Stoneheart

The Stoneheart Trilogy, Book One

By: Charlie Fletcher

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living. A 12-year-old boy named George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. On a school trip he's punished for something he didn't do. In a tiny act of rebellion, he lashes out at a small carving on the wall - unexpectedly breaking it off. And then something horrible does happen: a stone pterodactyl unpeels form the wall and starts chasing him. George is already running before his mind starts trying to tell him that this is impossible!

©2010 Charlie Fletcher (P)2010 Scholastic Audio

Looking forward to the next one!

I bought all 3 books in the series on sale because I am a fan of Jim Dale. The Harry Potter books and Jim Dale are what got me into audiobooks. I read a few reviews and the synopsis for all of the books and went for it. So far so good. The story is pre-teen friendly, but I enjoyed it- and I'm way not a kid anymore. The idea of statues coming to life is very Harry Potter and Dr. Who rolled together. The story is great. The narration is great. Looking forward to the next one.

Even adults will be enchanted by this!

What made the experience of listening to Stoneheart the most enjoyable?

I thought I was listening to it for my son, but then....I was hooked! Loved it. Loved the clever idea of all these famous statues in London (and gargoyles!) coming to life. Very clever tale. Interesting twists and turns. VERY enjoyable.

What other book might you compare Stoneheart to and why?

Harry Potter. But really, this is set in modern day London, and it's an alternate reality that the rest of us don't see. Just really fun.

What about Jim Dale’s performance did you like?

OH EM GEE!! If you don't know this guy's stuff, where have you been? His narration of HP is so good, people who have already read the books buy it just to listen to him! He's FANTASTIC. What a coup for this author to get him to read this. He makes it sing/come alive/mesmerizing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. And I gobbled up the other two in the series as well.

Any additional comments?

I dare you to listen to the first one and then stop. Ha! You cannot.

Like Harry Potter? Listen to this.

Wonderful story. Same eloquent writing as J.K. Rowling. Same magical narrator as the Harry Potter series. Perfection. (If I didn't know better, I'd say this is J.K. Rowling writing under a Pen Name.)

Intense, fast, meaningful story

I really enjoyed this story and the performance. Vivid characters. Interesting logic system. Creative analogies. And a good, but not quite satisfying ending. Of course, that's to lead you into the next book which I look forward to reading/listening to.

Great Book. Jim Dale Need's To Read More Books

Any additional comments?

I solely purchased all the books in the Stoneheart series because I just finished listening to all the Harry Potter books and was just blown away by Jim Dale. Of course J.K Rowling is an amazing writer but I think Jim Dale is more important in those books than I thought now that I listened to the 1st one of these. Just amazing again! I can't get enough of Jim Dale. He's just amazing narrator. This book though on it's own I think is great too. I am really attached to the characters and although it's shorter than I would like I still think it's worth it. It' feels a little sped up but then again it's supposed to be a children' book. The two minute chapters are funny at times but I am already on to Ironhand and can't wait to finish this series.

Temper, temper... you break it you pay for it..

some days, no matter what you do things just continue to go wrong; and yet, there are so many things at the same time that go right...But you're so caught up in everything going wrong you don't see the right until it's almost out of your reach.

pretty good

Any additional comments?

I was looking for some light fare, something I wouldn't have to think too hard about. And that's just what i got. Kid's stuff,I know but Jim Dale is a great narrator, and if you like the Harry Potter books, this one is worth a listen. Make no mistake, Harry Potter is tough to beat. And while this was a good book, it was not Harry Potter.

Average book. Some inappropriate language.

The story starts off great and I love the Gunner in the story. But it sort of breaks down in the middle part and has a so-so ending. All in all it just isn't anything to write home about.

It is worth noting that, for a book that is supposedly for kids and features a 12-year-old hero, there is some language that you might find inappropriate for children. You'll find instances of 'bast***' and 'what the h***' for example. It's certainly not a book I find appropriate for my wife's second-grade classroom (which is one reason I was listening to it).

The reader, Jim Dale, is pretty good as always.

I'm sorry I already bought the sequels in the kids book sale. Now I have to listen to them. Maybe the next one is better...

Not so thrilled

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I love Jim Dale's narrating, so I thought I'd give the book a try. The narration is wonderful, but the story drags.

What could Charlie Fletcher have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Some of the problems the kids ran into could have been left out to get the story moving. Maybe the story shouldn't have been planned to span several books.

Which character – as performed by Jim Dale – was your favorite?

My favorite character was the Gunner. Jim does an excellent job of creating voices that stay with you.

Was Stoneheart worth the listening time?

For me, no. I was on a long drive, so I listened. But personally i felt the story moved too slowly. I did enjoy the narration, though.

Any additional comments?

More Jim Dale narrations! He is excellent.

Intriguing story & a great audio performance by Jim Dale

A truly enjoyable listening experience. Charlie Fletcher has crafted a highly original fantasy adventure and Jim Dale brings it to life in another of his astonishing audio performances. Highly recommended.