The Empire Stone [Mass Market Paperback]

Chris Bunch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Peirol of the Marshlands is a traveling gem merchant on a quest for a gem so powerful, it gives its owner the dangerous ability to control others. Traveling far beyond the known world to a city torn by earthquake and fire, Peirol will find the Empire Stone and unleash its hellish power.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Bunch is the co-author (with Allan Cole) of the Sten series and the Anteros trilogy for Del Rey. As a solo writer, he is the author of the Shadow Warrior science fiction series also from Del Rey. Both Ranger and airborne-qualified, he was part of the first troop commitment into Vietnam, a patrol commander and later a combat correspondent for Stars & Stripes. Later, he edited outlaw motorcycle magazines and wrote for everything from the underground press to Look magazine, Rolling Stone , and prime-time television. He is now a full-time novelist.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446608866
• ISBN-13: 978-0446608862
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,385,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seer, Demon, Warrior, King it is not, September 9, 2000

By 

Adan Arizpe (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Empire Stone (Mass Market Paperback)

Seer, Demon, Warrior, King this book pales in comparison to. Those three books were amazing in any aspect, if you are thinking about reading Empire Stone as your first "Bunch" Novel I urge you to read his three previous works first so that you can fully appreciate The Empire Stone, -TES- Had its own flare Periol had it tough. The "Lucky Dwarf" had alot of mile stones to go thru before getting the stone, along the way he met woman after woman, and if you know Bunch's style Periol had a grand ole' time with every one, this book has everything blood guts and gore, a war, a demon, a lonesome witch(and that's just naming a few) and beautiful women. If you read this book I gurantee you, it will keep you up at night because at the end of every chapter incredible danger always seems to find him and you just can't put down the book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dull, dull, dull, March 29, 2001

By 

Sparrowhawk (Rio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Empire Stone (Mass Market Paperback)

Chris Bunch has shown in the past that he is a very apt writer. No wonder I am rather irritated about Empire Stone. Dull, perfunctory, boring, stereotypical, sorry to say: drivel ! Chris seems to have cranked out a contract work & handles it like a routine plumbing job. He can - no, he SHOULD - do better than this in future works. My apologies if I feel no motivation whatsoever to talk about plot, etc. - it is your very standard run-of-the-mill fare, without spices. Bon appetit ! Definitely not recommended, since I believe that this type of writing should not be incentived and/or rewarded.

Sparrowhawk

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another classic from Chris Bunch, May 13, 2003

By 

David Hearne (Brisbane, Australia.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Empire Stone (Mass Market Paperback)

I knocked this book over in a couple of days! It's hard to put down.

Bunch has put together a classic tale that will take pride of place on your bookshelf. You'll feel for the plight of the main character as he is captured as a slave, forced into the army, bluffing his way out of anything and everything, and never giving up on the love of his craft. Another classic by Chris Bunch who is fast becoming the new master of fantasy fiction.

Although Empire Stone didn't grap me the same way Dragon Master or Corsair did, it's still a great book! Typically Bunch, the main character is rich in personality and adventure and we delve deep into their psyche. Also typical to his central characters, the dwarf star has an aversion to alcohol, loves women, and considers all religions a waste of time and space. Again, I laughed out loud at the antics and thought processes of the central character. I guess I love the way this guy writes. Fast, beautifully written action, well researched (you'll learn alot about gems), and action aplenty. No dull moments in this one! Sexually the dwarf is very active however Bunch has toned down his narratives since the lusty (and first rate) Seer/Demon/Warrior King trilogy. Bunch's superlative battle vision is also not as obvious though what's present is accurate and makes for interesting reading.

Like Corsair, I felt a little let down in the end (In Corsair I wanted more development of the lizard masters and their puppets) with the Empire Stone finale. It's still good stuff, though -- just not what I expected!

No one else writes like this guy, wish I did (australianfiction.com) and I tip my hat to another classy Bunch effort. This guy is my favourite writer bar none. Take a trip you won't forget anytime soon and Bunch will have you smelling the air of far away lands by day and dreaming of them by night.