The Giants' Dance

Language of Stones Trilogy #2

by Robert Carter

A rich and evocative tale set in a mythic 15th century Britain, to rival the work of Bernard Cornwell. In the peaceful village of Nether Norton life goes on as it has for centuries in the Realm, through the coming and going of the Slavers and the arrival of the Sightless Ones and their Chapter Houses. On Loaf Day, as the villagers celebrate gathering in the first of their harvest, Will looks back fondly on the two years since he and his sweetheart Willow circled the fire together, especially the year since their daughter Bethe was born. But despite his good fortune, a feeling of unease is stirring inside him. When he sees an unnatural storm raging on the horizon he knows that his past is coming back to haunt him. Four years ago Will succeeded in cracking the Doomstone in the vault of the Chapter House at Verlamion to bring a bloody battle to its end. It seemed then that the lust for war in men's hearts had been calmed forever. But now Will is no longer certain his success was quite so absolute, and he calls on his old friend and mentor Gwydion, a wizard of deep knowledge and power once called 'Merlyn', for advice. Gwydion suspects his old enemy, the sorcerer Maskull, has escaped from the prison he was banished to when Will cracked the Doomstone. Now Maskull is once again working to hasten a devastating war between King Hal and Duke Richard of Ebor, with the help of the battlestones that litter the landscape inciting hatred in all who draw near. Only Will, whom Gwydion believes to be an incarnation of King Arthur, has the skill to break the power of the battlestones. When Will last left Nether Norton he was an unworldly youth of thirteen. Now he is a husband and father, he has a lot more to lose. But he has a whole Realm to save.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Arthurian, Historical Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

I was born in Staffordshire, near Etruria, the place made famous by Josiah Wedgwood, but was brought up in Sydney, Australia and later in Lancashire, England. I studied astrophysics at Newcastle University, where I started the student science fiction society. Writing novels has always played a part in my life, and I've tried to see the world enough to be able to write fiction with the help of personal experience.

After university, the US oil industry was booming so I went to Dallas, Texas, later on I worked on rigs in various parts of the Middle East and the war-torn heart of Africa. I was aboard the Ron Tappmeyer, a rig that blew out in the Persian Gulf, killing 19 men. It was dangerous work, but well-paid, and it took me to places that outsiders rarely see, like the Rub-al-Khali of Arabia and hard-to-reach parts of equatorial Africa.

When I left the oilfields, I spent time on travel, first to East Berlin and Warsaw, then to Moscow and Leningrad. From there I took the Trans-Siberian railway to Japan. In Hong Kong, I worked on a road survey, took tea with the heir of the last king of Upper Burma near Mandalay, and on the path to Everest base camp just happened to run into Sir Edmund Hillary. After traveling around most of India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, I returned home and took up a job with the BBC. Four years later, I left BBC TV to write. I finally settled in London, but I still like to head off to interesting parts when time allows.

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the first book in the series, this one is a bit slow... Okay, maybe more than a bit. I'm hoping the third and final book in the series will be give a sense of roundness, because right now I'm feeling that the three books could have probably been shortened into one 600-ish page novel.

[Katherine Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. i couldn't put it down

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation of the first book

[Morgan Le Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Giant's Dance is the swinging follow-up of the entrancing and magical novel 'Language of Stones' by Robert Carter. The book sets off where its precessor left off: young Will, the protagonist, now lives with his beautiful wife and their little daughter in his hometown. However, Will feels the urge to set off on an adventure once again to destroy the remaining Stones. He is soon given an unexpected opportunity that will once again bring his life in danger and lead him to the farthest corners of the Kingdom. Again, a mix of magic, courage and nail-biting cliffhangers, out-win the clichés mixed into this book and turn it into a very exciting novel.

Clichés being once again that Will's magical powers seem to have grown, although he spent four years doing practically nothing magical. And like in so many other fantasy novel, the faith of the world once again rests on the shoulders of one man: there are prophecies to fulfill, enemies to destroy and a kingdom to conquer. All we need for a good old fantasy novel, but enriched by the gorgeous descriptions, splendid knowledge of the Middle Ages and the hundreds of ancient legends that the author, Robert Carter, posesses. Definately a must-read for every fantasy-lover.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomo 2 de 3 en edición española.