Those who love myth and legend--and even those who think they don't--will devour this engaging story, which expertly weaves Arthurian legend into a modern setting. Dashing between Chicago, London, and Alyssum, a small island off England's southwest tip, the novel follows the two daughters, Maxine and Olivia, of archaeologist Ben Pike, who is missing and presumably dead. Ben has left a stunning green stone to Max, a Chicago college professor. Olivia, a broke and aging playgirl, joins Max to search for answers to their father's disappearance--and to protect the beautiful stone. Joined by a British half brother they never knew existed, the sisters attempt to return the stone to its home (the Arthurian connection) and to fight a frightening man named Rhys, in whose hands the stone would be used for evil. Brod wisely waits to introduce supernatural plot elements until even hardcore realists will be well and truly hooked. A nice mix of thriller and fantasy genres.
Jenny McLarinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
". . . a cracking good story. I heartily recommend it."
-- Barbara D'Amato, author of
Death of a Thousand Cuts"Those who love myth and legend--and even those who think they don't--will devour this engaging story, which expertly weaves Arthurian legend into a modern setting. Dashing between Chicago, London, and Alyssum, a small island off England's southwest tip, the novel follows the two daughters, Maxine and Olivia, of archaeologist Ben Pike, who is missing and presumably dead. Ben has left a stunning green stone to Max, a Chicago college professor. Sister, Olivia, a broke and aging playgirl, joins Max to search for answers to their father's disappearance*and to protect the beautiful stone. Joined by a British half-brother they never knew existed, the sisters attempt to return the stone to its home (the Arthurian connection) and to fight a frightening man named Rhys, in whose hands the stone would be used for evil. Brod wisely waits to introduce supernatural plot elements until readers are so hooked on the adventure that even hardcore realists will be well and truly hooked."
--
Booklist, August 2005 (
Booklist )
"D.C. Brod pens a wondrous tale of legend and fantasy and brings to modern times the tale of King Arthur and Excalibur. Maxine just wants to find out what happened to her father. Her sister Olivia just wants her inheritance. As they come closer to finding out the answers they seek, danger escalates as it becomes increasingly possible that there is more truth to the Arthurian tales than either sister ever believed possible and they find themselves playing a pivotal role in the modern day legend."
"D.C. Brod's writing style reminds this reader of Robert Ludlum books in the many plot lines and various characters, all slowly unraveling the mystery one page at a time, leading to a terrific "battle" at the end of the story."
"The book moves at a breathtaking pace that will keep readers riveted to the page. The many characters are all complex and each holds a pivotal place in the story line. HEARTSTONE is a legend-based thriller that takes on a new life in modern times. A positively marvelous book that fantasy readers will not be able to pass up."
--
Loveromance.com, July 2005 (
LoveRomances.Com )
