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Branion #1
The Stone Prince
As the eternally rebellious Heathlands plot a bold new campaign of war, Crown Prince Demnor must not only overcome traitors within the court and the ever-growing rebel forces, but he must also master the birthright power which could well prove his doom.
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1997
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1702 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Patton
43 books78 followersFiona lives in rural Ontario with her wife, Tanya Huff. She currently works as a counselor for the developmentally handicapped.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
January 5, 2021
"The Stone Prince" by Fiona Patton is THE gay fantasy book, really. Not even Lynn Flewellyn's "Nightrunner Series" is so good (and I have a soft spot for these books). I mean, Patton pushes all my buttons here:
- Prince Demnor and his male Companion Kelahnus are so incredibly devoted to each other; you can fairly feel their love from the pages and the fact that they hop together in bed whenever they have the chance (although off screen) is more than sweet
- Prince Quindara (well, she is actually a Princess but this is a gender-neutral society where the women have male titles like Duke instead of Duchess and Prince instead of Princess) and her younger lover Troy; I really love stories where the female is older, stronger and harder and the man is the gentle one in their relationship
- the Royal twins Marcellus and Atreus; well, they sleep together in one bed, limbs entwined, and they share a psychic link - enough said ;)
This book is more character-driven than action-driven. There are not many battle scenes but when they are there then they are really intense. There is a lot of h/c, especially between Demnor/Kelahnus and Atreus/Marcellus. And there are not many scenes with characters you don't really care about - like the Heathland rebels. The book focuses mainly on Demnor and the tension between him and his mother, the Aristok, and Demnor becoming the Aristok after his mother's death.
A really great book. More than highly recommended!
- Prince Demnor and his male Companion Kelahnus are so incredibly devoted to each other; you can fairly feel their love from the pages and the fact that they hop together in bed whenever they have the chance (although off screen) is more than sweet
- Prince Quindara (well, she is actually a Princess but this is a gender-neutral society where the women have male titles like Duke instead of Duchess and Prince instead of Princess) and her younger lover Troy; I really love stories where the female is older, stronger and harder and the man is the gentle one in their relationship
- the Royal twins Marcellus and Atreus; well, they sleep together in one bed, limbs entwined, and they share a psychic link - enough said ;)
This book is more character-driven than action-driven. There are not many battle scenes but when they are there then they are really intense. There is a lot of h/c, especially between Demnor/Kelahnus and Atreus/Marcellus. And there are not many scenes with characters you don't really care about - like the Heathland rebels. The book focuses mainly on Demnor and the tension between him and his mother, the Aristok, and Demnor becoming the Aristok after his mother's death.
A really great book. More than highly recommended!
February 23, 2015
I can’t imagine I actually paid real money for the two books of this series I used to own, not with those covers; they must have come from Books and Company or a library sale. One day I wanted a meaty fantasy, and these were handy. And large.
Demnor is Aristok (king) of Branion (Britain, thinly veiled), and the high priest of his people's religion, which involves an ancestor who made a pact with one of the four elements, the Living Flame, and who bequeathed the Flame to her descendants. The Aristok is always the one to whom the Flame passes; other ancestors have some gift of it of varying intensities, but the Aristok is the one who can wield it to the fullest. This particular Aristok is a loose cannon (an even looser cannon than most of a rather unbalanced family), and makes a good avatar for wildfire. So ... why is he called the Stone Prince? Unless I missed something somewhere - always possible, there was a good bit of skimming involved - I don't remember him ever being called that.
Cosmetically ... well, it's a cover by Jody Lee. Sweetie? The author calls it "auburn" hair. Not vermilion. I don't know why it's necessary to create a gaudy cover that shrieks "fantasy" like this - it's certainly not a book for children, and how many adults have the backbone to sit in public and read this thing? I'll admit it - I don't. But the thing's too damn long to read in small snatches, and just interesting enough that I didn't want to start another "public" book - so I used my bookmark to cover up the cover art. That Demnor deserved better. She CAN do it, that figure proves; she just doesn't.
Regardless, it wasn't a bad book, overall. One thing that did drive me up a tree was the constant switching back and forth through time. The author made note of the time period of the section about to be read... unfortunately, the first time it happened, it turned out that I hadn't retained the dating of the initial section, in the "present", so the date stamp of the next section showing it was several years ago didn't register, and so had NO idea what was going on for a page or so. It was terribly annoying.
Some other aspects of the story took a little getting used to, as well. It took a while to stop having to stop and go back and reread when someone would refer to a female character as "My Lord" or "Duke" or "Prince" - wait, wasn't that a woman?? - but it's not at all a bad idea when the genders are completely and unthinkingly equal. In fact, I think this is one of the better examples of a society where there is not and never has been any form of sexism: anyone can be a priest, a warrior, a Companion (concubine, basically, though the author would probably smack me for the shorthand), or anything else, no allowances made and no eyebrows raised - not by the characters within the story, and not by the narrator unable to resist pointing out what she has wrought. Well done, that.
Related, perhaps, is the role of said Companions. After some thought, it comes out as a good idea, if it's something managed consistently throughout the environment: to try to cut down on the number of bastards running about, nobles take same-sex Companions to their beds. The main character, Demnor, is deeply in love with his Companion, Kelahnus, and it's reciprocated even though it shouldn't be by the rules the Companions live by. Which gets complicated when Demnor does his duty and becomes betrothed and, shortly, married. All of which is fine, though yes it took some getting used to for me ... but the ease with which all of the characters slide in and out of bed with just about anyone to me pushes the envelope a little too far. No one seems to have any gender-based sexual preferences at all, and monogamy or faithfulness doesn't seem too highly prized. Kelahnus's main concern upon the betrothal and its logical culmination is that Demnor will be distracted from him and begin to lose interest in him in the pursuit of his duty - not a high estimation of his own worth or of Demnor's heart, but then jealousy isn't real logical. Whether all of this is just among the nobles or extends to anyone is unknown: the common folk are there as background, if that. Which is, in its way, a fault in the book.
Of course, any irrational hatred avoided within the book by removing the prejudices against sex roles and relations is made up for by internecine clashes, madness galloping through the Royal family, and - most of all - religious bigotry. On the one hand is the religion of the Royals, the Triarchy (why it's a Triarchy when there are four elements I don't get ...) and the followers of Essus (which, hello? Bearded prophet leader of religion? Name similarity? It might not have been best wise to call the OTHER religion Tri-whatever; I persist in thinking Essus=Jesus, one-third of God in three parts, so Triarchy=followers of Essus). They hate each other, in all ways, and it gets ugly. There's apparently no living together, but of course neither group wants to go anywhere, and apparently pacifism is no part at all of either faith.
Meh.
Demnor is Aristok (king) of Branion (Britain, thinly veiled), and the high priest of his people's religion, which involves an ancestor who made a pact with one of the four elements, the Living Flame, and who bequeathed the Flame to her descendants. The Aristok is always the one to whom the Flame passes; other ancestors have some gift of it of varying intensities, but the Aristok is the one who can wield it to the fullest. This particular Aristok is a loose cannon (an even looser cannon than most of a rather unbalanced family), and makes a good avatar for wildfire. So ... why is he called the Stone Prince? Unless I missed something somewhere - always possible, there was a good bit of skimming involved - I don't remember him ever being called that.
Cosmetically ... well, it's a cover by Jody Lee. Sweetie? The author calls it "auburn" hair. Not vermilion. I don't know why it's necessary to create a gaudy cover that shrieks "fantasy" like this - it's certainly not a book for children, and how many adults have the backbone to sit in public and read this thing? I'll admit it - I don't. But the thing's too damn long to read in small snatches, and just interesting enough that I didn't want to start another "public" book - so I used my bookmark to cover up the cover art. That Demnor deserved better. She CAN do it, that figure proves; she just doesn't.
Regardless, it wasn't a bad book, overall. One thing that did drive me up a tree was the constant switching back and forth through time. The author made note of the time period of the section about to be read... unfortunately, the first time it happened, it turned out that I hadn't retained the dating of the initial section, in the "present", so the date stamp of the next section showing it was several years ago didn't register, and so had NO idea what was going on for a page or so. It was terribly annoying.
Some other aspects of the story took a little getting used to, as well. It took a while to stop having to stop and go back and reread when someone would refer to a female character as "My Lord" or "Duke" or "Prince" - wait, wasn't that a woman?? - but it's not at all a bad idea when the genders are completely and unthinkingly equal. In fact, I think this is one of the better examples of a society where there is not and never has been any form of sexism: anyone can be a priest, a warrior, a Companion (concubine, basically, though the author would probably smack me for the shorthand), or anything else, no allowances made and no eyebrows raised - not by the characters within the story, and not by the narrator unable to resist pointing out what she has wrought. Well done, that.
Related, perhaps, is the role of said Companions. After some thought, it comes out as a good idea, if it's something managed consistently throughout the environment: to try to cut down on the number of bastards running about, nobles take same-sex Companions to their beds. The main character, Demnor, is deeply in love with his Companion, Kelahnus, and it's reciprocated even though it shouldn't be by the rules the Companions live by. Which gets complicated when Demnor does his duty and becomes betrothed and, shortly, married. All of which is fine, though yes it took some getting used to for me ... but the ease with which all of the characters slide in and out of bed with just about anyone to me pushes the envelope a little too far. No one seems to have any gender-based sexual preferences at all, and monogamy or faithfulness doesn't seem too highly prized. Kelahnus's main concern upon the betrothal and its logical culmination is that Demnor will be distracted from him and begin to lose interest in him in the pursuit of his duty - not a high estimation of his own worth or of Demnor's heart, but then jealousy isn't real logical. Whether all of this is just among the nobles or extends to anyone is unknown: the common folk are there as background, if that. Which is, in its way, a fault in the book.
Of course, any irrational hatred avoided within the book by removing the prejudices against sex roles and relations is made up for by internecine clashes, madness galloping through the Royal family, and - most of all - religious bigotry. On the one hand is the religion of the Royals, the Triarchy (why it's a Triarchy when there are four elements I don't get ...) and the followers of Essus (which, hello? Bearded prophet leader of religion? Name similarity? It might not have been best wise to call the OTHER religion Tri-whatever; I persist in thinking Essus=Jesus, one-third of God in three parts, so Triarchy=followers of Essus). They hate each other, in all ways, and it gets ugly. There's apparently no living together, but of course neither group wants to go anywhere, and apparently pacifism is no part at all of either faith.
Meh.
June 23, 2017
Clunky and dull. DNF @p176
April 10, 2023
More a 2.5
I thought this would have way more romance than it did and a lot less politics.
Not that this would have been a deal breaker for me, but along with the lack of interesting development of the characters' personalities, this book ended up being only acceptable to me.
I thought this would have way more romance than it did and a lot less politics.
Not that this would have been a deal breaker for me, but along with the lack of interesting development of the characters' personalities, this book ended up being only acceptable to me.
December 16, 2019
STONE PRINCE is an entertaining high fantasy doorstopper of the classic '90s era...just be aware it's more character-driven than battle-centric. The action scenes are good (& I wish there had been more because of that), but the characters are equally interesting & the slower pace didn't annoy me.
I remember ogling the bookstore's huge wall-o-fantasy paperbacks as a tween/teen, & these were often there. Though the premise intrigued me, the tacky covers turned me off...because dude. They're BAD. But in my older age I have a soft spot for tacky cover art, particularly fantasy or romance, so Jody Lee's cartoony visuals are no nevermind for Older Sarah. :D I carried this everywhere, squeezing in a few pages as I waited for pizza, chauffeured my mom around christmas shopping, etc, so clearly it had me hooked.
The content is pretty simple, i.e. fantastical royal succession drama with two magical religions** duking it out in a medieval-esque British Isles hate!fest. The difference is that royal titles are gender-neutral & the characters openly take same-sex courtesans (or sometimes opposite sex, or sometimes one of each -- bisexuality is perfectly normal in Branion). These courtesans are all graduates of the Companion Guild, where they learn to perform bedroom duties as well as massage, genteel conversation, spying, advisory roles, & manipulation of their royal charges.
In many ways it's a book (& universe) ahead of its time, & I'm pretty sure it would've had a better reception had it been released after the rise of internet slashfic. While there are similarities to the Kushiel series (I wonder if Jaqueline Carey enjoyed these books too?), Phedre's same-sex proclivities are more of a sideline plot. Here, the main focus is two male lovers. While Demnor does come to feel affection (& a certain amount of desire) for the wife he's forced to marry, his primary love is a same-sex Companion. Nowadays that sort of story feels unremarkable...but in the mid 90s? It was probably more daring in mass-market fantasy. (It should also be noted that the sex here is almost all fade-to-black, with only general refs to arousal & whatnot -- very different from Kushiel.)
Anyhoo, I enjoyed this (esp the unspoken parallel between Demnor's familial relationship with his mother & the ruling relationship with Heathland) & will definitely be picking up #2. Each book is self-contained & they work backwards through Branion's history, so that's a neat twist. :)
**We have the semi-Catholic Essusiates, who worship dragons & saints, & the semi-Protestant Triarchy, who worship a Living Flame & its human vessel, who is (not coincidentally) the king or queen of their country.
I remember ogling the bookstore's huge wall-o-fantasy paperbacks as a tween/teen, & these were often there. Though the premise intrigued me, the tacky covers turned me off...because dude. They're BAD. But in my older age I have a soft spot for tacky cover art, particularly fantasy or romance, so Jody Lee's cartoony visuals are no nevermind for Older Sarah. :D I carried this everywhere, squeezing in a few pages as I waited for pizza, chauffeured my mom around christmas shopping, etc, so clearly it had me hooked.
The content is pretty simple, i.e. fantastical royal succession drama with two magical religions** duking it out in a medieval-esque British Isles hate!fest. The difference is that royal titles are gender-neutral & the characters openly take same-sex courtesans (or sometimes opposite sex, or sometimes one of each -- bisexuality is perfectly normal in Branion). These courtesans are all graduates of the Companion Guild, where they learn to perform bedroom duties as well as massage, genteel conversation, spying, advisory roles, & manipulation of their royal charges.
In many ways it's a book (& universe) ahead of its time, & I'm pretty sure it would've had a better reception had it been released after the rise of internet slashfic. While there are similarities to the Kushiel series (I wonder if Jaqueline Carey enjoyed these books too?), Phedre's same-sex proclivities are more of a sideline plot. Here, the main focus is two male lovers. While Demnor does come to feel affection (& a certain amount of desire) for the wife he's forced to marry, his primary love is a same-sex Companion. Nowadays that sort of story feels unremarkable...but in the mid 90s? It was probably more daring in mass-market fantasy. (It should also be noted that the sex here is almost all fade-to-black, with only general refs to arousal & whatnot -- very different from Kushiel.)
Anyhoo, I enjoyed this (esp the unspoken parallel between Demnor's familial relationship with his mother & the ruling relationship with Heathland) & will definitely be picking up #2. Each book is self-contained & they work backwards through Branion's history, so that's a neat twist. :)
**We have the semi-Catholic Essusiates, who worship dragons & saints, & the semi-Protestant Triarchy, who worship a Living Flame & its human vessel, who is (not coincidentally) the king or queen of their country.
October 4, 2009
Gender is the biggest surprise in this book. "Earls" and "Lords", for example, can be men or women, and both women and men have access to the same power and positions. Nothing in the book comes across as if gender did not exist -- not in the least. Rather, it's as if gender existed but it wasn't any more a cause to decide who gets to do what than eye color. It took me a short time to get into this way of writing, but once I got into it I found it very comfortable.
This is also a Gay-friendly book, and again, both Gay and straight are presented as if there were no more cause to discriminate one way or another than by hair color.
I thought the book a bit slow, at first, but it could be that I don't read fantasy that centers completely around royalty and their trials. It also took me a short time to understand what the author was meaning by "the Flame" - I think she could have done a little better introducing this more unusual form of magic.
Still, overall I thought highly of the book. Once a few chapters in I was hooked, and I stayed that way through to the end. This book does end this particular story line, by the way. There are several others in this series, but each tells a different story at different points in the time line for this world.
This is also a Gay-friendly book, and again, both Gay and straight are presented as if there were no more cause to discriminate one way or another than by hair color.
I thought the book a bit slow, at first, but it could be that I don't read fantasy that centers completely around royalty and their trials. It also took me a short time to understand what the author was meaning by "the Flame" - I think she could have done a little better introducing this more unusual form of magic.
Still, overall I thought highly of the book. Once a few chapters in I was hooked, and I stayed that way through to the end. This book does end this particular story line, by the way. There are several others in this series, but each tells a different story at different points in the time line for this world.
November 7, 2011
The Stone Prince works for me on every level. I love Fantasy that borrows heavily from real world history. I was enamored of a world of absolute equality where men and women shared power without any sort of prejudice and where being gay or bi was considered entirely normal.
But what makes this book one of my absolute favorites is that it is a character's journey. We get a glimpse of Demnor as a child, happy and hopeful. And then we see him as a teen, broody, uncertain and entirely adorable. But the book focuses then on Demnor the man, damaged and warped by his psychologically abusive mother.
Interweaving the complex psychology of child abuse into a Fantasy novel is nothing short of brilliant. Through metaphor and allegory, Demnor is made to feel all of the shame and inadequacy that so many victims feel.
It can be argued that Kelahnus, his lover and Companion, is the real hero of the story. He has been waging a silent war against Demnor's mother for years, trying to keep his beloved prince from succumbing to her influence.
This Fantasy book is unlike anything I have ever read. I can't say that everyone will love it as much as I did, but it remains one of my all time favorite novels.
But what makes this book one of my absolute favorites is that it is a character's journey. We get a glimpse of Demnor as a child, happy and hopeful. And then we see him as a teen, broody, uncertain and entirely adorable. But the book focuses then on Demnor the man, damaged and warped by his psychologically abusive mother.
Interweaving the complex psychology of child abuse into a Fantasy novel is nothing short of brilliant. Through metaphor and allegory, Demnor is made to feel all of the shame and inadequacy that so many victims feel.
It can be argued that Kelahnus, his lover and Companion, is the real hero of the story. He has been waging a silent war against Demnor's mother for years, trying to keep his beloved prince from succumbing to her influence.
This Fantasy book is unlike anything I have ever read. I can't say that everyone will love it as much as I did, but it remains one of my all time favorite novels.
December 1, 2007
Besides a riveting story, the singular most interesting thing in all of Ms. Patton's books is the fact that her characters have no discernible sexuality. Some like men, some like women, and some like both. And their lives are treated so matter of factly that she works their loves and intrigues seemlessly into the fantasy narrative. Much of the novel is focused on the clash of two religions and the geo-political struggles of two nations.
September 25, 2021
Is this, objectively speaking, a particularly good book? No. The writing style reminds me of unbetaed fanfiction.net productions from twenty years ago and the unmarked time skips as well as the frankly unnecessary number of characters are incredibly confusing.
Does it also happen to be outrageously gender subversive, lovingly campy and quite possibly the one unapologetically gay medieval fantasy I've been waiting for my entire life? Absolutely.
Does it also happen to be outrageously gender subversive, lovingly campy and quite possibly the one unapologetically gay medieval fantasy I've been waiting for my entire life? Absolutely.
January 13, 2021
Reread of one of baby's first queer novels, and also baby's early exposure to polyamory in fiction! It's a fun story. I could wish a central conceit weren't that a separate agency trains up courtesans to sleep with the royals and secretly creates a power base that allows them to control governmental policy across multiple nations -- mostly because I honestly find it hard to believe a government wouldn't eventually go 'wait this seems like poor planning', esp as the people buying the courtesans' contracts trust them implicitly. It seems self-defeating and ripe for exploitation on multiple fronts, is what I am saying.
April 11, 2021
Attempted to reread in April 2021 (Original review to follow)
I made it 32 pages into my reread before I realized I had zero interest in what this book is. Look, it's a dense fantasy. It's also a very progressive product of it's time. It was written in 1997 and features a normalized queer, feminist world - which is beyond awesome! But it feels like it was written in 1997. There was a time when I loved those type of fantasy books (as evidenced by my original 5 star rating) but that time in no longer. A few excerpts to indicate what I mean about the writing.
With a shrug the Companion continued to stroke the brush through the Prince's hair, unperturbed.
&&
Seconds later Her Most Regal and Sacred Majesty Melesandra the Third, Aristok of Branion, Heathland, Kormandeaux and Aquilliard, Gaspellier, Poitienne, Roland, hereditary Earl of the Danelind Islands of Columba, Gracious Sovereign of the Triarchy, Most High Patron of the Knights of the Sword, and Vessel of the Living Flame, strode into the stables.
&&
The gray DeMarian Plaide crossed her black surcoat, pinned at the shoulder by a huge sapphire clasp. At her hip, in a blue-and-black scabbard, hung Justice, Kalandra the Great's broadsword, bequeathed to her former squire and granddaughter on the deathbed of the legendary warrior. Around her waist her silver warrior's belt carried the Dagger of Divine Right, symbol of earthly supremacy. Her vambraces were of engraved metal, as was her breastplate below the surcoat, and her crowned helm. Beneath it, her lean face was a mask of unsparing severity. The fiery outline and golden eyes of the fire-wolf crest flashed in the lantern light as she approached her eldest son. Eyes narrowing, she held out her hand, the Seal of the Realm on her finger.
If any of this sounds good to you, you could do a lot worse than this book. The fact is, I've finished 5 books since I put this one down, thinking I might get back to it. ... I won't. I'll find something else I'm enjoying more than this to read. (I am glad I discovered this writing wasn't working for me before I bought the third in the series.)
Original Review
There's something to be said for reading the right type of book at the right time. The first time I picked this book up to read, I made about thirty pages before putting it down. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the type of book I'd wanted to read then. I didn't mark it as DNF, though it say for many months waiting for me to finish it, because there was something about the story that had caught my interest enough that I knew, in a better mood, I would want to try again.
Just recently, I had been getting a powerful hunger for a thick fantasy. I wanted the wordiness that I hadn't been getting much of. I wanted depth to the world building. I wanted something to really sink my teeth into and be reading for days. So I grabbed this book.
And, you know, I'm really glad I did. Though, while the book did sound good, I'll be honest, eighty percent of the reason I bought it was because Fiona Patton is Tanya Huff's wife, whose books I adore.
There are several things to recommend this book that sets it apart from other fantasy books. First, there is true gender equality. There are no gendered titles. We have women and men that are 'Prince' and 'Duke' and 'Earl'. While, I will admit it's a bit of a learning curve because I was mentally gendering the characters before they were in the book, I love it! There's at least as good of a chance a character whose gender hasn't yet been mentioned - a soldier or a guard or pretty much any other job we come across - to be a woman instead of a man.
Bisexuality seems to be the default in the world, as well. Most royal/nobility/wealthy people have what are called 'Companions' and they seem to always be the same gender as their employer. Companions are known for being sex partners, but they are also confidants, artists, friends, spies, protectors, pretty much anything their employer wants/needs. What is absolutely wonderful is that there's basically no chance of them being abused. It's such a non-issue that the book doesn't even bring it up.
Polyamory is also definitely a thing, because we have a few instances of a royal sharing her bed with her (female) companion and her (male) lover. Also, the two main characters are in what I'd call an open committed relationship. (I don't know the proper terms so I'm sorry if this makes no sense.) The two men love each other and never in the story invite another to share their bed, but individually, one participates in casual sex and the other is in what I'd call a friends with benefits relationship. (With his betrothed, but, still!)
I do love this and I deeply wish I could find more books with poly relationships that aren't erotica.
The plot was a lot slower than I was expecting and a lot less action-y. Really, the story is more about politics and characters than anything else, and I think it worked really nicely.
I made it 32 pages into my reread before I realized I had zero interest in what this book is. Look, it's a dense fantasy. It's also a very progressive product of it's time. It was written in 1997 and features a normalized queer, feminist world - which is beyond awesome! But it feels like it was written in 1997. There was a time when I loved those type of fantasy books (as evidenced by my original 5 star rating) but that time in no longer. A few excerpts to indicate what I mean about the writing.
With a shrug the Companion continued to stroke the brush through the Prince's hair, unperturbed.
&&
Seconds later Her Most Regal and Sacred Majesty Melesandra the Third, Aristok of Branion, Heathland, Kormandeaux and Aquilliard, Gaspellier, Poitienne, Roland, hereditary Earl of the Danelind Islands of Columba, Gracious Sovereign of the Triarchy, Most High Patron of the Knights of the Sword, and Vessel of the Living Flame, strode into the stables.
&&
The gray DeMarian Plaide crossed her black surcoat, pinned at the shoulder by a huge sapphire clasp. At her hip, in a blue-and-black scabbard, hung Justice, Kalandra the Great's broadsword, bequeathed to her former squire and granddaughter on the deathbed of the legendary warrior. Around her waist her silver warrior's belt carried the Dagger of Divine Right, symbol of earthly supremacy. Her vambraces were of engraved metal, as was her breastplate below the surcoat, and her crowned helm. Beneath it, her lean face was a mask of unsparing severity. The fiery outline and golden eyes of the fire-wolf crest flashed in the lantern light as she approached her eldest son. Eyes narrowing, she held out her hand, the Seal of the Realm on her finger.
If any of this sounds good to you, you could do a lot worse than this book. The fact is, I've finished 5 books since I put this one down, thinking I might get back to it. ... I won't. I'll find something else I'm enjoying more than this to read. (I am glad I discovered this writing wasn't working for me before I bought the third in the series.)
Original Review
There's something to be said for reading the right type of book at the right time. The first time I picked this book up to read, I made about thirty pages before putting it down. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the type of book I'd wanted to read then. I didn't mark it as DNF, though it say for many months waiting for me to finish it, because there was something about the story that had caught my interest enough that I knew, in a better mood, I would want to try again.
Just recently, I had been getting a powerful hunger for a thick fantasy. I wanted the wordiness that I hadn't been getting much of. I wanted depth to the world building. I wanted something to really sink my teeth into and be reading for days. So I grabbed this book.
And, you know, I'm really glad I did. Though, while the book did sound good, I'll be honest, eighty percent of the reason I bought it was because Fiona Patton is Tanya Huff's wife, whose books I adore.
There are several things to recommend this book that sets it apart from other fantasy books. First, there is true gender equality. There are no gendered titles. We have women and men that are 'Prince' and 'Duke' and 'Earl'. While, I will admit it's a bit of a learning curve because I was mentally gendering the characters before they were in the book, I love it! There's at least as good of a chance a character whose gender hasn't yet been mentioned - a soldier or a guard or pretty much any other job we come across - to be a woman instead of a man.
Bisexuality seems to be the default in the world, as well. Most royal/nobility/wealthy people have what are called 'Companions' and they seem to always be the same gender as their employer. Companions are known for being sex partners, but they are also confidants, artists, friends, spies, protectors, pretty much anything their employer wants/needs. What is absolutely wonderful is that there's basically no chance of them being abused. It's such a non-issue that the book doesn't even bring it up.
Polyamory is also definitely a thing, because we have a few instances of a royal sharing her bed with her (female) companion and her (male) lover. Also, the two main characters are in what I'd call an open committed relationship. (I don't know the proper terms so I'm sorry if this makes no sense.) The two men love each other and never in the story invite another to share their bed, but individually, one participates in casual sex and the other is in what I'd call a friends with benefits relationship. (With his betrothed, but, still!)
I do love this and I deeply wish I could find more books with poly relationships that aren't erotica.
The plot was a lot slower than I was expecting and a lot less action-y. Really, the story is more about politics and characters than anything else, and I think it worked really nicely.
July 7, 2014
The Stone Prince is the first book of a series by newcomer Fiona Patton. She doesn't break new ground, but does explore concepts like gender equality, religious intolerance and homosexuality in a way that wasn't preachy.
The world of The Stone Prince resembles Renaissance Europe, and the country of Branion is a thinly-disguised England.
Prince Demnor of Branion wasn't the typical too-perfect hero, which makes him a fascinating character. He's quite flawed, and in some ways, behaves like a spoiled brat. Then again, when one is descended from a family gifted with a flame-like power that if not mastered, would either drive one insane or burn them from the inside out.
Demnor's lover, Kelahanus, is a Companion--a rather intriguing blend of lover, spy and assassin. His job, outside of keeping the prince happy, is also to insure that Demnor did his duty as heir, and in doing so, avoid civil war with the second most powerful family in Branion.
The characters were deftly drawn, and it was eye-opening (and refreshing) to say the least, that the female characters could be just as bloodthirsty and ruthless as the men. Melisendra, the Aristok of Branion (and Demnor's mother), could show Xena how to fight and win battles. As a mother, however, she will not win any awards, since she equates love with weakness.
The Stone Prince was an enjoyable read, and a great beginning from a new talent. Not to mention I love the cover.
The world of The Stone Prince resembles Renaissance Europe, and the country of Branion is a thinly-disguised England.
Prince Demnor of Branion wasn't the typical too-perfect hero, which makes him a fascinating character. He's quite flawed, and in some ways, behaves like a spoiled brat. Then again, when one is descended from a family gifted with a flame-like power that if not mastered, would either drive one insane or burn them from the inside out.
Demnor's lover, Kelahanus, is a Companion--a rather intriguing blend of lover, spy and assassin. His job, outside of keeping the prince happy, is also to insure that Demnor did his duty as heir, and in doing so, avoid civil war with the second most powerful family in Branion.
The characters were deftly drawn, and it was eye-opening (and refreshing) to say the least, that the female characters could be just as bloodthirsty and ruthless as the men. Melisendra, the Aristok of Branion (and Demnor's mother), could show Xena how to fight and win battles. As a mother, however, she will not win any awards, since she equates love with weakness.
The Stone Prince was an enjoyable read, and a great beginning from a new talent. Not to mention I love the cover.
December 9, 2022
Did this book really take me almost a year to read? I'm pathetic - it's not the author's fault.
That said, this book has problems and not just the typo on page 533 (see I was paying attention!).
There are a lot of words and a lot of names that I don't care about that get repeated over and over as if they matter. I'm not into that - books with words. Why aren't there more pictures?
Ok I'm kidding. But what really did get me is when two of the main characters turned into characters in Mercedes Lackey's newest fanfic with their gushy melodrama from page 450 through the end.
That's not a good idea whether your name is Mercedes Lackey or not.
I was into the story generally tho. This book was something to read and I appreciate that.
That said, this book has problems and not just the typo on page 533 (see I was paying attention!).
There are a lot of words and a lot of names that I don't care about that get repeated over and over as if they matter. I'm not into that - books with words. Why aren't there more pictures?
Ok I'm kidding. But what really did get me is when two of the main characters turned into characters in Mercedes Lackey's newest fanfic with their gushy melodrama from page 450 through the end.
That's not a good idea whether your name is Mercedes Lackey or not.
I was into the story generally tho. This book was something to read and I appreciate that.
January 7, 2021
When I purchased this book, I did not notice the date it was published. I thought it was maybe 5-10 years old based on the amount books in the series (not sure how I thought that considering the cover design, but I did). Once I started reading it, I quickly realized it was older than I thought. That is not meant to be derogatory in any way. The theme, scope and world building of this novel simply has an older feel to it. It's definitely a sword and sorcery novel, draws heavily on British history in the world building, particularly the tensions between the scots and the brits and the protestants and the catholics. I'm not going to expose my lack of British history by attempting to point to any particular years, battles or monarchs that are used as a jumping off point. There is, unsurprisingly, glorification of battle and several characters clearly think violence is foreplay (think "honorable" violence like a duel or watching a fight not abuse). There is a high emphasis on honor, loyalty, and fealty.
The writing, plot and characterizations are quite solid and generally fall in line with what you might expect from a fantasy book of it's era with two notable exceptions that allows this book to stand out even today. Gender equality. This is a world where for the most part, gender discrimination does not seem to exist. People are treated the same regardless of gender. The same titles are used (expect in one case where a cleric is referred to as Sister), a Prince is a prince whether male or female, a priest is a priest. There is also a form of free love. One of the ways the society prevents unwanted pregnancies (if you are going to have gender equality in women going to war, this is key), the nobility have contracts with same gender courtesans (called companions). Some are in love with their companions, some simply use them for sex, and some companions are also contracted and nurses and nannies. There is in general quite a positive attitude to sex and love. This is not however, a steamy, sexy read. Any and all sex is fade to black (which personally I am ok with)
What keeps this from being five stars is that it definitely is pre Sanderson's law and there is some religious/sorcerous shannigans happening during some of the battle scenes that felt unsatisfactory to me due to being heavy on the symbolism and mysticism and light on the mythology and logic behind it. It's definitely the style of the time it was published, if this book was a recent novel, there might be more of an explanation on the mechanics of the sorcery or more focus on characters with sorcerous powers.
All in all, this was a solid 4 stars. Definitely recommend for readers looking for some fantasy with gay sub plot and not a gay romance set in a fantasy world (the second seems much easier to find). Also, for fans of sword and sorcery fantasy and for readers tired of patriarchal fantasy and interested in a different perspective on gender norms.
The writing, plot and characterizations are quite solid and generally fall in line with what you might expect from a fantasy book of it's era with two notable exceptions that allows this book to stand out even today. Gender equality. This is a world where for the most part, gender discrimination does not seem to exist. People are treated the same regardless of gender. The same titles are used (expect in one case where a cleric is referred to as Sister), a Prince is a prince whether male or female, a priest is a priest. There is also a form of free love. One of the ways the society prevents unwanted pregnancies (if you are going to have gender equality in women going to war, this is key), the nobility have contracts with same gender courtesans (called companions). Some are in love with their companions, some simply use them for sex, and some companions are also contracted and nurses and nannies. There is in general quite a positive attitude to sex and love. This is not however, a steamy, sexy read. Any and all sex is fade to black (which personally I am ok with)
What keeps this from being five stars is that it definitely is pre Sanderson's law and there is some religious/sorcerous shannigans happening during some of the battle scenes that felt unsatisfactory to me due to being heavy on the symbolism and mysticism and light on the mythology and logic behind it. It's definitely the style of the time it was published, if this book was a recent novel, there might be more of an explanation on the mechanics of the sorcery or more focus on characters with sorcerous powers.
All in all, this was a solid 4 stars. Definitely recommend for readers looking for some fantasy with gay sub plot and not a gay romance set in a fantasy world (the second seems much easier to find). Also, for fans of sword and sorcery fantasy and for readers tired of patriarchal fantasy and interested in a different perspective on gender norms.
Want to read
May 14, 2017Crown Prince Demnor must not calling only overcome traitors within the courting of forces, Companion Kelahnus are so incredibly devoted to willing sacrifice; The Branion Realm of birthright of an ancestor who made a pact with one of the four elements. The populace is getting angry and frightened and is looking for someone to blame, the Living Flame is your campaign of war, and who blackened the Flame to her descendants. The Aristok is always the one to whom the Flame of passion; other ancestors have some gift of rebel curiosities, but the Aristok is the one who can wielding of sacrifice.
Dreadful and memories of dreams, the Royal twins Marcellus and Atreus. These fighting Demnor, is tirades in love with his Companion, Kelahnus, and it's reciprocated even though it shouldn't be by the rules the Companions live by. Desperate court of the furies, Cunning and the ever-growing Heathland rebels, Prince Demnor and the tension between him and his mother, the Aristok, and Demnor becoming the Aristok after his mother's death.
Prince Quindara but this is a dark sanctuary where the women have strikes like Duke instead of Duchess and Prince instead of Princess and her younger lover Troy; Melisendra, the Aristok of Branion, commanded to the fight and win battles. As a mother, however, she will not win any flames of sight, since she equates love with weakness.
Demnor's lover, Kelahanus, is a Companion, a rather intriguing blend of lover, spy and assassin. His crossing past, outside of gathered to the prince, courting eternal winds and the rebel protectors which could telling to proven his beloved. Premeditated like then again, when one is descended from a family gifted with a traitor's flame that if not blessed, would either drive one insane or burn them from the inside out.
Summoning the cursed by fire, not Marcellus's own priests and guards, who was the Aristok's staunchest ally and defender. Yet not even Simon could protect Marcellus from unexpected treachery within the Branion court. With civil and religious war threatening the suddenly leaderless realm, and Prince Demnor and Kelahanus herself lighting to survive becoming the new vessel of the living Flame, Demnor had no choice but to flee Branion with the child. Pursued by the very forces which should have been the new ruler's protectors, Demnor and a most unlikely band of companions had to keep both the child and her powers hidden while they made a desperate bid to reach the one person who could offer the uncrowned Aristok both sanctuary and a chance, however desperate, of regaining her kingdom and bringing her father's slayers to justice.
Dreadful and memories of dreams, the Royal twins Marcellus and Atreus. These fighting Demnor, is tirades in love with his Companion, Kelahnus, and it's reciprocated even though it shouldn't be by the rules the Companions live by. Desperate court of the furies, Cunning and the ever-growing Heathland rebels, Prince Demnor and the tension between him and his mother, the Aristok, and Demnor becoming the Aristok after his mother's death.
Prince Quindara but this is a dark sanctuary where the women have strikes like Duke instead of Duchess and Prince instead of Princess and her younger lover Troy; Melisendra, the Aristok of Branion, commanded to the fight and win battles. As a mother, however, she will not win any flames of sight, since she equates love with weakness.
Demnor's lover, Kelahanus, is a Companion, a rather intriguing blend of lover, spy and assassin. His crossing past, outside of gathered to the prince, courting eternal winds and the rebel protectors which could telling to proven his beloved. Premeditated like then again, when one is descended from a family gifted with a traitor's flame that if not blessed, would either drive one insane or burn them from the inside out.
Summoning the cursed by fire, not Marcellus's own priests and guards, who was the Aristok's staunchest ally and defender. Yet not even Simon could protect Marcellus from unexpected treachery within the Branion court. With civil and religious war threatening the suddenly leaderless realm, and Prince Demnor and Kelahanus herself lighting to survive becoming the new vessel of the living Flame, Demnor had no choice but to flee Branion with the child. Pursued by the very forces which should have been the new ruler's protectors, Demnor and a most unlikely band of companions had to keep both the child and her powers hidden while they made a desperate bid to reach the one person who could offer the uncrowned Aristok both sanctuary and a chance, however desperate, of regaining her kingdom and bringing her father's slayers to justice.
February 22, 2021
ohhhhhhhh it was unreadable.
honestly startled that anyone else on goodreads ever made it to the end. I try not to DNF books, but I started skimming on page ten and it's over five hundred pages long
It's just interminable! It starts with an onslaught of names and never, ever picks up! It's like the author thinks this is the first fantasy novel I've ever read, perhaps, and need to hear exhaustive, minute details - and yet no explanation of why the main character is always on a brink of a murderous rampage? and it's third person omniscient, so we can at any time jump across to a new character's point of view to hear their life story and just ???
I started reading maybe every third page and followed the story fine and it was so dull. It's too long to be this dull. It's impossible.
in it's praise I would say that the gender equality and queerness is actually REALLY good, ladies having male titles actually worked really well, and their gender dynamics and all the background women and knights with female pronouns etc actually did read like a properly equal society, which I have seen attempted and done much worse many times
shame it's buried in this Unreadable Tome
honestly startled that anyone else on goodreads ever made it to the end. I try not to DNF books, but I started skimming on page ten and it's over five hundred pages long
It's just interminable! It starts with an onslaught of names and never, ever picks up! It's like the author thinks this is the first fantasy novel I've ever read, perhaps, and need to hear exhaustive, minute details - and yet no explanation of why the main character is always on a brink of a murderous rampage? and it's third person omniscient, so we can at any time jump across to a new character's point of view to hear their life story and just ???
I started reading maybe every third page and followed the story fine and it was so dull. It's too long to be this dull. It's impossible.
in it's praise I would say that the gender equality and queerness is actually REALLY good, ladies having male titles actually worked really well, and their gender dynamics and all the background women and knights with female pronouns etc actually did read like a properly equal society, which I have seen attempted and done much worse many times
shame it's buried in this Unreadable Tome
December 12, 2021
Warning for spoilers below!
I feel like this book had a crisis of identity in that it never really seemed to know what it wanted to be. It started off with a relatively interesting, if slightly tired premise (in my opinion, of course) of the underdog main character, Prince Demnor, having to overcome trial and adversity to embrace his birthright and become a good king. It's a story that we've all probably heard before at some point or another. But unfortunately, I can't say that this is one of the better stories I've read with this premise, as any elements of the plot that might have been intriguing, or in any way mildly interesting, are ultimately either forgotten about in favor of pages upon pages of soap-opera-level melodrama or lazily and hastily resolved in a way that can be described as unsatisfying at best.
For instance, at the beginning of the book, we learn that Prince Demnor clearly has issues with his abusive mother, and to say that they don't get along would be an understatement. We also learn that he harbors a mutual resentment and possibly even loathing towards his younger sister (possibly half-sister, I don't remember which) because she has always received love from their mother - love which Demnor has been denied his whole life.
Yeah, not exactly hard to imagine why he would be a bit bitter.
But instead of focusing on the fascinating conflict that either of these relationships could have provided for Demnor, the author instead tosses them aside, refusing to touch on them pretty much at all, apart from to pad length via the occasional inconvenient, unmarked flashback or time skip, and in the end, they're resolved in what I can only describe as the most bizarre way imaginable. Demnor's mother dies about halfway through the book, and he spends the rest of it feeling... guilty over that, for some reason, even though we had previously seen that he hated her. Because... reasons?
Oh, but that's not all. In the climax of the book, Demnor seemingly comes to the realization that all the abuse he suffered at his mother's hands was only her way of showing "love" to him. No, I'm not joking, but I wish I was. And the whole relationship between Demnor and his sister is somehow magically resolved as well via a single moment as if they both hadn't just spent their entire damn lives loathing the other. Like I said, because reasons.
And this is without even mentioning Demnor's relationship with his Companion and lover, Kelahnus. Demnor's relationship with Kelahnus is seen as somewhat forbidden, because well, he's a Prince and, thus, expected to marry a woman and provide an heir to the kingdom. Unfortunately, yet again, before the relationship can evolve into anything even remotely resembling a plot, it dissolves into boring, useless, melodrama - hell, there's even a love triangle brought into play between Kelahnus, Demnor, and Demnor's fiance, Isolde (not saying love triangles can't be good, mind you, but this one ain't). There's also a really uncomfortable scene, where Demnor is raped by his fiance while he's drunk, and the whole incident is then brushed off, despite the fact that Demnor has no memory of the event and clearly seems discomforted by that fact (it's also implied that this event was set up by Kelahnus, and Isolde's Companion, in order to ensure that Isolde conceives and heir).
Overall, I would advise anyone looking for a good, LGBT+ fantasy book to not waste their time with this book or series because I wouldn't even describe The Stone Prince as subpar, and there are way better books out there. Seriously. Just go read the Nightrunner series or the Spellster series because they're both miles above this one.
I feel like this book had a crisis of identity in that it never really seemed to know what it wanted to be. It started off with a relatively interesting, if slightly tired premise (in my opinion, of course) of the underdog main character, Prince Demnor, having to overcome trial and adversity to embrace his birthright and become a good king. It's a story that we've all probably heard before at some point or another. But unfortunately, I can't say that this is one of the better stories I've read with this premise, as any elements of the plot that might have been intriguing, or in any way mildly interesting, are ultimately either forgotten about in favor of pages upon pages of soap-opera-level melodrama or lazily and hastily resolved in a way that can be described as unsatisfying at best.
For instance, at the beginning of the book, we learn that Prince Demnor clearly has issues with his abusive mother, and to say that they don't get along would be an understatement. We also learn that he harbors a mutual resentment and possibly even loathing towards his younger sister (possibly half-sister, I don't remember which) because she has always received love from their mother - love which Demnor has been denied his whole life.
Yeah, not exactly hard to imagine why he would be a bit bitter.
But instead of focusing on the fascinating conflict that either of these relationships could have provided for Demnor, the author instead tosses them aside, refusing to touch on them pretty much at all, apart from to pad length via the occasional inconvenient, unmarked flashback or time skip, and in the end, they're resolved in what I can only describe as the most bizarre way imaginable. Demnor's mother dies about halfway through the book, and he spends the rest of it feeling... guilty over that, for some reason, even though we had previously seen that he hated her. Because... reasons?
Oh, but that's not all. In the climax of the book, Demnor seemingly comes to the realization that all the abuse he suffered at his mother's hands was only her way of showing "love" to him. No, I'm not joking, but I wish I was. And the whole relationship between Demnor and his sister is somehow magically resolved as well via a single moment as if they both hadn't just spent their entire damn lives loathing the other. Like I said, because reasons.
And this is without even mentioning Demnor's relationship with his Companion and lover, Kelahnus. Demnor's relationship with Kelahnus is seen as somewhat forbidden, because well, he's a Prince and, thus, expected to marry a woman and provide an heir to the kingdom. Unfortunately, yet again, before the relationship can evolve into anything even remotely resembling a plot, it dissolves into boring, useless, melodrama - hell, there's even a love triangle brought into play between Kelahnus, Demnor, and Demnor's fiance, Isolde (not saying love triangles can't be good, mind you, but this one ain't). There's also a really uncomfortable scene, where Demnor is raped by his fiance while he's drunk, and the whole incident is then brushed off, despite the fact that Demnor has no memory of the event and clearly seems discomforted by that fact (it's also implied that this event was set up by Kelahnus, and Isolde's Companion, in order to ensure that Isolde conceives and heir).
Overall, I would advise anyone looking for a good, LGBT+ fantasy book to not waste their time with this book or series because I wouldn't even describe The Stone Prince as subpar, and there are way better books out there. Seriously. Just go read the Nightrunner series or the Spellster series because they're both miles above this one.
May 14, 2023
Cannot in good conscience rate this higher than 2.5/5 because of how wildly boring it is. I loved Demnor and Kelahnus so so much, and what politics I could glean from the worldbuilding seemed interesting, but fully 95% of the book was characters thinking, reminiscing, going about the minutiae of their day, and chatting with each other. There was very little action for a lot of buildup and it was hard to get through.
May 21, 2017
Save yourself the trouble - read a synopsis because this book features none of the intrigue or magic that the cover blurb alludes to. I gave up around 200 pages in and then skimmed the rest, it's very dull writing and plotting.
July 17, 2017
The plot was a hot mess and didn't hold my interest at all, but I loved Demnor enough to read the entire book for him. If you don't mind wading through over 500 pages of a subpar fantasy novel for one character (and his touching relationship with his consort), then this is probably worth your time.
June 28, 2017
Great fantasty world.
October 5, 2018
I really enjoyed this book.
August 6, 2016
3.5 Stars
I discovered this book, published in 1997, on a quest for more epic fantasy with LGBTQA characters. I was immediately taken with its worldbuilding of a gender-neutral society, where well-developed female characters are featured alongside a central male same-sex romance. The setting itself tastes somewhat of anachronism stew—the plot, name conventions, and the date of the admittedly fictional calendar all suggest the Dark Ages, but Renaissance trappings appear in characters’ costumes, architecture, and downright Shakespearian traveling player troupes. To top it off, characters sit sipping hot chocolate, so either the Americas have been discovered early in this world or its botany is somewhat askew. It is fantasy, to be sure, a genre where authors can and should get away with a lot, but I felt a distinct lack of consistency. Not just in the worldbuilding.
I could never quite come to terms with the way the storytelling so heavily relied on flashbacks. The plot would move forward a few pages, and then suddenly be hurtled back decades into the characters’ personal histories. At times there was some genuinely interesting parallel narrative as Demnor, the crown prince of Branion, struggles with his mother in the present day while reflecting on how he defied her by his childhood romance with his lover, courtesan/strategist Kellhanus. Yet after a while the frequency of flashbacks began to cut into the story’s momentum and even became disorienting. When Demnor “reflected” back to a conversation made earlier in the morning, it just got annoying. I think stories should be told chronologically more often than not, at least for events taking place within the same year!
The plot is a tangle of the personal and political. Demnor struggles with his tyrannical mother, the Aristok of Branion, as well as the barbarian Heaths to the north. There’s a religious schism that’s of some interest, although I can’t pinpoint its real life analogue (Protestant Reformation? Greek Orthodox?) if it even has one. Demnor’s marriage to Duke Isolde, and its impact—or lack thereof—on his romance with Kellhanus, and the friendship of all three members of this “love triangle” was refreshing to see, but in other cases character development got lost among a cast of characters that covers multiple feudal courts, two religions, at least one courtesan’s guild, and plenty of petty nobility. Why so many people? Where they all needed to tell this story? There were times when the point of the story seemed to be “Look at all these fictional people.”
That subverted love triangle aside, which may make the book worth reading on its own, The Stone Prince never really felt like it got going. Stepping back, I can trace how Demnor in his struggle for control of Branion, Kellhanus and some internal politics at the Companion’s Guild, and Isolde in her marriage to the crown prince all had some parallel building plotlines. Although, if my interpretation is correct, I’m not wild about how, in such an ostentatiously gender-neutral setting (Isolde is an Earl), the narrative climax of the primary female character is childbirth.
(For another “love triangle” that isn’t, including two romantically involved men and a woman, where the woman’s motivations and arc play out a little differently, I recently read Tanya Huff’s The Fire’s Stone and cannot recommend it highly enough).
The Stone Prince is worth looking into if you’d like to see more completely gender-neutral societies in fantasy settings, and perhaps if you’re into alternate history (for all the ‘history’ aspects sometimes don’t withstand aggressive scrutiny, it can be very fun to have a story with enough depth to really aggressively scrutinize in any case). The story continues in several sequels, but frankly I wish it hadn’t been so bogged down with minor characters and magical pyrotechnics (which never really seemed to come together) in this first book.
I discovered this book, published in 1997, on a quest for more epic fantasy with LGBTQA characters. I was immediately taken with its worldbuilding of a gender-neutral society, where well-developed female characters are featured alongside a central male same-sex romance. The setting itself tastes somewhat of anachronism stew—the plot, name conventions, and the date of the admittedly fictional calendar all suggest the Dark Ages, but Renaissance trappings appear in characters’ costumes, architecture, and downright Shakespearian traveling player troupes. To top it off, characters sit sipping hot chocolate, so either the Americas have been discovered early in this world or its botany is somewhat askew. It is fantasy, to be sure, a genre where authors can and should get away with a lot, but I felt a distinct lack of consistency. Not just in the worldbuilding.
I could never quite come to terms with the way the storytelling so heavily relied on flashbacks. The plot would move forward a few pages, and then suddenly be hurtled back decades into the characters’ personal histories. At times there was some genuinely interesting parallel narrative as Demnor, the crown prince of Branion, struggles with his mother in the present day while reflecting on how he defied her by his childhood romance with his lover, courtesan/strategist Kellhanus. Yet after a while the frequency of flashbacks began to cut into the story’s momentum and even became disorienting. When Demnor “reflected” back to a conversation made earlier in the morning, it just got annoying. I think stories should be told chronologically more often than not, at least for events taking place within the same year!
The plot is a tangle of the personal and political. Demnor struggles with his tyrannical mother, the Aristok of Branion, as well as the barbarian Heaths to the north. There’s a religious schism that’s of some interest, although I can’t pinpoint its real life analogue (Protestant Reformation? Greek Orthodox?) if it even has one. Demnor’s marriage to Duke Isolde, and its impact—or lack thereof—on his romance with Kellhanus, and the friendship of all three members of this “love triangle” was refreshing to see, but in other cases character development got lost among a cast of characters that covers multiple feudal courts, two religions, at least one courtesan’s guild, and plenty of petty nobility. Why so many people? Where they all needed to tell this story? There were times when the point of the story seemed to be “Look at all these fictional people.”
That subverted love triangle aside, which may make the book worth reading on its own, The Stone Prince never really felt like it got going. Stepping back, I can trace how Demnor in his struggle for control of Branion, Kellhanus and some internal politics at the Companion’s Guild, and Isolde in her marriage to the crown prince all had some parallel building plotlines. Although, if my interpretation is correct, I’m not wild about how, in such an ostentatiously gender-neutral setting (Isolde is an Earl), the narrative climax of the primary female character is childbirth.
(For another “love triangle” that isn’t, including two romantically involved men and a woman, where the woman’s motivations and arc play out a little differently, I recently read Tanya Huff’s The Fire’s Stone and cannot recommend it highly enough).
The Stone Prince is worth looking into if you’d like to see more completely gender-neutral societies in fantasy settings, and perhaps if you’re into alternate history (for all the ‘history’ aspects sometimes don’t withstand aggressive scrutiny, it can be very fun to have a story with enough depth to really aggressively scrutinize in any case). The story continues in several sequels, but frankly I wish it hadn’t been so bogged down with minor characters and magical pyrotechnics (which never really seemed to come together) in this first book.
August 27, 2011
Honestly, despite all the lukewarm and negative reviews, I loved this book. I completely ignored the similarity of Branion to Britain and the other thinly veiled references and enjoyed it at face value. Demnor, to me, was an interesting character - the portrayal of his inner struggles, especially with his mother, are very interesting to me, and they're written well. Kelahnus, too, is an interesting character, though I sort of wish we'd gotten to know a teeny bit more about the Guild. The Guild concept as a whole is interesting, though I'm a little confused as to why every single aristocrat is automatically bisexual (Consort and same-sex Companion). I can't imagine -everyone- is bisexual, but then I suppose if it's more of a cultural thing... I don't know. The other thing I liked/didn't like was the same titles for everyone, regardless of gender - Prince for both male/female heirs, for example. Liked it because of the loss of gender/power lines, didn't like it because it was darn confusing. Took me a while to get used to it.
It did take me a while to get into the book, especially because Patton has a love for titles, place names, and geography, it seems. The book is initially sort of off-putting with it's info-dump of "Demnor, Prince of this, Duke of that, blah blah blah" because it's honestly like "Really, is it -this- political?" It isn't, in the end - it's very character-driven, with a dash of politics thrown in, but it's nowhere near as scary as the beginning makes it feel. After the first couple chapters, it settled into a steady pace, where I always wanted to know what happened next - there are a few twists thrown in there too that keep you on your toes. I did sort of spoil the book by accidentally reading the last page before the rest of the book, so there wasn't quite as much tension in the ending as there could have been, but it was still very well written.
And also, I love the Demnor-Isolde and Demnor-Kelahnus relationships. Maybe I just really like Demnor. Either way, I loved this book, and would highly recommend it.
It did take me a while to get into the book, especially because Patton has a love for titles, place names, and geography, it seems. The book is initially sort of off-putting with it's info-dump of "Demnor, Prince of this, Duke of that, blah blah blah" because it's honestly like "Really, is it -this- political?" It isn't, in the end - it's very character-driven, with a dash of politics thrown in, but it's nowhere near as scary as the beginning makes it feel. After the first couple chapters, it settled into a steady pace, where I always wanted to know what happened next - there are a few twists thrown in there too that keep you on your toes. I did sort of spoil the book by accidentally reading the last page before the rest of the book, so there wasn't quite as much tension in the ending as there could have been, but it was still very well written.
And also, I love the Demnor-Isolde and Demnor-Kelahnus relationships. Maybe I just really like Demnor. Either way, I loved this book, and would highly recommend it.
December 4, 2016
Earth, Air, Water, and Fire -- Demnor DeMarian is the Heir to the Throne & to the full power of the Flame. His mother, her Majesty Melasandra the third holds the kingdom and her crown in fear. And Demnor seems to be always at odds with his mother who has spent years crushing his "weaknesses" -- compassion, trust, love.
With the kingdom at perpetual war to take and hold land in Gallia and the Heathland, Demnor fights with a fierceness that will only be made stronger when he inherits the Flame at his mother's death.
And as next in line for the throne, he must marry a daughter of the DeKatherine's and produce an heir. His family insists, his mother demands, but Demnor resists because he has been in love with his Companion, Kelahnus, since they were both teenagers.
This isn't his only problem but it is a huge one. All of the royal Companions are the same sex as the men or women who hold their contracts with the Companion's Guild. And Demnor has no interest in the woman he is expected to marry. He understands his duty as the Prince of the realm but he resists the relationship even after their betrothal.
Then there is war with the Heathlands who are demanding independence, his mother's obvious preference for his sister Quindaram, and the prophecies of his twin brothers (both Seers). Things get more and more complicated when the matter of solving a mystery concerning his mother, the reaction of his sister to this while Demnor is in the Heathland (doing battle, of course) and the way she pits one religion against another threatening to tear the kingdom apart with civil war.
If you are at all bothered by reading about homosexuality, you may not want to pick this book up. (All of the Companions are the same sex as the royals who hold their contracts.) And if you are bored by detailed descriptions of battles, you may have another reason not to start this first book in a trilogy.
If you are hugely bothered by the mere idea of homosexuality, don't read this one.
The book also goes into detail of battles (strategy and tactics) and hunts.
With the kingdom at perpetual war to take and hold land in Gallia and the Heathland, Demnor fights with a fierceness that will only be made stronger when he inherits the Flame at his mother's death.
And as next in line for the throne, he must marry a daughter of the DeKatherine's and produce an heir. His family insists, his mother demands, but Demnor resists because he has been in love with his Companion, Kelahnus, since they were both teenagers.
This isn't his only problem but it is a huge one. All of the royal Companions are the same sex as the men or women who hold their contracts with the Companion's Guild. And Demnor has no interest in the woman he is expected to marry. He understands his duty as the Prince of the realm but he resists the relationship even after their betrothal.
Then there is war with the Heathlands who are demanding independence, his mother's obvious preference for his sister Quindaram, and the prophecies of his twin brothers (both Seers). Things get more and more complicated when the matter of solving a mystery concerning his mother, the reaction of his sister to this while Demnor is in the Heathland (doing battle, of course) and the way she pits one religion against another threatening to tear the kingdom apart with civil war.
If you are at all bothered by reading about homosexuality, you may not want to pick this book up. (All of the Companions are the same sex as the royals who hold their contracts.) And if you are bored by detailed descriptions of battles, you may have another reason not to start this first book in a trilogy.
If you are hugely bothered by the mere idea of homosexuality, don't read this one.
The book also goes into detail of battles (strategy and tactics) and hunts.
February 10, 2008
What made this book stand out for me, I must admit, was the portrayal of the relationship between Demnor, The Heir to the Flame and his Companion, Kelahnus. I'm a sucker for intimate and romantic relationships between men; it's what I like to read and it's what I like to write. Fiona Patton has created a word where gender doesn't matter, be it in love or in society. It's refreshing! This is the reason I gave this book 4 stars.
As far as a good fantasy read goes, well, this book has a few problems in my opinion. For instance, the plethora of aristocratic titles. There are more than can be found in 4 Georgette Heyer novels, I swear. They got very confusing after the first few chapters, as the cast of characters continued to grow. The story itself, the plot, the action - I thought Fiona could have done so much more with it. Demnor coming to terms with his heritage, his familial relationships, his future could have been been explored more in depth for my taste. It all seemed slightly skimmed over. Of course, that may have made the book 800+ pages instead of the 542 that it is. *grin* I also thought that the conflict between Demnor and his sister, the Prince Quindara merited more attention. Indeed, I think many of the relationships between the characters needed more depth. And I would have liked to see more of the workings of The School of Companions, which is definitely more than just a training ground for courtesans.
So, while I really did enjoy this book, I think it could have been made so much better; maybe buy making it two volumes?
As far as a good fantasy read goes, well, this book has a few problems in my opinion. For instance, the plethora of aristocratic titles. There are more than can be found in 4 Georgette Heyer novels, I swear. They got very confusing after the first few chapters, as the cast of characters continued to grow. The story itself, the plot, the action - I thought Fiona could have done so much more with it. Demnor coming to terms with his heritage, his familial relationships, his future could have been been explored more in depth for my taste. It all seemed slightly skimmed over. Of course, that may have made the book 800+ pages instead of the 542 that it is. *grin* I also thought that the conflict between Demnor and his sister, the Prince Quindara merited more attention. Indeed, I think many of the relationships between the characters needed more depth. And I would have liked to see more of the workings of The School of Companions, which is definitely more than just a training ground for courtesans.
So, while I really did enjoy this book, I think it could have been made so much better; maybe buy making it two volumes?
February 1, 2016
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I think this cover illustrates the contents pretty accurately. Though the setting is in Britain according to the map, the country is called Branion, and the period is vaguely medieval-looking. This is a land where magic exists, most notably an orange-red fire burning in the eyes of the Royal family. Our protagonist, Crown Prince Demnor, is being forced into marriage with a woman he has no interest in because he's in love with Kelanhus, his Companion. Kelahnus is a fancified prostitute trained to make his clients fall in love with him but never to *gasp!* fall in love with them himself. Of course Kelahnus is madly in love.
Demnor is badly injured while on a dragon hunt (because what else would nobility do to pass the time?), and Kelahnus flutters about for pages and pages in distress. Meanwhile, Demnor's (unintended) intended's family is pushing to formalize the marriage, and some dude up in Scotland... I mean Heathland... is talking to some other dudes with French-sounding names about going to war against Branion because... someone is being unfair about something? And maybe religious... bad... somethings? I was too bored to do more than skim by that point.
Honestly, this book is a mess. The editing is horrible, the characterizations are juvenile, and while there might be a story in there somewhere, I wasn't motivated enough to look for it. If you like Mercedes Lackey, this book will probably be right up your alley. If not, avoid it like the firey-eyed plague.
Demnor is badly injured while on a dragon hunt (because what else would nobility do to pass the time?), and Kelahnus flutters about for pages and pages in distress. Meanwhile, Demnor's (unintended) intended's family is pushing to formalize the marriage, and some dude up in Scotland... I mean Heathland... is talking to some other dudes with French-sounding names about going to war against Branion because... someone is being unfair about something? And maybe religious... bad... somethings? I was too bored to do more than skim by that point.
Honestly, this book is a mess. The editing is horrible, the characterizations are juvenile, and while there might be a story in there somewhere, I wasn't motivated enough to look for it. If you like Mercedes Lackey, this book will probably be right up your alley. If not, avoid it like the firey-eyed plague.
March 13, 2016
3,5 stars
I'm still debating whether I should round this one down to three stars. It was by no means a bad book, but neither was it in any way special. Well, okay, I love Kel so let's say it's four stars (at least for now).
I feel this book had lot of potential it did not fulfill. It focused on too many unncessary POVs and could have used a whole lot less of flasbacks. I see why the past was significant and why the author wanted to include it but... Too much. This book could have been much shorter and much better.
That being said I think there were also a lot of underdeveloped subplots. I was looking forward to the Guild playing a bigger part, but there they were all "we could be so awesome, but nah, those rebells can play the part of the boring villains well enough". I don't mean the guild was completely idless but they had POTENTIAL for so much more. (potential seems to be the word of the day..)
Kel is definitely one of the redeeming points of the story. Even though his character is not going to rise to be one of the great loves of my life, he really shined admist the other, rather ordinary characters.
All in all I don't regret buying this, but I probably won't pick it up again anytime soon. If you like fantasy that has m/m pairing that is not the only focus of the story and can borrow this from somewhere, please go ahead and read it. It's mostly enjoyable, but don't expect any grand revelations about the meaning of life.
I'm still debating whether I should round this one down to three stars. It was by no means a bad book, but neither was it in any way special. Well, okay, I love Kel so let's say it's four stars (at least for now).
I feel this book had lot of potential it did not fulfill. It focused on too many unncessary POVs and could have used a whole lot less of flasbacks. I see why the past was significant and why the author wanted to include it but... Too much. This book could have been much shorter and much better.
That being said I think there were also a lot of underdeveloped subplots. I was looking forward to the Guild playing a bigger part, but there they were all "we could be so awesome, but nah, those rebells can play the part of the boring villains well enough". I don't mean the guild was completely idless but they had POTENTIAL for so much more. (potential seems to be the word of the day..)
Kel is definitely one of the redeeming points of the story. Even though his character is not going to rise to be one of the great loves of my life, he really shined admist the other, rather ordinary characters.
All in all I don't regret buying this, but I probably won't pick it up again anytime soon. If you like fantasy that has m/m pairing that is not the only focus of the story and can borrow this from somewhere, please go ahead and read it. It's mostly enjoyable, but don't expect any grand revelations about the meaning of life.
February 15, 2017
I very rarely DNF books, but I got to page 295 and realized I just... don't... care.
October 28, 2015
Demnor is a great character. He has room for strength, worry, friendship, and love, and his relationships with others are never simple. As the story goes on it becomes easier to see why those around him have such disparate views of his abilities. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting him and his allies to win the day. There’s a complex web of relationships that change over time in fascinating ways. The only problem I had with characterization in general was the vast number of characters and titles, particularly when several characters accrued additional or new titles during the course of the story.
The world is interesting–I like that the gods have actual physical presence and power, but not to such an extent that they overwhelm everything else. The plot involves plenty of action, tension, dramatic relationships, and more.
My favorite part of things, though, is the treatment of gender. Same-sex relationships exist as totally normal, with nary a comment made to make them seem at all odd. Women also keep positions of power just as men do–again, it’s treated as entirely normal. Patton doesn’t need to extemporize on the subject; she lets it speak for itself. We need more books like that.
For a longer review, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/09/r...
The world is interesting–I like that the gods have actual physical presence and power, but not to such an extent that they overwhelm everything else. The plot involves plenty of action, tension, dramatic relationships, and more.
My favorite part of things, though, is the treatment of gender. Same-sex relationships exist as totally normal, with nary a comment made to make them seem at all odd. Women also keep positions of power just as men do–again, it’s treated as entirely normal. Patton doesn’t need to extemporize on the subject; she lets it speak for itself. We need more books like that.
For a longer review, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2015/09/r...
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