THE BURNING STONE
(Crown of Stars: Book 3)
Kate Elliott
books, 1999
ISBN: 0-88677-813-1 (hardcover)
KING'S DRAGON, the first volume in the momentous fantasy epic, Crown of Stars,
was hailed by Publishers Weekly as: "An entirely captivating affair ... a resounding narrative revolving around three appealing protagonists .... Dominating the novel though, is a shining hero to haunt one's dreams-Sanglant, captain of the Dragons ... Elliott models her world from a thorough understanding of medieval European history, leavened with imaginative twists of perspective .... She skews language, too, just enough to make it both satisfyingly familiar and tangily other-an indispensable technique in conjuring convincing fictional worlds that never were, but that we, whether young or young in heart, wish could be."
And The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction praised PRINCE OF DOGS, the second
volume in this brilliant tetralogy, as: "...well-thought-out, well-structured, and well-crafted .... There's a bone-deep reality to the world that informs its people in both the small details and the large. Elliott has a strong ability to create a sense of other that is nonetheless human and compelling; her writing is one of the best arguments for the value of multivolume works."
Now THE BURNING STONE returns us to the war-torn kingdoms of Wendar and Varre at a
crucial moment in this complex tale of war, love, and magic. Offered a haven from
their enemies and the chance for Liath to study the ancient lore with those who claim
her as their own, Liath and Sanglant-made outcasts by their love-flee from King Henry's
camp only to discover that no place can truly be safe for them. For both their lives
and their love will be at risk when they are forced to choose which pathway each will
follow--lured by the equally strong demands of politics, forbidden knowledge, and family.
Liath, born with a dangerous power beyond her understanding or ability to control, is
torn between her longing for Sanglant and the child they are about to have and the
call of sorcery, which can open the way into the land of the Aoi, the Lost Ones.
And, even as Liath struggles with magic's seductive spell, Sanglant's Aoi mother
returns to the mortal world in search of the son she abandoned as a babe.
As the fates of kingdoms shift with the changing fortunes of those caught up in
the dangers of both civil war and continuing attacks by the nonhuman Eika and
the Quman invaders, time is running out for Liath, Sanglant, King Henry, and
the people of Wendar and Varre. For the moment is fast approaching when the
lands of Aoi and human will once again be joined in time and space--and none
can foretell who will survive--or rule -after this cataclysmic event.
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