Stone & Sky

The Stone & Sky Series, Book 1

By: Z.S. Diamanti

Narrated by: Peter Leppard

Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

From across the sea, a shadow rises. A lone survivor may be the kingdom’s only hope against annihilation.

Orin is a sworn protector. As a stalwart member of the Griffin Guard, he’s proud to protect the kingdom against a dreaded nation of orcs. But when the fires of war burn bright from the north, his entire squadron falls to deadly wyvern riders, leaving the devastated Orin bloody and alone.

With his squad dead, Orin has his mind set on saving others from the same fate.

Teaming up with a local huntsman’s family, Orin and his new friends must push themselves past their limits to face mysterious dangers and ancient magics. Shocked to discover the orcs’ secret weapon, the lone guardian’s last chance to save his home could require the ultimate sacrifice.

Come fly away on griffin-back!

Fly off to the world of Finlestia in this epic fantasy story for listeners looking for adventure, magic, and just plain fun; a tale where friendships must overcome insurmountable odds and remind listeners to never lose hope.
Buy Stone & Sky to join the battle today!

©2023 Z.S. Diamanti (P)2024 Z.S. Diamanti

Wow, what a classic!

The narration is fantastic. The story is like a hybrid between lord of the rings, D&D, and Warcraft. There is a rich plot that unfolds, and I can tell it’s just getting deeper.

perfect for any fantasy fan

Alongside the Hobbit, this is one of the books I want to read with my future children when they are ready for epic fantasy. This is not to say that this is a juvenile book, but one perfect for any age or stage of life. Diamanti presents a lively word that doesn't shy away from cozy goblin tavern or giant beasts worthy of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Fans of animal companions should be sure to check this out not only for griffin riders, but wyvern riders, dragon riders, any plenty more.

With a loveable cast and joyous plots, I am ready to follow Diamanti in all that he does.

Fantastic story and amazing narration

This review was originally posted on SFF Insiders.

What a fun ride! To start, this review is for both Stone & Sky and the accompanying Preludes Collection. I think reading these two books concurrently is 100% the correct way to start off this epic series. Diamanti has written the Preludes Collection as a way to expand the character arcs for multiple different characters, some minor and some major, and really delve into their backstories and motivations. Before each of the 7 short stories in the Collection, Diamanti tells you where in relation to Stone & Sky the story should be read, ie read this story before Chapter 5 or 23 of Stone & Sky. They’re completely interconnected, and I don’t think it’s possible to review one without the other. I LOVE how Diamanti structured these two books to work together, feed off each other, and ultimately enrich the reading experience.

Stone & Sky is an epic, classic fantasy story with multiple POVs telling the story of two main factions in the land of Finlestia: a loose alliance of orcs, trolls, and goblins versus humans, dwarfs, elves, and gnomes. However, as you quickly learn, these are not the orcs and goblins of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but rather a highly sophisticated, intelligent people who are fighting a war against the humans with motivations that parallel their human foes. Diamanti is able to expertly craft both sides of the conflict so the reader is able to understand and empathize with both groups.

This is a fast-paced story that is exploding with adventure, magic, dragons, wyverns, griffins, magical artifacts, and evil advisors. From the first pages, we’re thrown into the bloody aftermath of an unusual conflict between the human’s elite griffin mounted Griffin Guard and the orc’s wyvern riders. The pace never lets up as we follow a sprawling cast of characters all around Finlestia as we explore the continent, all while the threat of a mysterious land called Kelvur looms ominously in the background.

Again, this is where I think the inclusion of the Prelude Collection really shines. Stone & Sky on its own isn’t a huge book in terms of page count, but Diamanti throws a lot of characters at us as he fleshes out this rich world. But with the Prelude Collection, you’re able to take a brief breather from the main action while you learn about different characters in detail, allowing the world to feel so full and detailed. While all of the short stories are good and provide great context for the main story, one of the standouts for me was Smarlo’s story. So action-packed and fun. Diamanti has so many fantastic, terrifying magical creatures scattered throughout his world, and that’s all I’ll say about that short story.

The prose snaps along and the dialogue is fantastic, especially for a debut novel. We have witty banter and the creation of deep friendships among the characters that feels natural. I’ll also mention here for those who are trying to determine if this is something that they should introduce to their fantasy loving teenager. While this story 100% works for an adult audience (I loved it and I unfortunately fall very firmly in the adult category), the language is clean, there is no explicit sexual content, and the battle scenes are action packed but not gratuitously violent.

As a side note, I listened to these books as audiobooks, and the voice actor—Peter Leppard—is absolutely phenomenal. He has voices for each different character and does a stellar job. For me, narrators often play a fairly neutral role in my enjoyment of a book. But Peter completely kills it with his performance, and I would highly recommend the audiobook!

Ultimately, Stone & Sky is the perfect start to a lighthearted, epic fantasy series that is brimming with wholesome fellowships, fun adventures, and hopeful heroes. The villains are diabolical and evil. The heroes, on both sides of the initial divide, are heroic people/orcs you can get behind and cheer for. This is a modern take on classic fantasy that leaves you cheering for more.

Bringing the fantasy to life

This story is an easy 10/10 for me. All the classic high fantasy you love but in a fresh and modern way. The audiobook was a second read-through for me and this narrator is PERFECT. Really brought the fantasy into reality and his voice is just lovely. I think this would be a great audiobook to listen to at bedtime or to have going as a tandem read with the physical book because it just brings it all to life. Outstanding!

A Nostalgic Epic Fantasy

This story felt like a cup of cozy fantasy tea. With Tolkien Style writing, multiple point of view, griffin's, orks, magic, high-stakes, and good versus evil. This was just a really great read. And the narration was some of the best I've ever heard. I loved the performance!

A Modern Classic

it was such a beautiful reading and listening experience! Great characters, humor, great adventure! it was an absolute blast!!

Everything Tolkien wanted for the future of fantasy!

Fun, classic adventure fantasy. This book feels like Dungeons and Dragons with good friends and epic quests!

An EPIC Fantasy Saga for all ages!

This story and the characters just feel like home! This story and the narration went together seamlessly and was just a great listen! I listened to it in a single day and was irritated when I had to pause to speak to real people and leave the story! Can't wait to see what Z.S. Diamante has next.