Amazon Amazon.com Virtualbookworm.com Category:  Science Fiction Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com ISBN-10:  1602645884 Pages: 306 Copyright: 2010 ISBN-13: 9781602645882 The second instalment in the Lodestone saga.  (Excerpt) A low snarling sound. A pair of yellow eyes appeared in front of her; then another, and a third. Shapes moved in the darkness, jostling each other impatiently, regarding her with a malevolence colder even than the bitter air. The snarl grew into a chorus of deep throated growls from every side.  Saccath’s staff was already in her hands, her tendons stretched white against the darkwood. “Boxx, stay close,” she commanded. Glancing beside her, she saw that the Chandara had transformed itself into a ball of chitin. You’ll have to teach me that trick.   Shann whirled around. The creatures were circling her, probing her defences, testing her resolve. She strained her eyes, but their forms were elusive, melting into the anonymity of the starlit night. If she were on her own, she would have flared her cloak and scanned for lodestone, so as to effect her escape, but there was no way she was going to leave Boxx at the mercy of these…things. She keened her Kelanni senses, bracing herself for the attack.   It erupted in a flurry of fur and fang–of horn and claw. Shann was slicing, slashing and stabbing at anything that moved; her diamond blade flashing in the starlight as if the heavens were lending her their power. She brought her staff down on the head of one of the beasts and heard the crunch of bone; then pirouetted, cleaving phantoms and sundering shadows. Bass growling was now becoming interspersed with higher pitched yelping. The creatures backed off. Regrouping. Thinking.   As she stood, breathing hard, braced for the next onslaught, Shann’s mind went back to the battle with the sand scarags of the Great Southern Desert. The sand scarags were like automata. They had one tactic–swarm and overwhelm–which they pursued with a mindless compulsion. These creatures were different. There was a collective intelligence here–the cold unyielding logic of the implacable hunter.   Shann felt a sudden sharp pressure in the small of her back. Before she could react, she was propelled forward and sent sprawling, face first onto the ground. She twisted on to her back. The stars were blotted out by a huge shape, looming over her. Xanthic eyes bore into her and hot, fetid breath washed over her face.  (Review) When we left our heroes in Book One, the four Kelanni; Shann, Lyall, Keris and Alondo, and the Chandara, Boxx, they were attempting to cross the great Storm Barrier by ship – an unheard of feat to attempt.  Although somewhat successful in reaching the ‘other side’, Shann and Boxx are separated from the others, and both groups have to strike out on their own in this strange land.  Shann and Boxx are fortunate to be taken in by a scientist, and his apprentice, Rael.  They explain that this is Kelanni-Skell, and her home is Kelanni-Drann, the two halves of the world (and cultures) separated completely by the Storm Barrier.  The two halves have experienced separate but parallel evolution, and the new world Shann finds herself in is much more technologically advanced.   After many (mis)adventures, the two groups are finally reunited, now including Rael, and resume their quest to find the machine that will stop the Prophet from his scheme of destroying all Kelanni and taking over the planet.  Along the way, the real enemy of the Kelanni is revealed – the Unan-Chinneroth in the old language, or in their native tongue, ‘hu-mans’.  They were responsible for the war that split the planet in two, and now have become the group’s greatest enemy.  They are determined to stop the quest, no matter what the cost.   Once again, Whiteway creates a whole new world for us to revel in.  His vivid mix of ‘readable English’, and references to the planet’s inhabitants, technology and features in the ‘native’ tongue has been maintained, if not advanced.  Additionally, the author hits his stride in terms of plot development and continuous action.  There are no wasted scenes and no trivial dialog exchanges.  However, the highlight of the work was the character development.  In Book One, the reader had to learn about the world, meet the characters and be introduced to the ultimate premise of the series.  In Book Two, Whiteway takes the time, (and wonderfully), to give each of the major characters a distinct personality, and develops intricate relationships and conflicts between them all.   I can honestly say that Book Two is better than the first, and that is quite an accomplishment. This is an absolute must read for fantasy fans.  I was fortunate enough to be on vacation when I received my copy, and it was literally a one-day read.  My only complaint is that the third book won’t come out soon enough.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by reviewer: Gregg J. Haugland, Allbooks Reviews     www.allbookreviews.com   Title: Lodestone:  Book One – The Sea of Storms Author: Mark Whiteway Publisher: Virtualbookworm  ISBN: 978-1-60264-588-2 Pages: 308 Price: N/A July 2010

Allbooks Reviews
When we left our heroes in Book One, the four Kelanni; Shann, Lyall, Keris and Alondo, and the Chandara, Boxx, they were attempting to cross the great Storm Barrier by ship – an unheard of feat to attempt. Although somewhat successful in reaching the ‘other side’, Shann and Boxx are separated from the others, and both groups have to strike out on their own in this strange land. Shann and Boxx are fortunate to be taken in by a scientist, and his apprentice, Rael. They explain that this is Kelanni-Skell, and her home is Kelanni-Drann, the two halves of the world (and cultures) separated completely by the Storm Barrier. The two halves have experienced separate but parallel evolution, and the new world Shann finds herself in is much more technologically advanced.

After many (mis)adventures, the two groups are finally reunited, now including Rael, and resume their quest to find the machine that will stop the Prophet from his scheme of destroying all Kelanni and taking over the planet. Along the way, the real enemy of the Kelanni is revealed – the Unan-Chinneroth in the old language, or in their native tongue, ‘hu-mans’. They were responsible for the war that split the planet in two, and now have become the group’s greatest enemy. They are determined to stop the quest, no matter what the cost.

Once again, Whiteway creates a whole new world for us to revel in. His vivid mix of ‘readable English’, and references to the planet’s inhabitants, technology and features in the ‘native’ tongue has been maintained, if not advanced. Additionally, the author hits his stride in terms of plot development and continuous action. There are no wasted scenes and no trivial dialog exchanges. However, the highlight of the work was the character development. In Book One, the reader had to learn about the world, meet the characters and be introduced to the ultimate premise of the series. In Book Two, Whiteway takes the time, (and wonderfully), to give each of the major characters a distinct personality, and develops intricate relationships and conflicts between them all.

I can honestly say that Book Two is better than the first, and that is quite an accomplishment. This is an absolute must read for fantasy fans. I was fortunate enough to be on vacation when I received my copy, and it was literally a one-day read. My only complaint is that the third book won’t come out soon enough. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by reviewer: Gregg J. Haugland, Allbooks Reviews www.allbookreviews.com

Title: Lodestone: Book One – The Sea of Storms
Author: Mark Whiteway
Publisher: Virtualbookworm
ISBN: 978-1-60264-588-2
Pages: 308
Price: N/A


Matt Heckler
Review: Lodestone Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars by Mark Whiteway
Lodestone Book Two: The Sea of Storms
By Mark Whiteway
Self-Published (Virtualbookworm), 2010, 312 pp.

Rating: A-

The World of Ice and Stars is the second book of Lodestone, a science fiction/fantasy epic by English writer Mark Whiteway. Whereas Book One: The Sea of Storms was more of a straight fantasy with science fiction touches, Whiteway's second novel is a perfect example of what a blending of sci-fi and fantasy can be if done right.

Continuing directly from the end of The Sea of Storms, the novel picks up with Shann and Boxx, separated from their companions after crossing the sea that separates the two halves of their world. Whereas Shann and Boxx come from a land where the climate is warm and rule is under a religious prophet, they now find themselves in an unfamiliar world of snow, ruled by the pursuits of science rather than faith.

While the first novel was a brilliant book that took a while to get rolling, The World of Ice and Stars is outstanding from the first chapter. It has a perfectly steady pace that feels neither slow nor rushed, with forceful storytelling that gradually and perfectly peels back the layers of the novel's narrative. While notable fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings are beloved and yet still criticized even by its fans for its slow pace, this is not a problem here. It flows perfectly, without any lulls in storytelling. It was perfectly edited.

The only criticism I could offer is that the created races and species could use more description; there are certainly times when I struggle to picture the people of the story. That being noted, this is still a brilliant novel that only entertains profusely, but manages to have something substantive to say about the struggle between religion and science. I eagerly await the third installment.
Lodestone Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars is available for purchase through Amazon. Please also see my review of the first book in this series, The Sea of Storms.
Posted by Matt Heckler at 4:00 PM
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Labels: a reviews, adventure, fantasy, lodestone, mark whiteway, science fiction, the sea of storms