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The Essence of Stone [Paperback]

Beverly A. Hale (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)


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Paperback, November 15, 2002 --  

Book Description

November 15, 2002
What is the Essence of Stone?

Kehan struggles daily for the answer to this question, for only when he can give the correct answer will his master, the powerful, but blind sorcerer Xikander start to teach him the mysteries which are locked in the old mans mind. Only then will he teach him the powerful magic he knows, and only when Kehan is himself a powerful sorcerer will the people of his village treat he and his mother with the respect that he so craves.

His master orders him to accompany him on a quest. Their destination and purpose are cloaked in secrecy. Along the way Kehan will make new friends and enemies and face challenges on many levels, but will he every find the essence of stone?


Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightful fantasy, a wonderful cat--well, just ask her—-and a wizard with an attitude." -- C. J. Cherryh, author

"[Hale] strikes out into new country and creates a story that will keep readers turning page after page." -- Bradley H. Sinor, author & reviewer

About the Author

Beverly A. Hale was born in Texas a number of years ago. Since then she’s been trying to get back home. She has managed a few short stays, but she keeps taking wrong turns and winding up in places like Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Okla-homa. Currently, she lives in the DC area with her husband, a dog, a cat, and 10,000+ books.

While trying to get home, Bev received a B.A. in English from University of Oklahoma and did graduate work there as well. Along the way, she’s picked up a smattering of 7-8 foreign languages. She’s worked at a variety of occupations, including: pool cleaner, salesclerk, secretary, ESL instructor, managing editor, personnel analyst, and marketing manager. Currently, she works as a meetings coordinator for government agencies, associations, and research and charitable foundations.

In her spare time (what spare time?) Bev writes, reads, works on various arts and crafts projects, cooks, swims, and keeps trying to get back home to Texas.

Although this is her first novel, Bev has published in several fields such as: gaming, comics, children’s literature, cookbooks, and short stories. (She also ghost wrote a book of romantic poetry, which she won’t reveal the name of.)


Product Details

  • Paperback: 418 pages
  • Publisher: Yard Dog Pr (November 15, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1893687546
  • ISBN-13: 978-1893687547
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,707,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, July 27, 2003
By 
James K. Burk (Wichita, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Essence of Stone (Paperback)
Beverly Hale's THE ESSENCE OF STONE is a remarkably fine piece of fiction. She has succeeded in melding traditional fantasy (a wizard's apprentice and an enchanted princess among other elements), with exotic features (for one, the setting is not the usual western Europe but the Punjab), and excellent writing.
The characters are not only vividly drawn, they grow, although they still have very human weaknesses.
Hale is, in many ways, very true to life. She points out that whether one wins or loses the important struggles, other problems will remain.
While the threads are available for a sequel, and I'd eagerly buy and read one, I do not demand one because this book is such a superlative piece of work.
The essence of stone is not only the title of gthe book but a question posed to the apprentice, and the answer is appropriate.
First rate.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to Read, February 25, 2003
By 
ale (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Essence of Stone (Paperback)
If most tales of quests leave you feeling dissatisfied and wondering "How does everyone just know what to do? Do these characters exist in a social vacuum with no families or friends? Don't they ever have to go to the bathroom? Why don't any of these people have a sense of humor?" then this is the book for you.

Beverly Hale writes with a strong sense of place without overdoing the descriptive detail. She makes the characters and the setting seem real. The characters are interesting and entertaining, and like the rest of us they face ambiguous situations and have to make decisions without knowing all the facts. You'll find yourself enjoying their company and caring about their fates. (And you'll probably find yourself craving Indian food, too.)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Hale has taken a new path in fantasy...., January 22, 2004
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Essence of Stone (Paperback)
While most fantasy novels exist in a manifestation of our Anglo-Saxon world, Beverly Hale's first novel, "The Essence of Stone" takes place in Indonesian-Pakistani world. The mix of Hale's world and the Indo-Pak is fairly seamless.

Characters are well-developed and enjoyable. Kehan, her protagonist, thinks he is learning the essence of stone to gain the power of magic. Instead, he learns the essence of power and realizes he is not quite the person he expects he is.

The novel is slow-going for the first 150 pages, but the trip and the end are both well-worth it.

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