The Empire Stone

by Chris Bunch

Peirol of the Marshlands is a traveling gem merchant on a quest for a gem so powerful, it gives its owner the dangerous ability to control others. Traveling far beyond the known world to a city torn by earthquake and fire, Peirol will find the Empire Stone and unleash its hellish power.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

413 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 2, 2005

About the author

Christopher R. "Chris" Bunch was an American science fiction, fantasy and television writer, who wrote and co-wrote about thirty novels.

Born in Fresno, California, he collaborated with Allan Cole on a series of books involving a hero named Sten in a galactic empire. (Cole married Bunch's sister, Kathryn.) He served in Vietnam as a patrol leader. He also wrote for Rolling Stone and was a correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He died in his hometown of Ilwaco, Washington, after a long battle with a lung ailment.

Reviews

[AndrewP · Rating 2 out of 5]

When you read the cover of a book and all the quotes are about the authors other books, that's always a bad sign. This one had a quote from a Portland newspaper on the front cover "Bunch's battle sequences are second to none". That was referring to one of his previous books "The Seer King". I have read that trilogy, and it wasn't bad. This one was nothing like it.

First off, there were no epic battle sequences here. Bunch usually does a good job of them, but no where near in the same class as say Bernard Cornwell or David Gemmel. The other problem I had with this novel was that it seemed to be a series of adventures along the route of an overall quest. The whole format reminded me of the serialized style of the pulp era. But it was written in 2000 so I doubt if that was how it was first published. Some parts of it were okay, but most of it was 'meh'.

[Flint Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The world was interesting and approachable. While there was a good bit of "it always just works out" for the protagonist, it was presented in a fun, reasonable way. I think my favorite part of this is that the protagonist has morals and is willing to do the right thing.

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeweler Peirol is sent by a wizard to retrieve the infamous Empire Stone. He is confronted by several challenges before he secures the stone. This was a surprise. I thought it was going to be a ponderous quest story. It was saved by the character. Peirol is a guy with a talent who is trying to get by. Using his charm and his talent Peirol is able to solve his problems. The plot moved well. An OK fantasy and it may be stand alone.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid heroic fantasy.