The Starstone

Gom #4

by Chetwin

Apprenticed to a wizard, Gom begins to learn how to use the powers that help destroy the evil Katak and recover the lost emerald Seal. Sequel to "The Riddle & the Rune."

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[X · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe this was originally published as the last book in the series. Did the Bradbury edition really end this way too? I expect that it must have, and I am quite glad there are five more books now. With luck, the unanswered questions will be addressed later!

There are several degrees to the story, I think. There is the part of Gom becoming a wizard, the upcoming war on Ulm, and the ongoing war in the... I'm not quite sure actually, but stars I guess. Gom is naturally central to the story and the war is quite peripheral for the most part, though they are interconnected. Gom has grown a lot since book one, (in maturity, not stature) and while he is still naive in some ways, he has learned a lot as well and I didn't feel like shaking sense into him quite so often.

The FPI edition has lovely illustrated first letters of each chapter and a much needed pronunciation guide and map in the back!

[Jaide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fine addition to the story of Gom Gobblechuck, complete with a rhyming prophecy and Chetwin’s usual beautiful prose.

The ending resolution was rather abrupt—I’m still not entirely sure what happened, but hopefully the next few books explain that:)

[Troy Tegeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not super memorable, but I remember liking this series as a kid.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the middle books in a not-very-well-known YA fantasy series, and a surprisingly fun read. I learned the hard way that it's not a very good place to start, though; lots of callbacks to earlier volumes left me very confused. But there are some great high fantasy ideas at play here (the hero's nemesis is an enormous leviathan that lurks in a world-spanning subterranean ocean, for starters), and I loved the unexpected development in which the lead character trains with a crotchety wizard and actually gets kicked out for his screw-ups, never to go back. The ending leaves a lot unresolved, but there are five books that follow, and I might pick them up someday and see where the story goes.