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Charmed #18
Mist and Stone
Shadows of tomorrow
from the past are sown.
On shifting sands and sorrows,
veiled in mist or set in stone...
Paige Matthews is accustomed to the requirements of her job as a social worker, and she's willing to endure substandard pay, long hours, and emotional drain. After all, she wants to make a difference—sometimes in a non-Charmed capacity. But she is unprepared for the anger and rage she encounters in Todd Corman, a young boy who has been bounced from caregiver to caregiver for so long that he doesn't trust authority. Still, Paige is sympathetic and determined to break through.
But when Phoebe stops by the agency for a quick hello, she is rocked by a vision that involves Todd. Strangely, the vision is shrouded in fog. After some investigation, Leo explains that this particular mist has nothing to do with the weather, but rather suggests that Todd's fate may not be set in stone. Todd has been targeted, and if the Charmed Ones are going to reverse destiny, they're going to have to race against the clock!
from the past are sown.
On shifting sands and sorrows,
veiled in mist or set in stone...
Paige Matthews is accustomed to the requirements of her job as a social worker, and she's willing to endure substandard pay, long hours, and emotional drain. After all, she wants to make a difference—sometimes in a non-Charmed capacity. But she is unprepared for the anger and rage she encounters in Todd Corman, a young boy who has been bounced from caregiver to caregiver for so long that he doesn't trust authority. Still, Paige is sympathetic and determined to break through.
But when Phoebe stops by the agency for a quick hello, she is rocked by a vision that involves Todd. Strangely, the vision is shrouded in fog. After some investigation, Leo explains that this particular mist has nothing to do with the weather, but rather suggests that Todd's fate may not be set in stone. Todd has been targeted, and if the Charmed Ones are going to reverse destiny, they're going to have to race against the clock!
201 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
909 people want to read
About the author
Diana G. Gallagher
131 books53 followersDiana G. Gallagher was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults. She also wrote the space opera The Alien Dark (1990), but was best known for her tie-in work for television properties including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Star Trek and The Secret World of Alex Mack, among others.
She was also a prolific filk creator, winning Pegasus Awards in 1986 and ’94. Gallagher won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1988 under the name Diana Gallagher Wu. She sometimes also wrote under the name Diana Burke.
Born in 1946, in Paterson, New Jersey, she lived in Florida with her husband, the writer Martin R. Burke, who predeceased her in 2011. Gallagher was married four times; her third marriage was to author William F. Wu (divorced 1990).
Gallagher died December 2, 2021 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 75 years of age.
She was also a prolific filk creator, winning Pegasus Awards in 1986 and ’94. Gallagher won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1988 under the name Diana Gallagher Wu. She sometimes also wrote under the name Diana Burke.
Born in 1946, in Paterson, New Jersey, she lived in Florida with her husband, the writer Martin R. Burke, who predeceased her in 2011. Gallagher was married four times; her third marriage was to author William F. Wu (divorced 1990).
Gallagher died December 2, 2021 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 75 years of age.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 30, 2022
I hadn't read a Charmed book in a long time but I enjoyed it. I actually got pretty caught up in the last third or so, which got a little tense. Of course everything worked out fine in the end. I'd really like to rewatch the series now. The original, not the reboot.
February 1, 2019
This was a good novel for Charmed. I liked the concept and the execution was pretty on point. The sisters were written mostly like their on screen personas, but there were a few differences...but that's to be expected. I would recommend this to any fan of the show.
March 16, 2017
There is a Leo on the cover, I repeat: a Leo on the cover. This actually brings back the whole cover theory again and also because Paige is standing lonely at the front as well. On to prove the theory is real with some exceptions.
This story setting was interesting but slow. As in the fact that near the end Phoebe realised that the Dark Lighter tries to make Todd one. The sisters feel so different in the books than in the TV series. I know it is difficult to hold on and the writers change from time to time but it is a bit sad in my opinion.
Well I will continue two more books before I take a slight break. I borrow these books from my dad so he wants to have them back soon probably as I borrowed nine from him during Christmas.
This story setting was interesting but slow. As in the fact that near the end Phoebe realised that the Dark Lighter tries to make Todd one. The sisters feel so different in the books than in the TV series. I know it is difficult to hold on and the writers change from time to time but it is a bit sad in my opinion.
Well I will continue two more books before I take a slight break. I borrow these books from my dad so he wants to have them back soon probably as I borrowed nine from him during Christmas.
July 15, 2025
I'll round it up to 3 stars.
Set around Season 4 but back tracks as having Phoebe seeking work at a temp agency, still engaged to Cole who is hitting the books to go back and be a human lawyer and not a demon one (insert your own joke here).
Paige is still working at Social Services, and her newest case is a twelve-year-old named Todd Corman. He has been in foster homes since his mother died when he was five and almost has a rap sheet worth of behavior that could lead him to Juvie. Paige isn't ready to let this boy's life end in being locked up until he turns eighteen and being cast off...he's an innocent of a non-Charmed One capacity.
There is already a lot of anger, rage and no respect for authority and almost no empathy in Todd that Paige is trying to get him sent to a reform school instead.
That is until Phoebe shows up to grab a book from Paige and has Todd tackle her trying to escape.
The contact provides a vision shrouded in fog where it looks to be a Darklighter ready to kill Leo!
Instead of being alarmed, like his wife Piper, Leo explains to Phoebe that her vision is one of a mist and stone variety. It may be subject to change, and it has a connection to Todd. Paige thinks that Todd will be safe at Bay Haven but has no idea that it is by no means a regular place...
More and more the vision starts to clear away the mist, but it is a race against time as Paige looks for Todd's father and a Darklighter is looking for someone new to take under his wing and end The Charmed Ones.
Mist And Stone didn't turn out as I expected, sounding so mystical and all, and it seemed to be an out of water tale. Phoebe was feeling sorry for herself at not getting a mortal job and then her vision not being crystal clear. She also seemed to be jealous of Cole spending more time trying to be a better lawyer by reading up on law at the library then canoodling with her.
Piper was worried about Leo's life being in danger but also focused on wanting to grow her own garden and being so jumpy that she is constantly blowing up inanimate objects. Leo was keeping an eye on Todd in invisible Whitelighter mode but always orbed out just before anything alarming occurred.
We got to see how dedicated to her job Paige is but also that underneath her demeanor of steel, she is still scared at times. That was good but mostly, the book was about Todd. You want to sympathize with him, but he just came off as being unruly most of the time.
I don't know I guess I just didn't like it split down the middle of 50/50 *shrugs* it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.
Set around Season 4 but back tracks as having Phoebe seeking work at a temp agency, still engaged to Cole who is hitting the books to go back and be a human lawyer and not a demon one (insert your own joke here).
Paige is still working at Social Services, and her newest case is a twelve-year-old named Todd Corman. He has been in foster homes since his mother died when he was five and almost has a rap sheet worth of behavior that could lead him to Juvie. Paige isn't ready to let this boy's life end in being locked up until he turns eighteen and being cast off...he's an innocent of a non-Charmed One capacity.
There is already a lot of anger, rage and no respect for authority and almost no empathy in Todd that Paige is trying to get him sent to a reform school instead.
That is until Phoebe shows up to grab a book from Paige and has Todd tackle her trying to escape.
The contact provides a vision shrouded in fog where it looks to be a Darklighter ready to kill Leo!
Instead of being alarmed, like his wife Piper, Leo explains to Phoebe that her vision is one of a mist and stone variety. It may be subject to change, and it has a connection to Todd. Paige thinks that Todd will be safe at Bay Haven but has no idea that it is by no means a regular place...
More and more the vision starts to clear away the mist, but it is a race against time as Paige looks for Todd's father and a Darklighter is looking for someone new to take under his wing and end The Charmed Ones.
Mist And Stone didn't turn out as I expected, sounding so mystical and all, and it seemed to be an out of water tale. Phoebe was feeling sorry for herself at not getting a mortal job and then her vision not being crystal clear. She also seemed to be jealous of Cole spending more time trying to be a better lawyer by reading up on law at the library then canoodling with her.
Piper was worried about Leo's life being in danger but also focused on wanting to grow her own garden and being so jumpy that she is constantly blowing up inanimate objects. Leo was keeping an eye on Todd in invisible Whitelighter mode but always orbed out just before anything alarming occurred.
We got to see how dedicated to her job Paige is but also that underneath her demeanor of steel, she is still scared at times. That was good but mostly, the book was about Todd. You want to sympathize with him, but he just came off as being unruly most of the time.
I don't know I guess I just didn't like it split down the middle of 50/50 *shrugs* it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.
July 28, 2025
I felt that Leo amd Paige were a bit out of character here. Don't see Leo doing spot checks here or there and don't see Paige backing down. That side story with making a garden was annoying too. Seemed like had them more focused on it than their innocent at times.
Pheobe gets a vison about Todd who is Paige's new boy to place. It's not clear what is happening but it's through Todd's eyes.
Instead of sending him to juvie like most would with his long list of misbehavior she calls the runner of Bay Haven who has be convinced at first.
I knew something was up from moment she takes him there. The place is horrible and the director might be human but he's evil. Working with a darklighter to corrupt the boys there for his own use.
The vision keeps changing because it's not set in stone. Thankfully they are able to save Todd which I was glad about he deserved happy to all he's dealt with. He kept testing to see who would love him but the foster families kept sending him away second he messed up.
Ray the administrator and the darklighter another reason gave a 4 star hated them so much.
Pheobe gets a vison about Todd who is Paige's new boy to place. It's not clear what is happening but it's through Todd's eyes.
Instead of sending him to juvie like most would with his long list of misbehavior she calls the runner of Bay Haven who has be convinced at first.
I knew something was up from moment she takes him there. The place is horrible and the director might be human but he's evil. Working with a darklighter to corrupt the boys there for his own use.
The vision keeps changing because it's not set in stone. Thankfully they are able to save Todd which I was glad about he deserved happy to all he's dealt with. He kept testing to see who would love him but the foster families kept sending him away second he messed up.
Ray the administrator and the darklighter another reason gave a 4 star hated them so much.
August 30, 2021
Overall, I really enjoyed this one and wished we could have seen it represented on screen. There were moments where I simply couldn’t put the book down which is what we all want but I was disappointed with the final battle - I found it extremely anti-climactic after such a strong build up. Loved the concept of the ‘Mist and Stone’ effect to Phoebe’s visions though.
January 4, 2025
"Eine richtige Familie ist eben durch nichts zu ersetzen. Auch wenn es manchmal dauert, bis man sie findet..."
Page tries to rehome a 12 yr old oprhan getting him into danger beyond his understanding. If you like the charmed episodes of darklighters, this is another story featuring one of them.
Page tries to rehome a 12 yr old oprhan getting him into danger beyond his understanding. If you like the charmed episodes of darklighters, this is another story featuring one of them.
May 8, 2022
The Charmed Ones barely had any interaction with the bad guys or the innocent in this book, so I didn't really buy their success in the end.
June 20, 2024
It's really great to have these extra Charmed stories, adds great to the series
December 2, 2011
Paige deals with young delinquents on a daily basis, and she can sympathize with most of them. A rocky childhood, wrong friends, parents who couldn’t care less…You can’t blame most of these children for the way they are acting. Usually, when you show them that you genuinely care about them, they open up to you and share their fears and anxieties. They start to trust you. And that’s when social assistants like Paige feel like they’ve gotten a breakthrough. But with Todd, there are no such breakthroughs. He remains unmoved when Paige tries to talk him into trusting her, he reacts indifferently to his environment, he’s reckless, violent and unable to show any emotion other than anger. Of all the children she’s ever worked with, Paige finds him the most difficult one to relate to, and to make him trust her. But it’s not like Paige to give up, not even on children like Todd. She gets him the best help she can, and the only alternative to a youth wasted in juvenile prison – a help center for young but troubled children, like Todd.
Little does Paige know that the things going on at the center aren’t exactly conform to the rules. Fortunately, Phoebe gets a vision involving Todd, and…Leo. In her vision, which is mostly covered in mist, Phoebe can see a man standing next to Todd, a man who is trying to kill Leo. The Charmed Ones only have to add two and two together to realize the man is up to no good, and that him being with Todd is no coincedence. Paige goes to the investigate, but that may not have been the smartest move ever. The danger they are all in is far greater than they anticipated, and Todd is right in the middle of it…
The good thing about Mist and Stone is that it has a decent background story. I’ve always wanted to read more about Paige and her job as a social assitant, because it’s a topic rarely touched upon in the TV series and certainly she must have had her share of troubles at work as well. I also liked Todd, even if his personality is everything but encouraging, and the story of someone trying to make children evil enough so they’d be accepted by the dark side. It seems like a good idea to take children like Todd to do the job, but that’s without taking into account that people, no matter how badly they were treated by society and no matter what horrors they went through, aren’t going to turn up bad per sé. Todd is no exception. Although being bad, violent and mean may come natural to him, that’s really not the person he wants to be.
The major problem I had with this book, is the introduction of the “mist and stone” concept. Since when do Phoebes visions have mist surrounding them, indicating the events can still change, and then the mist lessens as the events come more and more closer to actually happenin? If that concept was ever introduced in the series, then I obviously missed the memo. It also seems odd to introduce it now all of the sudden in this book, when in other books they never talk about it again. Of course the books are stand-alone and all, but it just doesn’t seem right to add a major change to Phoebe’s powers and then to only use it once, like some deus ex-machina thing. I’m obviously not a fan. And to put it as the title of the book seems just silly as well. This book could have easily been written without the change to Phoebe’s visions, and with just the story of Todd and his fight against the dark side as central focus point. It would have been just as interesting, if not even more.
Mist and Stone is the eight book in the Charmed series, not counting the Charmed Classics, which involve Prue, Piper and Phoebe, rather than Piper, Phoebe and Paige. It’s action-packed and plot-driven, not focusing too much on the sisterly troubles between the Charmed Ones or the other members of their family, and instead focusing on the events involving Todd. Although the sister’s personalities are a bit generic – it’s obvious that the attention is on the action, not the emotions behind it – this book is very enjoyable, and has a premises that lies closely to the TV series, and it’s too far-stretched. Excellent reading material for all Charmed fans!
Little does Paige know that the things going on at the center aren’t exactly conform to the rules. Fortunately, Phoebe gets a vision involving Todd, and…Leo. In her vision, which is mostly covered in mist, Phoebe can see a man standing next to Todd, a man who is trying to kill Leo. The Charmed Ones only have to add two and two together to realize the man is up to no good, and that him being with Todd is no coincedence. Paige goes to the investigate, but that may not have been the smartest move ever. The danger they are all in is far greater than they anticipated, and Todd is right in the middle of it…
The good thing about Mist and Stone is that it has a decent background story. I’ve always wanted to read more about Paige and her job as a social assitant, because it’s a topic rarely touched upon in the TV series and certainly she must have had her share of troubles at work as well. I also liked Todd, even if his personality is everything but encouraging, and the story of someone trying to make children evil enough so they’d be accepted by the dark side. It seems like a good idea to take children like Todd to do the job, but that’s without taking into account that people, no matter how badly they were treated by society and no matter what horrors they went through, aren’t going to turn up bad per sé. Todd is no exception. Although being bad, violent and mean may come natural to him, that’s really not the person he wants to be.
The major problem I had with this book, is the introduction of the “mist and stone” concept. Since when do Phoebes visions have mist surrounding them, indicating the events can still change, and then the mist lessens as the events come more and more closer to actually happenin? If that concept was ever introduced in the series, then I obviously missed the memo. It also seems odd to introduce it now all of the sudden in this book, when in other books they never talk about it again. Of course the books are stand-alone and all, but it just doesn’t seem right to add a major change to Phoebe’s powers and then to only use it once, like some deus ex-machina thing. I’m obviously not a fan. And to put it as the title of the book seems just silly as well. This book could have easily been written without the change to Phoebe’s visions, and with just the story of Todd and his fight against the dark side as central focus point. It would have been just as interesting, if not even more.
Mist and Stone is the eight book in the Charmed series, not counting the Charmed Classics, which involve Prue, Piper and Phoebe, rather than Piper, Phoebe and Paige. It’s action-packed and plot-driven, not focusing too much on the sisterly troubles between the Charmed Ones or the other members of their family, and instead focusing on the events involving Todd. Although the sister’s personalities are a bit generic – it’s obvious that the attention is on the action, not the emotions behind it – this book is very enjoyable, and has a premises that lies closely to the TV series, and it’s too far-stretched. Excellent reading material for all Charmed fans!
February 24, 2012
i have read this book once before whenever i was twelve or thirteen i decided to reread it and it is still one of my favorite books. you can tell ive had the book for a long period of time because some of the pages are starting to fall out of the book so you have to be careful reading it. but does anyone know where i can read the rest of the charmed series online because i have not foung all of the books in paperback and i cant find any on my favorite site so im hoping somebody reads this and knows where i can read them for free online. or download to my nook color thank you for helping.
January 14, 2013
This Charmed book wasn't the best of the series but I still liked it. I love how the sisters are growing both independently and as a 'coven', as well as how their lives are progressing slowly but surely- witch or not, they still have the usual issues of young women and such.
As always I love the characters and what they go through in this novel.
As always I love the characters and what they go through in this novel.
May 24, 2016
Just finished it and, in all honestly, it was pretty good - better than I expected, actually.
Being a long-time Charmed fan, I was concerned with how the characters would be portrayed in novel form, however, I was pleased to find that their actions and dialogue were very in character. Aside from a few rare grammatical errors and awkward wordings, I enjoyed it.
Being a long-time Charmed fan, I was concerned with how the characters would be portrayed in novel form, however, I was pleased to find that their actions and dialogue were very in character. Aside from a few rare grammatical errors and awkward wordings, I enjoyed it.
May 1, 2014
I am a HUGE fan of the series ever since I was a child!
When my brother gave this to me as a gift a literally screamed soooooooooooooo loud!!!
It was great! If you love the series this is just a part of it in a book!
I liked the story, but I enjoyed the show more than reading this book, to be honest!
When my brother gave this to me as a gift a literally screamed soooooooooooooo loud!!!
It was great! If you love the series this is just a part of it in a book!
I liked the story, but I enjoyed the show more than reading this book, to be honest!
October 22, 2009
This book was really cool. It was kind of boring in the begining but the fun parts came in later on. I think that what Paige did was really great and there was a happy ending. What i regret is that i didn't get to know what happened to the guy who ran the boys home in the end.
June 1, 2011
Having been a long time ago that i read it from what i rememeber i bought this book in a time when i was into Charmed. Having found it again and re-reading it i found the book to be good.
would recommend this book to anyone who liked charmed.
would recommend this book to anyone who liked charmed.
June 15, 2012
I found the whole Mist and Stone concept very interesting to read about. It made things unsure and changeable (which it is always of course otherwise Phoebe's powers would be useless) and I liked the Innocent kid a lot. It was exciting to read and I'm very glad with the ending, on to the next one!
August 1, 2010
Allright. the first book with Paige i've read since the last 6 books. Refreshing, Prue was getting a little boring. The story wasn't very special though.
Read
March 22, 2010F CHA
Fantasy
Fantasy
November 30, 2011
A really good book as always. I think I love the books about as much as I love the show.
January 31, 2013
Okay.
July 5, 2014
Ehh, it was okay. On par with the others in the series like usual.
March 12, 2023
A typical Charmed book, no better or worse than others with plot holes and inconsistencies to the TV series…
January 2, 2015
Like all the other Charmed novels, a great book, and just as good as the actual show.
Read
July 27, 2011Great book i enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews