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The Balumnia Trilogy #3
The Stone Giant
Theophile Escargot, cast out of Twombly Town for the crime of stealing his own pie, bade a midnight farewell to his unfeeling neighbours and set out on a journey to fabled Balumnia. There he would clash with the master of an elfin airship and a conniving, marble-stealing dwarf; battle to save Leta, a beautiful maid possessed by a malevolent witch; discover magical powers that could make him a hero; and unearth secrets of the legendary land itself Return to the magical world of The Elfin Ship and The Disappearing Dwarf in this fabulous book.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1989
9 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
James P. Blaylock
113 books284 followersJames Paul Blaylock is an American fantasy author. He is noted for his distinctive style. He writes in a humorous way: His characters never walk, they clump along, or when someone complains (in a flying machine) that flight is impossible, the other characters agree and show him why he's right.
He was born in Long Beach, California; studied English at California State University, Fullerton, receiving an M.A. in 1974; and lives in Orange, California, teaching creative writing at Chapman University. Many of his books are set in Orange County, California, and can more specifically be termed "fabulism" — that is, fantastic things happen in our present-day world, rather than in traditional fantasy, where the setting is often some other world. His works have also been categorized as magic realism.
He and his friends Tim Powers and K.W. Jeter were mentored by Philip K. Dick. Along with Powers he invented the poet William Ashbless. Blaylock and Powers have often collaborated with each other on writing stories, including The Better Boy, On Pirates, and The William Ashbless Memorial Cookbook.
Blaylock is also currently director of the Creative Writing Conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where Powers is Writer in Residence.
He was born in Long Beach, California; studied English at California State University, Fullerton, receiving an M.A. in 1974; and lives in Orange, California, teaching creative writing at Chapman University. Many of his books are set in Orange County, California, and can more specifically be termed "fabulism" — that is, fantastic things happen in our present-day world, rather than in traditional fantasy, where the setting is often some other world. His works have also been categorized as magic realism.
He and his friends Tim Powers and K.W. Jeter were mentored by Philip K. Dick. Along with Powers he invented the poet William Ashbless. Blaylock and Powers have often collaborated with each other on writing stories, including The Better Boy, On Pirates, and The William Ashbless Memorial Cookbook.
Blaylock is also currently director of the Creative Writing Conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where Powers is Writer in Residence.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 9, 2018
As I mentioned in my review of The Elfin Ship, I picked up this charming series again because I had adored the first two as a child. And was delighted to discover Blaylock had written this third book in the series, The Stone Giant, which I had never heard of.
Well...I'm glad I completed the series, but it wasn't really worth it. The Stone Giant is the least charming of the three. I did not realize until I had gotten into it a ways that it was actually a prequel to the other two books. Unfortunately, a few things didn't quite hold up as a prequel. I think Blaylock dropped the ball on continuity in a few cases. For example Theosophile Escargot (the main character) was good friends with The Professor at the beginning of this tale. But in The Elfin Ship and Disappearing Dwarf, the Professor is extremely suspicious of Theosophile and doesn't trust him in the slightest. Also, there was no mention of him having lived in Twombly Town, as I recall, which is where he starts off in The Stone Giant.
Be that as it may, the bigger flaw is that Theosophile is kind of a jerk. He's just not as likable as the main characters from Books 1 and 2. He plays much better in a supporting role than as the lead, which he does here.
I also have to express one point that bugged me by the end of the series. Blaylock sets up Balumnia as this special exotic place that can only be traveled to via these spectacular secret doors, one of which is hidden at the bottom of the ocean. And they only open at certain times of the year. And yet, as we explore Balumnia...we find it's really not much different from the "other" world of the elves, humans and goblins. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, it's really just like another country, perhaps on another continent. There was nothing particularly unusual about it. This is the biggest letdown of the structure Blaylock creates.
That being said, I am glad that I re-read books 1 and 2. They were delightful.
Well...I'm glad I completed the series, but it wasn't really worth it. The Stone Giant is the least charming of the three. I did not realize until I had gotten into it a ways that it was actually a prequel to the other two books. Unfortunately, a few things didn't quite hold up as a prequel. I think Blaylock dropped the ball on continuity in a few cases. For example Theosophile Escargot (the main character) was good friends with The Professor at the beginning of this tale. But in The Elfin Ship and Disappearing Dwarf, the Professor is extremely suspicious of Theosophile and doesn't trust him in the slightest. Also, there was no mention of him having lived in Twombly Town, as I recall, which is where he starts off in The Stone Giant.
Be that as it may, the bigger flaw is that Theosophile is kind of a jerk. He's just not as likable as the main characters from Books 1 and 2. He plays much better in a supporting role than as the lead, which he does here.
I also have to express one point that bugged me by the end of the series. Blaylock sets up Balumnia as this special exotic place that can only be traveled to via these spectacular secret doors, one of which is hidden at the bottom of the ocean. And they only open at certain times of the year. And yet, as we explore Balumnia...we find it's really not much different from the "other" world of the elves, humans and goblins. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, it's really just like another country, perhaps on another continent. There was nothing particularly unusual about it. This is the biggest letdown of the structure Blaylock creates.
That being said, I am glad that I re-read books 1 and 2. They were delightful.
July 4, 2017
I finished the book, so it gets minimum 2 stars. I give it a 3rd for nostalgia.. it's the first novel I ever read.
February 28, 2018
Never came alive for me. I've loved some of his books (Last Coin, Digging Leviathan) but this one never became engaging. Disappointing.
June 10, 2021
The first 50 pages are really, really good. I wish I had then stopped.
August 26, 2024
This story made me wonder if the writer had a lot going on in his private life at the time, and it seeped through into the story. Not in a good way though :-(
August 22, 2013
Of the three books in this series, this is my least favorite. It had all the adventure and creepy craziness of the first two, and yet something was missing that I can't quite put my finger on. Is it darker? Yes. But that isn't the problem. Is there less adventure? No. Maybe even more that the others. I think part of what rubbed me wrong is that Theophile Escargot is so very... whiney! There is so much "oh woe is me" mentality I wanted to slap the little bugger! The other glitch was the constant reference to reading "The Stone Giant' by Escargot. Once or twice is cute, but beyond became annoying.
Plenty of adventure, a cold pie denying wife, pie - PIE - and more PIES (Theophile Escargot has a weakness for pie), misty fog, tap - TAP - TAPPING of a cane in the misty fog, dwarf, witches, trolls, and not to be left out - crazy goblins and their ludicrous antics, pirates, parade and festival, steampunkish sub (reminiscent of Capt. Nemo's), a truth stone and stone giants.
Plenty of adventure, a cold pie denying wife, pie - PIE - and more PIES (Theophile Escargot has a weakness for pie), misty fog, tap - TAP - TAPPING of a cane in the misty fog, dwarf, witches, trolls, and not to be left out - crazy goblins and their ludicrous antics, pirates, parade and festival, steampunkish sub (reminiscent of Capt. Nemo's), a truth stone and stone giants.
January 23, 2018
This is, for no reason I can fathom, a prequel to the other two Balumnia books, and it's a mark of how much I enjoy Blaylock as a stylist that I managed to finish it. Delightful though his sleepy towns and haunted forests are, this book has no plot, and the main character is almost entirely unlikable to me. Escargot made for a decent supporting cast member, but he's a terrible protagonist. The motivational mechanism of giving him a family is painfully thin (we find out "the wife's" name 4/5 of the way through the book!). He spends the entire story drifting from encounter to encounter by chance and surviving them all the same way, in between being tiresomely self-important. Even more unfortunately, there are hardly any other characters at all, none of them a sustained presence.
Unless you're a completist, I would advise anyone to skip it.
Unless you're a completist, I would advise anyone to skip it.
October 4, 2009
This was the only book in the series that I have ever read. I found it on the shelf of an old paperback trade-in store and decided to read it. I found it a very surreal and interesting book. It was many years ago when I read it, and I have since lost my copy, but I can still remember how enchanting and haunting it was. Few books stick with me through the years like this one did. I can't wait to buy another copy and possibly look in to getting the other books in the series.
January 8, 2009
The final book of Blaylock's Balumnia series is much darker than the first two, and his heart is just not into the whole epic/heroic fantasy thing (if these books can even qualify as such). Here heleaves behind the pastoral, pre-industrial fantasy motif to move on to his own blend of 20th century ghosts, deserts, and southern California nostalgia.
October 5, 2012
This was the first book I'd read by James P. Blaylock. I think I was in my teens when I picked it up at a small gift shop while on a camping trip with my family. I loved it back then, but looking back I barely understood Blaylock's sense of humor. I read it again in college, and had a totally different experience.
I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously:)
I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously:)
May 9, 2014
im sad i have to say but i really didnt enjoy this book and im only keeping it because of the previous two books.
I enjoyed up to page 60(ish) then it meandered into description after description of his travels. It was also darker in theme than the previous two but this offered nothing of any value.
A very poor end to what should be a nice, cheerful series
I enjoyed up to page 60(ish) then it meandered into description after description of his travels. It was also darker in theme than the previous two but this offered nothing of any value.
A very poor end to what should be a nice, cheerful series
November 5, 2014
I listened to the audible.com audio book, read by Malk Williams.
I did not expect book 3 in the series to be a prequel to book 1. In this book, our hero from the previous two books in hte series, Jonathan Bing, is not present. Instead, it tells the back story of another well known character Theophile Escargot. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the others.
I did not expect book 3 in the series to be a prequel to book 1. In this book, our hero from the previous two books in hte series, Jonathan Bing, is not present. Instead, it tells the back story of another well known character Theophile Escargot. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the others.
May 16, 2010
A weird story that reminds me a lot about some of Neal Barrett Jr.'s stories. It is not a big read, but definitely worth a second look if I ever find the time for it.
December 8, 2010
Very slow starter. Had a hard time getting interested in this book.
June 13, 2011
This is a rather lackluster series add-on from Blaylock that feels as if his heart wasn't really in it.
September 16, 2013
3rd in series, but kind of a prequel.
June 14, 2015
Crazy, a bit dark, well worth it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews