Sunday, November 15, 2009

Through Stone and Sea-Barb and J.C. Hendee

Through Stone and Sea
Barb and J.C. Hendee
Roc, Jan 5 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9780451463128

Wynn Hygeorht returned to the Guild of Sagecraft in Calm Seatt expecting a heroine’s welcome due to the copies she made of arcane texts written by vampires during the time of the Forgotten History and the Great War, millennia ago. Instead of being one of the translators, she is ignored as the highest rank of scholars rejects her thesis that Noble Dead Vampires exist (see In Shade and Shadow).

The Guild Scholars continue to translate the incredible find while also sending them to be copied at selected scriptoriums. Two sages go to pick up the work, but are murdered. The belief is that the Stonewalker dwarves are behind the assassinations and thefts. Wynn, accompanied by the Noble Dead Chane and Shade the elven wolf, as both feel a deep heart felt need to keep her safe, treks to the mountain stronghold of the legendary Stonewalkers. There waits them someone from her past, when she quested with Leesil the half human elf and Magiere the half mortal vampire, who has resurfaced from what the heroine and her then allies thought were the permanent grave.

Stone and Sea is a fascinating entry in the Wynn Noble Dead quest fantasy. The heroine is terrific as she goes on her latest escapades; but is relatively simple compared to Chane and even to a degree Shade. The fast-paced story line grips fans who will relish this super entry that is an adventure unto itself yet sets in motion the next “wynning” exploit.

Harriet Klausner

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