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Spellstone of Shaltus
"In the days of the Great War between the Eastern Kingdoms and S'Shegan, the evil wizard Shaltus had been brutally punished for an unspeakable crime. Now he had returned, seeking vengeance from the void of hell. The black soul of Shaltus lived again!
Battling for survival, cast out by her own people, the sorceress Leah had to marshal the forces of might and magic. For she alone could banish the barbarous evil that had invaded the castle of the S'Carltons and had sworn not to rest until the house of s'Carlton had been annihilated.
An adventure of the Eastern Kingdoms--magical fantasy in the tradition of Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Battling for survival, cast out by her own people, the sorceress Leah had to marshal the forces of might and magic. For she alone could banish the barbarous evil that had invaded the castle of the S'Carltons and had sworn not to rest until the house of s'Carlton had been annihilated.
An adventure of the Eastern Kingdoms--magical fantasy in the tradition of Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley.
- GenresFantasy
204 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 19, 2026
I enjoyed this. It's not the best, and by far not the worst. The writing style isn't exactly stunning, but it kept my attention. The dialogue itself was rather clunky and very clichéd to say the least. At times, it felt very comic bookish, with the kind of villain dialogue like, "You cannot defeat me!" type of stuff. A bit amateurish, but easy to deal with for such a short book.
There were points in the book where it was a little confusing as to what this world was. Was it a fantasy world, a post-apocalyptic future earth, or something altogether different? I am still not quite sure.
Some of the terms used in this book was what made me a little confused. Terms like "psychic ability" or "psychic talents". Even words like telepathy and precognition were used, which hints at a world very much like the real world. I just think there could have been better ways to explain those types of powers without using modern day terms. Kind of awkward terms to use in a fantasy novel.
However, it was a bit of a breath of fresh air to read something so short and did not require a great deal of thought to understand what was going on. Not to mention reading something that didn't have an agenda to push.
There were points in the book where it was a little confusing as to what this world was. Was it a fantasy world, a post-apocalyptic future earth, or something altogether different? I am still not quite sure.
Some of the terms used in this book was what made me a little confused. Terms like "psychic ability" or "psychic talents". Even words like telepathy and precognition were used, which hints at a world very much like the real world. I just think there could have been better ways to explain those types of powers without using modern day terms. Kind of awkward terms to use in a fantasy novel.
However, it was a bit of a breath of fresh air to read something so short and did not require a great deal of thought to understand what was going on. Not to mention reading something that didn't have an agenda to push.
April 20, 2025
Amateurish and very derivative.
November 7, 2009
The word that springs to mind is "amateurish". Not only does the writing lack sparkle, but the entire structure of the book feels flawed.
The provided map shows something that resembles the Atlantic coastline of the United States (aided by names such as Akron, Westvirn, Richmond, and York), but this mystery is left dangling for 3/4 of the book: is this some kind of postapocalyptic fantasy? An alternate Earth? Something else entirely? The issue gnawed at me while reading--am I missing a subtle clue?--and the eventual answer was a disappointment. Yes, it's postapocalyptic. No, this fact doesn't particularly matter, and is only mentioned in passing. So what's the point? Why distract your readers with this shaggy-dog-story of a mystery if it comes of nothing?
What's more, setting it after some unimaginable apocalypse in a way confines the genre: is this science fiction or fantasy? It's as if the author can't decide. On one hand, the author uses words like 'psychic', a mental power or mutuation, and describes things in technical terms of fields and energies. On the other, these abilities can be rune-inscribed and chanted and other features of more typical magic. The book uncomfortably straddles genres, and while I can appreciate the idea of a postapocalyptic fantasy future-Earth, this attempt was either half-hearted or insufficiently developed.
The plot, and indeed the entire mode of storytelling was rather rough. The characters sit around and discuss the technical details of their magic, in order to clue in the reader as to why certain things are true or need to happen. This storytelling technique was heavy-handed when used in Star Trek technobabble and even more so here. The villains discuss their villainry (including the stuff that each other already know and have no reason to actually say) while the heroine conveniently eavesdrops, thus advancing the plot.
The one thing I walked off with is the image of a kingdom dominated by the evil spirit. The earth itself is corrupt and twisted and even the animals themselves are controlled and turned to defense. The wraith has no need for human artifacts, so the buildings and possessions have fallen into ruin. From the center of this corruption the wraith lurks, physically confined by the artifact containing it. Yet its zone of influence spreads as it accumulates power.
The provided map shows something that resembles the Atlantic coastline of the United States (aided by names such as Akron, Westvirn, Richmond, and York), but this mystery is left dangling for 3/4 of the book: is this some kind of postapocalyptic fantasy? An alternate Earth? Something else entirely? The issue gnawed at me while reading--am I missing a subtle clue?--and the eventual answer was a disappointment. Yes, it's postapocalyptic. No, this fact doesn't particularly matter, and is only mentioned in passing. So what's the point? Why distract your readers with this shaggy-dog-story of a mystery if it comes of nothing?
What's more, setting it after some unimaginable apocalypse in a way confines the genre: is this science fiction or fantasy? It's as if the author can't decide. On one hand, the author uses words like 'psychic', a mental power or mutuation, and describes things in technical terms of fields and energies. On the other, these abilities can be rune-inscribed and chanted and other features of more typical magic. The book uncomfortably straddles genres, and while I can appreciate the idea of a postapocalyptic fantasy future-Earth, this attempt was either half-hearted or insufficiently developed.
The plot, and indeed the entire mode of storytelling was rather rough. The characters sit around and discuss the technical details of their magic, in order to clue in the reader as to why certain things are true or need to happen. This storytelling technique was heavy-handed when used in Star Trek technobabble and even more so here. The villains discuss their villainry (including the stuff that each other already know and have no reason to actually say) while the heroine conveniently eavesdrops, thus advancing the plot.
The one thing I walked off with is the image of a kingdom dominated by the evil spirit. The earth itself is corrupt and twisted and even the animals themselves are controlled and turned to defense. The wraith has no need for human artifacts, so the buildings and possessions have fallen into ruin. From the center of this corruption the wraith lurks, physically confined by the artifact containing it. Yet its zone of influence spreads as it accumulates power.
March 23, 2013
I read this back in its original version, maybe 30 years ago?? Have kept a copy on my shelf ever since. It's a haunting story with images that have stuck with me all this time. I only wish Linda had written more!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews