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The Lightstone: The Complete Novel
A born warrior who cannot bear to go to war, a master of the sword who cannot kill his enemies without feeling the pain of death himself . . . .
Valashu Elahad, seventh son of a king and a descendent of the Valari Star People who settled the world of Ea long ago, comes to manhood late in the Age of the Dragon. It is a dark time of war and the dashed dreams of long-lost ages. The peoples of Ea have forgotten their purpose of becoming immortal Elijin, who, in turn, through disciplines of the body and spirit, evolve into the great, luminous beings who can never be killed. They have also mostly forgotten how to use the lost gelstei jewels that power the interstellar civilization they know little of. Val, who is blessed (or cursed?) with empathy for all living things, would like nothing more than to become a great scholar, play his flute, and learn of these matters. But once again Morjin, the fallen Elijin, is seeking the way to free Angra Mainyu, the Lord of Lies imprisoned on the world of Damoom for a million years. Once again, the free peoples of Ea will be called to fight to the death if they do not want to see their world destroyed.
Strangely, though, it is also a time of light. For the earth and sun have once again entered the Golden Band and Ea’s greatest king has called a quest to find the the great golden gelstei that can restore the ruined civilization that Ea has become. Fate impels Val to set out with his companions into the heart of darkness in order to recover the Lightstone. Greatness of soul is needed in order even to perceive the golden cup, and this Val must achieve before fighting the most desperate of fights. For Morjin seeks the golden cup, too, and he hounds Val all across Ea. Val knows that he must someday face the fallen angel in battle, but he is afraid, for a great scryer has foretold “His fate is yours. If you kill him, you kill yourself . . . . “
The Lightstone opens the internationally acclaimed Ea Cycle. If you enjoy fast-paced adventure, a startling new cosmology, and an intricately-made world as rich as Tolkien’s and with all the magic of an Arthurian romance, you’ll love this book.
Buy The Lightstone today to join in an ancient and timeless quest.
Valashu Elahad, seventh son of a king and a descendent of the Valari Star People who settled the world of Ea long ago, comes to manhood late in the Age of the Dragon. It is a dark time of war and the dashed dreams of long-lost ages. The peoples of Ea have forgotten their purpose of becoming immortal Elijin, who, in turn, through disciplines of the body and spirit, evolve into the great, luminous beings who can never be killed. They have also mostly forgotten how to use the lost gelstei jewels that power the interstellar civilization they know little of. Val, who is blessed (or cursed?) with empathy for all living things, would like nothing more than to become a great scholar, play his flute, and learn of these matters. But once again Morjin, the fallen Elijin, is seeking the way to free Angra Mainyu, the Lord of Lies imprisoned on the world of Damoom for a million years. Once again, the free peoples of Ea will be called to fight to the death if they do not want to see their world destroyed.
Strangely, though, it is also a time of light. For the earth and sun have once again entered the Golden Band and Ea’s greatest king has called a quest to find the the great golden gelstei that can restore the ruined civilization that Ea has become. Fate impels Val to set out with his companions into the heart of darkness in order to recover the Lightstone. Greatness of soul is needed in order even to perceive the golden cup, and this Val must achieve before fighting the most desperate of fights. For Morjin seeks the golden cup, too, and he hounds Val all across Ea. Val knows that he must someday face the fallen angel in battle, but he is afraid, for a great scryer has foretold “His fate is yours. If you kill him, you kill yourself . . . . “
The Lightstone opens the internationally acclaimed Ea Cycle. If you enjoy fast-paced adventure, a startling new cosmology, and an intricately-made world as rich as Tolkien’s and with all the magic of an Arthurian romance, you’ll love this book.
Buy The Lightstone today to join in an ancient and timeless quest.
1230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2022
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September 12, 2025
I'm so glad that's over. It just got worse and less believable and harder to read as it went on. Very much regretting buying the omnibus edition, though there is some resolution in the second half/book that I would have missed out on as I probably wouldn't have continued the series. It's better than the Belgariad, though I admit that's a low bar and afaik Zindell hasn't been arrested for child neglect and admitted to writing fantasy as a cashgrab so you know, if it's between those two it's a no-brainer, but overall it just doesn't seem worth the 822-page slog.
fermy - ?
ferm
- (obsolete) rent for a farm
- (obsolete) a farm
- (obsolete) an abode or place of residence
punctilio - a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure
kel- ProtoIndoEuropean
- "to cover, conceal, save."
- "to be prominent," also "hill"
debouch - emerge from a confined space into a wide, open area
mid 18th century: from French déboucher, from dé- (expressing removal) + bouche ‘mouth’ (from Latin bucca ‘cheek’)
> Zanshin (残心) is a Japanese concept referring to a state of relaxed alertness and sustained awareness that extends beyond the execution of a technique or action, whether in martial arts, archery, or daily life. Translated as "remaining mind" or "lingering mind," zanshin involves maintaining focus on the present moment, being fully engaged with your surroundings, and remaining balanced and ready to respond to any new development, even after achieving a goal. It represents a continuous state of mind, body, and spirit, ensuring readiness and clear intention in any situation.
sorrel
- a horse with a light reddish-brown coat
• a light reddish-brown colour
bevor (/ˈbiːvər/) or beaver - a piece of plate armour designed to protect the neck, much like a gorget
'Wishes are wishing you would wish them.' p189
Can we stop starting sentences with conjunctions
telluric
- of the earth as a planet
• of the soil
from Latin tellus, tellur- ‘earth’ + -ic
cupidity - greed for money or possessions
from Old French cupidite or Latin cupiditas, from cupidus ‘desirous’, from cupere ‘to desire’
'And so, after Morjin surrendered the Light stone to Aramesh, he had Morjin bound in chains.' p287 you didn't change the subject there
opprobrium
- harsh criticism or censure
• public disgrace arising from shameful conduct
• ARCHAIC • an occasion or cause of reproach or disgrace
from Latin, literally ‘infamy’, from opprobrum, from ob- ‘against’ + probrum ‘disgraceful act’
plaint
- BRITISH • LAW • an accusation or charge.
- LITERARY - a complaint or lamentation
from Old French plainte, feminine past participle of plaindre ‘complain’, or from Old French plaint, from Latin planctus ‘beating of the breast’
He was like 48/49 when the first book was published that's insane given the naivete and cluelessnes Val exhibits and the book seems to support.
> Viburnum lantanoides (commonly known as hobble-bush, witch-hobble, alder-leaved viburnum, American wayfaring tree, and moosewood) is a perennial shrub of the family Adoxaceae (formerly in the Caprifoliaceae), growing 2–4m high with pendulous branches that take root where they touch the ground. These rooted branches form obstacles which easily trip (or hobble) walkers – hence the common name.
> Clethra alnifolia, the coastal sweetpepperbush or summer sweet, is a species of flowering plant native to North America, a deciduous shrub which grows in wetlands, bogs and woodland streams
galiot, galliot, or galiote, was a small galley boat propelled by sail or oars
• Mediterranean (16th–17th C)
Historically, a galiot was a type of ship with oars, also known as a half-galley, then, from the 17th century forward, a ship with sails and oars. A galiot had 2 masts and 16~ pairs of oars. Warships of the type typically carried between two and ten cannons of small caliber, and between 50 and 150 men.
• North Sea (17th–19th C)
A galiot was a type of Dutch or German merchant ship of 20 to 400 tons (bm), similar to a ketch, with a rounded fore and aft like a fluyt. These galiots had nearly flat bottoms to sail in shallow waters and were especially favoured for coastal navigation in the North and Baltic seas. To avoid excessive leeway, or leeward drift due to their flat bottoms, smaller vessels were usually fitted with leeboards. After 1830, a modernised type of galiot was developed that featured a sharper bow similar to a schooner, and rarely had leeboards.
• French Naval ships (17th–19th C)
A naval warship that might have 2 masts with lateen sails and a bank of oars. It might also be relatively small with only one mast, and be little more than a large chaloupe or launch.
The term was also used for a horse-drawn barge pulled along canals or rivers banks, which were popular in France from the mid-17th century through the 19th century.
A galiote, or scute, was also a type of flat-bottomed boat with a simple sail that traveled French rivers transporting wine
mead - a meadow
bilander, also billander, or bélandre, is a small 2-masted European merchant ship
glister
- a brilliant flash; a glint
- alternative form of clyster
clyster
- (now rare) a medicine applied via the rectum; an enema or suppository
fillet
- a band or ribbon worn round the head, especially for binding the hair
• ARCHITECTURE • a narrow flat band separating two mouldings
• ARCHITECTURE • a small band between the flutes of a column
- a roughly triangular strip of material which rounds off an interior angle between two surfaces
lineament
- LITERARY - a distinctive feature or characteristic, especially of the face
- a linear feature on the earth's surface, such as a fault
grover - a topographic surname from Middle English for someone who lived near a grove
kirtle - a historic European garment that was originally a tunic or a long coat worn by men in the Middle Ages, and later evolved into a one-piece dress or gown worn by women from the late Middle Ages through the Baroque period
The influences are too obvious - Arthur, Tolkien, Eddings
ruth - ARCHAIC - a feeling of pity, distress, or grief
Middle English: from the verb rue¹, probably influenced by Old Norse hrygth
fold
- BRITISH - a slight hill or hollow in the ground
• GEOLOGY • a bend or curvature of strata
> The pika is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears. The pika is also known as the whistling hare because of its high-pitched call it gives when alarmed.
> bitterbroom can refer to 2 distinct plants: Parthenium hysterophorus, an invasive weed with daisy-like flowers, and Scoparia dulcis (also known as sweet broom), a widely used medicinal plant. Parthenium hysterophorus is known for causing allergic reactions and threatening native flora in tropical and subtropical regions. Scoparia dulcis is a hardy herb with traditional uses for various ailments, though it's also considered a weed in some areas
sere
- LITERARY - (esp of vegetation) dry or withered
from Old English 'sēar'
- ECOLOGY - a natural succession of plant (or animal) communities, especially a full series from uncolonized habitat to the appropriate climax vegetation
from Latin 'serere' join in a series
rutilant - LITERARY - glowing or glittering with red or golden light
ursage - ? cruelty to bears?
> Champfrein is an older, less common alternative spelling of chamfron (or chanfron), which refers to the piece of plate armor that protects a horse's head, especially the face
> The criniere (also known as manefaire or crinet) was a set of segmented plates that protected the horse's neck. In full barding this consisted of two combinations of articulated lames that pivoted on loose rivets. One set of lames covered the mane and the other covered the neck. These connected to the peytral and the chanfron. Light barding used only the upper lames. Three straps held the crinet in place around the neck. It is thought that thin metal was used for these plates, perhaps 0.8 mm. Mail armour was often affixed to the crinet and wrapped about the horse's neck for additional protection
> poitrel is a medieval breastplate designed to protect the chest of a horse. This piece of horse armor, also known as a poitrine or peytral, was often ornately decorated and worn as part of a complete set of barding, or horse armor. The term originates from the Latin pectorale, meaning breastplate
Nordic mythology obvious references (clumsy)
kalvaa (transitive)
- to gnaw
- to chafe, rub
- (figuratively) to gnaw, nag, bother, gall
- to ream (use a reamer)
stive
- the floating dust in a flour mill caused by the operation of grinding
- (UK, dialect, transitive, intransitive) to stew; to be stifled or suffocated
- (transitive) to compress (something); to cram
catarrh - excessive discharge or build-up of mucus in the nose or throat, associated with inflammation of the mucous membrane
early 16th century: from French catarrhe, from late Latin catarrhus, from Greek katarrhous, from katarrhein ‘flow down’, from kata- ‘down’ + rhein ‘flow’
The spelling and grammar mistakes were annoying but once I accepted that this thing was irredeemable it was easier to just push past them. He also seems to use words in slightly incorrect ways sometimes.
fermy - ?
ferm
- (obsolete) rent for a farm
- (obsolete) a farm
- (obsolete) an abode or place of residence
punctilio - a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure
kel- ProtoIndoEuropean
- "to cover, conceal, save."
- "to be prominent," also "hill"
debouch - emerge from a confined space into a wide, open area
mid 18th century: from French déboucher, from dé- (expressing removal) + bouche ‘mouth’ (from Latin bucca ‘cheek’)
> Zanshin (残心) is a Japanese concept referring to a state of relaxed alertness and sustained awareness that extends beyond the execution of a technique or action, whether in martial arts, archery, or daily life. Translated as "remaining mind" or "lingering mind," zanshin involves maintaining focus on the present moment, being fully engaged with your surroundings, and remaining balanced and ready to respond to any new development, even after achieving a goal. It represents a continuous state of mind, body, and spirit, ensuring readiness and clear intention in any situation.
sorrel
- a horse with a light reddish-brown coat
• a light reddish-brown colour
bevor (/ˈbiːvər/) or beaver - a piece of plate armour designed to protect the neck, much like a gorget
'Wishes are wishing you would wish them.' p189
Can we stop starting sentences with conjunctions
telluric
- of the earth as a planet
• of the soil
from Latin tellus, tellur- ‘earth’ + -ic
cupidity - greed for money or possessions
from Old French cupidite or Latin cupiditas, from cupidus ‘desirous’, from cupere ‘to desire’
'And so, after Morjin surrendered the Light stone to Aramesh, he had Morjin bound in chains.' p287 you didn't change the subject there
opprobrium
- harsh criticism or censure
• public disgrace arising from shameful conduct
• ARCHAIC • an occasion or cause of reproach or disgrace
from Latin, literally ‘infamy’, from opprobrum, from ob- ‘against’ + probrum ‘disgraceful act’
plaint
- BRITISH • LAW • an accusation or charge.
- LITERARY - a complaint or lamentation
from Old French plainte, feminine past participle of plaindre ‘complain’, or from Old French plaint, from Latin planctus ‘beating of the breast’
He was like 48/49 when the first book was published that's insane given the naivete and cluelessnes Val exhibits and the book seems to support.
> Viburnum lantanoides (commonly known as hobble-bush, witch-hobble, alder-leaved viburnum, American wayfaring tree, and moosewood) is a perennial shrub of the family Adoxaceae (formerly in the Caprifoliaceae), growing 2–4m high with pendulous branches that take root where they touch the ground. These rooted branches form obstacles which easily trip (or hobble) walkers – hence the common name.
> Clethra alnifolia, the coastal sweetpepperbush or summer sweet, is a species of flowering plant native to North America, a deciduous shrub which grows in wetlands, bogs and woodland streams
galiot, galliot, or galiote, was a small galley boat propelled by sail or oars
• Mediterranean (16th–17th C)
Historically, a galiot was a type of ship with oars, also known as a half-galley, then, from the 17th century forward, a ship with sails and oars. A galiot had 2 masts and 16~ pairs of oars. Warships of the type typically carried between two and ten cannons of small caliber, and between 50 and 150 men.
• North Sea (17th–19th C)
A galiot was a type of Dutch or German merchant ship of 20 to 400 tons (bm), similar to a ketch, with a rounded fore and aft like a fluyt. These galiots had nearly flat bottoms to sail in shallow waters and were especially favoured for coastal navigation in the North and Baltic seas. To avoid excessive leeway, or leeward drift due to their flat bottoms, smaller vessels were usually fitted with leeboards. After 1830, a modernised type of galiot was developed that featured a sharper bow similar to a schooner, and rarely had leeboards.
• French Naval ships (17th–19th C)
A naval warship that might have 2 masts with lateen sails and a bank of oars. It might also be relatively small with only one mast, and be little more than a large chaloupe or launch.
The term was also used for a horse-drawn barge pulled along canals or rivers banks, which were popular in France from the mid-17th century through the 19th century.
A galiote, or scute, was also a type of flat-bottomed boat with a simple sail that traveled French rivers transporting wine
mead - a meadow
bilander, also billander, or bélandre, is a small 2-masted European merchant ship
glister
- a brilliant flash; a glint
- alternative form of clyster
clyster
- (now rare) a medicine applied via the rectum; an enema or suppository
fillet
- a band or ribbon worn round the head, especially for binding the hair
• ARCHITECTURE • a narrow flat band separating two mouldings
• ARCHITECTURE • a small band between the flutes of a column
- a roughly triangular strip of material which rounds off an interior angle between two surfaces
lineament
- LITERARY - a distinctive feature or characteristic, especially of the face
- a linear feature on the earth's surface, such as a fault
grover - a topographic surname from Middle English for someone who lived near a grove
kirtle - a historic European garment that was originally a tunic or a long coat worn by men in the Middle Ages, and later evolved into a one-piece dress or gown worn by women from the late Middle Ages through the Baroque period
The influences are too obvious - Arthur, Tolkien, Eddings
ruth - ARCHAIC - a feeling of pity, distress, or grief
Middle English: from the verb rue¹, probably influenced by Old Norse hrygth
fold
- BRITISH - a slight hill or hollow in the ground
• GEOLOGY • a bend or curvature of strata
> The pika is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears. The pika is also known as the whistling hare because of its high-pitched call it gives when alarmed.
> bitterbroom can refer to 2 distinct plants: Parthenium hysterophorus, an invasive weed with daisy-like flowers, and Scoparia dulcis (also known as sweet broom), a widely used medicinal plant. Parthenium hysterophorus is known for causing allergic reactions and threatening native flora in tropical and subtropical regions. Scoparia dulcis is a hardy herb with traditional uses for various ailments, though it's also considered a weed in some areas
sere
- LITERARY - (esp of vegetation) dry or withered
from Old English 'sēar'
- ECOLOGY - a natural succession of plant (or animal) communities, especially a full series from uncolonized habitat to the appropriate climax vegetation
from Latin 'serere' join in a series
rutilant - LITERARY - glowing or glittering with red or golden light
ursage - ? cruelty to bears?
> Champfrein is an older, less common alternative spelling of chamfron (or chanfron), which refers to the piece of plate armor that protects a horse's head, especially the face
> The criniere (also known as manefaire or crinet) was a set of segmented plates that protected the horse's neck. In full barding this consisted of two combinations of articulated lames that pivoted on loose rivets. One set of lames covered the mane and the other covered the neck. These connected to the peytral and the chanfron. Light barding used only the upper lames. Three straps held the crinet in place around the neck. It is thought that thin metal was used for these plates, perhaps 0.8 mm. Mail armour was often affixed to the crinet and wrapped about the horse's neck for additional protection
> poitrel is a medieval breastplate designed to protect the chest of a horse. This piece of horse armor, also known as a poitrine or peytral, was often ornately decorated and worn as part of a complete set of barding, or horse armor. The term originates from the Latin pectorale, meaning breastplate
Nordic mythology obvious references (clumsy)
kalvaa (transitive)
- to gnaw
- to chafe, rub
- (figuratively) to gnaw, nag, bother, gall
- to ream (use a reamer)
stive
- the floating dust in a flour mill caused by the operation of grinding
- (UK, dialect, transitive, intransitive) to stew; to be stifled or suffocated
- (transitive) to compress (something); to cram
catarrh - excessive discharge or build-up of mucus in the nose or throat, associated with inflammation of the mucous membrane
early 16th century: from French catarrhe, from late Latin catarrhus, from Greek katarrhous, from katarrhein ‘flow down’, from kata- ‘down’ + rhein ‘flow’
The spelling and grammar mistakes were annoying but once I accepted that this thing was irredeemable it was easier to just push past them. He also seems to use words in slightly incorrect ways sometimes.
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