Stonewiser
Authors: Dora Machado
| Stonewiser |
| Dora Machado |
| Mermaid Press (2010) |
Between truth and deception, between justice and abuse, a stonewiser stands alone with the stones. Or so begins the stonewiser's oath. But what happens when a rebellious stonewiser discovers that lies have tainted the stone tales? In a world devastated by the rot's widespread destruction, only the tales preserved in the stones can uphold the truth and defend the Goodlands. In this world, stone truth is valued above anyone's word, and stonewisers are the only ones capable of retrieving the tales from the stones, the only link between past and present, order and chaos.nSariah is the most gifted stonewiser of her generation, but her talent does not atone for her shortcomings. A survivor of the Guild's brutal training, she is curious, willful, and disobedient. Yet not even Sariah is prepared for what she finds when she steals into the Guild's Sacred Vaults: A mayhem of lies and intrigues that shatters her world. Hunted, persecuted, and betrayed, Sariah must make an unlikely alliance with Kael, a cynical rebel leader pledged to a mysterious quest of his own. The fate of their dying world depends on their courage to overcome centuries of hatred and distrust. But not even the grueling journey has prepared them for what they're about to discover. Because nothing is really as it seems, and the truth is more intricate and devastating than they ever suspected . . . Vibrant with detail, alive with compelling characters, and packed with intriguing action and unforeseen twists,
Stonewiser
is an unforgettable adventure, an exquisite, heartwarming tale from a mesmerizing storyteller.
The Call of the Stone
The STONEWISER Series
STONEWISER
The Heart of the Stone
STONEWISER
The Call of the Stone
STONEWISER
The Lament of the Stone
The Call of the Stone
Dora Machado
Copyright © 2009 by Dora Machado
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, transmitted or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and all other material contained herein are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, activities, and/or locations is purely coincidental.
Map art by Dora Machado
Cover and interior design by Mayapriya Long, Bookwrights
Cover and text art by Duncan Long
Stonewiser™ is a trademark of Dora Machado
ISBN: 978-0-9799682-4-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009921612
Mermaid Press is an imprint of Mermaid Publishing, LLC
Mermaid Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 5480
Spring Hill, FL 34611
Printed in the United States of America
To VAR
and
MPA
Who taught me to wise tales out of lives
and lives out of tales.
More praise for Dora Machado's
Stonewiser
series:
“This touches on one of the strengths of the novel - that it is both plot driven – as well as an intimate portrait of a young woman's painful journey toward maturity. …This is a page turner with heart and deserves to find a wide readership”
“If you enjoy accessible sci-fi/fantasy (or even if you don't, because I thought I didn't), this book is a ton of fun!”
“Machado's writing is as competent as her characterization, being vivid and often poetic. The plot itself is well devised and generally moves along at a good pace… There are quite a few surprises… I was surprised to find that the novel was often a little darker than I expected, and there are one or two quite brutal moments that add a nice (dare I say it) gritty feel, without coming across too heavily. Machado's world also comes across well in her writing.”
—
www.speculativehorizons.blog-spot.com
“Once in a while, a new fantasy/adventure comes out that doesn't travel well-worn paths in the genre but instead gives us a vivid new world, an exciting set of original characters, and page after page of non-stop intrigue, action, twists, revelation, and fun. STONEWISER is the best to appear in years.”
— Barnes & Noble review
Spotlight Book for June 2008
—
http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone
— A 2009 ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist
One
S
ARIAH WAS WITH
her pupils when the executioners came. They arrived on her deck without warning or fanfare, slipping in through the door one after the other, until twelve of them crammed her stonewiser's deck. Twelve. They had been warned about her. They took care to block the door and windows before they stripped the dark mantles they wore to conceal their garb. The sight of their red robes was worse than a rotfish fang to her gut. Dread squelched all of the day's promises and numbed Sariah to death's bold announcement.
A bulky fellow with a face as cracked as the mud flats stepped forward. “Stonewiser, you are called to the nets.”
It was a measure of the fear Sariah inspired that the voice of the grizzled veteran shook faintly when he addressed her.
She called on her practiced discipline to avoid the man's pitfall. “Has it been decided?”
His smile was just another crevice on his weathered face. “We raced to beat the messengers. You die tomorrow at sunrise. Don't worry. We'll make great good of your death.”
Tomorrow. She chided herself for sending her guard away to aid with the blood month's butchering. At the time, it had seemed like the fair decision. Every able hand was needed and no word about her fate had been expected until next year. Besides, she couldn't very well keep the runners around when she intended a brief private foray of her own. She eyed the bag she had packed the night before. Her little journey would have to wait now.
Young Mia stood up, considering the executioners with the leery stare of a stalking cat. With a muted swoosh, a dozen swords rushed out of the executioners' sheaths and aimed at the girl. Perhaps they had heard about Mia as well. The little girl's freckled face darkened with the power gathering in her. Her sparkling blue and green eyes queried Sariah, pleading for permission. Such great insight in a twelve-year-old. Such great power and sorrow.