Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
The Stone and The Maiden
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Dennis Jones
Class/Genre: Fantasy
Series: House of the Pandragore # 1
Avon Eos, Aug 1999, $34.00, 432 pp.
The Tathar army seems invincible as it destroys everything in its path on their trek to conquer their neighbor The Ascendancy. Evil sorcerer Erkai the Chain leads the Tathars on their conquest. Already a master of the Black Craft, Erkai has tapped into the more deadly Deep Magic.
Mandine Descaris, heir to the Ascendancy throne, knows she needs a miracle to defeat her foe and his horde. When she meets one of her soldiers, Captain Key Mec Brander from the land to the far east Elthanem, they fall in love. Together they seek the mythical talisman the Signata that has been reported to have surfaced three times in four millennium. As Key and Mandine risk their lives in search of the legendary magical amulet that they feel can save the country, her half-sister plots to take over the throne.
THE STONE AND THE MAIDEN is a fabulous fantasy fable that will please readers of the sub-genre. The story line centers on the quest for a rare magic to defeat an apparently invincible enemy. Mandine is a great character who will garner much praise from fantasy lovers. Though the motives of Key, Erkai, and the secondary players never surfaces, Dennis Jones provides the audience with a pleasant plot that screams for a sequel.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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