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DAW BOOKS , January 2005 (hardcover) and January 2006 (mass market pb)
*Starred Review* The third Cloudmages novel opens amid turmoil and rumors of war. Openly resentful of Banrion Jenna, first holder of the powerful cloch (magical stone), Lamh Shabhala, the royalty of the other Tuathas plot to bring down her and her heirs and claim the stone. Outsiders also threaten in the form of the Arruk, animal-like sentient beings striving to conquer humanity and learn the greater magics. The twins Sevei and Kayne, eldest children of Jenna's daughter, the beloved healer Meriel, are away from home, Sevei training with the Cloudmages, and Kayne with his father's campaign to slow the Arruk. Then the brothers' world is devastated by Meriel's murder, their specially gifted seven-year-old brother Ennis' kidnapping, and, later, Jenna's killing, too, which leaves Sevei a totally unprepared new holder of Lamh Shabhala. Separated and their family disrupted, each twin has no one to trust about him and must cultivate the inner strength to deal with the perils he faces. Farrell's smashing series outdoes itself with each new volume. This one constitutes a wonderful tale of transformations, personal for Sevei and Kayne, global for the evolving consciousness of two species in conflict. Good enough to be cast in gold. -- Booklist, Paula Luedtke, American Library Association.
"The grandchildren of Jenna Aoire, who first learned to wield the power of the star stones in 2002’s Holder of Lightning, face multiple challenges in the pseudonymous Farrell’s dense, literate third volume in his Cloudmages saga (after 2004’s Mage of Clouds), set in the Tuatha, a land much like medieval Ireland. Sevei is learning to become a cloudmage while her twin brother, Kayne, is off on a military campaign against the invading Arruk, who have captured their youngest brother, Ennis. Meanwhile, Doyle Mac Ard, Jenna’s half-brother, renews his campaign of treachery against his kin. The author does such a good job of depicting Doyle, who illustrates the psychological costs of the classic Celtic feud mentality, that he almost takes over the novel. But there are plenty of other memorable characters, and readers will be grateful for the extensive appendixes, which include a cast list, a glossary and a brief history. While the pace can be leisurely at times, Farrell continues to shine as one of the strongest voices in the Celtic fantasy subgenre." -- Publishers Weekly
"S. L. Farrell has a solid third tale about magic flowing from the stars and caught by the stones of the Cloudmages... I love these tales." -- Henry Leon Lazarus for Center City Weekly Press (Philadelphia
"In Heir of Stone, S.L. Farrell brings to a stunning climax the tale of three generations... a tumultuous and epic confrontation where the fate of the races of this complex and rich world will be decided." -- author Jim Ferguson
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