essentially go on a hero's journey and learn much about the world, themselves and each other as they go. They both change, which is essential.
I believed in the attraction between Sylph and Thana. They worked well together, initially as opposites and then as two sides of a single coin. The bickering and blushes were fun. As far as the romance goes in this book, it isn't graphic. There is kissing and scenes where the two women sleep together, but it is described in the lightest of terms or along the lines of fade to black. And that's fine, this isn't primarily a romance novel, it is fantasy with an ff pairing as lead. I would have been disappointed if the author had dumped a graphic sex scene in there just to titillate.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful read. The only reasons it didn't get 5 stars was that I got slightly overwhelmed towards the end when so many things were happening all at once to so many people in so many ways, and the suddenly new way of transferring a Fiend (I'll not spoil - there was some foreshadowing for it, but it was a bit of a leap of faith). I understand why it was done though.
I'm looking forward to reading the first in the actual series.
September 9, 2020
I’ve always been a fan of fantasy books and this one didn’t disappoint! The storyline was captivating, I can’t seem to stop reading it and was really hooked. Lady Sylph and Thana’s character was so endearing and charming, even the supporting characters were written very well. The plot of the story was intriguing and I don’t want to spoil anything. I would very much recommend this book to my friends. Now I need to read the rest of the series since this story happened before Pyramid Waltz.
I received an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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