Stonewiser

The Heart of the Stone

By: Dora Machado

Narrated by: Melissa Reizian Frank

As a Stonewiser, Sariah can read the stories hidden deep within the sacred stones.

She has the power to witness the past and change the future.

But when she discovers dangerous lies that have been interwoven with the truth in the stones, she is forced to turn to her enemy: A man who is as intoxicating as he is powerful....

....and her world won’t ever be the same again.

©2008 Dora Machado (P)2013 Dora Machado

Fairly complex and compelling fantasy

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes. I would say its a 3.5 / 5

The book is ultimatley enjoyable and worth the time spent listening. It has a difficult (but not a bad) start - you are thrown into the book midway through and event with little explanation of what is going on, and then a few chapters later subjected to a rape scene. However these two events/scene are catalysts for a lot of the rest of the book, as the push Sariah out of her santuary and into the wider mystery.

Once that is done there is intrigue, changing allegances and a variety of multi-dimensional characters to keep you interested.

What does Melissa Reizian Frank bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Reizian does well with the reading. Clear enjoyable narration with distinct character voices. I enjoyed her reading

Any additional comments?

There are certain 'adult' moments in the book - including a couple of rape or attempted rape scenes - so if you don't like that then probably not a good book for you.

A vivid book and a hot listen

If you could sum up Stonewiser in three words, what would they be?

Vivid, suspenseful and steamy!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Stonewiser?

One of the most memorable moments was the final wising at the wall. That particular scene felt cinematic with all its striking details, which highlight a thrilling denouement.

What does Melissa Reizian Frank bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought the narrator's pacing was very well done, and allowed me to get wrapped up in the story in a different way than when I read the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were definitely laugh out loud moments, but I think that Sariah's brand of humor is much more appealing than that. It is the witty and wry humor in this heroine that calls out to me much more.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful listen to get lost in.

A wonderful & imaginative thought-provoking story.

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

The writing was packed to bursting with evocative descriptions of all things, from ever changing environments, to the intense emotions of the characters. The romance between Sariah and Kael was dealt with beautifully, if a little predictably (they hate each other, then they love each other). The sex scenes (only a few, no smut, beautifully done) were so well written, and their emotion so infused me, my tears gushed on more than one occasion.

Sariah was likeable, if difficult to understand in places due to her emotionless upbringing. And Kael was the typical strong brooding silent type, with a big a heart and burning passion beneath the tough exterior. I found the cast, on the whole, well developed; I found it easy to picture them, their actions, their expressions, and I cared for them.

What other book might you compare Stonewiser to and why?

No idea.

What about Melissa Reizian Frank’s performance did you like?

I had the great experience listening to the very enthusiastic Melissa Reizian Frank. Her ability to take on different characters and add different voices really helped me to digest the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried at some high emotional moments and laughed at others.

However, when characters mentioned Ars (a name) e.g. Kael, son of Ars. it pulled me but of the story. Am I child? Perhaps. It wouldn’t have been so bad if this word were mentioned once or twice, but it was mentioned a lot at one point, and interchangeably with mention of actual ‘arses’ (he slapped her arse, etc). Especially on Audio, it was confusing and inappropriately amusing.

Any additional comments?

Overall, this is a superb high fantasy. If you love fantasy, you’ll be glad you took a chance on this one, and will no doubt be as eager as I am to see what is in store for Sariah in books two and three.

Imaginative Tale of High Fantasy

Any additional comments?

Stonewiser Saraiah was raised to believe that the Stonewiser's Guild stands for truth and justice. But when she nearly dies wising twin stones no sane person would touch, she learns that the stone truth may not be as it appears. Deception surrounds her and the rebllious Sariah sets off on her own desperate quest for truth.

The Heart of the Stone is a difficult story to describe. It's high fantasy that steps outside of cliched genre norms to tell the story of a woman hungry for both love and truth, cast adrift in a world full of selfish deceit and manipulation. I suppose there's a certain uncomfortable truth to that: It isn't safe to assume that the things we've been taught our entire lives are true just because someone told us they are.

This is an imaginative, thought-provoking tale. Sariah is easily sympathetic, even if her need for stones sometimes felt strange or alien -- that was a part of the other worldliness of the story.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. Melissa Reizian Frank did a very nice job with the story. She has a strong voice for story-telling.

I recommend this book (in audiobook or text format) to fantasy lovers looking for something a little outside the mold.

High fantasy in a brand new world.

If nothing else, Machado has come up with a very interesting and thought out world. I wouldn't be surprised if this series turned into a multiseries like the Dragons of Pern books. I really enjoyed the book, although it started out slow and quite confusing (although, it didn't exactly get less confusing as the book went on.) I thought the characters were pretty interesting and their upbringing impacted their emotions/ reactions believably. There were some extremely graphic mutilation and rape scenes, but I honestly didn't find the (consenting) sex scenes all that graphic. If anything, the metaphors and similes were irritating after the first scene. One big frustration for me was the “Meliahs help me” in every other paragraph. Even die hard Christians don't have this sentiment as often as our protagonist.

I must say that Melissa Reizian Frank did an excellent job. Her pace was refreshingly fast and her characters were distinct. The only real issue I had was the strange accent for the Guild and the Shield characters. It just felt like too much.

High fantasy in a brand new world.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**