Dream Stone [Hardcover]

Glenna McReynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 1998

Glenna McReynolds's The Chalice and the Blade heralded the arrival of a major new talent with the imagination and storytelling power of Diana Gabaldon.  Now this award-winning author enchants once more with a new, wondrous tale, sweeping us to a time and place where age-old sorcery and radiant passion collide....

After a cataclysmic battle, the rightful owners of Carn Merioneth have reclaimed the ancient castle and released the pryf--the spawn of dragons--from their prison.  But for Mychael ab Arawn, son of the last rulers of Merioneth, there is no peace after victory.  Urged by a restless yearning to forsake his monk's vows, he now searches through the endless tunnels and caves beneath the castle, hoping to find the dragons that appeared to him in a fiery vision.

Others, though, seek to turn Mychael to their own purposes.  Rhuddlan, leader of the Quicken-tree clan, would keep him tied to the world of men, leaving the dragons for Rhuddlan to rule.  The witch Madron urges Mychael--the first male, forbiddenly conceived, in a line of priestesses--to stand in his mother's place as seer.

Only the Quicken-tree maid Llynya, with her lavender scent and lightning-fast blade, follows Mychael's dangerous path.  Seeking to redeem the honor she believes she has lost, she vows to discover with Mychael the deepest mysteries of the earth and time.  Yet even as he is drawn to her by a sensual power more potent than the dragon's blood that flows through him, Mychael resists her pleas to journey with him.  For he is certain she will find not honor, but death.

Already portents herald the return of monstrous forces, ancient enemies of man and the Quicken-tree clan.  And a prophecy demands that Mychael and Llynya stand together against the darkness, find the enscrolled magia blade, and call forth the dragons in a confrontation with an unimagined evil that threatens to sweep them all into a vortex without end....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mychael ab Arawn, son of the rulers of Merioneth, faces an apocalyptic battle for his kingdom in this slow-starting fantasy romance set in 12th-century Wales. Armed with the Magia Blade, a powerful sword used by the last Dragonlord to command the ancient sea dragons, Mychael allies himself with Llyna, the last surviving aethling, a warrior and an acolyte to the last high priestess of magic. In an apparent effort to spice up the manichean showdown with the forces of evil, McReynolds at first reaches for narrative complications. Twenty-seven characters, including two dragons, are introduced before chapter four?some of whom do little or nothing to move the story along. Many locations, including subterranean settings, and their resident creatures also appear in the first few chapters, and wispy allusions to past events abound. This tangle at the novel's opening is unfortunate, as it's bound to discourage some readers from continuing to the smoother story that develops later. McReynolds rewards those who wait?until the disappointing conclusion, that is, which focuses on a frustratingly minor character. In between, McReynolds (The Chalice and the Blade) treats us to attentive descriptions and a story line that begs to be transformed into a video game.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

McReynolds follows up her successful The Chalice and the Blade with this tale of 12th-century Wales, where a boy raised in a monastery has a vision that leads him to the nymph Llynya and her fearful quest.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (November 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553103938
• ISBN-13: 978-0553103939
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Glenna McReynolds, author of thirteen Loveswept romances, an epic medieval fantasy trilogy, THE CHALICE AND THE BLADE, DREAM STONE, and PRINCE OF TIME, and a contemporary romantic adventure set in the Amazon, RIVER OF EDEN, a book considered a classic in the genre, also writes as the New York Times bestselling author of romantic suspense, Tara Janzen. She has won numerous awards for her writing, including a RITA from RWA.

She loves doing research for her books, and her love of anthropology and the natural sciences has helped her create the landscapes of her novels, from the rich historical background of THE CHALICE AND THE BLADE trilogy, to the shores of the blackwater rivers flowing through the lost world of the Amazonian rain forest in RIVER OF EDEN.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Found On Romance Shelf?, September 2, 2000

By 

MellyH "withthewookie" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dream Stone (Mass Market Paperback)

This book, by no stretch of the imagination, should have been found in the ROMANCE section. This book deserves to stand by the Tolkien books in the Fantasy section. Sure, when I picked it up, I expected some soppy Johanna Lindsey-ish farce.

Instead, I found a deep plot, excellent characters, and a well- used map of their location and the underworld. I also found characters torn apart by the past, reliving it at every turn in deep caverns filled with real danger.

There are trolls, elves, wyverns and some humans thrown in for a real Dungeons&Dragons time. Anyone familiar with Guy Gavriel Kay's work will notice many of the same references: dockalfar, liosalfar and several others. Those who love Irish lore will love trying to pronounce half the words in the book. Female Tolkien fans might enjoy the more romantic twist on the old battles for good and evil.

A very well written book by an excellent writer who knows her fantasy worlds and how to get a true readers attention.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Weaves a spell of enchantment!, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dream Stone (Hardcover)

This is a challenging fantasy novel. You have to pay attention to almost every sentence so you won't get lost in this fantastical world, but it's well worth it. Glenna McReynolds is a master weaver of words who gently draws you into her web of dreams. Be patient and your rewards will be great! This book is much more of a fantasy than a romance, but the romance that is at the core is exquisitely written and deeply moving. I'll definitely be looking for the next book in the series.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dream Stone (Mass Market Paperback)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. However, I was rather disappointed with the ending! The whole book was a build up to a great battle and when the battle finally came, we didn't any details of the biggest battle; the one between the dragons and the blackness. I wanted to be there with Ailfinn Mapp, Ruddlahan, Varga and Owain to see what happened to them too and was disappointed with what I got.

I will be buying the next book, Prince of Time, when it comes out. I really do enjoy the stories Ms. McReynolds has written so far.