Stoneheart

Stoneheart Trilogy #1

by Charlie Fletcher

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living.

Twelve-year-old George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. When, in a tiny act of rebellion, George breaks the head from a stone dragon outside the Natural History Museum, he awakes an ancient power. This power has been dormant for centuries but the results are instant and A stone Pterodactyl unpeels from the wall and starts chasing George. He runs for his life but it seems that no one can see what he’s running from. No one, except Edie, who is also trapped in this strange world.

And this is just the beginning as the statues of London awake…

This is a story of statues coming to life; of a struggle between those with souls and those without; of how one boy who has been emotionally abandoned manages to find hope.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Middle Grade, Adventure, Urban Fantasy

500 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Also publishes under C.A. Fletcher

Charlie Fletcher is the author of Stoneheart, shortlisted for the Branford Boase award and longlisted for the Guardian children’s fiction award, the sequels Ironhand and Silvertongue, and the stand-alone YA novel Far Rockaway.

His first adult novel The Oversight will be published in May 2014 in the US and UK.

Dragon Shield, the start of a new trilogy set in the Stoneheart world of London will be published in mid 2014.

He’s also a screenwriter for film and television . He lives in Edinburgh with one wife, two children, and a terrier called Archie.

He's twitterable at @CharlieFletch_r

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_...

Reviews

[Jonathan Terrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stoneheart is one of those more unusual fantasies and as a work of fiction goes to show that children's literature does not need to be insipid or uninspiring. There is a kind of supremacy that I sense in literature that suggests that the only truly great literature is that which targets an 'adult' audience. In other words that literature which is dark, gritty, grim and full of blood and gore - issues that children are far too innocent to deal with.

The problem I note here is that many people seem to believe that a great novel is made by creating a work which somehow contains additional mental and emotional nuance through grittiness and adult realism. That books such as Gone Girl or Game of Thrones are somehow better than books that can be read by children like Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan. And I respectfully disagree with this assessment. Novels are made great not simply by the ingredients they contain but by how those ingredients are delivered and most 'adult only' books do not deliver those ingredients in an all-inclusive manner.

This to me is an issue, in that it means they cannot have the same kind of universal appeal of other works. I believe the best novels are those with universal appeal and I believe universal appeal is best found when, instead of targeting one demographic with a set of ingredients, authors write to include everyone. Which means not writing a blood, gore and lust type of novel outright but in being more subtle and delivering the ingredients in a more inclusive manner. That said, I do not believe this novel is quite as high as others when it comes to universal appeal, yet it is a book aimed at 12 to 16 year olds that can easily also be read by adults.

The plot of Stoneheart is about George Chapman slipping into another world when he breaks a statue in London. This other version of London is a version where statues come to life to do battle with dark and dangerous powers, and where those dark and dangerous powers stalk across the city. With the aid of a girl with special powers to see the past, George must find a way to fix his mistake. Of course he also has the aid of good statues - more humanoid statues - who fight their war against evil statues - gargoyles and co.

Either way my point stands as this: I recommend people to give reading children's literature a bigger shot. Although not necessarily this novel I do recommend finding some of the classic children's literature works. Read them, analyse them, discover what makes them great. Because there really is no need for there to be any such divide between YA, children's and 'more serious' adult fiction. Each division of literature, if you will, has some great fiction and some terrible fiction within it. Simply look for the works of fiction which are the best, regardless of type and you will do fine.

[jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We oft know little of who we were, only something of who we are, and nothing of who we may be.”

Stoneheart, the first book in the Stoneheart series by Charlie Fletcher, stole my heart the moment I read the first chapter!

I absolutely loved George and Edie with their individual personalities that go beyond feeling cliche or old. The Gunner is like a father figure and is absolutely amazing and gruff, like an old soldier would be. His love and care slowly grows as he gets to know George and I loved it. The other statues that we see and meet are all unique and portray that uniqueness with their words and ways of moving and acting. The Clocker, one of the Weirded, was so fascinating and I loved his style of clothing and fast talking, he’s probably my favorite Weirded, lol. The villain is the creepiest dude ever, and those who love a good villain will not be disappointed.

The plot of Stoneheart is something I’ve never seen done before in the world of fantasy (and I’ve read a lot of fantasy!) Stone statues coming to life, some good some bad depending on the creator, just amazing storytelling! The fact that it’s written by a British dude makes it even more enjoyable.

The themes are strong in this book: friendship, healing, forgiveness, courage, and facing your fears. I loved it all so much and it really was an amazing read.

I really resonated with George and how the had to go through so much to reach the courage he needed. And the fact that the author didn’t just drop him into this whole new world and George just accepted it, helped me feel like he was a real person rather than a character. He spends half of the book in sheer terror and it makes SO much sense! At first I didn’t like Edie, thinking she’d be the typical “girl boss” but Fletcher actually understood what causes a young girl to become so independent and shut off from others. I felt her pain and it wasn’t cheesy or eye-roll inducing. It was real and it felt that way.

I’d highly recommend Stoneheart to any fantasy lover and even London lover (because they go ALL over London! My fellow non-Englanders get your Google maps out!)

As for the cleanliness, Stoneheart has a lot of fantasy violence and quite a few intense fighting scenes (nothing becomes too graphic, and those that are, are mostly statues). No romance. Swearing consists of d*mn, d*mnit, oh my g*d, and bloody h*ll. Think Harry Potter or

I can’t express how much I love this book!! It’s such a gem in the weird cave I’m exploring, lol. I can’t wait to continue!!

(And yes, I’m probably going from past tense to present tense too much but I don’t care XD)

[Ithlilian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to have fallen into the same pattern that many other YA books fall into. The first book is one long chase scene with little actual information being presented. The Alchemyst and Percy Jackson are two other examples. While I didn't mind the breakneck pace in those books, I did mind it here. Percy finds out who and what he is, and so do the twins in The Alchemyst, the characters in this book have very little idea of what is going on other than some statues and good and some are bad. We don't find out too much about what a Glint is, John Dee isn't explained very well, and the war that has been started is only eluded to. On top of that, the characters are irritating. George is a coward and Edie is rude. There may be reasons they act that way, but they are a bit too grating to be enjoyable. Also, the bad characters were weak. The book switched to the viewpoints of the bad guys occasionally and they were walking somewhere or having a conversation, not really doing anything too menacing. I'm not a fan of changing viewpoints for no reason, and I feel that was the case here. We get no new information by reading about a raven flying over a part of the city, but it was a nice change in pace if anything. The characters run from place to place, occasionally meeting a statue that tells them where to go next. Sometimes fast paced books work well and keep readers on the edge of their seats. Stoneheart had me flipping pages and skipping paragraphs instead. There simply is not enough substance. Bad statutes are chasing a boy around because he punched one of them, good statues are helping the boy survive and fix what he started. It's not enough for me. The book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, and too much like other YA books out there.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this excellent middle-grade fantasy, set in a parallel London with gargoyles, a dragon and statues come to life, via audiobook. Jim Dale's brilliant narration made this riveting, fast-paced story even more entertaining. There are two more books in the trilogy that I haven't read yet and am looking forward to. If you enjoyed Jim Dale's reading of the Harry Potter series, give this audiobook a try.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea of the statues of London coming to "life" and enjoyed the transformation of George.The characters, human and otherwise are compelling, and you don't get hard and fast answers about whose side some of these characters are on. This book can be dark and suspenseful... not recommended for children who are prone to nightmares (One of the bad guys enjoys eating children, to give one example).
Ironhand, here I come!!!

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

from the first line I had very high expectations for this book. I was very excited to read the story, and really interested in how the author would deal with a character who seemed determined to keep the world at a distance. As I read, I waited patiently for some depth, some mystery that would finally grab my interest. Unfortunately, I found the book flat- not bad, or unbelievable or poorly written- but just ordinary. There was nothing unique about it, nothing that kept me anxiously turning pages, and to be honest, I felt nothing for the characters. With the exception of Gunner and Edie's "elephant scene", I found nothing overwhelmingly unique or interesting in the book, and after hitting page 212, I realized that I couldn't care less what happened to Edie and George.

I'm giving this book a two for a few reasons. First, since I was able to stick to it for 200 pages, the writing and story can't be all that bad. It was not an unenjoyable read, but it was just so unremarkable that I felt no real reason to continue reading. However, because I read so many books by a variety of authors, the fact that I was willing and able to put down this book (for good) after hitting the halfway point means to me that I cannot rate it anything over "it was ok", i.e. two stars.

As the book's high rating indicates, a lot of people disagree with me, but it just didn't do it for me!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars. Very engaging fantasy with some excellent ideas. It is always nice to come across a new idea that is well executed. Could be the beginning of a very good series.

[Hilarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved sculptures. I can remember visiting the museum with my parents as a little girl and being truly frightened by some of the more monstrous images carved in stone, with their malicious smiles that exposed far too many teeth for my small child imagination. I think deep down I was always afraid they were going to suddenly come alive. In Stoneheart, that is exactly what happens to George Chapman, a 12 year-old English boy who expresses his frustration in the wrong way at the wrong time.

George is in the middle of a school field trip to the Natural History Museum in London when in a fit of anger he breaks a piece off the facade of the museum, and suddenly finds himself pursued by a stone pterodactyl, intent on his destruction. The worst part? No one else can see a thing, except for Edie, a mysterious girl who has been cursed with seeing such things for reasons she doesn't understand. George is saved by the statue of a WW1 gunner, and learns that he has found himself in the middle of a war. Within London is "unLondon," where the statues made in human form, "spits," have long fought against the "taints," sculptures of gargoyles, dragons, and other non-human creatures. George and Edie struggle to understand the rules of this strange "unLondon," not knowing who or what they can trust.

I really liked this book, for both the concept and execution. Fletcher has done a great job of describing London. I was very interested to read in the author's note that all of the statues he has included in the book are actually in existence. I must admit, it made me want to visit some of them for myself. I would highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for an intense adventure. Because of the intense peril and scary situations experienced by George and Edie (which the author describes in very vivid and descriptive language) I wouldn't recommend this book for younger readers. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Josie McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real 'page turner'! You can't wait to read what will happen next. However,it is a challenging book. For one thing it is very British. If you were going to use this with a group, it might help to prepare the students with some visuals of London. Talk with them about even though English is spoken in London there are some main differences in what we mean when we say 'biscuit' and what someone in London means by a biscuit. For instance, the main character talks about not wanting to grass on another student, and context leads you to think this would mean rat on another student. It is a book that is full of idioms and sayings. For example: you saved my bacon and between a rock and a hard place. The book also contains very challenging vocabulary. Here are a few words I had to look up: rictussed, parabola, perspicacity, tenebrous

Teaching Ideas
As you can see, I was entertained and my vocabulary was definitely enriched. Advanced readers 7th or 8th grade and above would benefit from this book. All students would love the story. As I noted, you could also work on vocabulary, idioms and sayings. Also, the author in the first 2-3 pages builds a great deal of sympathy for the main character. It would be a good example of that.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars - English Ebook

If you're into Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Stroud, you'll probably like this book, which is the first part of an trilogy.

Though not as twisted as Gaiman, and lacking the humor of Stroud in The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Stoneheart explores some of the alternate worlds of London through the experiences of twelve year old George Chapman.

George usually keeps to himself, but during a school outing, he gets into trouble, initially through no fault of his own. However, the trouble really begins when he vents his anger on a stone carving of a dragon on a museum wall.

Little does he know that his small act of vandalism has awakened the statues of London, and soon he's fleeing for his life from formerly inanimate gargoyles and a hungry pterodactyl, and wondering why he's the only one seeing them.

Fortunately for George, not all statues are made of the same stuff, and when one of the good guys shows up in the nick of time, he learns a little more of the predicament he's in.

Along the way he meets a girl named Edie, who has been seeing stone people all her life, and together they face an alternate world of sphinxes and dragons, and spits and taints, and glints and weirdies, and things that go bump underground, and much, much worse.

Ready for part 2.

[Kat Heckenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book a couple of years ago and for some reason never got past the first few chapters. I don't remember it being bad, just not particularly sweeping me away. I gave the book to my son (who was twelvish at the time) thinking he'd enjoy it. He did, as well as the two books following. Recently, he decided to clear off his bookshelves and I decided to hold onto the series and give it another try.

SO GLAD I DID.

I absolutely loved this book this time around. Loved the main character, George, who is a typical kid with some family problems and who has to deal with not being liked very much at school. He's not completely spineless, just lost his enthusiasm for life because he lost his dad in a car accident. Then one day, on a school field trip to a museum, he breaks the head off a dragon carving on the side of a building and unleashes a power that allows him to see another London, in which statues come to life--but only he can see them! Some are good, some are evil, and some are in-between. He meets Edie, who can also see the statues moving, but for an entirely different reason.

The story world is so cool, and the lore well thought-out and given in small doses at just the right times. Lots of action, without sacrificing character building. And speaking of characters--after the initial scene at the museum, the only two actual humans in the whole book are George and Edie--everyone else is a statue of some sort--and it totally works.

The writing is really good, with just the right voice for this age group, a little humor, real emotion, and great pacing and dialog. I am definitely going to keep reading this series!

PS--the cover makes the gargoyle lover in me swoon.


My Website
Find me on Facebook
My YA fantasy series:
book 1

book 2

[Deity World · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is categorised as a children’s fantasy but in my honest opinion it’s suitable for all ages, such a clever book set in London with mythical surroundings can’t wait for the next book

[Norah Una Sumner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okaaaaay...
This was okay.The story has a lot of potenial but everything is just so confusing in this part.It's like you're only getting information but nothing is actually solved.That's why it was very hard for me to get into story of Stoneheart.The characters,on the other hand,are interesting,I really like George and Gunner.I hope that the sequel is better.

There are three stages of reading this book:

1/3:



2/3:



3/3(in this case...You go,George!):



Favourite quotes:

I did have a couple of quotes I really liked but I can't find the original quote anywhere online so I'm not gonna translate it myself and ruin everything,haha.K.Bye.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself is probably a 3 star book (3 stars isn't bad - it means I liked it). HOWEVER the audio version is narrated by Jim Dale so that upped the rating. Jim Dale can turn an average book into something very entertaining.
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start. There was not enough background info on the characters and way too much description of things that didn't add anything to the story. There are so many types of things like taints, glints, spits and weirded. Although, I got the basic idea of each of those groups, I would have loved if there was more history or details about them. The whole concept of statues coming to life was an interesting concept as well as the layers of non-Londons. However, the actual execution was lacking. There was so much happening that it is hard to keep up with it all AND make sense of what is happening. I was just really disappointed in this book as I didn't care about the characters and had to push my way thru to the end. The book had potential and some character building could make a huge difference. I may give the author a second chance at some point but not for a while.

[Sue Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book actually. Not that I went into it with any expectations or anything. I just wanted an audio book that would entertain me on my loooonnnnggg commute to and from work and had decided that I wanted to listen to one narrated by Jim Dale, as I so enjoy his narration on the Harry Potter series.

So I was happy to have a familiar voice lending his expertise to another story but I was quite taken by the story itself. I really wasn't kidding when I said it was like reading a story of Harry's cousins exploits - similar in some respects, but different and magical in it's own way. It was a whole new way to 'see' things and how you can really spin a wonderful story out of thin air really. Truly, I wish I was closer to London to be able to see these things for myself and get the feel for them in the real. That would have just made it all perfect! Especially because this book is spun with such a close interaction between the real and the unseen world of London.

This book happens to be the first of a trilogy - and it's a great first. I'm definitely on board for the rest! It finds our young protagonist, George, going from his everyday world - a world full of hurtfulness, bulling, neglect and confusion - into one that he literally breaks his way into. Accidentally. But we all know that there are no accidents in life. Accidents are just clothed as opportunities for life lessons. And George needs to break out of his funk and learn some lessons - and along the way, discover that he's more than what he pegs himself as.

I liked the characters that Charlie Fletcher develops - they're wonderfully imaginative. So although it's a story that is completely not there to most of us out there, it's really there for those who have the imagination to 'see' it .... and kids should be able to get it right away! The narration by Jim Dale just adds to it all and they couldn't have picked a better one to give life to all the characters that George meets along the way. This book is well worth the read and I'm looking forward to carrying on!

[Liana · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I love the idea of the story very much! Statues that come to life?! I think that's super cool and thrilling! Thanks to this book, I'll have to look twice at all the statues I walk past now among the city. *laughs*

I had some trouble getting into the story at first, mostly because I was confused what was going on! I often had to look back at the past 4-16 pages I've read, and re-read it again with the hopes I'll understand the plot better, hahaha.

The character that I got attached to the most was The Gunner, he was awesome! (I'M IN LOVEEEEE!~)Whenever he had a scene, I felt myself smiling like a dummy. To my surprise, I actually started to like Edie near the very end of the book. (Which I disliked her before, because she was soooooo mean to everyone!) But she's not so bad after all! :) Edie can be a sweetie!

Now I don't know if I am being nit-picky here, but I felt Stoneheart to be more for Young Adults rather than children. Mostly for the vulgar language, which caught me completely off guard! I had to check the back of the book, to prove to myself that this is actually a children's story! I personally wouldn't recommend this book to an age group of 10 and younger, just to be safe. I would read it to them, but I would censor the 'bad words' myself and use a different word, one that's less vulgar.

Do read Stoneheart when you get the chance, it is a very cool book! :)

[Aleea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, really neat idea. It was very well done for the first third of the book. After that point either the author liked seeing ink on paper or the editor forgot to edit. Too much telling, way too much description, too much pointless dialogue. It felt like every noun was preceded by at least two adjectives. Adjectives are good... in moderation.

I read this to my family out loud so maybe I was extra-sensitive to these faults. Not only was I catching typos and subject-verb agreement issues, I was literally highlighting what I was going to read in order to leave out some of the bulk.

It was the first book I've ever owned that I gave away. It hurt.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I'm rather conflicted by this book. It had an extremely interesting premise, but then started using too many of the standard fantasy tropes for my liking, and then it seemed to drag. I could not get invested with the characters, so the tension that the author was attempting to build didn't work to keep me interested. However, it did get interesting in the middle, but then it started dragging again and never really got going again. The chapters were incredibly short, and I'm not certain if I will continue the series, cliffhanger ending or no.

[Adam.ant Bookeater · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 STARS.
I first read it in 6th grade and found it enthralling, I read it again these days.

The story is very interesting and fictitious, this book's an epitome of children's fiction. There were too many details about the surroundings that were kind of confusing to me, other than that the book was fast-paced and gripping.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventurous book containing dragons, minotaurs and sphinxes and stuff.
I totally look forward to reading the second book.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.

My son said this was a good read, so I gave it a chance.
While I was a little confused about how the "layers" of London interacted and effected each other, the seeming and slight inconsistencies weren't enough to stop me.

It's a fun, fleshed-out world that Flethcer has created, and while the ending left me feeling a little flat, (Really, after all that, that's how it ends!?) I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Alyssa]

Only got to page 30. The writing was... not the best. A ton of passive voice, with fragmented sentences (and concepts) that made it difficult to get into the scenes. I was going to try to push through... Then I came to this gem of action writing:

BLAM.
The thing stopped.
BLAM.
The thing looked surprised.
CRASH.
Something else landed in front of George.
Something with steel tacks on its boots.
Something with a gun.
Someone.

At that point, I decided I was done.

[Chris Strehlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
This book is a well written book, but it is slightly confusing. I had issues with some parts, and in some places I think it is too detailed. It seems to just run on, but it also a good read. I pushed through the confusing parts and tried to make sense of them, and it worked itself out in the end.

Plot:
George breaks a stone dragon head off a wall in anger, and causes the statues in London to come to life unseen by others. He runs into the Gunner, who is a statue who helps him out. While he is talking to the Gunner, Edie shows up and can see the statues move as well. He seeks out the Black Friar, who tells him where to go to end all of this. In his journey, he obtains the Maker´s Mark. The Walker is a wanderer, or a cursed statue, who is trying to appease the stones by taking George´s place. Edie is taken by the minotaur, and the Gunner swears an oath not to take any bullets in his guns to save her. He breaks that oath, and brings a bullet, only to miss and have George make a bullet out of plasticine. They then make their way to the stone, and George decides not to appease the stones and stay in this world with Edie. The Gunner is taken by the Walker somewhere where they will have to save him.

Characterization:
Edie is a 12 year old girl who is a glint. A glint can see episodes of the past by coming into contact with an object. She has a sea-glass that warns her when taints or another danger is nearby. In the beginning of the book, she is selfish and closed off from George and the Gunner. Nearing the end however, she opens up to George a bit more, and even gives up her special sea-glass. George even comes back for her in the end.
The Walker is a thrall of the stones. He betrayed them somehow and must now wander the world forever, never being allowed to pass on. He sees an opening in George and tries to take a sculpture of his to appease the stones, only to have the Gunner shoot the statue to pieces. He does not change throughout the book, and only wants to get free of his curse.

Setting:
Stoneheart is set in modern London, and goes throughout the city. The setting impacts the story by allowing the reader to envision the layout of London, and not a rural town. Settings are easier to follow if the city is well known.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to high school age boys and up, because there are parts that drone on and a young reader might just skip over it or stop reading entirely. There are some scenes of slight action, but no gore or maiming in the story. Younger readers might possibly give up during the scenes where there isn't any action.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Incomplete Thoughts/Mild Rant

So last year I listened to the audio book of this with my family. (Jim Dale, the reader who performed all of Harry Potter and is absolutely fantastic, did a phenomenal job.)

I never had a chance to finish the entire book, so I reread it in order to be able to complete the series. I still plan on reading the remainder of it, but this is NOT a stand-alone book. There are at least 20 plot threads that remain unanswered at the end of the story. The plot has no pacing. Scenes often begin and end the same way (with ex-machina saves and ominous arguments). The story also lacks a consistent tone, switching from the witty tongue-in-cheek humor that I would associate with Percy Jackson, to incredibly slow and dark descriptions (the latter of which is a much better voice for the story that is being told.) Because the tone shifts so much, the characters seem inconsistent and I could not believe the author when he described the characters "maturing" (it's 24 hours and the kids barely get to sleep and eat... I don't think that they're going to become super-heroes in that time frame even if they do have mysterious "powers.")
Another issue I had was with the world-building. Fletcher has a really interesting premise and even seems to have the lore down in his own head... but because of all of the unnecessary action scenes, it never gets to breathe or reveal the world naturally. The main characters are completely ignorant of everything that is happening, even until (and beyond) the final confrontation. This would be fine...except the climax feels like something that should happen at the end of the 1st third (and seeing as this is the first out of a trilogy of books, maybe the entire series just has a wonky idea of how plot pacing works.)

I also wish that the main characters were older. They are being put through incredibly daunting physical and emotional circumstances that seem to fit a 15-16 year old much more than the 12-13 age range that I believe George and Edie fall into.

Be that as it may, the one thing that the author definitely got right was the villain. He comes across as a Dr. Facilier type and I am so curious about his back story that I think I'm willing to trudge through the next couple installments in the series. I just hope that instead of constant bickering about "what the right questions are," the story finally gets to some explanations that are worth the hundreds of pages of set-up.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This audiobook, read by Jim Dale, was fabulous!

It was definitely Harry Potteresque to me. Harry Potter lite.

It’s a children’s fantasy (trilogy) centered around a young boy George and the wonderful friends he makes after a class trip, in London, went horribly wrong. There are gargoyles. There are also statues that come to “life”.

George’s new friend Edie is not like the other kids. She has some unique abilities that help her and George in their adventures.

There were no lulls at all in this book. It was extremely fast paced. Tons of adventure as well as magnificent character building. I literally wanted to reach through the audiobook to proffer hugs on more than one occasion.

And did I mention the audiobook was narrated by Jim Dale? Jim Dale, if you don’t know, is the best narrator ever. Prove me wrong. I dare you!

[Harold Ogle]

We went on vacation the week before Memorial Day, and I took some beach reading with me: The King of the Crags and Cart & Cwidder. I finished the Deas novel on the first day, but by then my daughter had grabbed the Jones book. She offered me one of hers in exchange: Stoneheart is, as she put it, "basically a new Doctor Who adventure." So far that's a pretty good description: the bleak, nihilistic world view combined with the supernatural weirdness fits right into the Doctor Who novel genre.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really fascinating premise and fun romp through the "layers" of reality in London. This was an entertaining YA fantasy with some promising characters. I hope to get better development in future installments.

[Sam S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! It's definitely on the younger side of YA, but I think that just helps us focus on the character development and adventure!

[Tonya Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Not a bad story - took me a couple starts to get going. Audio version very enjoyable because narrated by Jim Dale!

[gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ it was aight. i listened to it because jim dale narrated it, i don't think i would have read the physical book.