The Stone in the Skull

The Lotus Kingdoms, Book 1

De: Elizabeth Bear

Narrado por: Rendah Heywood, Firdous Bamji

The Gage was an artist, once, and a lover. To avenge his murdered beloved, he allowed a sorcerer to sheathe his body in mirrored bronze. His vengeance is complete now; the sorcerer has long since perished. But the Gage endures.

The Dead Man had a purpose once as well: he was raised to be the protector of a Caliph. The Caliph died; the Dead Man did not. Now the Dead Man and the Gage have become companions of the sword, itinerant mercenaries. They have come east and south, through the passes of the Steles of the Sky, bearing a message to the besieged young queen of one of the Lotus Kingdoms. There, they will discover magic, mystery, betrayal, love - and, perhaps, finally, a purpose.

©2017 Sarah Wishnevsky Lynch (P)2017 Recorded Books

A tale in the Lotus Kingdom

Elizabeth Bear’s The Stone in the Skull is part buddy tale between an automaton and his bodyguard, the ‘dead man’ carrying a secret message and part succession obsessed with two women, one a widow and son and the other never married, each trying to hold their realms together while war is brewing. The automaton and the dead man provide the environmental overview as they traverse the lands on their mission to deliver their message, while both women are struggling with maintain their positions of leadership against growing headwinds.

Bear offers an extremely slow intro, setting up what begins as three separate storylines. The ‘bromance’ supplies background on the political and military situation throughout the region. Each woman has unique issues as they struggle to retain power and influence in their respective realms.

The narration is adequate with the choice of two narrators highlighting shifts in perspective. Character distinction is reasonable. Pacing is slow.

Wonderful

While I was listening to this book on audio, I kept thinking "This is like beautiful poetry. This is like a 5 course dinner". I don't even LIKE poetry and am not sure that a formal cruise ship dinner rates as any 5-course, but it was the only way my brain could interpret and define how beautifully Ms Bear put her words and this story together.

This story is about as far from fast-paced as you can get, but it builds and builds and builds while you realize what it's all about. Women and (in)equality of power, prejudice, religion, gender identity, life, love....and magic.

All of that sounds like an exhausting list, but is done so subtly that you don't get hit over the head with anything. Much like the exquisite unwinding of her language, the plot slowly unwinds as well. Right up to the bang at the end.

I cannot express how eager I am to get my hands on the rest of the series. This book was VERY well done. Hm....re-reading my review. Perhaps I used the wrong analogy; some of you lucky souls will get what I mean. :)

Great World Building

Loved the world Elizabeth Bear built, and all the vivid, living, breathing, flawed characters.

not her best book

Elizabeth Bear is an amazing author... but I'm 3/4 of the way through this book and I have no idea what the point is. it's 3/4 of the book is character development... without any idea of what the story is... I kind of feel like that's not a great example of her writing.

most of her books have excellent character development but also have an excellent plotline. intricate and interwoven... but not this book.

I definitely recommend reading all of Elizabeth Bear's other works before you start him on this one because this one might turn you off from her writing.

and 3/4 of the way through the book and I am giving up on it 😓 usually if I start a book I finish it even if I hate it... but this book made me want to not listen to my audible and instead I began reading books again to avoid it... I decided that's a really reasonable bar for abandoning it.

but again she is an amazing writer... I just have no idea what the point of this book is and I don't think I should have to read the whole thing just to find out.

I have the digital print book and love it

The two readers are an interesting approach - though they use different pronunciations for some of the character names with is a bit jarring. The story itself is wonderful - interesting characters, beautiful settings, intriguing magic and political situation - there is at least one more book forthcoming in this series. If you liked STELES OF THE SKY you will like this - it's set in the same world some 40 years after that story ends.

My low overall rating is because this is billed as "unabridged" and the tech support person confirmed this. It isn't. It's missing a segment that's in the printed book and while the love scene that's been clipped isn't critical a further part of the story IS. I've already talked to tech support and we re-downloaded the book to no avail, it absolutely is not in there. And that, far more than the two readers differing pronunciation of the names, is quite disappointing to me.