A Quiet of Stone

NewEden #3

by Leigh Stephen, Jim Burns (Illustrator)

Gyll Hermond was spawned in the dark streets of Neweden, a world torn apart by intrigue and blood-feud. He'd molded a ragged band of kinless outcasts into a trained killing force – the Hoorka Assassins' Guild – only to be deposed as leader in a bitter struggle for power.

Now Fate brings Gyll back to Neweden as military commander of a powerful Trading Family. Hoorka has become a lethal weapon in the hands of a repressive regime. And Gyll must risk his life in a final confrontation with his own deadly creation.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1984

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in Leigh's Neweden trilogy, following Slow Fall to Dawn and Dance of the Hag. It picks up about eight years after the second volume with the same characters, whose political and personal situations have not improved. It's a very richly designed world, and the characters are still interesting. (Warning: (semi) spoiler..!) The book does bring the storyline to a close, though it's not the way most readers would prefer. You keep hoping that a rabbit will be pulled forth from a hat to make things wind-up happily, but alas the one they get is kind of inevitable. I'd say it's necessary to read the earlier books before this one in order to get much from this one, so I recommend the DAW omnibus volume, Assassin's Dawn.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn.

That was not the ending I wanted. However, it makes perfect sense with the build-up. Leigh doesn't go for any easy way out, as I already observed: we've been building towards this for the whole trilogy, and Leigh takes us there. It's also a credit to his skill that where I wasn't that enthusiastic about the first two books, with the third I actually had to make myself finish because I didn't want to reach the end, which didn't for a moment seem like it could be a happy one.

So yeah, this series is surprising, interesting, and worth picking up, I think I'd have to say. It's still a fast read, and it took time to get hooks into me, but once it did, I couldn't stop reading.

[Tani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say that this was a good ending to the series, if not entirely satisfying. It features the same characters that we've been with in the first two books, albeit about 8 years after the end of the second book. Despite the years, no one has changed much, which is kind of frustrating. The characters are still nicely fleshed out, but no one really grows. Gyll has the same failings as before, as does Valdisa, as does d'Embry. I think that this could have been a much more enjoyable book if only there had been a bit of character growth.

The political situation on NewEden has grown more fraught in the passing years, and I did enjoy that aspect of the book. I never was fond of the lassari and guilds as a system, so to see it falling apart was enjoyable enough.

Basically, this is more of the same. I think the second book was slightly better because I felt more of the emotional turmoil of the characters. This book, I was too busy being frustrated by their obvious oversights to worry about what they were feeling. If you liked the previous books in the series, you won't be surprised by this one.

[Lee Pfahler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final and the best of the three novels in the NewEden series. It's a good first series by an author. I've read several of Stephen Leigh's novels in the last 2 years, both science fiction and fantasy, and none of them have disappointed me. This set of three novels are not as good as the others I've read but they are still quite good. As other readers have said, the NewEden series has a bit of a Dune feel to it but it's definitely not a copycat.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Quiet of Stone
by Stephen Leigh
Gyll Hermond returns home and finds that the world has changed in the last eight years. His Hoorka on Neweden has found hard times since he left, they have become political assassins negating all their old rules and ideals. Now Dame Fate has to ask him more than he was able to handle. Old politics, old loves and adventure on Neweden.

[Crash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in the mid 80's when it came out, and absolutely loved it. Rich tapestry of characters and plotlines, and I probably rate it too high because of the nostalgia connection. Going to read the first two Hoorka novels and fill in the missing pieces.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

the conclusion to the Slow Fall to Dawn series. Excellent.