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The Garden Of Stones (2013)

by Mark T. Barnes(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1611098939 (ISBN13: 9781611098938)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

47North

series

Echoes of Empire

review 1: It's funny, I tend to read the blurb about a book and then the reviews before I buy a book, and the book sounded great, but the reviews were Loved it or Hated it. Not much middle ground. I have read a lot of fantasy over the years, good and bad, and this is right up in the top tier! It is an incredibly complex world, with lots of magic based on mathematical formulas to work "disentropy" magical effects. Like Steven Erickson's Malazan books, there are thousands of years of back story to draw upon, and the author does a great job of building the world, and the characters who inhabit it. He has a deft touch creating powerful characters who are still capable of making mistakes, and making villains who can still be seen in a somewhat sympathetic light. I would recommend this bo... moreok to anyone who likes soaring adventure fantasy that happens to be on an epic scale. It has everything a fantasy fan could want. The author was creative with naming, but hey, thats what fantasy is all about. Another of this great new wave of fantasy writers from Australia along with Karen Miller and John Flanagan.
review 2: I originally saw this book on goodreads. I read some of the review and decided to give the series a try. And I love it! I give the book 5 stars not because it's a perfect book, but because my enjoyment was so high.The warnings that some reviews gave were basically for a confusing beginning, where the author drops you into the action without much of an explanation and starts throwing plot (and a pile of new words and exotic names) at you. In this, it did remind me of the Malazan Book of Fallen, as some other reviews had alluded to (another series that I enjoyed very much). Erikson (and Esselmont) taught me the patience needed to trust the author - if you don't quite understand that word yet, or what exactly is going on, trust the author. Sometimes the author will let you down and the novel is simply poorly written but that is not the case here. What impressed me the most was the setting - is is absolutely incredible, and very original. From the Seethe to the way dragons are imagined, from the Avan to Humans, and all the incredible history of the world, I am waiting on pins and needles to find out more.I am very excited to read the next novel. I can't wait to see what is in store for me in this beautifully imagined, exotic world. Indris is just the type of character I love - a powerful character who knows that he is powerful (though might not grasp how powerful he actually is). Not an easy read (too many new words and concepts), but a very enjoyable one! less

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