<< Books/Products >> Book Review: Stone Lord - The Legend of King Arthur, the Era of Stonehenge
Submitted by Feanor on Saturday, 26 January 2013 Page Views: 8547
StonehengeCountry: England County: Wiltshire Type: HengeInternal Links:
With good reason.
Stone Lord is an immersive experience that will keep the reader up well past their bedtime, quickly turning pages while champing impatiently for the next facet of the Tale to unfold.
I know as fact that there are those who would cock a doubtful eye or perhaps even wince slightly at the thought of yet another “Arthur-As-Young-King” story; riding the distant coattails of White, or perhaps even Disney. With Stone Lord, nothing could be further from the truth.
The story is refreshingly unfamiliar, set in a convincing landscape and peopled with believable characters compelled in their actions by a full scope of human motivation, ranging from lofty to base. The names as they occur seem hauntingly familiar; echoes from ear’s edge of recognition. Yet, once identified, it’s as though we’re meeting them for the first time. Otherwise hackneyed modern composites are given brand new life, breadth and definition, while the mandatory scenes of culturally embedded episodes tend to sneak up on a reader who barely has time to see them coming. I cite the mysterious Lady of the Lake and the fabled Sword in the Stone sequences as excellent examples among several.
Set with intentional vagueness somewhere in the Bronze Age, the story begins with an already long-established Stonehenge, called Khor Ghor, and the harrowing escape of a youthful Merlin, slated for Sacrifice within this legendary Citadel. Becoming instead the local Magic-Man, Merlin then travels across the countryside seeking Wisdom, Skill and Purpose. During this journey, all three are bestowed. Eventually becoming famous, loved and feared, a premise for the later emergence of Ardhu, High King of Albu, is set in motion through Merlin’s cunning duplicity, political sleight-of-hand, and at great personal cost.
Themic issues within the novel are remarkably few, though mention should be made of the speed at which some early chapters take place. Reedman races through the initial set-up as though hurrying to ‘the good parts’ and we miss some of Merlin’s backstory and potentially interesting incentive. Other marginal instances include issues of credibility. I cite the scene at Avebury when Ardhu is duped by his half-sister Morigau. One wonders how the newly crowned High King could slip away unnoticed by his ever-present retinue - even for the requisite carnal episode that follows.
These instances are not the rule. Indeed Reedman redeems herself with an ability to maintain three distinct, well-paced story lines which seamlessly meet at their conclusion with appropriate crescendo. Nothing is overworked and other techniques show clever skill made to look easy. The 'rules' of framing, motivation, and color are followed throughout but are not conspicuous, while her literary influences are both seen and unseen ― some caught peeking from behind the craft’s curtain, others shrouded within a pantheon of several well-respected authors.
Mechanically, a cardinal rule is broken - never self proof-read. Writers overly familiar with their own work inevitably fall prey to editorial fatigue. There are a few misspelled words, and an independent proofreader should have caught some of the reversed quotation marks. While none of this is germane to an otherwise engaging story, they nevertheless distract the eye.
As a debut offering to shark-infested literary waters, Stone Lord holds its own well - not only for the high quality of the writing, but with the fascinating, fresh approach to a belovéd, age-old Tale. A comfortable seat awaits Reedman next to Stewart and White, and I eagerly await the sequel, in hopes that it begins on the next page.
4 out of 5 Stars
Review by ND Wiseman (Feanor)
Stone Lord: The Legend of King Arthur, the Era of Stonehenge by JP ReedmanHistorical Fiction
Published 2012 by Mirador Publishing
Paperback: 280 pages $13.99 amazon.com / £8.99 amazon.co.uk
Kindle: 5MB download $2.99 amazon.com / £1.92 amazon.co.uk
(prices subject to change)
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