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Warrior Stone #1
Underland
Underland is a twisted copy of The Real that uses industrialised magic to power a weird mix of stolen technology. It’s just enough like The Real to make travelers over-confident and get them into trouble. Which is just what happened when Claire Stone accidentally falls through rushing home one night. Claire is offered a job as a Warrior, hunting down and destroying shape shifting monsters.What adventure-hungry lover of fantasy could refuse? Everything seems great, until a friend goes missing and the Warrior has to turn Hunter.
“An under-London for The Hunger Games generation. Elegantly written, emotionally underpinned, and inventive.”
Kim Lakin-Smith
‘Well!
When do we find out what happens next?!
Was nearly late for school pick-up, served beans on toast after I burned the pasta for dinner, the dog sat by the door with his bowl in his mouth threatening to leave home and a small boy had his teeth brushed for about two seconds before we had a bedtime story in which he was thoroughly confused as it definitely not The Cat in the Hat… and all because I couldn’t put your book down :) Loved it!’
Katy O’Dowd
‘Warrior Underland is an action-packed urban fantasy that brought Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere to mind. Fill with adventure, magic, slick weaponry and a great cast of supporting characters (Evie is brilliant).’
Kim Curran
“An under-London for The Hunger Games generation. Elegantly written, emotionally underpinned, and inventive.”
Kim Lakin-Smith
‘Well!
When do we find out what happens next?!
Was nearly late for school pick-up, served beans on toast after I burned the pasta for dinner, the dog sat by the door with his bowl in his mouth threatening to leave home and a small boy had his teeth brushed for about two seconds before we had a bedtime story in which he was thoroughly confused as it definitely not The Cat in the Hat… and all because I couldn’t put your book down :) Loved it!’
Katy O’Dowd
‘Warrior Underland is an action-packed urban fantasy that brought Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere to mind. Fill with adventure, magic, slick weaponry and a great cast of supporting characters (Evie is brilliant).’
Kim Curran
ebook
First published April 30, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 19, 2014
Warrior Stone is a very diverting and entertaining read that vividly paints its underworld aesthetic in the most unyieldingly drab and dismal colors. It’s to the novel’s credit that its world feels complete within its own logic without resorting to an appeal to steam punk shortcuts like a flight in a dirigible to formulate its fantasy setting.
I should say from the outset that I don’t read many books in this style. I’m not even sure if this book fits into the steam-punk genre so I apologize for even mentioning the words ‘steam’ and ‘punk’ if those aren’t accurate descriptors. What I’m picking up on, though, is a color palate that tends toward dark earth tones and a technological world that seems to hark back to a 19th century level. The author, RB Harkness, leverages that monochromatic scenery judiciously as a means of making this “Underland” a world apart. The sky in Underland is a murky color without clouds. It’s not a dream world, but a world that steals its reality from our own in order to create something akin to ours except less vivid. I wondered at times whether this was a metaphor for depression, but given the relative liveliness of Underland compared with the real world, it feels as though Underland is stealing a lot of what’s interesting and keeping it for themselves.
The book opens quickly, with a thundering alacrity. Within the first few pages Claire, our protagonist, has already descended into Underland and seen someone consumed by a creature called a Morph. From there the fish out of water plot pulls Claire into a world of warriors and interspecies politics in a way that’s both sophisticated and relatable for a young audience.
Claire’s confusion at being pulled into Underworld is at the center of the book which has the feel of origin story. It sets up the world quickly and effectively while allowing for a deeper, more sinister underbelly to the already sinister underland. I expect that future books will provide a deeper investigation into the interplay of fantasy vs. reality, memory vs. experience, and right vs. wrong.
The plot of the book was somewhat slight, revolving around the disappearance of one of the central characters. It is a good entrée into a larger story, but the actual missing persons mystery that was present in this book could have been more central, and it could have had higher stakes. For most of the book the reader is consistently told that the character may not even be in Underland at all. The rising action at the end of the novel provided some very fun sleuthing which gave a good impetus for the climax.
Questions remain regarding what will happen to Claire after the book has concluded. A larger, fuller series is poised to arrive at the end of the last line. I’m excited to see what else Harkness has up his sleeve.
I should say from the outset that I don’t read many books in this style. I’m not even sure if this book fits into the steam-punk genre so I apologize for even mentioning the words ‘steam’ and ‘punk’ if those aren’t accurate descriptors. What I’m picking up on, though, is a color palate that tends toward dark earth tones and a technological world that seems to hark back to a 19th century level. The author, RB Harkness, leverages that monochromatic scenery judiciously as a means of making this “Underland” a world apart. The sky in Underland is a murky color without clouds. It’s not a dream world, but a world that steals its reality from our own in order to create something akin to ours except less vivid. I wondered at times whether this was a metaphor for depression, but given the relative liveliness of Underland compared with the real world, it feels as though Underland is stealing a lot of what’s interesting and keeping it for themselves.
The book opens quickly, with a thundering alacrity. Within the first few pages Claire, our protagonist, has already descended into Underland and seen someone consumed by a creature called a Morph. From there the fish out of water plot pulls Claire into a world of warriors and interspecies politics in a way that’s both sophisticated and relatable for a young audience.
Claire’s confusion at being pulled into Underworld is at the center of the book which has the feel of origin story. It sets up the world quickly and effectively while allowing for a deeper, more sinister underbelly to the already sinister underland. I expect that future books will provide a deeper investigation into the interplay of fantasy vs. reality, memory vs. experience, and right vs. wrong.
The plot of the book was somewhat slight, revolving around the disappearance of one of the central characters. It is a good entrée into a larger story, but the actual missing persons mystery that was present in this book could have been more central, and it could have had higher stakes. For most of the book the reader is consistently told that the character may not even be in Underland at all. The rising action at the end of the novel provided some very fun sleuthing which gave a good impetus for the climax.
Questions remain regarding what will happen to Claire after the book has concluded. A larger, fuller series is poised to arrive at the end of the last line. I’m excited to see what else Harkness has up his sleeve.
June 7, 2014
It's London, Claire - but not as we know it!
This book gets off to flying start with Claire, the heroine, introduced and thrown into the action halfway down the first page of the very first chapter. In one swoosh of sliding doors on the last train home, we are transported from the everyday world - the "Real" and into a dangerous adventure set in a fantastic "Underland" parallel world.
There's a lot to like about the character Claire (and her foil and mentor Evie) not least because Claire doesn't start out as some wimpy little dormouse who then implausibly blossoms into a superhero in time for the finale of the story. Instead, Claire is a fully developed character from the outset and, although we get to learn her back-story as the tale unfolds, this only adds to her credibility.
Evie, the tough, streetwise tomboy, is another strong and equally likeable character, with just enough flaws to make her human but not too many to make her a cliche. The other characters in the book, including the different races of "creatures" that live in Underland and the priggish school prefect are also well developed.
This is also one of the few YA stories I've read where the heroine's parents are sympathetic characters in their own right, rather than cardboard cut outs, with cardboard emotions, to be got out of the way as soon as possible so they don't get in the way of the plot.
The scene setting is excellent, as all the action takes place in a parallel world that is almost - but only almost - the City of London but with a mixture of Dickensian, gothic and steampunk flourishes that turn it into the weird and alternative Underland.
It actually reminds me a lot of how I felt when, as a young child, I visited London in the 1950s, with its pallet of dirty black and grey buildings, boarded up and derelict bomb sites, streets that were unimaginably filled with strange, bustling crowds and the pervading smell of steam and coal smoke near all the train stations.
It is a great story and one with crossover potential - I'm no young adult but I certainly enjoyed it. More to the point, Harkess writes in a style that is accessible, using a language that is never condescending - and also never makes the mistake of trying to "get down with the kids" and talk like the yoof of today - which is the literary equivalent of Dad dancing.
As for the ending? Well I'm not going to give away any spoilers, save to say this is a fully rounded story in its own right that leaves no "to be continued" loose ends yet at the same time provides the foundation for a sequel or an ongoing series.
This book gets off to flying start with Claire, the heroine, introduced and thrown into the action halfway down the first page of the very first chapter. In one swoosh of sliding doors on the last train home, we are transported from the everyday world - the "Real" and into a dangerous adventure set in a fantastic "Underland" parallel world.
There's a lot to like about the character Claire (and her foil and mentor Evie) not least because Claire doesn't start out as some wimpy little dormouse who then implausibly blossoms into a superhero in time for the finale of the story. Instead, Claire is a fully developed character from the outset and, although we get to learn her back-story as the tale unfolds, this only adds to her credibility.
Evie, the tough, streetwise tomboy, is another strong and equally likeable character, with just enough flaws to make her human but not too many to make her a cliche. The other characters in the book, including the different races of "creatures" that live in Underland and the priggish school prefect are also well developed.
This is also one of the few YA stories I've read where the heroine's parents are sympathetic characters in their own right, rather than cardboard cut outs, with cardboard emotions, to be got out of the way as soon as possible so they don't get in the way of the plot.
The scene setting is excellent, as all the action takes place in a parallel world that is almost - but only almost - the City of London but with a mixture of Dickensian, gothic and steampunk flourishes that turn it into the weird and alternative Underland.
It actually reminds me a lot of how I felt when, as a young child, I visited London in the 1950s, with its pallet of dirty black and grey buildings, boarded up and derelict bomb sites, streets that were unimaginably filled with strange, bustling crowds and the pervading smell of steam and coal smoke near all the train stations.
It is a great story and one with crossover potential - I'm no young adult but I certainly enjoyed it. More to the point, Harkess writes in a style that is accessible, using a language that is never condescending - and also never makes the mistake of trying to "get down with the kids" and talk like the yoof of today - which is the literary equivalent of Dad dancing.
As for the ending? Well I'm not going to give away any spoilers, save to say this is a fully rounded story in its own right that leaves no "to be continued" loose ends yet at the same time provides the foundation for a sequel or an ongoing series.
May 19, 2014
Sneaking back from a rock concert, lonely teenager Claire Stone stumbles from her station platform into the mysterious Other-London of Underland, a world just different enough to lull you into a dangerous sense of complacency. Almost before she can draw breath, she’s on the run from a shape-shifting monster, helped by Evie, a mysterious, hardened, Underland Warrior. Evie reluctantly takes Claire under her wing, explaining how Underland is a separate realm from the Real, showing her how to jump between the worlds and how to defend herself from the invasive Morphs. But when Evie vanishes from both the Real and Underland, Claire must make a perilous trip with uncertain allies across Under-London to track her down.
In a way “Warrior Stone : Underland” is reminiscent of Neverwhere, and if you liked that you’re likely to enjoy this. Harkess has put a lot of thought into the world he’s created, with the different races; the bureaucratic, cunning Grenlix, the Hrund who provide the muscle, the dangerous, scarcely-seen Angels, who are in no way angelic as we know it. There are hints of steampunk in the look of the city, but the power that runs the place comes from magic, rather than steam and cogs. He has also done a very good job of getting inside the head of an awkward teenage girl – Claire might be flitting between the Real and Underland, but the problems she encounters in both realms will be familiar to all readers, from school bullying to embarrassing encounters with attractive boys.
It’s clear this is the start of what will hopefully be a longer series – there are many questions left unresolved, about the Angels, the nature of the Morphs, and about Evie herself, who is determined to pursue her own agenda no matter how much trouble it gets her and Claire into. It’s an exploration of the friendship between teenage girls set against a background of monsters, magic guns and blob monsters. A highly enjoyable read that leave you wanting more.
In a way “Warrior Stone : Underland” is reminiscent of Neverwhere, and if you liked that you’re likely to enjoy this. Harkess has put a lot of thought into the world he’s created, with the different races; the bureaucratic, cunning Grenlix, the Hrund who provide the muscle, the dangerous, scarcely-seen Angels, who are in no way angelic as we know it. There are hints of steampunk in the look of the city, but the power that runs the place comes from magic, rather than steam and cogs. He has also done a very good job of getting inside the head of an awkward teenage girl – Claire might be flitting between the Real and Underland, but the problems she encounters in both realms will be familiar to all readers, from school bullying to embarrassing encounters with attractive boys.
It’s clear this is the start of what will hopefully be a longer series – there are many questions left unresolved, about the Angels, the nature of the Morphs, and about Evie herself, who is determined to pursue her own agenda no matter how much trouble it gets her and Claire into. It’s an exploration of the friendship between teenage girls set against a background of monsters, magic guns and blob monsters. A highly enjoyable read that leave you wanting more.
July 14, 2014
I was given the ebook by the author in exchange for an honest review...
Firstly let me start off by saying that I've not written many reviews. I love books, however, despite this I find myself lacking the skills of a literary genius, so don't expect poetry...
Warrior Stone: Underland IS poetry! It's beautifully written and I found myself complete immersed in Under-London and the adventure on which the heroine Claire goes on. The steam-punkness of it all wasn't too overwhelming, in fact it was almost believable - like science meeting fiction for real. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say that if you enjoyed books like City of Ember or Infernal Devices/Mortal Instruments you'll most certainly enjoy reading this book. In fact I enjoyed this far more that those books to be honest!
Great work Mr. Harkess... I look forward to reading more of Claire's journey.
Firstly let me start off by saying that I've not written many reviews. I love books, however, despite this I find myself lacking the skills of a literary genius, so don't expect poetry...
Warrior Stone: Underland IS poetry! It's beautifully written and I found myself complete immersed in Under-London and the adventure on which the heroine Claire goes on. The steam-punkness of it all wasn't too overwhelming, in fact it was almost believable - like science meeting fiction for real. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say that if you enjoyed books like City of Ember or Infernal Devices/Mortal Instruments you'll most certainly enjoy reading this book. In fact I enjoyed this far more that those books to be honest!
Great work Mr. Harkess... I look forward to reading more of Claire's journey.
May 15, 2014
Bought this book for my nephew and thought I'd have a peek to see if it was any good...and just had to read the whole thing, fantastic, page turning, action packed adventure with believable characters.
On a par with Mortal engines but very different, more mature. Underland London is more believable and the twists in the story leave you wanting more and more. Loved the Grenlick!
This really would make great tv
On a par with Mortal engines but very different, more mature. Underland London is more believable and the twists in the story leave you wanting more and more. Loved the Grenlick!
This really would make great tv
January 9, 2020
Fun read
Reads as a YA book, with a couple of 4 letter words, but I wouldn't mind letting my 12 year old read. In fact, I may have her read it.
Reads as a YA book, with a couple of 4 letter words, but I wouldn't mind letting my 12 year old read. In fact, I may have her read it.
January 11, 2020
A fun YA Steampunk story
At first I thought this book would only be enjoyed by younger readers but I got more & more hooked on the story, now I am planning to buy book 2!
At first I thought this book would only be enjoyed by younger readers but I got more & more hooked on the story, now I am planning to buy book 2!
December 22, 2021
Enjoyable, quick adventure story in a alternative London setting
August 3, 2018
This book was pretty disappointing. It had an interesting premise but was fatally hampered by poor writing. The biggest issue is probably the characterisation - everyone in this book felt so flat and one dimensional. They were all essentially props to move the plot along, with no real drive or motivation of their own, and they were so underdeveloped their relationships didn’t feel real. The main character’s parents really highlighted these issues. They didn’t have names of their own and every bit of dialogue was so stereotypical. Claire’s mother just reminds her that it’s a school night or asks her what she wants for dinner; they never have a conversation, there are just pieces of dialogue to loudly signal that ‘THIS IS A MUM DOING MUM THINGS’. There’s no relationship or family dynamic, and the parents have literally no personality at all. This sort of thing meant that none of the characters in this book actually felt like real people.
Additionally the writing itself was really poor - it was all show and no tell, my favourite example being a description of a corridor that read ‘it looked exactly like a corridor in a stately home would’, in addition to a description of a workshop that was ‘it was unmistakable as a place where things were fixed’. There was just so little sense of place the steampunk element of this story was completely lost. Harkess also had a really annoying habit of glossing over the most interesting parts of conversations. At one point Jack tells Claire about the way observation towers work, but instead of taking the opportunity to do some world building the reader is just told that the conversation happened, and we’re instead left with a rundown of the awkward small talk at either end. This habit in turn meant that any relationships Harkess was trying to create were happening off-page.
The only reason this didn’t get a single star is that the pace of the novel did manage to pick up a bit towards the end in comparison to the rest of it, and the bare bones of the plot/world were actually fairly interesting. This just needed a lot more editing and fleshing out before being published, unfortunately.
Additionally the writing itself was really poor - it was all show and no tell, my favourite example being a description of a corridor that read ‘it looked exactly like a corridor in a stately home would’, in addition to a description of a workshop that was ‘it was unmistakable as a place where things were fixed’. There was just so little sense of place the steampunk element of this story was completely lost. Harkess also had a really annoying habit of glossing over the most interesting parts of conversations. At one point Jack tells Claire about the way observation towers work, but instead of taking the opportunity to do some world building the reader is just told that the conversation happened, and we’re instead left with a rundown of the awkward small talk at either end. This habit in turn meant that any relationships Harkess was trying to create were happening off-page.
The only reason this didn’t get a single star is that the pace of the novel did manage to pick up a bit towards the end in comparison to the rest of it, and the bare bones of the plot/world were actually fairly interesting. This just needed a lot more editing and fleshing out before being published, unfortunately.
April 2, 2016
You know it's good when you read it in one sitting.
This is Young Adult fiction (so teenage protagonists, and it lacks the complexity of adult fiction) but there's enough to it to make it a good read even for those of us who only vaguely remember being a Young Adult.
Claire, who has no friends at school, is on her way back from a rock concert when she ends up in Underland, and meets Evie - a Warrior whose job is to be a sort of boundary warden. There are fights, monsters, and a problem to solve. There is also a weapon abbreviated to a PPG, and I wonder if this is a play on words for those who do not associate RPGs with twenty-sided dice.
Harkess has managed to find a way of letting the story happen without the reader wondering where the (young adult) protagonist's parents were in all of this, and why they don't seem to notice what is going on with their offspring. Claire's parents act like real parents - they notice, they worry, they interfere in a well-meaning way, and Claire has to sort out her problems without worrying them more than they already are. In short, it's a realistic family dynamic. Hooray.
Claire is a likeable main character, with the feel of someone fairly ordinary called upon to do some extraordinary things (although there are hints that Claire isn't as ordinary as all that). However, as a previous reviewer commented, she doesn't suddenly develop mad ninja skills, or start pulling special powers out of her ears, just in time to Save The Day.
Evie, the second main character, I liked just as much as Claire - possibly more. She's driven and somewhat obsessed, and one wonders what is in store for Evie, both in the Real and in Underland. Claire, in many ways, has it easy, unlike Evie. I want to know more about Evie.
Oh, and the Grenlix. The next book in the series, White Magic, has a lot more about the Grenlix in it. Good. My kind of people. :-)
This is Young Adult fiction (so teenage protagonists, and it lacks the complexity of adult fiction) but there's enough to it to make it a good read even for those of us who only vaguely remember being a Young Adult.
Claire, who has no friends at school, is on her way back from a rock concert when she ends up in Underland, and meets Evie - a Warrior whose job is to be a sort of boundary warden. There are fights, monsters, and a problem to solve. There is also a weapon abbreviated to a PPG, and I wonder if this is a play on words for those who do not associate RPGs with twenty-sided dice.
Harkess has managed to find a way of letting the story happen without the reader wondering where the (young adult) protagonist's parents were in all of this, and why they don't seem to notice what is going on with their offspring. Claire's parents act like real parents - they notice, they worry, they interfere in a well-meaning way, and Claire has to sort out her problems without worrying them more than they already are. In short, it's a realistic family dynamic. Hooray.
Claire is a likeable main character, with the feel of someone fairly ordinary called upon to do some extraordinary things (although there are hints that Claire isn't as ordinary as all that). However, as a previous reviewer commented, she doesn't suddenly develop mad ninja skills, or start pulling special powers out of her ears, just in time to Save The Day.
Evie, the second main character, I liked just as much as Claire - possibly more. She's driven and somewhat obsessed, and one wonders what is in store for Evie, both in the Real and in Underland. Claire, in many ways, has it easy, unlike Evie. I want to know more about Evie.
Oh, and the Grenlix. The next book in the series, White Magic, has a lot more about the Grenlix in it. Good. My kind of people. :-)
April 17, 2018
I hadn't come across this author before but I really loved the underlying premise and the mixture of steampunk and magic and the alternative world he creates. The characters really develop as the plot progesses, and draw you into their different realities. Looking out for the next one.
June 26, 2015
Excellent story line of the training or lack of,for Claire Stone to become a warrior
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews