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Lodestone #4-6 omnibus

Lodestone Trilogy

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The first Lodestone trilogy saw Keris of the Kelanni join a ragtag band to combat the ‘alien’ invasion of her world.

Five turns of the season have now passed. Keris receives a disturbing report of the theft of an ancient artefact. The thief? Alexander McCann, the last human left on Kelanni!

When she tracks him down in a liquor den, the drunken McCann spins a fantastical tale. An ancient sphere recording claims that her people, the Kelanni, are alien invaders just as the humans were. Worse yet it tells of Ash, an all-powerful alien being, who almost destroyed her world in the in the distant past.

Now sinister forces are plotting his return. Accompanied by McCann, Keris must travel to the ancient ruined city of Gal Mador, uncover the truth of her people’s dark past, and find a way to defeat an invincible alien foe...

For the first time in a single volume, this version includes all three books of the Second Lodestone Trilogy. Fully and professionally edited, the combined 320,000-word epic is available for a limited period only.

Lose yourself in the astounding world of Kelanni!

1224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2014

13 people are currently reading
13 people want to read

About the author

Mark Whiteway

29 books50 followers
Mark Whiteway (1959- ) lives in rural West Sussex, England, near the former home of H G Wells. The Lodestone series of novels is built around the concept of negative matter-an extension of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Pauna oana.
4 reviews4 followers
December 29, 2014
What to read when contemporary books seem not so interesting, but with repetitive topics? The story starts different, but in the middle of reading, you know exactly how it will end up.

Maybe you should try to go in a journey in other world, on a bigger adventure than everyday life!

I met Asimov and Stanislaw Lem's SF books a long time ago. I was young and dreamy, I went on a faraway journey and came back with big thoughts in my mind. I was pleased to discover a new world, and I think I am ready to escape everyday life into a new adventure. Seeking for interesting books, and as I am a SF book lover, I discovered this trilogy. At first view, I have to admit I was drawn by those wonderful covers. I allways loved a beautiful cover, an image that made me smile, and try to figure it out what is the book about. If I don't like the cover, there are small chances to buy that book, even if the description is promising.

Anyway, what Mark Whiteway did here was to create a different book, a different topic, a different couple of main characters. A man conquering the world! That sounds interesting, isn't it? I said it myself! Why trying to stand up to an alien invasion, when the man can conquer himself the world?

The main characters of this trilogy are Keris, an alien from Kelani planet, and Alexander McCann, a human, the last human on the planet Kelani. They will meet when Alexander is the main suspect in stealing an ancient artefact and Keris must find him. Keris is about to be taken in a journey in which she will find a truth she is not that prepared for. Keris is interested in finding out more informations about her race, the history of her planet, how was it populated and so, and when she finds out Kelani comes from "kela-nesh-hannani", which means "being cast out" she knows she has to do anything it takes to find out the whole truth.

It takes a rich, very rich imagination to write such a wonderful trilogy!
21 reviews
April 21, 2025
Got me hooked.

Despite foreseeing the future (although is Ash truly gone?), I had to keep reading until the end.
There were a few editing moments that got overlooked - but I forgive you.
I shall dream of The Great Tree tonight....
22 reviews
March 31, 2021
Well done

A complete pleasure to finish the series. Comrades in arms tied to one another in love, effort and determination always makes good reading. Thank you
27 reviews
November 2, 2022
Fast paced story and very involved and evolving characters.

Mark writes a whale of a tale...neverending
suspense and twists. At the end I felt like
I lost a family.
Profile Image for Alina.
28 reviews
January 15, 2015
I’ll start by admitting that this 320,000-word trilogy can seem a bit intimidating at first. But trust me when I say that if you’re a sci-fi buff like me, you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve turned every page and read every line. And when you’re done, you’ll want more where that came from. Not a huge fan of the genre? Then prepare to become one after reading this!

The Second Lodestone Trilogy follows in the footsteps of the first three books of the series, continues the remarkable adventures of Keris, Lyall, Shann, Boxx, and completely rises to the expectations. I wouldn’t want to give away too much, but what I can say is that mysterious forces are trying to bring an incredibly powerful being back into existence, threatening the safety of Keris’s world and of the Universe as a whole. Keri is forced to question everything she knows about herself and her people and goes on a quest to both understand the origins of the Kelanni and stop the potential destruction of her world.

So if you think you can take a breather and maybe get some work done between reading each book, think again. Whiteway’s writing style is so realistic and animated (in spite of the books starting a bit slow) that you’ll find yourself engrossed in the story and rooting for your favorite characters as if they were your lifelong friends. Perhaps that’s what makes Whiteway’s writing so intriguing – his ability to make you understand what the characters are experiencing, to make you love them in spite of their flaws, to make them seem human in spite of their alien nature, to show you their world through their eyes instead of making you feel like a mere observer reading a report of the events.

The books form a well-rounded, intricate story with a rich narrative, relatable characters and nail-biting plot twists. And the trilogy has everything you could ever want in an epic story - love, aliens, adventure, futuristic tech, intrigue, drama – all woven into the storyline in perfect proportions and harmony; the perfect recipe for the read of a the year.
Profile Image for Cheri Roan .
115 reviews6 followers
December 3, 2014
Become Lost In A Storyline That Is More Than Just Sci-fi!!

“The Kelanni have a saying. ‘Truth lies at the bottom of a pit of serpents.’ Are you prepared for the truth Keris?” Keris is the Head of the Division for the Maintenance of World Order. While investigating a report that Alexander Edward McCann the last remaining hu-man on the planet Kelanni, has stolen an ancient artifact, she discovers more than she bargains for when she finally finds him. He leads her on a journey she doesn’t want to believe but curiosity sets her on the path of truth. The ancient spheres hold the keys to what really happened to Kelanni a truth she may not want to face...

Having read each book individually in the Lodestone Series I found the wait way too long between each one. I truly love this trilogy concept that gives you the full rollercoaster ride as you wait for the next turn and to begin the ride again. Here we have books four, five and six of the Lodestone Series in one set.

Sci-fi adventures have a tendency to all be the same with the storylines and endings but not so with the books from Mark Whiteway’s pen. Whiteway is a creatively talented writer with a vivid imagination that takes us to lands never thought of and gives us full view of his imaginative mind. With deep, complex characters that may be alien but leave the reader with a connection that remains long after the story’s end. Personally I can’t get enough of the child-like Chandara, six-legged creatures that seem to be the most intelligent of all with their amazing heart-filled lessons, making this more than just a sci-fi adventure but contains mystery and fantasy as well as truth. Giving us a well-rounded story, Whiteway leaves his readers lost in storylines-waiting and wondering for the next book to see where the journey goes next. So if you are seeking more from a sci-fi adventure than the usual plot read this Lodestone Trilogy and you will never look at sci-fi the same!!
27 reviews1 follower
January 3, 2015
This trilogy is written masterfully by the incredibly creative Mark Whiteway. It follows the story of Keris, a Kelanni and the Head of the Division for the Maintenance of World Order who after locating the whereabouts of a stolen ancient artefact, finds that it contains a record created by Zemira, a Helvanan and to Keris’ surprise, supposedly an ancestor of the Kelanni people. This new found information sends Keris on a wild and thrilling investigation in the pursuit of answers and the truth- could it be possible that her people are alien invaders of the planet they have always known as home.
The sphere tells the story of the Helvenan peoples’ unfortunate and costly journey across space and their exile to the planet of Kelanni, all due to the ruthless aspirations of the mysterious Ash who longs for control of the precious material known as Lodestone. Can this powerful creature be overthrown and can peace be restored? As Whiteway writes: “Hatred is fire, you can allow it to burn you up, or you can use it to light your way to a new future.” What future awaits the people of Kelanni? You have to read and find out.
This trilogy is exciting, thrilling and full of suspense. It is written in such a way that you are transported to another world and it is so beautifully descriptive that you can really see in your minds eye the breathtaking surroundings of the Kelanni planet. The trilogy flows so well and it was such a privilege to read, definitely a must read!!
Profile Image for Stuart.
7 reviews
December 14, 2014
Mark Whiteway guides the readers through his well-crafted and carefully created universe.

Seeds Across the Sky, The Conquered Shore and Eternity’s Shadow make up The Second Lodestone Trilogy, a science fiction adventure series full of exciting planets, interesting creatures and lots of great adventures.

The storyline is well thought out and each books story flows smoothly on into the next one. It follows the journey of Keris of Kelanni and human being Alexander McCann as they adventure towards the truth. There is also a fight to maintain order on Kelanni and a struggle against the antagonist Glaisne.

It was refreshing to see characters at such ease in their journey. There was never a rush to find action; it just happened and there was enough to keep you turning the page.

Whiteway has a very lucid, elegant style of writing. There is a lot of information to take in but it is well spaced, so readers are able to process what is happening, without paging back and forth.

Once you are able to recognise all the names and understand the science the journey becomes a lot of fun. The Second Lodestone Trilogy is a congenial match for any reader looking to enjoy a fine work of fiction."
4 reviews
December 29, 2014
Mark Whiteway's second part of The Lodestone Trilogy is a lesson in science-fiction storytelling. Taking place in a far off world, outside the Sol system, the story follows Alexander McCann, a human, and Keris, of the Kelanni. With the revealing of an artifact discovered by the human, a history of the Kelanni people is shown which will forever change the world, and warns of a danger that affected them once and must be stopped once and for all.

In this trilogy, Whiteway has created a vivid and gripping universe, with a deep and rich history, all in language that is perfectly suited for the trilogy. Despite the science-fiction narrative, the cultures created are believable, and interactions between different sects, castes, and races wonderfully portrayed. Characters are complex and well-developed, and not just taken from archetypes that are all to commonly seen in this genre On top of it, the connections between past and present are perfectly done.

The story itself is gripping in every sense of the word, filled with action, but at no points feeling rushed. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves good fiction!
8 reviews
January 16, 2015
I love a good science fiction and this book really blew me away on so many levels. Mark Whiteway has created the most gripping and interesting world I've read that stretches eons and felt just as alive as his characters.
He wrote several series based in this one reality, all being interconnected through a single realm. The Second Lodestone books are simply amazing in terms of character development and depth. What I think is most impressive is how completely different the series are in theme and tone, while keeping the same level of development and depth.
Every book builds and builds and builds to an epic ending.
The characters are a little larger than life, but he keeps the plot holes in check and creates very believable emotions and responses from his characters for what is a somewhat over the top premise. One of the things that I like best about the series is that the plot twists are always telegraphed, but you never notice it until after. I find myself re reading sections after the reveal with a new understanding as to why things that seemed like minor throwaways at the time were actually crucial to the plot.
8 reviews
January 16, 2015
I love a good science fiction and this book really blew me away on so many levels. Mark Whiteway has created the most gripping and interesting world I've read that stretches eons and felt just as alive as his characters.
He wrote several series based in this one reality, all being interconnected through a single realm. The Second Lodestone books are simply amazing in terms of character development and depth. What I think is most impressive is how completely different the series are in theme and tone, while keeping the same level of development and depth.
Every book builds and builds and builds to an epic ending.
The characters are a little larger than life, but he keeps the plot holes in check and creates very believable emotions and responses from his characters for what is a somewhat over the top premise. One of the things that I like best about the series is that the plot twists are always telegraphed, but you never notice it until after. I find myself re reading sections after the reveal with a new understanding as to why things that seemed like minor throwaways at the time were actually crucial to the plot.
Profile Image for Paul Holland.
1 review
January 16, 2015
…and the best story in sci fi continues! Mark Whiteway has once again authored not just a story to read, but rather an escape into action and adventure that you simply can’t help but feel like you’re truly a part of. The world of Kelanni is made to be so vibrant and alive that it just feels more and more like home with every page. And as known and beloved friends from the previous books in the series are subjected to new trials and hardships in this new series… well, it’s just hard to understand that the heart can get beating so hard while lying on the couch! But it’s not only old and familiar friends that we get to meet again and share adventures with either. We get to meet new friends too – and new foes! There really is no other series in science fiction that is so complete and well-rounded as the Lodestone Series. If you have any interest in sci fi, and you haven’t already, then you really should get going on the adventures in these books. They are simply magnificent reading! Kudos again, Mr. Whiteway!!
Profile Image for Camille BLESS.
7 reviews4 followers
December 14, 2014
If you love sci-fi books,then this one may be the best you've ever read!! And even if you don't you will after reading these books.Each book grips and entices you,it's like you can't put it done. The author skillfully weaves a tale that draws you in with it's twist and turns that leave you panting for more.

A really great read !
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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