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Soulstone Chronicles #3
Bound in Stone: Volume Three
Kehfrey, infamous Pek assassin and plaything of the Shadow Master, hides his traumatic past as Herfod, the Turamen monk touted to be a living saint. He's become the confessor and close friend of the Ulmeniran monarch, but will this save him when Tehlm Sevet decides the time is at last right to invade the southern realms and take his reluctant lover back by force?
Perhaps not. Herfod's beloved Nicky has re-entered his life, but as the King's mistress. And despite a friendship that has lasted eight years, Ugoth has grown suspicious of his confessor's continued attempts to occlude the truth about his childhood in Winfel. Can Herfod continue to be loyal to his king when Nicky stands between them and while Tehlm Sevet owns his soul? (Third Edition. Content warning: Adult fiction. This novel is the third book in The Soulstone Chronicles.)
Perhaps not. Herfod's beloved Nicky has re-entered his life, but as the King's mistress. And despite a friendship that has lasted eight years, Ugoth has grown suspicious of his confessor's continued attempts to occlude the truth about his childhood in Winfel. Can Herfod continue to be loyal to his king when Nicky stands between them and while Tehlm Sevet owns his soul? (Third Edition. Content warning: Adult fiction. This novel is the third book in The Soulstone Chronicles.)
- GenresFantasyM M Romance
ebook
First published January 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Frontain
17 books31 followersI am an anglophone writer in Quebec province, Canada. I like to write epic fantasy with romantic elements and particularly enjoy stories of relationships between men, though this is not my only reading interest. My published stories often have glbtq content. I do not write in the m/m genre. Many of my novels include female characters who may be involved with main characters.
The Soulstone Chronicles blurb: An enigmatic deity reborn as a human being has been enslaved to work the downfall of the religious sects governing a coastal crescent of his world, but nothing can contain this perilous individual forever, not the memory-crippling blackness of death, the ominous earth goddess who seeks to recapture him, or the powerful spell that binds his soul to a stone.
The chronological order of the series is as follows: Bound in Stone, The Gryphon Taint, The Disposition of Ashes, The Redemption of Tehlm Sevet. Future sets are planned: The Sun Bane, The Apostate God, and Hell Walker.
The Soulstone Chronicles blurb: An enigmatic deity reborn as a human being has been enslaved to work the downfall of the religious sects governing a coastal crescent of his world, but nothing can contain this perilous individual forever, not the memory-crippling blackness of death, the ominous earth goddess who seeks to recapture him, or the powerful spell that binds his soul to a stone.
The chronological order of the series is as follows: Bound in Stone, The Gryphon Taint, The Disposition of Ashes, The Redemption of Tehlm Sevet. Future sets are planned: The Sun Bane, The Apostate God, and Hell Walker.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 22, 2012
Kehfrey, now hiding under the alias Herford, a monk revered as a living saint, has his hands full in the final book of this fantasy trilogy.
Marun, aka Tehlm Sevet, the sorcerer enslaved to the earth mother gathers his forces to march on Ulmenira to reclaim that which is his. All the while, Herford has his hands full with court intrigues - passion and jealousies flare, testing friendships to the limit - as if dodging the shadow master's covert attempts at capturing Herford weren't enough!
The Bound in Stone trilogy reminds me strongly of the (now classic) epic fantasy adventures I used to read in high school, only more grown up. Highly enjoyable series with all the old school flair I loved as a kid and love even more now. Books like these just aren't being written too much these days, so I appreciate the memorable story-telling even more.
I look forward to the next saga in The Soulstone Chronicles: The Gryphon Taint.
Marun, aka Tehlm Sevet, the sorcerer enslaved to the earth mother gathers his forces to march on Ulmenira to reclaim that which is his. All the while, Herford has his hands full with court intrigues - passion and jealousies flare, testing friendships to the limit - as if dodging the shadow master's covert attempts at capturing Herford weren't enough!
The Bound in Stone trilogy reminds me strongly of the (now classic) epic fantasy adventures I used to read in high school, only more grown up. Highly enjoyable series with all the old school flair I loved as a kid and love even more now. Books like these just aren't being written too much these days, so I appreciate the memorable story-telling even more.
I look forward to the next saga in The Soulstone Chronicles: The Gryphon Taint.
January 2, 2018
I don't know if I can write an unbiased review, since I have already read all the published books in this series... and loved them!
Kehfrey
Tehlm Sevet
When I found this series and had delved into the complex world within I was shocked to find that this series had not yet gotten the recognition it deserves, and still hasn't. This may be due to the original cover art, which honestly put me off from starting this series for quite a while, the first book sat in my library for ages before I finally gave it a try, and damn! What a find! Anyone who gives this authors works a chance will see what a spectacular gem they've found in this series.
If you are planning to start this series know that it does contain elements of horror, non-con, torture, etc.. but they are there to serve a purpose and not just there for the shock value. For me this makes these elements acceptable as part of the narrative since it is there to help with the character development and world building. So, if you can get past these things you are in for a wild ride.
This is the beginning of an epic Saga. It's hard to give an overview of this story without giving a way key plot points, but I guess a good way to describe this book, and the series as a whole, is of obsession, love, hate, war, power, and so much more.
For me when I read a book I put myself fully into the mind of the character I'm reading and there are some books where a character is so engaging, charismatic, and just plain fun that you are instantly engrossed every time they are mentioned in the story. Kehfrey is one of those characters, which is part of what makes this series work so well.
Kehfrey is by no means the only interesting character, on the contrary most of the characters are exceptional in their own right; dynamic, intricate, and far the from the usual two dimensional characters that are cranked out by the dozen by authors simply to enhance the main character, be comic relief, or just convenient sounding boards.
This series takes character driven storyline and a fascinating and intricate plot and combines them into a Saga that stands head and shoulders above the other fantasy series being published lately.
Kehfrey
Tehlm Sevet
When I found this series and had delved into the complex world within I was shocked to find that this series had not yet gotten the recognition it deserves, and still hasn't. This may be due to the original cover art, which honestly put me off from starting this series for quite a while, the first book sat in my library for ages before I finally gave it a try, and damn! What a find! Anyone who gives this authors works a chance will see what a spectacular gem they've found in this series.
If you are planning to start this series know that it does contain elements of horror, non-con, torture, etc.. but they are there to serve a purpose and not just there for the shock value. For me this makes these elements acceptable as part of the narrative since it is there to help with the character development and world building. So, if you can get past these things you are in for a wild ride.
This is the beginning of an epic Saga. It's hard to give an overview of this story without giving a way key plot points, but I guess a good way to describe this book, and the series as a whole, is of obsession, love, hate, war, power, and so much more.
For me when I read a book I put myself fully into the mind of the character I'm reading and there are some books where a character is so engaging, charismatic, and just plain fun that you are instantly engrossed every time they are mentioned in the story. Kehfrey is one of those characters, which is part of what makes this series work so well.
Kehfrey is by no means the only interesting character, on the contrary most of the characters are exceptional in their own right; dynamic, intricate, and far the from the usual two dimensional characters that are cranked out by the dozen by authors simply to enhance the main character, be comic relief, or just convenient sounding boards.
This series takes character driven storyline and a fascinating and intricate plot and combines them into a Saga that stands head and shoulders above the other fantasy series being published lately.
July 3, 2021
The plot is always involved and full of drama.
Read
April 21, 2013Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. Stupid fucking Nicky and Herfod. Those stupid fucking bastards.
God, I feel like I'm reading Game of Thrones =_=
D: and where's the Vik? Argh. Stupid Kehfrey and his stupidness. And Stupid Marun and his obsessiveness.
So about 40% in, I decided "fuck this load of bull" and just ctrl+f'd for all mentions of Vik.
It's clear the Marun-Kehfrey thing won't come to a head for ages to come (as evidenced by the further installments in this series).
Well, it was awk cuz when I finally tuned in again, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. (Just kidding. I could guess a lot of what happened, though not exactly the why behind it all.)
Argh. They're all a bunch of stupid assholes and everyone else - Vik, Ugoth, Samel - are all caught up in the middle. Nicky can go die for all I care.
Blah. And Just like in Game of Thrones, I get the feeling I don't quite get a read on these characters despite all my attempts to understand.
God, I feel like I'm reading Game of Thrones =_=
D: and where's the Vik? Argh. Stupid Kehfrey and his stupidness. And Stupid Marun and his obsessiveness.
So about 40% in, I decided "fuck this load of bull" and just ctrl+f'd for all mentions of Vik.
It's clear the Marun-Kehfrey thing won't come to a head for ages to come (as evidenced by the further installments in this series).
Well, it was awk cuz when I finally tuned in again, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. (Just kidding. I could guess a lot of what happened, though not exactly the why behind it all.)
Argh. They're all a bunch of stupid assholes and everyone else - Vik, Ugoth, Samel - are all caught up in the middle. Nicky can go die for all I care.
Blah. And Just like in Game of Thrones, I get the feeling I don't quite get a read on these characters despite all my attempts to understand.
July 20, 2012
I’ve finally finished reading the third volume of the Bound in Stone trilogy, by K.M. Frontain. It may sound silly, but I was kind of apprehensive about reading this, afraid of what horrible things might happen to the characters I had grown to like. And so I delayed for a bit, reading several other books after finishing volume two, but before beginning volume three.
Well, I was right to be concerned---some more terrible things DO happen in this book! As I was reading I was groaning to myself, wishing I could tell various characters “Don’t do that! Things will end badly and you’ll regret your choices!” as they made one bad decision after another. And yet I have to say I was utterly and completely wrapped up in the story; once I reached the half-way mark I couldn’t stop and kept on reading until I finished. I just couldn’t help it---I had to see what happened next.
Now, this isn’t to say that the book is all doom and gloom; there are some happy and lighthearted moments. And the ending overall is generally upbeat---I’m so pleased to see that Vik finally seems to have found a suitable and stable man to love.
So, I will recommend the trilogy, though my reservations (which I mentioned in my reviews of previous volumes) still hold. This is only for those who enjoy dark fantasy with more than a dash of horror. I may wish at times that parts of the story were not so grim, but I have to say the author has a talent for telling a ripping yarn.
The story continues in another trilogy titled The Gryphon Taint (which is perhaps a somewhat unfortunate title, because yes, apparently I’m an old perv and my mind goes there). Far as I can tell from reading the blurb, the next series of books is not a direct continuation of the first; they take place at a later date and have different characters, but build on what happened in the first series. Oh, I’m hoping that the Gryphon books will be a little less gruesome, but perhaps I shouldn’t count on it! I’ll definitely be checking them out. Recommended.
Well, I was right to be concerned---some more terrible things DO happen in this book! As I was reading I was groaning to myself, wishing I could tell various characters “Don’t do that! Things will end badly and you’ll regret your choices!” as they made one bad decision after another. And yet I have to say I was utterly and completely wrapped up in the story; once I reached the half-way mark I couldn’t stop and kept on reading until I finished. I just couldn’t help it---I had to see what happened next.
Now, this isn’t to say that the book is all doom and gloom; there are some happy and lighthearted moments. And the ending overall is generally upbeat---I’m so pleased to see that Vik finally seems to have found a suitable and stable man to love.
So, I will recommend the trilogy, though my reservations (which I mentioned in my reviews of previous volumes) still hold. This is only for those who enjoy dark fantasy with more than a dash of horror. I may wish at times that parts of the story were not so grim, but I have to say the author has a talent for telling a ripping yarn.
The story continues in another trilogy titled The Gryphon Taint (which is perhaps a somewhat unfortunate title, because yes, apparently I’m an old perv and my mind goes there). Far as I can tell from reading the blurb, the next series of books is not a direct continuation of the first; they take place at a later date and have different characters, but build on what happened in the first series. Oh, I’m hoping that the Gryphon books will be a little less gruesome, but perhaps I shouldn’t count on it! I’ll definitely be checking them out. Recommended.
February 17, 2013
I have read every single book of this series and I LOVE THEM ALL!. I can not wait for the next one to come out. I will warn readers that it does have gay (male on male) sexual content in every story so if this is something that offends or is morally unacceptable then DO NOT read this series, but if you are like me and what you are looking for is a great storyline a fabulous lead character then this series is the series for you. Every book continues on the story, but each book can stand alone as well.
March 14, 2023
Heart wrenching
The third installment in the Soulstone Chronicles is absolutely heart wrenching. The journey these characters have taking is breath taking and the emotions in their story are all over the place. From extreme highs to the deepest lows and everything inbetween. I can't believe more people haven't heard of Frontain's art. This series is one that I come back to time and time again just to fall in love with the books all over again.
The third installment in the Soulstone Chronicles is absolutely heart wrenching. The journey these characters have taking is breath taking and the emotions in their story are all over the place. From extreme highs to the deepest lows and everything inbetween. I can't believe more people haven't heard of Frontain's art. This series is one that I come back to time and time again just to fall in love with the books all over again.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews