Stone Heart

by Jute Foster

A desperate scholar. A broken hunter. A frontier that forgives nothing.

Field Naturalist Neris Alcroft knows nature’s laws, but the frontier respects only power. With her family’s survival on the line, she is marching into a lethal wasteland to reclaim her murdered father’s stolen research, armed with nothing but her fierce intellect. She needs a guide who can keep her alive.

Stone planned to spend his remaining days at the bottom of a bottle, swearing he’d never return to the Wastes. But Neris is a sudden storm that shatters his crude defenses and refuses to take ‘No’ for an answer.

Together, they navigate unforgiving elements, alchemical horrors, and a relentless Concord Marshal. Yet the greatest threat might be the scorching heat between them. As they hunt a madman trying to unmake the world, their icy truce ignites into a fierce, protective passion. In the crucible of the Wastes, the only way to survive the apocalypse is together.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

530 pages, ebook

Published July 23, 2026

Reviews

[BookishKB]

🖤 Stone Heart 🖤

📖 Bookish Thoughts

The premise for this book interesting but I struggled with the writing style. Which is a bummer because I always love post apocalyptic stories.

3 Stars

⚔️ What to Expect
• Frontier Fantasy
• Forced Proximity
• Protective MMC
• Wild West
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 23, 2026

Thank you to Two Dogs and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[NatalieSreads]

I am so impressed by this book. The writing? The research? The worldbuilding? Holy hell of the salt wastes! I am blown into bits by Stone Heart. Both my mind and my heart.

I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest, voluntary review.

This is a spectacular story. Jute’s writing is absolutely incredible - I get to see, feel, taste, smell and experience everything Neris and Stone do in this complex world.

Neris is the rigid scholar that hasn’t known anything but the world of academics. But her safe bubble is about to burst.
Stone is the tortured hunter of the wastes who has been drowning himself in liquor since a devastatingly misfortunate mission into the wastes.

This isn’t a book you simply read, it’s a book you experience. It’s a western meets sci-fi meets fantasy. In the mix of all smart academia, world building and science - there’s also ordinary life happening. Trauma, heartbreak, dealing with addiction and personal growth. Both characters have fantastic character arcs learning that the only one coming to save you, is yourself.

I have giggled, cried and swooned. Marveled at the beasts of the wastes and the lore of the world. I’m gonna end this review with how I started it, by saying yet again; I’m so impressed with this book 🤍

[Gabriella]

To start off, this book is not objectively bad. It just didn’t work for me.

I enjoyed the characters individually and they had good chemistry, but I didn’t feel their romantic chemistry specifically until much later in the book.

Another big problem I had was just understanding the world. I think the history of why it is the way it is could’ve been fleshed out a bit more. There were words for the things that happened and what is left behind but they didn’t make sense to me. I’m also someone who likes to picture everything and the descriptions weren’t clicking for me so I really struggled in that aspect as well, both with the world and the creatures. Some scenes and thoughts felt a bit repetitive as well.

I am still interested in reading the author’s future works because Stone Heart did have aspects I enjoyed and she is a good writer overall!

[Michelle Bridges]

Stone Heart was exactly the fantasy book I needed to break away from the usual genre tropes.
The story follows Neris, a Guild scholar and naturalist, who learns that her father was murdered in the Wastes and his journals were stolen. Determined to uncover the truth and recover her family's legacy, she hires Stone, a legendary monster hunter, to guide her through the deadly frontier.
While the Wastes are filled with monsters, the most compelling battle in the book is Stone's struggle with alcoholism, grief, and self-destruction. His journey shows that healing cannot happen in isolation and that trust and human connection can be just as powerful as any weapon.
Neris was a standout heroine. Through her intelligence, resilience, and scientific knowledge, she proves that strength is not always physical. She demonstrates that knowledge can be just as powerful as magic, even if she is pretty impressive with an Aether gun.
At its heart, Stone Heart is a story about transformation. Stone grows from a broken hunter into a hero, while Neris evolves from a scholar into a survivor. The novel also delivers a powerful message about grief: loss leaves scars, but those scars do not have to define who you are or prevent you from finding love, hope, and purpose.
If you're looking for a fantasy-western with great character growth, emotional depth, and themes of grief, healing, self-forgiveness, and redemption, Stone Heart is definitely worth reading.
"You will always carry your grief, but it does not have to define who you are." That is the message I took away from Stone Heart, and it is one that will stay with me long after finishing the final page.

[Amanda Gratia]

Stone Heart is easily a five star read for me. The world building, the depth and growth of the main characters, the writing...every bit of it was just phenomenal. I could literally taste and hear what the author was describing because it was so well written. I'm honestly kind of just... Gobsmacked. That's how good it was. The science, the research that went into this, the world building, just incredible. Definitely one of my favorite reads of this year so far.

Trigger warning: this depicts very detailed accounts of alcoholism, and withdrawals. I imagine it can be hard to read for some people if that's something you struggle with.

5⭐
3🌶️
10000/10 recommend.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest review. Now hurry and add it to your tbr!!

[Kieran]

This book was a total wild ride , from the characters to the world building , dealing with addiction and grief , family issues , among the actual dangers of the world.


Neris Alcroft is a total badass woman forged in the wastes of the world
Stone is such a relatable MMC
the animal companions are such big part of the book , their personalities unique and fun


this book did take me a little longer than usual because life sometimes gets crazy but i am so glad i finished and can not wait to read what else Jute has to offer

[Jaz 📚 (verse.vellum)]

ARC review -I absolutely fell in love with this world and the two mcs. The writing in this is phenomenal and my preferred style and it was used beautifully for the world building. Neris and Stone felt so real and fleshed out, their relationship felt so real and progressed naturally. Definitely a slow burn and wow I loveddd it, the yearning had me frustrated in the best way possible !! The story was exciting and it had me reading every day. Nothing in this book was lacking in my opinion. I can't wait to see what Jute does next ♡

[Bethany (CozyLittleBookNook)]

3.75 stars.
This has to be a retailing of (True Grit) and I'm not mad about it.
It had the feel of a western but in a fantasy world.
There was two sex scenes towards the end of the book.

[Tahlia Madari]

Thank you to the author and ARC team for giving me an early copy! This book surprised me in the best ways possible and buckle up, because this review is going to be very long.

The aspects of this book that I love the most is the developed relationship between Neris and Stone, the world building, and the overall thematic ideas that form at the intersection of mankind, nature, and ethics.

At first, I thought I didn't like Neris because I found her to jargon-dump a lot. She is a Naturalist through and through with a heart pure for scientific discovery. But don't be mistaken, Neris is a 10/10 badass. She has so much grit, keenness to observation & adaptation, and dedication to doing the right thing. But she couldn't advance in her pursuit of knowledge for a couple of reasons that can be summed up to the ✨ male ego ✨ When her father is dead because another man killed him and took of with his journals in the Wastes, she makes it her goal to retrieve the research herself and slap some respect for her father's life work. Ultimately that man is an evil genius that is hatching something atrocious from that research and only Neris can understand the last bit of it because it's written in a code that only she and her father know. But the Wastes is a dangerous place that sucks out the souls of civilization. She needs a hunter/tracker to guide her through it, and thus creates the role of Stone.

Stone also surprised me as an MMC. I've gotten so used to MMCs being the stereotypical embodiment of masculinity: ruggedly censored from emotions, cut off from society's expectations of him, get's injured but never knocked of his feet because he's so much stronger than everyone else. Stone IS a ruggedly damaged person, but we get to see everything that made him destructible and it's so humanizing. My heart imploded. Stone is undeniably the best tracker/hunter, but he is haunted by a tragedy that occurred in his last outing, which unfortunately led to a crippling dependency on alcohol. The author mentions in the beginning of the book that she is in no way a doctor, but to me at least (someone who has seen alcoholism affect real life people) the psychological behavior put together by Jute Foster for Stone is so realistic. Everything from the repeated withdrawal to ultimately always being saddled with this dependency is heartbreaking. I don't want to give too much away, but Neris and Stone are written in an unexpected perfectly complimentary fashion. Neris is super smart, but she lacks practical application of her knowledge. Stone is incredibly refined at survival, with amazing instincts, but lapses into PTSD. They look after each other with so much fucking dedication, overcoming physical and mental demons...I'm jealous. Together, they make one hell of a pair.

As I was reading, I took quotations from the book that I have pasted in this review to sort of break down. All of these below consist of things/elements I believe are critical to the book. If you don't want to be spoiled, don't open them! But at the same time, I did spend a lot of time doing this so...yeah haha.

Development of Neris' character:

“He’d seen veteran prospectors yelp like kicked dogs when a Brittleback snapped at them, but she just set that jaw of hers and won the fight a second time. It was a small thing, but it was a quiet sort of steel that did not belong in a lecture hall.”

“He relied on knowing exactly what his bounties and clients were capable of, and her refusal to act like a helpless academic was throwing off his rhythm.”

“This was no simple scholar. This was a well-armed professional, an unpredictable variable who had just casually manufactured a weapon worth more than most prospectors made in a year.”

Neris is not a SIMPLE SCHOLAR. She does not BELONG IN A LECTURE HALL. She is not A HELPLESS ACADEMIC. She's on point with a revolver and even more on point with using her brains as the ultimate weapon. Neris is such a baddie.

“ 'This is no life for a young woman, Alistair.' And she remembered her father’s firm, gentle response that had shaped her future. 'She is a Naturalist, my dear. Her life is wherever the questions are.'
He was the only one who had ever truly seen her, not as a daughter to be protected, but as a mind to be challenged. He was her champion, her mentor, her only real home. And he was gone.”

HER LIFE IS WHEREVER THE QUESTIONS ARE. I need this printed on a t-shirt for all my science-y friends. I will say though, Neris only *thinks* that her father has always supported her pursuit of knowledge. An implication is made by the guy who stole her father's work that her father sheltered her intentionally because he knew she was smarter than him (she often corrected his work) but he just didn't want it aired out like that. Even though he encouraged her to be a Naturalist, Neris was still trapped with him, and ultimately this is why Stone is relationship-material for her because he's the only man that doesn't try to exploit her or hold her back.

“I will not shut my mouth just because the world is ugly.”

This is such a banger line. Neris is in a constant state of observation & analysis. Her mind is always running, and some of that analysis is aloud. Out in the Wastes, she faces some horrifying truths of nature and the real world. But the beautiful thing about her personality is she's never embarrassed when she's caught off guard or makes a mistake. She's always open to learning, but still doesn't let herself get pushed around. As humans, I think we have a tendency to shove flagged things under our belts as normal or acceptable the more we get used or exposed to the real world. We become complacent. But this quotation for Neris establishes that she's not one for complacency. The "ugliness" of the world doesn't justify indifference. The bag things happening around us isn't an excuse to do nothing. If anything, the more you observe and find a problem, the more you should *want* to make a difference. Goodness and social evolution exists in our world because of people who don't shut up and become complacent. And this ethical drive of Neris is why she's the one who basically saves the world.

Speaking of ethics, here are are two quotations that build on Neris' strong sense of morality.

“I would rather be a footnote in his shadow than the architect of your slaughterhouse”

She doesn't do things for fame or glory. She values ethical practices over credit and her own life. She is the exact opposite of the male ego.

I've said a lot of flattering things about Neris, but here is a flaw that turns into one of the biggest arcs in her character.

“She had stood in her pristine ignorance and demanded he simply discard the bottle, treating his dependency as a mere failure of discipline. She had possessed no true concept of the physiological reality of what she was asking.”

“The addiction wasn’t a choice; it was a crude, desperate tourniquet wrapped around a fatal wound to his soul, and she had demanded he rip it off.”

“He was pouring poison down his throat just to hold a rifle steady on her behalf. Her reprimand suddenly didn’t feel like the pragmatic assessment of a scholar. It felt like ingratitude.”

Neris at first isn't emotionally adept or sensitive to the psychological pressure Stone is afflicted with. She doesn't understand the trauma Stone carries and she certainly doesn't get what it means for him to be in withdrawal. But she definitely learns.

Stone's character:

“It was the calm of a man who lives in a world of monsters and has learned their habits. Her perception of him, which had been shifting since the Gilded Scorpion, now solidified. He was not just a broken man hiding in a bottle; he was a native of this lethal, alien landscape.”

“It wasn’t a theory from a textbook. It was the quiet, hard-won truth of a man who survived by knowing exactly how the world wanted to kill him. He had shown that same unnerving focus at the Skitter-Shard kill. He didn’t just travel through lethal spaces; he understood the things that hunted in them.”

“Academic texts provided theory, but Stone possessed an applied, symbiotic mastery of the Wastes. He didn’t just survive the hostile ecosystem; he utilized its natural mechanics to his advantage, turning scavengers into biological tools just as easily as he turned fat into gun oil.”

Stone is incredibly skilled with honed instincts that are a simple & sorrow product of his lived experiences. When Stone is out there in the Wild, as a guide/hunter/tracker, he belongs. He is "a native" of this place that no one can really survive in. Despite suffering from tremors and being afflicted with an alcohol dependency, he has this calmness and agility. Attention to detail and "unnerving focus." And I know this book is a work of fiction 😭 but as someone that was raised on spending time in the wilderness, I can't help but admire the way Jute Foster writes his survival skills. What she says about it not being a "theory from a textbook" is true and one of the biggest arcs in Neris' character. You can't learn these types of things from studying in some far away shelter.

Development of their relationship:

“I can’t read the math, Neris. But you tell me where to strike the match, and I will burn that entire basin to the bedrock for you.”

Stone and Neris compliment each other almost perfectly and it's beautiful to witness.

Both Stone and Neris are dismissed by other characters. Stone as a drunkie and Neris as a woman. But as partners, they bring the best out of each other because Neris can be who she truly is with Stone and Neris shows Stone that his life is still worth living. Stone gave Neris the opportunity to be free and Neris gave Stone the opportunity to resurrect himself.

“In the quiet, she didn’t look like a scholar or a contractor. She looked like a reason to stay sober.”

Alcoholism is a continuous upwards battle. In a world where "I can fix him" type of tropes are popular, Neris' attitude is so refreshing. Neris isn't offering to save Stone. She's not willing--and not going to--waste her life or "tie her survival" to Stone, "if he ultimately chose to surrender to the dark."

But Neris IS a motivating factor for Stone to stay sober. By demanding him to save himself, she gives Stone the motivation to be a better man and improve his life. When he finds a way to stand on his own, Neris promises to always stand BESIDES him. The ending is absolutely adorable!

I know this is a super long and I yapped a lot, but I genuinely loved this book. It was written spectacularly. If you're still with me on this review, thank you :) and thank you to the author for this early copy. Happy reading!

[Tara.reads]

Thank you for sending me this arc!

In this story you follow Neris and Stone who track the wastes to find neris’s fathers journals. I’m pretty tired while writing this review, so if everything is a little dry it’s because of that. I don’t wanna give a big summary, as I think it’s nice to go into this blindly. Please do read your trigger warning.

I’ve not really vibe with this book. The beginning was fun and fine, but after some certain scene with stone falling back down, I just lost interest. Let me explain a little. I love the word building, and the quest they are on. But I just didn’t get to love Neris and Stone. They felt flat to me. Which is weird, so many emotions things happen. I did really think Rules was worked out so much better. You feel his emotions and thoughts change towards Stone.

What was also hard for me was the explanation sometimes. One moment the are descending a cliff with a rope. The next they are back on their mounts. I’m not English or American, so reading books sometimes can get confusing. So please take this with a grain of salt, but I did wanna mention it.

[Felicity Oberg]

If you enjoy sci-fi/fantasy adventures with rich worldbuilding, emotional character growth, slow-burn romance, and high-stakes journeys into dangerous frontiers, Stone Heart is well worth picking up.

Neris Alcroft has been raised in proper society, away from danger and expected to exhibit all the grace and poise of a young lady. Her father, a brilliant naturalist, has employed Neris to be his assistant, tucking her away in the scholarly halls of the Guild. Neris, a brilliant mind in her own right, craves adventure and wishes to explore the natural world. When her father is murdered and his life's work stolen, Neris fights for the opportunity to save her family from ruin and track down her father's journals.

Stone is a legend of the Frontier, someone who has battled the wastes on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, he is a shadow of his former self, now living a life of "just" surviving at the bottom of a whisky bottle. He is plagued by the memories of the Stillwater and his failures to protect a family from the monsters that lurk. He is one bad day away from letting the drink drown him.

What results when Neris convinces Stone to accept her contract and guide her into the unknown to find a murderous alchemist and retrieve her father's journals is more than the adventure she was seeking. Coming from vastly different worlds, the pair are forced into close proximity as they battle harsh elements, dangerous creatures, and a relentless marshal hot on their trail. Amongst it all, Stone is battling with his addiction and faces withdrawal to survive. The result is a story that will suck you in and make the "just one more chapter" turn into a late night to finish.

Jute Foster has a knack for world building! The scenes that she painted throughout this book were real enough for me to almost taste the salt acidic air. You aren't left to guess what the landscape looks like or how the changing scenery affects the plot. It's all right there to build in your imagination. Her use of language is sophisticated while still portraying characters and animals alike in vivid detail that you feel you have known them for a very long time. The magic system built in Stone Heart is unique, unlike anything I have read before, but has commonality that it is easy to follow and understand.

The slow-burn romance develops naturally through shared hardship and trust, while the villain's actions feel personal enough that you become deeply invested in seeing justice served. Combined with the rich worldbuilding and unique magic system, these elements kept me turning pages late into the night. Stone's struggle with addiction felt authentic and added emotional weight to the journey. Rather than serving as a simple character flaw, it became a central part of his growth and made his relationship with Neris all the more compelling.

"And you... the very next night after you made me believe I was finally enough to stand beside someone, you looked at what we had and chose a cheap glass bottle. I am never enough. I will always be left behind." - Neris Alcroft

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carrie Gulledge]

If this review is a little all over the place I apologize in advance - my thoughts themselves are a little all over the place. If I had to come up with some works to compare it to, I would say you've got a little of The Mummy vibes in a western setting but throw in some alien creatures and coat it all in a confusing alchemical system.

Let me start off by saying that Foster is a fantastic writer - her descriptions were well done and you could feel every ounce of care and research that Foster put in to her book. However - there were many times that the writing became repetitive and too intensely descriptive. Nothing was left to the imagination at all and - especially in the last twenty percent - there were pages and pages with no dialogue. I need dialogue, especially in those action heavy sequences, to keep me really invested in what was happening. Instead I often inadvertently found myself skimming large swaths of the writing.

I appreciate the care that Foster took with writing Stone as a very complex character dealing with a very complex situation even if it felt overwhelming as the reader at times - and as a completely me issue, made it hard to really connect with his decisions since I don't have any personal experience with alcoholism to that extreme. However, the complexity of Stone made Neris feel very flat and one dimensional and, quite frankly, obnoxious and pretentious. I never was really able to get in to her character. I understand that we are supposed to perceive her character as analytical and socially disconnected but it just didn't feel genuine and left me with a bad taste many times.

The world building was also something I struggled with. Foster made the alchemical system way over complicated and I was never able to understand those parts of the book at all. Way over my head. And unless I completely missed it, I have no idea what planet or world this story happened on. Is it supposed to be Earth? If so what time period is it happening in? Is it on another planet? I wasn't able to orient myself at any point during the book - we would refer to these alien creatures as being "vulture like" or some other earth animal qualifier. This was honestly the most frustrating part of the entire book for me.

Now, all of that being said, I did find the majority of the book very compelling and intensely interesting. Like I said before, I think Foster is really great at writing - enough so that I find myself interested in going back through their blacklist. It honestly would have ended up being closer to a 4.5 star if the last 20 percent hadn't dragged quite as much as it did. I would have really enjoyed this story in a visual form. It took me back to a style of story that was more popular 10 or 20 years ago and I really enjoyed myself for most of it.

** Arc from Netgalley* *

[Marina]

4.5 stars rounding to 5 stars because I had a wonderful experience reading this adventure!

VERY unique story with Wild West vibes, and very creative magic system! Neris was intelligent, confident and a passionate scholar. She also had a very kind heart. Stone was a wonderful, broken, but beautiful character that brought so much courage to face PTSD and addiction in this book. The two of them were another inspirational couple!

What do we get when combining a very (overly lol) dedicate and enthusiastic scholar going on a deadly mission with a guide, who is also a hunter, who best know the dangerous wild areas where they will be going? Exactly! We get a constant stop to collect specimens and make notations! LOL I LOVED every second of it because that was such a natural and organic behavior! Poor Stone!! He was beyond patient… most of the time!

Neris and Stone are such a great couple! Their interactions could be very humorous as Neris constantly works on rigid academic language and Stone just replies is the most common language possible! Neris hyper curiosity matched me so well! Loved all the times that she tried stopping to collect specimen samples. They walk constant lines between survival decisions and personal moral values in this story and it’s brought with great maturity, which I appreciate. This book doesn’t dumb the characters. It raises them to be their best, and worse without sacrificing intelligence in the process..

There some were unique monsters in this book. The Sorrow-Eater was a terrifying creature!
Throughout the adventure, themes such as past trauma healing and flaws are present. Neris and Stone work well throughout those difficult dynamics. True love is loving a person for all they are, which include their flaws. You can help them overcome a dependency/addiction but they need to be the ones wanting to change. The other cannot do that for them but they can be there for the process.

I really connect with the author’s writing style. It pulled me right into the world of the book and I was gone from everything else! Greatest feeling ever!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Magpie's Reading Corner]

***Thank you Jute Foster for the ARC. All opinions are my own.***

“The Wastes were brutally honest. They did not pretend to harbor mercy, and they made no false promises of salvation.”

 

Raw, real characters, a breath-taking setting, and a plot that threatens to break apart the known world make up the beautiful novel that is Stone Heart.

The care and research that went into this novel do not go unnoticed. From the real and painful depiction of Stone’s alcoholism to the scientific thought processes and studies of Neris, every character trait, every thought, every line feels purposeful. Jute Foster’s prose is masterful; the descriptions transplant the reader into The Wastes alongside our main characters. The salt stings our throats, the blistering sun causes sweat to bead on our brows, and our hearts race with adrenaline during every deadly encounter.

Neris’ character proved to be captivating: her drive, her fearlessness, her clinical nature. Her convictions of right and wrong, her unyielding desire to protect the weak and root for the underdog spoke volumes about who she was as a person. But what drew me towards her were her moments when the walls came down, willingly or unwillingly. Her breakdown where the analytical side slips, her determination to help with Stone’s condition. To watch her take off the armor of academia piece by piece was a beautiful thing.

And what does one say about the broken man that is Stone? Foster captured the heartbreaking reality of alcoholism with his character, but remained respectful as well. She allows Stone the room to come to his own conclusions instead of using the magic of love to cure him. His suffering and the confrontation of his demons make him a more compelling character. After years of struggle, we watch Stone stand on his own two feet once more, a man instead of a shadow.

The romance between Neris and Stone was natural, a slow burn that starts from the embers of begrudging mutual respect and grows into an inferno of passion stoked by genuine care and seeing each other for who they truly are, not just the facades they put on for the world. Neris and Stone broker a true partnership with one another that can survive even the harshest conditions.

Stone Heart is a fantastic book that I will recommend repeatedly to anyone who enjoys gritty westerns, Fallout vibes, and slow-burn romances. A standing ovation to Jute Foster for this absolute masterpiece.

[Nat]

This book was such a breath of fresh air! Ive read so many romantasy books lately where the characters and plots were starting to all feel the same, but the characters and prose of the book offered something unique.

Plot: Neris is a naturalist - stuck behind a desk. When her father, a noted naturalist, is murdered in the field, she goes to the wastes to retrieve his stolen journals. To survive the wastes she enlists the help of Stone, a washed-up frontier guide who is living with his inner demons.

This book felt like if you had Rick and Evie from The Mummy, but put them in the wild west with big scary creatures. And Rick had a lot of inner demons and less swagger and Evie studied nature and alchemy instead of archaeology and languages. The 2 main characters were a delight to get to know. They had so much depth to them and so much realistic character growth throughout the book. Their relationship felt like a very natural thing, too, rather than forced. It grew so slowly and out of respect and was so nice to read.

I have to mention the prose in this book. Where a lot of modern fantasies and romantasies the inner (and outer) dialogue of all the characters seem to feel the same these 2 main characters did not. Neris' words, rooted in science and study, reflected both her field and her intelligence. Always analysing and putting things into what could be learnt from them (even intimate moments 😂).
Stone's words were more practical and from the dusty wastes. It really was a breath of fresh air to read view points so differently expressed from most books I've read recently. And expressed so vividly.

This book also deals with alcohol abuse and, although its not something I have personal experience with, I feel like it was dealt with with understanding and it brought so much to the story.

Is it a sci fi or fantasy book? I dont know, but i really enjoyed it!

I received an advance review copy of this book and am leaving a voluntary review.

[Stephanie Dalman]

Thank you NetGalley and Two Dogs publishing for this ARC.

What a ride... It has been a while since I read something that drew me in, kept me wanting more and yet left me feeling fulfilled at the end.

Neris is a strong willed, exceptionally smart but naive (through no fault of her own) woman. Her character growth is truly something I love to see. She has her convictions, has expectations on how she will be treated and address but is also willing to grow. To take what she has knowledge wise and see the holes. Also her scientific banter and reasoning is cute and funny.

Stone... What a complicated man. I think the author's portrayal of alcoholism and fighting your demons is very moving and feels real. The author also shows the struggle from Stone's perspective during and after but how it effects Neris.

The world building was great and not over done where it makes the book drone on. For example she doesn't spend 3 pages describing a tree trunk that isn't significant to the book, which I appreciate cause nothing kills a book for me faster! The creatures are cool and unique, while being easily imaginable.

Two of my favorite quotes from the book, which I think speaks volumes.

" If they published that, no one would ever sign a contract to march out here," Stone interrupted roughly. " Your texts were written by men in high, clean towers who never had to watch their own sergeants stop talking and start hissing."

"The salt does not care about your rank, Scholar, and the Guild only cares about the Aether," Stone growled over his shoulder, checking the action on his rifle.

While I am a romantasy girly at heart the romance in this book felt great, it wasn't over done or felt forced. The build up to the moments felt very fluid and natural.

[Samantha Luna]

If immersive worlds, morally gray characters, a fresh magic system, and tomb raider meets fantasy vibes are your thing, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. The story follows Neris who is a naturalist for the Concord Guild. Her father is murdered in the Waste and his journals with all his research are stolen. She must team up with Stone a hunter to track down her father’s journals and bring his killer to justice.

The world building sucked me in. It felt original and effortlessly immersive, revealing just enough to keep me hooked without ever feeling like an information dump. The magic system was unique and it added another layer of mystery that had me wanting more. The characters were flawed, stubborn, and felt genuinely human, making it easy to become invested in their growth and the choices they had to make. I also loved the each of the main characters development and the constant feeling that no one was ever truly safe.

Although I enjoyed this book the pacing does take its time in the beginning. There are moments where the worldbuilding and setup outweigh the action, so it requires a little patience before everything clicks into place.

Things I enjoyed:
* The frontier fantasy world
* Unique and creative magic system
* Complex well developed characters
* Strong atmosphere with high stakes
* The personal struggles of grief and addiction are done very well

Things that might not work for everyone:
* Slow start that takes time to build momentum
* Long chapters
* This is written in 3rd person POV

Overall, this is a great choice if you’re looking for something that feels fresh and isn’t like everything else. This does require patience but I felt like it paid off in the end.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ 3.75

[Morally_Gray_Nola]

STONE HEART is an outlandishly original take on a sci-fi fantasy western wasteland romance—Say THAT three times fast 😉

Neris has always lived a sheltered, well protected life—quiet, safe. She has her demons . . . But don’t count her out when times get tough—like stealing her deceased father’s (her ‘Champion’) journals—she is a bad@ss boss babe that can utilize a revolver, is the smartest person in the room, and take care of business!

Neris needs a tracker to find the thief that stole he father’s journals. Stone is a talented tracker. Sounds simple, right? Ha! He has his own demons to overcome. Demons from his recent past that manifested itself into a debilitating addiction to alcohol. The author, Jute Foster, speaks on their personal experiences with individuals addiction to alcohol. Reading the references, as well as Stone’s heartbreaking history, I must give Jute respect. Because the depiction of Jute’s alcoholic journey very closely resembles the tragedies and triumphs, failures and successes of someone near and incredibly dear to me. I believe writing it as raw as Jute did, took incredible courage.

Watching Stone and Neris go from ‘those two’ to a ‘them’ was a great, wild ride. Neris soothing Stone’s inner demons enough to give him the strength to keep going forward, without pushing—She just never quits on him. And Stone . . . Stone sees Neris’ true, full worth — that doesn’t END because she’s a woman, it only makes it BETTER.
*** Recommended ***

[Kate]

Thank you to Jute Foster for the ARC.

Jute Foster became an auto-read author for me after Wild Blood, so I was incredibly excited to dive into Stone Heart—and it absolutely didn't disappoint.

I loved the contrast between Neris and Stone. Neris's curiosity and determination made her such an enjoyable character to follow, while Stone's struggles with his past, grief and addiction gave him so much depth. Their relationship developed naturally, and I found myself rooting for them from the start.

The world-building is one of the strongest parts of this book. The Wastes feel harsh, dangerous and completely alive, with fascinating creatures, unique lore and plenty of tension throughout. I also really enjoyed the blend of fantasy, science and western-style frontier adventure—it felt fresh and unlike anything else I've read recently.

There are some emotional moments alongside plenty of action, and I never found myself losing interest. I was completely invested in both the journey and the characters.

If you've enjoyed Jute Foster's previous work, this is another one that's well worth picking up. I can't wait to see what's next.

[Bookworm From Finland]

An interesting apocalyptic world. Romance between a naturalist and a gunslinger and a mission to save FMC's father's life's work in the field of natural science and bring his father's murderer to justice.

The journey through the sandy wasteland with its dangerous creatures, the role of women in science and the brilliant characters was the best thing about the book for me.

Alchemical magic didn't feel like magic at all when everything relied so heavily on natural science and research which unfortunately went far beyond my imagination and understanding. My expectations for fantasy were therefore not met.

The scientificity appeared to me as a rather dry writing style, not much humor or banter between the characters. I would gladly give author Jute Foster another chance because the book was entertaining and good. I recommend the book especially to lovers of alchemy fantasy and stem romance.

Thanks to the publisher Two Dogs and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy!

[Em]

This was so good! It’s a mix of steam punk/western/fantasy with a great romance. The world building was strong, and I found myself wanting to know even more. Action was sprinkled throughout, so by the time the “big showdown” arrived, I was at the edge of my seat. The romance was great too - I loved that the tension took a while to build. It felt very natural to the characters. I loved Neris’s tenacity and studious mind - her research was very interesting. Her bravery was unmatched, and the way she took care of Stone was beautiful. Stone was also a great character and I was impressed with his knowledge as well. They balanced each other so well!

I don’t fully know how to explain it, but even though this book is set in another world/time, it felt very real. The problems Neris and Stone tackled together didn’t always end perfectly, but they both grew through supporting each other and holding the other accountable.

There were a few things I didn’t totally understand (mild spoiler) I wasn’t totally clear on exactly how old Neris is, but she mentioned being older than 30. At the very beginning, it says she has a six year old brother. I guess that’s in the realm of possibility, but that’s quite an age, and I don’t think he was mentioned again. The other part was at the end - more background on the Sentinel would have been good. I was a little confused if this was a regular person that Juris captured/transformed, or something else. Also the fact that he temporarily was a pretty important plot point, but just ran away and that’s it?.


I received an advance reader copy of this book, and all opinions are my own.

[Charlotte Nolte]

Stone Heart was an amazing read! It is a smart and imaginative story that blends western and steampunk beautifully into an adventure that I couldn't put down. The journey that Neris and Stone embark on is full of unique creatures, scientific discovery, and constant danger that forces both of them to learn to rely on each other. The internal struggles faced by both of them gave real depth to the characters and made them relatably flawed in ways that kept you rooting for them the entire time. The author wove romance into a high stakes, forced proximity adventure without making the relationship feel like it was only adrenaline based. Stone and Neris falling for each other felt inevitable because they are a perfect balance that each desperately needs. I would read an entire series set in the world created here!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jessica]

I don’t usually go for Westerns, but I really enjoyed this genre mashup. Foster artfully blended a classic Western setting with sci-fi/fantasy. The world-building is just incredible. Places like the Salt Wastes felt so vivid and distinct that I could practically feel the grit in the air while reading.

Neris instantly became one of my favorite protagonists. She’s strong, intelligent, and holds her own without ever feeling like a cliché. Opposite her, the lead male character is wonderfully complex. I was especially impressed by how Foster handled his alcoholism; it was written with so much nuance and care, giving his arc real emotional weight rather than just using it as a quick plot device.

And as always with this author, the romance is earned! There are no sudden, unconvincing shortcuts, so every bit of trust and connection between the characters feels completely built from the ground up.

[Jacqui]

I picked up this book because the cover with giving video game vibes and honestly it did not disappoint (think world setting as Horizon and the storyline vibe of Uncharted). For starters, the world was super interesting. I loved our fmc, Neris. So smart and pragmatic; her humor was dry but she adapted to every challenge. The author is very up front about a large trigger being alcoholism in this story. I wasn't entirely sure I would be able to read it - I am a wife to an alcoholic. My own journey with him hasnt been easy. But way the author wrote Stone, his struggle, and Neris's experience as his equal, in a world trying to kill them; was beautifully written. Some of the things Stone said really resonated with me, dare I say it helped just a smidgen in given me a different perspective. This is a complete story, and in my opinion just the right amount of spice.

[Ana Davies]

I love an academic intellectually intelligent FMC. Although full of technical and academic language, I felt that this made her character realistic and dimensional.

What a first meeting! The tension, oh well played.

Neris rigid and calculated mind is put the the test as her and Stone travel the land. I enjoyed that I didn’t like her at times when Stone was just trying to help but she thought she knew better. Then the scene where he is detoxing, I loved how her character saw this and grew. The depiction of addiction was handled well.

Then add a sprinkle of jealousy on Stone’s part and you have me kicking my feet!

The world building was fantastic and was really brought alive by the descriptions.

Thank you to Jute for allowing me to read this arc.

[Malin Andersson]

Gillade denna skarpt även om jag hade lite svårt att hänga med i de vetenskapliga (?) termerna ibland (därav en 4 istället för en 5 då det drog ned läsningen något för mig och jag hade svårt att hålla fokus). Neris är en underbar karaktär som visar att det finns fler sätt att vinna över någon än med enbart brutal kraft. Gillar att hon och Stone PRATAR med varandra, en del författare använder sig gärna av kommunikationsproblem men inte Foster :). Lite svårt att säga vilken genre den faller under men kanske en blandning av steampunk och fantasy? Fick i vart fall samma känsla för Neris och Stone som för Evelyn och Rick i början av Mumien med Ricks mystik och stoicism och Evelyns briljans och iver att lära.

[Zonia H]

Thank you to the author for the advance readers copy

What do you do as a scholar when your dad is murdered because of his research and what he knows? You hire the broken hunter, Stone, and go after those that murdered him and protect the information that is sought after.
Really enjoyed the world building in the book. The explanation of the Wastes and the alchemical horrors are well written that you can picture it and be transported to it.
The yearning and slow burn romance between Stone and Neris is slowly built and has a natural as the story progresses so do their feelings.
Perfect for those that enjoy a fantasy world building read.

[Chloe Gudgeon]

I absolutely adored stone heart, so much world building and character development with a rich emotional bond between the two main characters and an immersive storyline that is easy to loose yourself in.

Stone and Neris were the epitome of learning to love someone just the way they are and providing support during addiction but not taking the responsibility away from the person you’re supporting as they have to want it and choose to stay sober everyday.

Neris was everything I love in an FMC, stubborn and follows her heart and conscious no matter the cost.

Well worth picking up, you will not be disappointed!

[Dadreadsanreviews (james)]

Stone heart is an inventive fantasy story that has dark academia feels set in fantasy Wild West scenario. The characters are richly described and emotionally stirring. The story has an inventive world linking magic and science. It takes a classic quest narrative around themes of revenge and connecting with the fmc’s heritage. Overall, I enjoyed the story though I felt it drag on occasion. If you are wanting to get a Wild West fantasy, this is a great indie read!

[Mary Predkel]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wild West meets dark fantasy and I was not expecting to love this as much as I did!
Neris and Stone are such an unlikely pair but they work so perfectly together, she brings the brains and he brings the survival instincts and watching them figure each other out in the middle of a deadly wasteland was so good. Stone's arc with addiction felt real and handled with so much care
Such a unique read