Worldstone [Hardcover]

Victoria Strauss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1985

Because of the power she possesses, a young girl is drawn into the struggle to control a living stone, once coveted as the Holy Grail and now the soul of a universe parallel to Earth's.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up Alexina Taylor has always felt her separation from the rest of humanity, but she has assumed it to be a fault in her own character. It is only after she meets Taryn and his companions, journeyers from a parallel world, that she discovers the awesome powers which are hers to command. Alexina's loneliness makes her vulnerable to manipulation, and even her abilities cannot guard her against the betrayal which wears friendship's smile. A hazardous quest, a mysterious shadow, an enigmatic man and his seemingly enchanted mansion all combine to form a thrilling narrative, slowed somewhat by chunks of exposition, often necessary in fantasy to acquaint readers with the created world. Like many other protagonists who follow a quest, Alexina experiences the pain which comes from growth, but she also reaches a kind of peace through acceptance of herself and her circumstances. If this acceptance seems somewhat facile, and the realistic world's issues not quite so interesting as those involving Taryn, Bron and their people, this may be because few things are resolved at novel's end. There is pause as of calm before storm, and readers are left wonderingand hoping. Readers of Walker's Inherit the Earth (1981) and McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974, both Atheneum) will find this hard to forget and will demand to know "what happened next?" Holly Sanhuber, Muskego Public Library, Wis.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: Four Winds Press; First Edition edition (December 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027883809
• ISBN-13: 978-0027883800
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,802,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Victoria Strauss is the author of eight fantasy novels for adults and young adults, including the "Way of Arata" duology ("The Burning Land" and "The Awakened City"), and a forthcoming historical fantasy for teens, "Passion Blue." She has written hundreds of book reviews for magazines and ezines, including SF Site, and her articles on writing have appeared in Writer's Digest and elsewhere. In 2006, she served as a judge for the World Fantasy Awards.

An active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), she's Vice-Chair of the Committee on Writing Scams, and co-founder, with Ann Crispin, of Writer Beware, a publishing industry watchdog group that tracks and warns about literary fraud. She maintains the popular Writer Beware website (http://www.writerbeware.com/) and blog (http://www.accrispin.blogspot.com/), and was honored with the SFWA Service Award in 2009.

Visit her at her website: http://www.victoriastrauss.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fans of Strauss will find this a very interesting read., January 4, 2001

By 

Arleon (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Worldstone (Signet AE4756) (Mass Market Paperback)

Fans who enjoyed Strauss' work in Arm of the Stone and Garden of Stone will enjoy reading this related earlier work by Strauss.

The Worldstone is about Alexina, an American teenager who discovers her own mindpower when she helps a strange boy who appears in a nearby cave, and must make choices about who to trust and how to use her power. Those who have read Arm of the Stone will recognize certain characters who Alexina meets. However, readers should keep in mind that The Worldstone is an "alternate" sequel to Arm of the Stone, since the events in The Worldstone are not compatible with events that occur in the Garden of Stone.

Even in this early work, Strauss creates interesting characters, who cannot be easily categorized as "good" or "evil," unlike much young adult fantasy. The weakness of this early work is that it leans much more on cliched description, and has a less than satisfying ending, which is why I do not give it more stars. However, the book is very interesting as an example of how an author develops and changes her plots, characters and writing over time.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sloppy and unprofessional!, June 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Worldstone (Signet AE4756) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am so disappointed in this book! The plot is weak and the characters I found to be a bit boring. Overall I thought this book was sloppy and unprofessional not what I expected by this self-proclaimed bestselling author! WORLDSTONE is a waste of time and good money, in this man's opinion.