Customer Reviews

The Stone and the Maiden (House of the Pandragore, Book 1)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although several reviewers here have stated that this book isan imaginative and compelling read, I have to disagree. While therewere a few moments scattered about here and there where the storybecame somewhat engaging, for the most part this novel was bland andpredictable. The characters were (for the most part) one-dimensionaland difficult to distinguish from one another, the plot the essence offormulaic, and the romantic interplay between Mandine and Key was flatand dry and routine. Likewise, the world lacked any real depth ortexture, seemingly little more than a loose collection of workingnotes without any substantive development or coherent vision. Whilecertainly not the worst novel I've read (indeed, its not even in thetop ten), this one is nonetheless pretty dull fare. If you can get itcheap, suffer from insomnia, and have nothing else to read, you mightconsider picking this one up. If not, however, I would suggest youget your hands on something by George R. R. Martin, J. V. Jones, orKate Elliot.

Dennis Jones debut as a fantasy writer is pleasant enough but lacks substance. The story is familiar, two people must work together to battle an ultimate evil and save the world from darkness. During their quest they realize they love each other (which the reader has realized from chapter 2) and also realize the man who thought he was minor royalty is actually descended from a powerful leader.

The plot isn't much. Jones does create an intriguing world. I especially like the 'hemandra' creatures. Wait for this to come out in paperback, and only read it if you have to read all fantasy books.

i cannot recommend this book at all, except as an example of what the genre has sunk to. the characters are trite, the story is absolutely uninteresting. jones basically decided he needed to make a quick buck and decided to exploit the heroic fantasy genre. there's no dramatic or narrative tension driving this story forward at all. you can all but see the numbers in the template (and it wasn't a good one) he followed to write this book. i'm dismayed (but not surprised) that eos has the audacity to publish a second book in the series. no wonder heroic fantasy continues to have a bad name. (i gave this book one star because the format wouldn't allow me to give it none.)

This is a very good example of a fictional plot: characters are wonderful, adventure, fairy creatures, magic and a princess and prince who save the day. The only problem is reading it is like reading a stone. It is flat at many spots. The author gets descriptive at insignificant parts and flat during major parts. It is as if while he was writing it, he got so caught up in his own story, he left out many details. But he makes up for it with a wonderful plot and a good romantic character in it. All in all, it was time well spent.

It's an entertaining read. It is. If you want a nice, interesting read pick it up. There are quite a few elements going for this book, like the main characters. Mandine, the heir to the throne, is a competent heroine, neither a wishy-washy shrieker or a muscle-bound amazon. Key, the noble born soldier is brave and experienced without being the typical "I'm a tough soldier and you've gotta listen to me cause I'm a guy." I also like the setting, a world left over after wizards had decimated the old empire and destroyed themselves with powerful magics. The Ascendency is the government ruled by a Dynast or Dynastessa, an interesting change from a King, Queen, etc and has a medieval setting without too much stereotyping. The different species are cool too, the forest dwelling Hermanders and Hippaxas, huge cavalry mounts with horns.
Things that are NOT going for the book. Interesting characters that lack depth. You don't really feel connected toward Mandine or Key. You can still feel worried for a character even though you know they'll probably be alright, but I didn't feel worry or anything else towards them. They just got a little boring after awhile. The melodramatic love story was also a little gagging. And Erkai, a "servant to no one" sorceror with Black Craft, was a cool villain without a meaningful existence except to terrorize some people and go away. I felt like I was waiting for the book to really rev up and get going but it ended before it did, and ended with a petit pop instead of a bang. Not unexpected, but a little disappointing. It is not however a bad book, I was just expecting more. Take it out from the library would be my advice.

The Tathar army seems invincible as it destroys everything in its path on their trek to conquer their neighbor The Ascendancy. Evil sorcerer Erkai the Chain leads the Tathars on their conquest. Already a master of the Black Craft, Erkai has tapped into the more deadly Deep Magic.

Mandine Descaris, heir to the Ascendancy throne, knows she needs a miracle to defeat her foe and his horde. When she meets one of her soldiers, Captain Key Mec Brander from the land to the far east Elthanem, they fall in love. Together they seek the mythical talisman the Signata that has been reported to have surfaced three times in four millennium. As Key and Mandine risk their lives in search of the legendary magical amulet that they feel can save the country, her half-sister plots to take over the throne.

THE STONE AND THE MAIDEN is a fabulous fantasy fable that will please readers of the sub-genre. The story line centers on the quest for a rare magic to defeat an apparently invincible enemy. Mandine is a great character who will garner much praise from fantasy lovers. Though the motives of Key, Erkai, and the secondary players never surfaces, Dennis Jones provides the audience with a pleasant plot that screams for a sequel.

Harriet Klausner

Same old stock fantasy novel with nothing that engaged or interested me. Gratuitous cookie-cutter images of utopian monarchy, princes and princesses, evil wizard, a variety of chimaric beasts and mystical benevolent creatures. All of the above fantastical elements treated casually, non-fantastically. They're there and you don't know why or anything about them, i.e., little background for the creatures, land, events. To clarify, my criticism is not that there isn't some originality, it's that there is no richness to the story, characters, or style of writing. One could use only the above same-old elements and still spin a nice tale, e.g., the Bazil Broketail books, Duncan's Gilded Chain stories, Guy Gavriel Kay, Patricia McPhillip. Story begins in the middle of what sounds like an interesting story, I was wishing the book was about what came before. Awkward, aimless dialogue with sometimes excruciating detail, then literally the author lists events by way of summary to move the characters along to who knows where. Flat-footed romance: we know they're in love because their reactions are baldly described but don't know why because who are these two people and what makes them special or attractive?

This is the best book by Dennis Jones. It is very well written and fun to read. A welcomed addition to any fantasy fan.

It is a shame that Dennis Jones didn't get more notice for this book or the sequel The Mask and the Sorceress. While neither is groundbreaking, the writing is solid and shows real promise. You can get these two books very cheaply in the Marketplace, and I think they would be a very good buy to anyone who likes a well paced, pleasant fantasy.

The start of the story was very good, but by the middle of the book it just limps along. The main characters kept second guessing what they had done. This gets old fast. Skip this one.