Stonebringer

by Tom Howe

A naked boy from nowhere wanders through a desolate wasteland into the arms of a crazed hag. He becomes the soulbrother of Niles Squaver, an orphan raised by a tavern keeper in the rustic mining village of Ebony. Together the lads grow and learn of their destined quest to recover the crystalline heart of their land. Forced into a desperate journey they never meant to take, the two youthful travelers meet their enemy and gain new friends as they battle to overcome the dark forces around them as well as within.

Stonebringer is the tale of one boy's journey into manhood, from an untutored and muddle-headed potboy to the newly-risen prince of his own soul. Along the way he encounters a wizard, the secret clan of the Sisterhood, a tale-telling stallion, and a heroic treehouse. He soars from the thundering verge of an enormous waterfall and delves into the darkest caverns of his worst nightmares, by his side a steadfast friend and in his heart a burning question — why?

This is no Arthurian fantasy, but it is a quest, a grail quest, and that grail is the living heart of soulful humanity that beats deep within each of us, and after which modern readers still toil. Such a difficult, dark, and often painful quest must be handled with a deft, winsome touch, so there is much of humor in Stonebringer, and characters that light up the pages, to illuminate this shadowy path to self knowledge. Such a path is not only adventuresome but must be, and is always, a love story.

447 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like fantasy, this one's for you. The first 35 pages were hard to follow, and I almost gave up on this very big book. Glad I didn't. The remainder of the book was a page-turner and I read it straight through in a short time. The characters are likeable, interesting, and well developed. The language is clever, and the themes have depth and relevance. The imaginary kingdom of Pan is the setting of this book and I can picture it well. Looking forward to book 2!

[Saskia · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy a great ride through fantasy lands and stories - complete with heroes, villains, great characters, beautifully imagined sceneries of wild rivers, underground worlds, spiritual quests - you have to ready this book.

Deeper than Harry Potter's formulaic approach, with more development of character, where the outside journey mirrors the inside growth. The book is great for everyone from age 12 to 112.

[Andrea Twombly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book. It is filled with symbolism and lush narrative. It is sweet and gentle and adventurous and thoughtful. Toss in a dash of humor while you're at it, and some romance for good measure. At least 100 times while reading it, I thought to myself that it would make a wonderful movie, because I could so easily see what the author had described.