Stone & Sea Book

Following Stone and the Sky, Victorian scientist Jonah Lightfoot and American artist Annie West return for the centrepiece of Graham Edward's trilogy set in a world where the sea is vertical and "the hidden machinery of Stone is recording every breath of every beast that ever walked the Earth." In Stephen King's Dark Tower sequence "the world moved on" into fantasy and legend. Here, as in Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood sequence, modern fantasy arises from mythopoetic archetypes:"Stone is connected to our world by memories. What's more, travelling on Stone is like travelling backwards or forwards in time in our world. The Threshold marks a moment way back in ancient history called the "turning of the world"."The rather formal narrative of Stone & Sea is replaced by a more immediate style, and while some readers may miss the previous elegance, the different approach keeps matters fresh, compensating for that middle-book-of-a-trilogy feeling that the really big events are being held back for the finale Stone & Sun. Even so, there is plenty going on, with Edwards pulling some kaleidoscopic twists and introducing engaging new characters; Grandfather Tree is a quirky variation on Tolkien's Ents. Most of all, here are Dragons. Archan, who originally appeared in the author's first trilogy, beginning with Dragoncharm, returns for a nightmarish encounter with Annie which promises an epic resolution. This is a good solid fantasy, a little disappointing compared to its predecessor, but still superior fare which makes the ultimate conclusion something to be anticipated with interest. --Gary S. DalkinRead More