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Star Dancer Quartet #4
Stone Keeper
The breathtaking conclusion of the Star Dancer quartet. It is Ad 61. Widowed, pregnant and grieving, Tegen is almost ready to turn her back on her destiny as the Star Dancer who will save Britain. However, she is persuaded to join Boudica’s revolt, as a battle druid, weaving the spells to ensure victory. But Tegen and the Icini queen loathe each other on sight. Boudica loves retribution and human sacrifice. Tegen longs for peace. The two women can never work together.Tempted by her pursuing demon, Tegen weaves dark magic fed by grief and anger. She vows to end the fighting by reducing Britain to nothing – a Time of Stone. To this end, she creates a monster that strikes fear into the heart of the most battle hardened Romans. Together with her friends, Owein the mysterious Romano-British Prince, and Sabrina warrior queen of the Dobunni tribe, Tegen brings about the fall of Boudica. But has she betrayed her destiny? Returning to her native Mendip hills Tegen’s baby is born, but she is still hounded by the Roman Governor Suetonius Paulinus, who is obsessed with her destruction.With dark and magical twists and turns, the plot ends with an extraordinary finale – in what we would now call Wookey Hole.With fascinating historical detail and vivid, fast paced battle scenes, this extraordinary book weaves fact and fantasy into an un-put-downable story.
- GenresFantasy
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 23, 2014
Brilliant book, I loved it. A fantastic conclusion to the Star Dancer quartet, you can really appreciate how much time and research went into these books. Tegen's a fiery girl and her inner struggles make her very three-dimensional; when Tegen was happy, I was happy and when she was grieving, so was I. I really connected with her. A layered plot with twists and turns... This certainly made an impression on me. I actually cried at the end! I would definitely recommend this quartet.
November 10, 2022
I don’t want it to end ;-;
January 15, 2016
Stone Keeper, by Beth Webb, is the fourth book in the author’s Star Dancer Quartet, a fantasy series for young adults set during the Roman invasion of Britain. Fear and treachery are rife, and the old ways of the druids are being swept aside.
The protagonist, Tegen, is now sixteen years old, pregnant and, following the slaughter of her people on Mona, riding across the troubled land to help a rebel force lead by the blood thirsty Boudica. Tegen has lost faith in the Mother Goddess and harbours a deep anger following the pointless sacrifice of her beloved husband, Tonn.
Boudica and Tegen dislike each other on sight but the young druid has promised to help the queen, and her magical powers prove useful in battle. The demon which was released in book one continues to stalk Tegen, feeding on her despair and anger at the deaths of so many she has loved.
Tegen’s powers have grown but not, it would seem, her wisdom. The personal loss she has endured blinds her to the cyclical nature of her actions. War breeds hatred which begets more war. It is a lesson that modern day governments, with their desire for power at whatever cost despite history teaching how short lived it will be, seem blind to as well.
Boudica leads a combined force of British fighters intent on crushing the Roman invasion but with little understanding of how to deal with their enemy’s strict discipline in battle. As Boudica’s followers move from town to town Tegen tries to limit the senseless slaughter of those too young or old to fight in the towns they take back, but there is little appetite among the warriors for leniency as they remember the havoc the Romans left in their conquering wake.
As the showdown between the opposing sides approaches, Tegen begins to realise that her battle is not with the Romans but with the forces of hate which manifest as the demon which pursues her. At the final reckoning, to fulfil her destiny, it would seem she must give up her child.
I found this book the most difficult of the four to read, especially when trying to appreciate how it would be received by its target audience. The tale is of a country at war, the futility of battles that do little more than perpetuate suffering, death and destruction. Those who survive seek vengeance which they wreak with the same cruelty as those whose actions they claim to need to avenge. Through my middle aged eyes it all seemed so recognisable and pointless. The young adults this book is written for will not have had that life experience so perhaps it is a story they may learn from.
The demons of hate can never be contained whist men are willing to act as their vessels. In our world, as in Tegen’s, too many seem ready to trade integrity for personal gain. Those who seek to do good can inadvertently cause harm when they believe that the end justifies the means. Mother Goddess is the earth on which all creatures reside. When we live lives that show respect for her, taking only what we need and sharing her bounty, we help all her creatures, and that includes ourselves.
The protagonist, Tegen, is now sixteen years old, pregnant and, following the slaughter of her people on Mona, riding across the troubled land to help a rebel force lead by the blood thirsty Boudica. Tegen has lost faith in the Mother Goddess and harbours a deep anger following the pointless sacrifice of her beloved husband, Tonn.
Boudica and Tegen dislike each other on sight but the young druid has promised to help the queen, and her magical powers prove useful in battle. The demon which was released in book one continues to stalk Tegen, feeding on her despair and anger at the deaths of so many she has loved.
Tegen’s powers have grown but not, it would seem, her wisdom. The personal loss she has endured blinds her to the cyclical nature of her actions. War breeds hatred which begets more war. It is a lesson that modern day governments, with their desire for power at whatever cost despite history teaching how short lived it will be, seem blind to as well.
Boudica leads a combined force of British fighters intent on crushing the Roman invasion but with little understanding of how to deal with their enemy’s strict discipline in battle. As Boudica’s followers move from town to town Tegen tries to limit the senseless slaughter of those too young or old to fight in the towns they take back, but there is little appetite among the warriors for leniency as they remember the havoc the Romans left in their conquering wake.
As the showdown between the opposing sides approaches, Tegen begins to realise that her battle is not with the Romans but with the forces of hate which manifest as the demon which pursues her. At the final reckoning, to fulfil her destiny, it would seem she must give up her child.
I found this book the most difficult of the four to read, especially when trying to appreciate how it would be received by its target audience. The tale is of a country at war, the futility of battles that do little more than perpetuate suffering, death and destruction. Those who survive seek vengeance which they wreak with the same cruelty as those whose actions they claim to need to avenge. Through my middle aged eyes it all seemed so recognisable and pointless. The young adults this book is written for will not have had that life experience so perhaps it is a story they may learn from.
The demons of hate can never be contained whist men are willing to act as their vessels. In our world, as in Tegen’s, too many seem ready to trade integrity for personal gain. Those who seek to do good can inadvertently cause harm when they believe that the end justifies the means. Mother Goddess is the earth on which all creatures reside. When we live lives that show respect for her, taking only what we need and sharing her bounty, we help all her creatures, and that includes ourselves.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews