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Stone & Sky #0.5
Stone & Sky Preludes Collection
Dive into the magical world of Finlestia in this epic collection of fantasy prelude stories about characters from the Stone & Sky series.
Fall in love with these fantastic characters as you join a huntsman and his falcon in the wild as they become the hunted. Sympathize with an elven knight who serves a gluttonous king. Investigate a series of mysterious disappearances with an orc mage of Calrok. Train with a member of the fabled Griffin Guard as she faces off against the man she loves. Run through Elderwood Forest and learn the key to a bear’s heart with an elf mage. Travel the northern road with a joyful halfling who enjoys good company. Go on a mission with a dwarven glendon team to capture a dangerous predator in the mountains of Drelek.
Fly away to the world of Finlestia and discover what adventure awaits you!
This is a new edition of the previously-published edition of ISBN 9781961580039
Fall in love with these fantastic characters as you join a huntsman and his falcon in the wild as they become the hunted. Sympathize with an elven knight who serves a gluttonous king. Investigate a series of mysterious disappearances with an orc mage of Calrok. Train with a member of the fabled Griffin Guard as she faces off against the man she loves. Run through Elderwood Forest and learn the key to a bear’s heart with an elf mage. Travel the northern road with a joyful halfling who enjoys good company. Go on a mission with a dwarven glendon team to capture a dangerous predator in the mountains of Drelek.
Fly away to the world of Finlestia and discover what adventure awaits you!
This is a new edition of the previously-published edition of ISBN 9781961580039
- GenresFantasy
172 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 4, 2023
4 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Z.S. Diamanti
13 books477 followersZ.S. Diamanti is the award-winning author of the Stone & Sky series, an epic fantasy adventure and the result of his great passion for fun and fantastical stories. He went to college forever and has too many pieces of paper on his wall. He is a USAF veteran of OEF and worked in ministry for over 10 years. He and his wife reside in Colorado with their four children where they enjoy hikes and tabletop games.
Connect with him on social media: @zsdiamanti
You can get a FREE series of his stories at zsdiamanti.com
Connect with him on social media: @zsdiamanti
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 24, 2023
Five stars isn't enough! I read these in anticipation of Stone & Sky, and they just made me so much more impatient for the book!
These short stories pack a huge punch, and within a small amount of pages, I'm invested in them all. I already care what happens to them. From Kaelor and his love of perfection, to Smarlo, the really cute Orc Mage and Ralowyn and her ability to connect with animals, each story has so much to bring to the table.
Each character is so different and has such depth to them, the stories are so immersive. I'm not a particular fan of short stories, but this is something else. The writing is absolutely perfect and I really can't wait to see how they all connect. Love, love, love!!!!
These short stories pack a huge punch, and within a small amount of pages, I'm invested in them all. I already care what happens to them. From Kaelor and his love of perfection, to Smarlo, the really cute Orc Mage and Ralowyn and her ability to connect with animals, each story has so much to bring to the table.
Each character is so different and has such depth to them, the stories are so immersive. I'm not a particular fan of short stories, but this is something else. The writing is absolutely perfect and I really can't wait to see how they all connect. Love, love, love!!!!
October 5, 2024
Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection Notes:
1. Merrill and Rora
* Merrill and Rora is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows Merrick, who sees an elf trader with a Falcon and becomes enamored with falconeering. He gets his own Falcon and has an interesting encounter while on a hunt. It’s a fun story that provides a nice background to the character of Merrick. 7 out of 10.
2. Kaelor
* Kaelor is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows the kings guardian and aid, Kaelor, who is tasked with not only protecting the king, but keeping him on task. It’s a fairly bland story that only adds a little background information, and definitely wasn’t needed for the final cut of the original novel. I’ll give this one a 5 out of 10.
3. Smarlo
* Smarlo is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows the assistant to an orc mage who is trying to stop a Ranken monster and its nest in the local mining tunnels. It’s a competent story with some cool action in it. 6 out of 10.
4. Nera
* Nera is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows Nera, newly a part of the Griffin Guard, and shows her return home for dinner with her family, where she realizes the changes being in the griffin guard will bring. It’s an ok story that doesn’t add too much or too little. It’s a fine story. I’ll give it a 6 out of 10.
5. Ralpwyn
* Ralowyn is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows an empathetic Elf who has an encounter with a bear in the forest. Unfortunately, this story just wasn’t interesting to me and didn’t really work for me. 3 out of 10.
6. Tobin
* Tobin is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows the dwarf as he leaves his home and family to go on a trip and while on the trip finds an unusual company stranded in the water. This story was fine, had a few interesting moments, but as a whole was just ok. 5 out of 10.
7. Lotmeag
* Lotmeag is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. this story follows a Dwarf warrior who goes with his team on a hunt for more Garvawk’s to add to their numbers. The short story has some cool action and explains some cool worldbuilding for the series, but the story is only good overall, not great. I’ll give it a 6 out of 10.
Overall, 5.5 out of 10.
1. Merrill and Rora
* Merrill and Rora is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows Merrick, who sees an elf trader with a Falcon and becomes enamored with falconeering. He gets his own Falcon and has an interesting encounter while on a hunt. It’s a fun story that provides a nice background to the character of Merrick. 7 out of 10.
2. Kaelor
* Kaelor is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows the kings guardian and aid, Kaelor, who is tasked with not only protecting the king, but keeping him on task. It’s a fairly bland story that only adds a little background information, and definitely wasn’t needed for the final cut of the original novel. I’ll give this one a 5 out of 10.
3. Smarlo
* Smarlo is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows the assistant to an orc mage who is trying to stop a Ranken monster and its nest in the local mining tunnels. It’s a competent story with some cool action in it. 6 out of 10.
4. Nera
* Nera is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows Nera, newly a part of the Griffin Guard, and shows her return home for dinner with her family, where she realizes the changes being in the griffin guard will bring. It’s an ok story that doesn’t add too much or too little. It’s a fine story. I’ll give it a 6 out of 10.
5. Ralpwyn
* Ralowyn is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows an empathetic Elf who has an encounter with a bear in the forest. Unfortunately, this story just wasn’t interesting to me and didn’t really work for me. 3 out of 10.
6. Tobin
* Tobin is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. This story follows the dwarf as he leaves his home and family to go on a trip and while on the trip finds an unusual company stranded in the water. This story was fine, had a few interesting moments, but as a whole was just ok. 5 out of 10.
7. Lotmeag
* Lotmeag is a short story from the book “Stone and Sky: Preludes Collection” by Z S Diamanti. this story follows a Dwarf warrior who goes with his team on a hunt for more Garvawk’s to add to their numbers. The short story has some cool action and explains some cool worldbuilding for the series, but the story is only good overall, not great. I’ll give it a 6 out of 10.
Overall, 5.5 out of 10.
July 18, 2024
I had a great time with these preludes, listening to them in sync alongside the first book of the main series. The collection of stories did a phenomenal job deepening the world created, and also offering some greater insight into many of the secondary characters in Stone & Sky. To be fair, while I would recommend this to others who haven't read the main books as a means to get a feel for the writing and world, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much not listening in tandem, alongside the recommended book one chapters. That helped add more depth to the arcs.
But either way, it's a fun and well-written collection of stories. If you're into anything old-school fantasy, you'll really enjoy this.
But either way, it's a fun and well-written collection of stories. If you're into anything old-school fantasy, you'll really enjoy this.
June 13, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFF Insiders
What a fun ride! To start, this review is for both Stone & Sky and the accompanying Preludes Collection. I think reading these two books concurrently is 100% the correct way to start off this epic series. Diamanti has written the Preludes Collection as a way to expand the character arcs for multiple different characters, some minor and some major, and really delve into their backstories and motivations. Before each of the 7 short stories in the Collection, Diamanti tells you where in relation to Stone & Sky the story should be read, ie read this story before Chapter 5 or 23 of Stone & Sky. They’re completely interconnected, and I don’t think it’s possible to review one without the other. I LOVE how Diamanti structured these two books to work together, feed off each other, and ultimately enrich the reading experience.
Stone & Sky is an epic, classic fantasy story with multiple POVs telling the story of two main factions in the land of Finlestia: a loose alliance of orcs, trolls, and goblins versus humans, dwarfs, elves, and gnomes. However, as you quickly learn, these are not the orcs and goblins of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but rather a highly sophisticated, intelligent people who are fighting a war against the humans with motivations that parallel their human foes. Diamanti is able to expertly craft both sides of the conflict so the reader is able to understand and empathize with both groups.
This is a fast-paced story that is exploding with adventure, magic, dragons, wyverns, griffins, magical artifacts, and evil advisors. From the first pages, we’re thrown into the bloody aftermath of an unusual conflict between the human’s elite griffin mounted Griffin Guard and the orc’s wyvern riders. The pace never lets up as we follow a sprawling cast of characters all around Finlestia as we explore the continent, all while the threat of a mysterious land called Kelvur looms ominously in the background.
Again, this is where I think the inclusion of the Prelude Collection really shines. Stone & Sky on its own isn’t a huge book in terms of page count, but Diamanti throws a lot of characters at us as he fleshes out this rich world. But with the Prelude Collection, you’re able to take a brief breather from the main action while you learn about different characters in detail, allowing the world to feel so full and detailed. While all of the short stories are good and provide great context for the main story, one of the standouts for me was Smarlo’s story. So action-packed and fun. Diamanti has so many fantastic, terrifying magical creatures scattered throughout his world, and that’s all I’ll say about that short story.
The prose snaps along and the dialogue is fantastic, especially for a debut novel. We have witty banter and the creation of deep friendships among the characters that feels natural. I’ll also mention here for those who are trying to determine if this is something that they should introduce to their fantasy loving teenager. While this story 100% works for an adult audience (I loved it and I unfortunately fall very firmly in the adult category), the language is clean, there is no explicit sexual content, and the battle scenes are action packed but not gratuitously violent.
As a side note, I listened to these books as audiobooks, and the voice actor—Peter Leppard—is absolutely phenomenal. He has voices for each different character and does a stellar job. For me, narrators often play a fairly neutral role in my enjoyment of a book. But Peter completely kills it with his performance, and I would highly recommend the audiobook!
Ultimately, Stone & Sky is the perfect start to a lighthearted, epic fantasy series that is brimming with wholesome fellowships, fun adventures, and hopeful heroes. The villains are diabolical and evil. The heroes, on both sides of the initial divide, are heroic people/orcs you can get behind and cheer for. This is a modern take on classic fantasy that leaves you cheering for more.
What a fun ride! To start, this review is for both Stone & Sky and the accompanying Preludes Collection. I think reading these two books concurrently is 100% the correct way to start off this epic series. Diamanti has written the Preludes Collection as a way to expand the character arcs for multiple different characters, some minor and some major, and really delve into their backstories and motivations. Before each of the 7 short stories in the Collection, Diamanti tells you where in relation to Stone & Sky the story should be read, ie read this story before Chapter 5 or 23 of Stone & Sky. They’re completely interconnected, and I don’t think it’s possible to review one without the other. I LOVE how Diamanti structured these two books to work together, feed off each other, and ultimately enrich the reading experience.
Stone & Sky is an epic, classic fantasy story with multiple POVs telling the story of two main factions in the land of Finlestia: a loose alliance of orcs, trolls, and goblins versus humans, dwarfs, elves, and gnomes. However, as you quickly learn, these are not the orcs and goblins of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but rather a highly sophisticated, intelligent people who are fighting a war against the humans with motivations that parallel their human foes. Diamanti is able to expertly craft both sides of the conflict so the reader is able to understand and empathize with both groups.
This is a fast-paced story that is exploding with adventure, magic, dragons, wyverns, griffins, magical artifacts, and evil advisors. From the first pages, we’re thrown into the bloody aftermath of an unusual conflict between the human’s elite griffin mounted Griffin Guard and the orc’s wyvern riders. The pace never lets up as we follow a sprawling cast of characters all around Finlestia as we explore the continent, all while the threat of a mysterious land called Kelvur looms ominously in the background.
Again, this is where I think the inclusion of the Prelude Collection really shines. Stone & Sky on its own isn’t a huge book in terms of page count, but Diamanti throws a lot of characters at us as he fleshes out this rich world. But with the Prelude Collection, you’re able to take a brief breather from the main action while you learn about different characters in detail, allowing the world to feel so full and detailed. While all of the short stories are good and provide great context for the main story, one of the standouts for me was Smarlo’s story. So action-packed and fun. Diamanti has so many fantastic, terrifying magical creatures scattered throughout his world, and that’s all I’ll say about that short story.
The prose snaps along and the dialogue is fantastic, especially for a debut novel. We have witty banter and the creation of deep friendships among the characters that feels natural. I’ll also mention here for those who are trying to determine if this is something that they should introduce to their fantasy loving teenager. While this story 100% works for an adult audience (I loved it and I unfortunately fall very firmly in the adult category), the language is clean, there is no explicit sexual content, and the battle scenes are action packed but not gratuitously violent.
As a side note, I listened to these books as audiobooks, and the voice actor—Peter Leppard—is absolutely phenomenal. He has voices for each different character and does a stellar job. For me, narrators often play a fairly neutral role in my enjoyment of a book. But Peter completely kills it with his performance, and I would highly recommend the audiobook!
Ultimately, Stone & Sky is the perfect start to a lighthearted, epic fantasy series that is brimming with wholesome fellowships, fun adventures, and hopeful heroes. The villains are diabolical and evil. The heroes, on both sides of the initial divide, are heroic people/orcs you can get behind and cheer for. This is a modern take on classic fantasy that leaves you cheering for more.
August 4, 2023
My new favorite fantasy world! The Stone & Sky Preludes Collection is an easy 5/5 stars! These short stories are an amazing introduction to some of the characters found in the magical world of Finlestia. The stories are incredibly captivating, the world building is really cool, and each character is unique and beautifully written. I’m already a big fan of Smarlo, the orc mage. I hope I get to see more of him as I adventure into the world of Stone & Sky!
All of the stories in the Preludes Collection are available for free on the author’s website, but I definitely recommend picking up a physical copy because it is absolutely worth it. You can tell the author has put a lot of work and love into these characters and this world.
All of the stories in the Preludes Collection are available for free on the author’s website, but I definitely recommend picking up a physical copy because it is absolutely worth it. You can tell the author has put a lot of work and love into these characters and this world.
August 30, 2023
The Stone & Sky Preludes Collection is a fantastic toe-dip into the world and characters of Tarrine. Each short story presents a different character and his or her motivations, dreams and goals.
I read these stories digitally as a subscriber of the author's newsletter, and I am ecstatic to have them bound and in my hands. The Preludes are an outstanding introduction to the world and characters of the Stone & Sky series. It would be an equally delightful read for anyone who has begun the series and can't wait to read more.
I read these stories digitally as a subscriber of the author's newsletter, and I am ecstatic to have them bound and in my hands. The Preludes are an outstanding introduction to the world and characters of the Stone & Sky series. It would be an equally delightful read for anyone who has begun the series and can't wait to read more.
September 10, 2023
This is an amazing collection of short stories about some of the characters from Diamantis Stone and Sky series. I love the additional background information and the fact that the author has started each chapter with a reference to when you should read this (if you choose to read Stone and Sky simultaneously). I read it as a preclude, and cannot wait to meet these familiar characters again while reading Stone and Sky!
August 16, 2023
Very nice, I thoroughly enjoyed these!
September 2, 2023
I really like this book of prelude stories about the characters in the upcoming book called Stone and Sky. I can't wait to read how all these characters come together!
October 16, 2023
A good introduction to an intriguing series.
Escape to a fantasy world with all different creatures. You get to know some of these wonderful characters and the interesting world they live in through this easy to read, enjoyable collection.
Escape to a fantasy world with all different creatures. You get to know some of these wonderful characters and the interesting world they live in through this easy to read, enjoyable collection.
April 23, 2024
This was a wonderful introduction to these characters and I cannot wait to get started on the series. This was such a great palette cleanser and a strong foundation.
July 26, 2024
This is a great collection of prelude stories for several of the characters in Stone and Sky. I love that each story is labeled so that you can read it as bonus chapters to the longer novel. This provides a fun character intro at the appropriate place in the larger story.
January 12, 2024
A beautiful collection of stories to introduce us to an amazing cast of characters that will be appearing in ZS Diamanti's novel series.
I became so attached to every character; their strikes, their struggles, their strengths and their flaws.
This series is sure to become a fantasy classic!
I became so attached to every character; their strikes, their struggles, their strengths and their flaws.
This series is sure to become a fantasy classic!
October 6, 2023
A great new fantasy world! This collection of short stories is a wonderful introduction to the world of Stone & Sky. I can’t wait to read the first book in the series.
October 3, 2023
What a delightful introduction to characters in his 1st book. I discovered this author via BookTok and am so glad! It’s been a while since I read a new Fantasy author. Next up, the 1st book in his series.
January 9, 2024
I read these stories before they became a bound collection and loved them!
Definitely an excellent precursor to Stone and Sky
Definitely an excellent precursor to Stone and Sky
June 7, 2024
Thank-you Z S Diamanti for these free Preludes for your Stone and Sky series - what a great introduction to each of the characters!
This is exactly the type of classic fantasy I want to read and be apart of - it was exciting and adventurous and easy to follow and every single one ended in a way where I want to find out what happens next.
There was no having to hurt my brain to remember what was happening, I easily slid back into these stories and picked up where I left off and just happy to dive back into the journey ahead.
I don’t read a tonne of fantasy, but every now and then I get the urge to pick one up and the Stone & Sky series will be next on my list the read, it is now sitting on my Kindle ready to go!
Congratulations also on this weeks release of Stone & Ruin, which is book 3 and also the completion of this Trilogy 🤗
This is exactly the type of classic fantasy I want to read and be apart of - it was exciting and adventurous and easy to follow and every single one ended in a way where I want to find out what happens next.
There was no having to hurt my brain to remember what was happening, I easily slid back into these stories and picked up where I left off and just happy to dive back into the journey ahead.
I don’t read a tonne of fantasy, but every now and then I get the urge to pick one up and the Stone & Sky series will be next on my list the read, it is now sitting on my Kindle ready to go!
Congratulations also on this weeks release of Stone & Ruin, which is book 3 and also the completion of this Trilogy 🤗
June 30, 2024
This was a lot of fun! Great introduction to the world and characters. Book one should be great.
March 31, 2024
Pretty useful if read along with the main book.
Full review coming soon.
Full review coming soon.
October 26, 2023
This gives a little background on the characters within the books that follow. Lots of interesting characters and looking forward to seeing what and where the books take them.
January 6, 2024
I came across author Z.S. Diamanti on TikTok sharing about his Stone & Sky series. Wanting to see what is was all about (because Hello! You had me at “fantasy novel”), I signed up for his email list so I could receive free digital downloads of the Stone & Sky Preludes Collection. The stories came one at a time and I really enjoyed getting to know each of the different characters. I never thought I’d come to love orcs and goblins, yet here we are! I ultimately received a physical copy of the book as a birthday gift and highly recommend tandem reading with Stone & Sky. It gives so much more depth to the story, characters and their backgrounds. These stories are each just small pieces of epic the adventure in Stone & Sky and an absolute must read in my opinion!
April 13, 2025
There are multiple ways to read this Preludes collection I chose to read it alongside the full Novel of Stone and Sky. I enjoyed having more background to some of the characters. Out of the 7 preludes. Only three or four genuinely interested me. They were fun and lighthearted. I enjoyed seeing the authors attachment to some of these characters. So they felt more like people than words on a page. That bumps my rating from a. 3.5 to 4.0. Very well personified characters 👍
December 15, 2023
These prelude stories are the perfect companion to the full series. You get a bite-size introduction to the characters you will meet in Book 1 and the new fantasy world you will be exploring. Fantasy can be a bit overwhelming, but the preludes are a perfect way to dip your toes in. The world of Stone & Sky is vibrant and colorful and layered so these will definitely leave you wanting more! Book 1 is an epic fantasy adventure and the preludes have everything you need to get you ready to embark on that journey!
January 4, 2024
The ultimate companion guide to the book coming out soon. This book is an introduction to the characters that will be in the book to come. I have read it ahead of time and feel as if I KNOW the characters and can’t wait to go on this adventure with them. I will read this again as I read the Stone and Sky series. I can’t wait!! (And you shouldn’t either!)
January 4, 2024
The perfect accompaniment to the first novel in the Stone and Sky series. It recommends where in the novel you should read each prelude, giving great character background on 7 of the characters before you meet them properly. Gorgeous.
January 23, 2024
Excellent
December 15, 2023
"Great character background "! I absolutely love character background stories. This collection is terrific! The author gave me information I needed for each character and made me want more... Well written and very creative. This is exactly what I love to read!!!
January 1, 2024
I loved every second of this read. Mr. Diamanti did an amazing bringing new characters to life.
January 12, 2024
As with all of his work Z.S. Diamanti does a great job of character building and while I read the preludes after I read Stone & Sky, I found the preludes collection to be nice compliment to the Stone & Sky book. I love this series so much and can't wait for Stone & Tide!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews