The Stone of Authority (Stone Cycle, #3)

by Allan N Packer

[phyllish]

The saga continues

My rating is 4.5 stars

The Stone Cycle saga continues as a man set on using it for evil discovers the Stone of Authority and its power. From battle to ambush to treachery and more, The Stone of Authority is full of action and intrigue. There are some elements of romance as several of the characters marry though this is not a romance.

Elena continued to amaze me in this story. She is not only beautiful, she is also wise and kind and compassionate, the very qualities that caused Thomas to fall deeply in love with her even when he had thought her to be hunchbacked and ugly. When placed in a situation in which she could have responded with hatred and anger, she chose instead to use empathy and gentleness to bring about results that were surprising to everyone.

I particularly appreciated the insight that even though Thomas and Elena viewed the same events surrounding the same person, they saw different facets. She viewed them through empathy and considered motives and extenuating circumstances while he viewed them as hard and fast facts. He learned such an important lesson through this.

I was glad to see so many of the characters I have come to know over the course of this series return. Yes, there are many to keep track of, which is the nature of this type of saga, but it wasn't difficult to remember who they were. For readers who need help, there is a cast of characters section at the end of the book to assist. I was also pleased that the important events from the previous books were easy to recall, prompted as they were in this story. And gladly, the details provided about the events that had already taken place were just enough to jog my memory and not so much to seem like an attempt to re-tell the previous stories in their entirety!

While I'm anticipating seeing where things go next in The Stone Cycle saga, I am especially looking forward to learning the secret of Ennawi, Agon's unusual servant. Because I am convinced there will be an amazing and surprising reveal!

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."