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Souls of the Stones #3.5
Jaded Stone
In Cornerstone, Valencia Roth died to protect her daughter. In Jaded Stone, she'll live for her.
Twenty years before the events of Cornerstone, Valencia Roth is the Crown Princess of Sheas, as lonely as she is privileged. She wants for nothing, except a clear path toward peace for her land. She’s always known personal happiness might not be in The Three’s plan for her. As the future ruler of Sheas, and a Cornerstone, her life belongs to her people.
But when Valencia meets the charming Reid Hendel, she dares to believe love could be within her reach. That is, if they can both survive long enough for it to blossom. A new threat prowls the land, and she’s their primary target. Armed with stubborn pride and all the resources of Sheas, she fears nothing—until her brother leads her intended directly into the fray and at least one of them doesn’t return.
Burdened with grief, Valencia must carve her own path forward. From the forge of chaos, a new era will be born.
Twenty years before the events of Cornerstone, Valencia Roth is the Crown Princess of Sheas, as lonely as she is privileged. She wants for nothing, except a clear path toward peace for her land. She’s always known personal happiness might not be in The Three’s plan for her. As the future ruler of Sheas, and a Cornerstone, her life belongs to her people.
But when Valencia meets the charming Reid Hendel, she dares to believe love could be within her reach. That is, if they can both survive long enough for it to blossom. A new threat prowls the land, and she’s their primary target. Armed with stubborn pride and all the resources of Sheas, she fears nothing—until her brother leads her intended directly into the fray and at least one of them doesn’t return.
Burdened with grief, Valencia must carve her own path forward. From the forge of chaos, a new era will be born.
298 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
About the author
Kelly Walker
18 books333 followersKelly Walker is a YA and NA author of several romantic titles, including the Souls of the Stones series. She has an unhealthy appreciation for chocolate, and a soft spot for rescued animals. Her best lessons on writing came from a lifetime of reading. She loves the fantastical, and the magical, and believes a captivating romance can be the most realistic magic of all. Kelly, her husband and her two children share their Virginia home with three dogs who walk her, and two cats who permit her to occasionally share their couch.
**A Kind Request** If you want to send me a message about one of my books, please do it through facebook or email. I don't check my GoodReads messages often and messages get lost beneath group messages.**
**A Kind Request** If you want to send me a message about one of my books, please do it through facebook or email. I don't check my GoodReads messages often and messages get lost beneath group messages.**
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 26, 2013
My thoughts:
“Jaded Stone” was a lovely read. I had been offered it by Kelly’s publicist and jumped at the chance since I am a steadfast follower of this series.
I was immediately entranced with the setting and characterization of Valencia. She goes through a lot of heavy decision making not only for herself but for others as well and it just showed her strength and determination to secure her and her people’s future.
There’s also an element of romance in this book in which I always love in books so I was a happy girl! Hehe. ;)
But with a new threat on the line how will things pan out?
A truly magical prequel to the "Souls of Stones" series!
I was immediately entranced with the setting and characterization of Valencia. She goes through a lot of heavy decision making not only for herself but for others as well and it just showed her strength and determination to secure her and her people’s future.
There’s also an element of romance in this book in which I always love in books so I was a happy girl! Hehe. ;)
But with a new threat on the line how will things pan out?
A truly magical prequel to the "Souls of Stones" series!
December 30, 2013
I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest opinion and review. Thanks to Rachel Marks and Kelly Walker!
I really enjoy Kelly Walker's books and when Rachel Marks asked me to read and review Kelly Walker's newest book, I couldn't resist!
A prequel to the events that take place in the Cornerstone series, Jaded Stone follows the story of Valencia Roth and how events folded out to how they are in Cornerstone .
I loved this novel. I was hooked from the beginning. The writing has greatly improved. Walker's writing is descriptive and really paints a picture. I love the setting which was well developed. I couldn't help but compare this book to the Cornerstone series. I like Emariya's character better than Valencia's. I enjoyed Valencia's perspective more than Emariya's though. Jaded Stone was faster-paced and more exciting than Cornerstone . Valencia Roth is an amazing protagonist. She is so strong and tenacious and confident and stubborn. She's a great role model and she would have been a great leader of Sheas. Her strength and determination is admirable. It was so strange reading of Rees Hendel in a different light. In the Cornerstone series Hendel acts cold, severe, grief-stricken. He's much lighter and nicer in this book. I loved Reid Hendel. I cried when he died. I loved all of the little tie-ins that Walker put in the book.
The only problems I saw: I got a bit confused with the characters because all of the names were familiar to me and some sounded the same or started with the same letter. The last few chapters of the book seemed a little rushed to me.
I really enjoyed Jaded Stone , and I hope to read more of Kelly Walker's books.
I really enjoy Kelly Walker's books and when Rachel Marks asked me to read and review Kelly Walker's newest book, I couldn't resist!
A prequel to the events that take place in the Cornerstone series, Jaded Stone follows the story of Valencia Roth and how events folded out to how they are in Cornerstone .
I loved this novel. I was hooked from the beginning. The writing has greatly improved. Walker's writing is descriptive and really paints a picture. I love the setting which was well developed. I couldn't help but compare this book to the Cornerstone series. I like Emariya's character better than Valencia's. I enjoyed Valencia's perspective more than Emariya's though. Jaded Stone was faster-paced and more exciting than Cornerstone . Valencia Roth is an amazing protagonist. She is so strong and tenacious and confident and stubborn. She's a great role model and she would have been a great leader of Sheas. Her strength and determination is admirable. It was so strange reading of Rees Hendel in a different light. In the Cornerstone series Hendel acts cold, severe, grief-stricken. He's much lighter and nicer in this book. I loved Reid Hendel. I cried when he died. I loved all of the little tie-ins that Walker put in the book.
The only problems I saw: I got a bit confused with the characters because all of the names were familiar to me and some sounded the same or started with the same letter. The last few chapters of the book seemed a little rushed to me.
I really enjoyed Jaded Stone , and I hope to read more of Kelly Walker's books.
January 25, 2014
A good read. Valencia comes across as a sensible - rather than spoiled or pampered - princess who knows her own mind and is steadfastly loyal to her country, willing to do anything for them. Her initial plan is to marry the only other free Cornerstone, regardless of love, but as she meets more people that might change.
The emotions and confusion they bring are realistic, and I could see her life both from Valencia's point of view and how it appeared to the citizens.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The emotions and confusion they bring are realistic, and I could see her life both from Valencia's point of view and how it appeared to the citizens.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2014
A good cover always makes me want to pick up a book. And this one certainly has a good cover. Having never read Kelly Walker before this book, I took a gamble in requesting this book for review. However, it was one that certainly paid off.
This book is a prequel to a trilogy which, after reading this book, I feel I must get my hands on. Ms. Walker weaves an interesting story in an unforgettable world, and it was one I didn't want to put down.
It began with a prologue. I'm not a fan of prologues. I find them unnecessary in so many books, this one no different. But I beg you to look past those short pages when reading Jaded Stone, because as you as you get to Valentia Roth's point of view, the story shoots off like a rocket.
Walker weaves a world worthy of falling into. Valentia's voice is riveting, her character is strong and easy to relate to, and the story passes with the sort of intrigue I look forward to in a book.
I loved that Walker included the grandmother's spirit. Even though all we saw of her was mental thoughts, I got a strong sense of her character and liked her a lot. Valentia's ability to speak with her dead relative is nice. It shows a tight-knit family which is often lacking in fantasy.
Valentia is a strong, capable woman in her own right. Here, the author gives a good view of her flaws as well as her virtues, making her a well-rounded character. Her voice carried me swiftly through the book. She's a bit of a spoiled princess at times, but it is equal parts annoying and amusing. She takes offense to many things (in my opinion to a little too many) but I chalked that up to the spoiled princess in her.
Oren, although he isn't shown in the majority of the book, comes off as an extremely likeable and relateable character from the snippets of letters which the author includes before every chapter. I found myself on the edge of my seat, hoping that every forthcoming chapter would be the chapter I was first introduced to him.
Although nothing about his manner indicated it warranted, I was leery of Reid from the moment he stepped into Valentia's life. Romantically and politically, I wanted Oren for her from the start. Reid's attachment seemed sudden and too eager. I suspected him of ulterior motives despite his apparent sincerity to help. I have to admit, I didn't read the blurb all the way through and wasn't expecting his death or her brother's involvement in it.
But there was one thing that irked me. Upon Reid's death, Valentia spirals into a pit of grief. But if Valentia is so in love, how did she get there? She and Reid spent any time together. I never got a sense of who he really was, from the moment they met to the moment they parted. Her love, her grief over her broken heart feels superficial. More like what she thought her life would become with him than genuine grief.
That being said, Walker's portrayal of grief is spot-on, insofar as blaming others without cause. I try not to tolerate it in myself, and hate seeing this flaw of grief rear its ugly head in others. But people do it. Blame something that someone did or did not do. Ostracize them, in order to make yourself feel better. It happened to me, the subject of alienation from my husband's family when he committed suicide. Perhaps that's why I found it hard to swallow in this book. But true to life? Absolutely.
The writing here isn't perfect. Initially, Walker's fluid and engaging writing style kept me reading on. But during the middle, my enthusiasm began to sag. Walker spends too much time telling about Valentia's reactions, explaining them instead of allowing them to flow onto the page organically. "She could only" do this, "she allowed herself to" react in such a way. These sentences are riddled throughout almost every scene. They take away from the story, from the immediacy of her emotions.
During sudden danger scene, Walker's use of long, flowery sentences didn't imbue a sense of urgency. However, I wasn't sure if that was an oversight or if Valentia simply wasn't scared. Either way, I continued reading on without too much trouble due to the fact that I was so intimately bonded with Valentia it didn't matter. I had to keep going.
During this same scene, I was a bit disappointed that Valentia let a man fight while she was ushered to relative safety. From the determined peek of her character, I hoped she would stubbornly defend herself. I was gratified to see she didn't cower but immediately took charge to secure the area. And later, took care to see that she knew proper self-defense techniques.
While for the most part the story flowed well, I found the author often cut scenes short or glossed over them entirely. Several times I found myself wondering what had happened to end an exchange or during several days not mentioned.
For all her "show of strength" in a later scene, I saw no strength. For a scene meant to be strong and proactive it was only a spur-of-the-moment thing that mainly involved bluffs and threats. I saw nothing intimidating or strong about it, and that soured me a bit.
In fact, I saw very little character growth in Valentia. It was almost as though she was determined to reject and ignore the need to change, stubbornly moored in her ways. As the story progressed, this grew tiresome and annoying. By the time of her big decision, I felt she was essentially the same person as when she started, though now with a broken heart.
For all her strength during most of the book, I found her weakness when confronting Oren for the first time to be sickening and out of character. I found his acquiescence of her demands to be sudden, yet another thing which could have been explained more fully.
But the latter portion of the book more than made up for the sagging middle, with loquacious scenes, vivid action, and the unforgettable main character.
The ending recounts events I'm sure are mentioned in the main trilogy, this being a prequel. Even though I haven't read this series, choosing to start with this book, I braced myself for the events forewarned in the blurb. It still saddened me to read them, though. I grew very attached to Valentia.
Although this book isn't perfect, I strongly encourage readers of young adult fantasy to give it a try. Walker has a singular skill in building an interesting world, and a character easy to connect with. Because of the quality of this book, and my enjoyment of it, I will definitely be picking up the main trilogy to read as well.
This book is a prequel to a trilogy which, after reading this book, I feel I must get my hands on. Ms. Walker weaves an interesting story in an unforgettable world, and it was one I didn't want to put down.
It began with a prologue. I'm not a fan of prologues. I find them unnecessary in so many books, this one no different. But I beg you to look past those short pages when reading Jaded Stone, because as you as you get to Valentia Roth's point of view, the story shoots off like a rocket.
Walker weaves a world worthy of falling into. Valentia's voice is riveting, her character is strong and easy to relate to, and the story passes with the sort of intrigue I look forward to in a book.
I loved that Walker included the grandmother's spirit. Even though all we saw of her was mental thoughts, I got a strong sense of her character and liked her a lot. Valentia's ability to speak with her dead relative is nice. It shows a tight-knit family which is often lacking in fantasy.
Valentia is a strong, capable woman in her own right. Here, the author gives a good view of her flaws as well as her virtues, making her a well-rounded character. Her voice carried me swiftly through the book. She's a bit of a spoiled princess at times, but it is equal parts annoying and amusing. She takes offense to many things (in my opinion to a little too many) but I chalked that up to the spoiled princess in her.
Oren, although he isn't shown in the majority of the book, comes off as an extremely likeable and relateable character from the snippets of letters which the author includes before every chapter. I found myself on the edge of my seat, hoping that every forthcoming chapter would be the chapter I was first introduced to him.
Although nothing about his manner indicated it warranted, I was leery of Reid from the moment he stepped into Valentia's life. Romantically and politically, I wanted Oren for her from the start. Reid's attachment seemed sudden and too eager. I suspected him of ulterior motives despite his apparent sincerity to help. I have to admit, I didn't read the blurb all the way through and wasn't expecting his death or her brother's involvement in it.
But there was one thing that irked me. Upon Reid's death, Valentia spirals into a pit of grief. But if Valentia is so in love, how did she get there? She and Reid spent any time together. I never got a sense of who he really was, from the moment they met to the moment they parted. Her love, her grief over her broken heart feels superficial. More like what she thought her life would become with him than genuine grief.
That being said, Walker's portrayal of grief is spot-on, insofar as blaming others without cause. I try not to tolerate it in myself, and hate seeing this flaw of grief rear its ugly head in others. But people do it. Blame something that someone did or did not do. Ostracize them, in order to make yourself feel better. It happened to me, the subject of alienation from my husband's family when he committed suicide. Perhaps that's why I found it hard to swallow in this book. But true to life? Absolutely.
The writing here isn't perfect. Initially, Walker's fluid and engaging writing style kept me reading on. But during the middle, my enthusiasm began to sag. Walker spends too much time telling about Valentia's reactions, explaining them instead of allowing them to flow onto the page organically. "She could only" do this, "she allowed herself to" react in such a way. These sentences are riddled throughout almost every scene. They take away from the story, from the immediacy of her emotions.
During sudden danger scene, Walker's use of long, flowery sentences didn't imbue a sense of urgency. However, I wasn't sure if that was an oversight or if Valentia simply wasn't scared. Either way, I continued reading on without too much trouble due to the fact that I was so intimately bonded with Valentia it didn't matter. I had to keep going.
During this same scene, I was a bit disappointed that Valentia let a man fight while she was ushered to relative safety. From the determined peek of her character, I hoped she would stubbornly defend herself. I was gratified to see she didn't cower but immediately took charge to secure the area. And later, took care to see that she knew proper self-defense techniques.
While for the most part the story flowed well, I found the author often cut scenes short or glossed over them entirely. Several times I found myself wondering what had happened to end an exchange or during several days not mentioned.
For all her "show of strength" in a later scene, I saw no strength. For a scene meant to be strong and proactive it was only a spur-of-the-moment thing that mainly involved bluffs and threats. I saw nothing intimidating or strong about it, and that soured me a bit.
In fact, I saw very little character growth in Valentia. It was almost as though she was determined to reject and ignore the need to change, stubbornly moored in her ways. As the story progressed, this grew tiresome and annoying. By the time of her big decision, I felt she was essentially the same person as when she started, though now with a broken heart.
For all her strength during most of the book, I found her weakness when confronting Oren for the first time to be sickening and out of character. I found his acquiescence of her demands to be sudden, yet another thing which could have been explained more fully.
But the latter portion of the book more than made up for the sagging middle, with loquacious scenes, vivid action, and the unforgettable main character.
The ending recounts events I'm sure are mentioned in the main trilogy, this being a prequel. Even though I haven't read this series, choosing to start with this book, I braced myself for the events forewarned in the blurb. It still saddened me to read them, though. I grew very attached to Valentia.
Although this book isn't perfect, I strongly encourage readers of young adult fantasy to give it a try. Walker has a singular skill in building an interesting world, and a character easy to connect with. Because of the quality of this book, and my enjoyment of it, I will definitely be picking up the main trilogy to read as well.
June 23, 2014
Valencia Roth, Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Sheas, is determined to bring peace to the realm. It has always been her plan to unite Eltar and Sheas, regardless of her own happiness. But when she meets Reid Hendel, Valencia starts to believe that maybe, just maybe, she can have both love and peace. In the midst of all of this, she discoveries a faction determined to keep her from uniting Eltar and Sheas no matter the cost, even if it means taking her life.
I had very mixed feelings about this book. There were several good things going for this book, but there were a few things that irked me.
I have to say that I really enjoyed the world building in this book. It was developed and I really got a sense of each of the different countries and the history behind them. One thing that Walker did a really good job of was not info dumping. There were no long paragraphs detailing the history between Sheas and the other two countries in this world. It was all presented organically. There were a few times I was confused to what was what. Valencia often talks about 'the Three' and I wasn't quite sure if this was referring to the three countries or deities. It wasn't very clearly explained, but I think that is because this book is a part of a series. While it is a prequel, its one of the last books in the series (of which I haven't read any).
The history of Sheas was very interesting to read. I liked that each of the three royal houses have unique gifts. The power of the Roth's was being able to communicate with the dead. Valencia had a very close relationship with her grandmother whom she didn't really know when she was alive. It added another dimension to the story. The Roth's never really feel like their loved ones are gone because they are able to communicate with them after death.
Now onto the characters. I was conflicted about Valencia. At times she came off as a determined ruler who wasn't about to let anyone or anything get in the way of peace. But other times, I felt that she was all talk and no action. My first impression of her wasn't a good one. The book starts out with her Aunt Celiah's wedding. Celiah and Valencia are very close in age and have been practically sisters to each other. My problem arises about the way Valencia feels about Rees, Celiah's husband. Valencia is not so secretly in love with him (even though she denies it to the reader). That causes her to whine about her aunt and how she doesn't deserve Rees.
"She'd very well better love him. She surely didn't deserve him. Rees possessed as strength few men did--Valencia knew, she'd looked. He would be a capable, confident leader. Exactly what Sheas needed. Exactly what Valencia needed by her side. Instead he'd fallen in love with Celiah. Celiah was a timid mouse. The Three help Sheas if somehow rule ever passed to Valencia's aunt."
Her aunt is nothing but kind to her. Just because Rees isn't in love with Valencia she internally has negative thoughts about her aunt. Valencia gets over it, as soon as Reid, Rees' nephew shows up.
"She had no trouble identifying Rees' nephew. He looked exactly like a younger version of Rees"
Because of Valencia's first thoughts about Rees leads me to believe that the romance that develops between Valencia and Reid is based solely on the fact that he looks like Rees. Naturally he's going to be interested in her. She is the Crown Princess after all. A huge driving force of this book is the romance and I wished there had been more layers to the plot.
There were times when Valencia did exhibit the strength that everyone always seems to think she has. Several times she proves herself to be an intelligent ruler, one that is actually looking out for the kingdom's best interests.
"'You cannot stop me. Even if one of you is successful, I am a Roth. I will work from beyond the grave if I must., and I will not rest until our world is at peace once more, by whatever means necessary...'"
Towards the latter end of the book, I could see the progression of Valencia's character to a more responsible individual who was more sure of herself.
As with nearly everything else in this book, I was on the fence about the writing. At times it was actually engaging and interesting to read.
"To the south, molten silver light spilled onto the sea. Waves rippled beneath a gala of diamond stars that danced as if the night would never cease."
Unfortunately, the writing was not consistent. More often than not, I found myself rolling my eyes at the clichés. But there were a few moments where the writing picked up. I wish the whole book had been like that.
Overall, the world building was good, the character improved a great deal over the course of the book, and the writing had it's moments, but this book just didn't click with me in the way I'd expected. I wish there had been more depth to the book besides the romance.
I had very mixed feelings about this book. There were several good things going for this book, but there were a few things that irked me.
I have to say that I really enjoyed the world building in this book. It was developed and I really got a sense of each of the different countries and the history behind them. One thing that Walker did a really good job of was not info dumping. There were no long paragraphs detailing the history between Sheas and the other two countries in this world. It was all presented organically. There were a few times I was confused to what was what. Valencia often talks about 'the Three' and I wasn't quite sure if this was referring to the three countries or deities. It wasn't very clearly explained, but I think that is because this book is a part of a series. While it is a prequel, its one of the last books in the series (of which I haven't read any).
The history of Sheas was very interesting to read. I liked that each of the three royal houses have unique gifts. The power of the Roth's was being able to communicate with the dead. Valencia had a very close relationship with her grandmother whom she didn't really know when she was alive. It added another dimension to the story. The Roth's never really feel like their loved ones are gone because they are able to communicate with them after death.
Now onto the characters. I was conflicted about Valencia. At times she came off as a determined ruler who wasn't about to let anyone or anything get in the way of peace. But other times, I felt that she was all talk and no action. My first impression of her wasn't a good one. The book starts out with her Aunt Celiah's wedding. Celiah and Valencia are very close in age and have been practically sisters to each other. My problem arises about the way Valencia feels about Rees, Celiah's husband. Valencia is not so secretly in love with him (even though she denies it to the reader). That causes her to whine about her aunt and how she doesn't deserve Rees.
"She'd very well better love him. She surely didn't deserve him. Rees possessed as strength few men did--Valencia knew, she'd looked. He would be a capable, confident leader. Exactly what Sheas needed. Exactly what Valencia needed by her side. Instead he'd fallen in love with Celiah. Celiah was a timid mouse. The Three help Sheas if somehow rule ever passed to Valencia's aunt."
Her aunt is nothing but kind to her. Just because Rees isn't in love with Valencia she internally has negative thoughts about her aunt. Valencia gets over it, as soon as Reid, Rees' nephew shows up.
"She had no trouble identifying Rees' nephew. He looked exactly like a younger version of Rees"
Because of Valencia's first thoughts about Rees leads me to believe that the romance that develops between Valencia and Reid is based solely on the fact that he looks like Rees. Naturally he's going to be interested in her. She is the Crown Princess after all. A huge driving force of this book is the romance and I wished there had been more layers to the plot.
There were times when Valencia did exhibit the strength that everyone always seems to think she has. Several times she proves herself to be an intelligent ruler, one that is actually looking out for the kingdom's best interests.
"'You cannot stop me. Even if one of you is successful, I am a Roth. I will work from beyond the grave if I must., and I will not rest until our world is at peace once more, by whatever means necessary...'"
Towards the latter end of the book, I could see the progression of Valencia's character to a more responsible individual who was more sure of herself.
As with nearly everything else in this book, I was on the fence about the writing. At times it was actually engaging and interesting to read.
"To the south, molten silver light spilled onto the sea. Waves rippled beneath a gala of diamond stars that danced as if the night would never cease."
Unfortunately, the writing was not consistent. More often than not, I found myself rolling my eyes at the clichés. But there were a few moments where the writing picked up. I wish the whole book had been like that.
Overall, the world building was good, the character improved a great deal over the course of the book, and the writing had it's moments, but this book just didn't click with me in the way I'd expected. I wish there had been more depth to the book besides the romance.
November 20, 2013
It's very difficult to determine which I liked better: Jaded Stone or Cornerstone. They both had many peaks but those peaks weren't similar and were pretty much unique to each book. So I'm on a mission to find out which I like better.
Catergory A: The Characters -
Main character wise, Emariya or Cornerstone wins hands down. It's an understatement to say that Emariya and Valencia (protagonist of Jaded Stone) are very different people. While Valencia is a little bit harder and more concerned with her impact on the family and producing Secondstones, Emariya feels generally warmer and displays more (and different) emotions. Although they are different people, it's kind of easy to see why Valencia is the way she is - while they both suffer, they do so in (once again) different ways and Valencia loses more.
JS:0 CS:1
Catergory B: Writing/Storytelling -
For me, this is another obvious one. Jaded Stone wins hands down. I think Kelly Walker's writing has been consistently captivating in both books but Jaded Stone is told from Valencia's perspective and in YA fiction, a character like her is rarely a protagonist, perhaps a secondary character, so that was a welcome change.
JS:1 CS:1
Catergory C: Keeping the Reader's Attention -
Another one to Jaded Stone. I was really caught up in the story and while it took me 3-4 days to finish Cornerstone, I was done with Jaded Stone in half a day. Although this was a prequel, there was very little introductions needed because of Cornerstone and it was straight into the plot.
JS:2 CS:1
Catergory D: Reader's Understanding of Book -
I'm afraid this one is going to Cornerstone. I found I got confused with who was who due to similar names and characters (usually related, which didn't help) that started with the same letter.
JS:2 CS:2
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie! One more catergory to go...
Catergory E: Overall/Other Things I Liked -
And this one goes to Jaded Stone. I loved how there were loads of tie-ins and in Jaded Stone we learnt more about the characters and world alike!
JS:3 CS:2
And the winner is...Jaded Stone!
I really did enjoy Jaded Stone. If you've read Cornerstone, it's really a must. I would love to see a story from Oren's point of view now. I recommend this series to fantasy readers who like the medieval-feel sort of theme!
4/5 stars
Catergory A: The Characters -
Main character wise, Emariya or Cornerstone wins hands down. It's an understatement to say that Emariya and Valencia (protagonist of Jaded Stone) are very different people. While Valencia is a little bit harder and more concerned with her impact on the family and producing Secondstones, Emariya feels generally warmer and displays more (and different) emotions. Although they are different people, it's kind of easy to see why Valencia is the way she is - while they both suffer, they do so in (once again) different ways and Valencia loses more.
JS:0 CS:1
Catergory B: Writing/Storytelling -
For me, this is another obvious one. Jaded Stone wins hands down. I think Kelly Walker's writing has been consistently captivating in both books but Jaded Stone is told from Valencia's perspective and in YA fiction, a character like her is rarely a protagonist, perhaps a secondary character, so that was a welcome change.
JS:1 CS:1
Catergory C: Keeping the Reader's Attention -
Another one to Jaded Stone. I was really caught up in the story and while it took me 3-4 days to finish Cornerstone, I was done with Jaded Stone in half a day. Although this was a prequel, there was very little introductions needed because of Cornerstone and it was straight into the plot.
JS:2 CS:1
Catergory D: Reader's Understanding of Book -
I'm afraid this one is going to Cornerstone. I found I got confused with who was who due to similar names and characters (usually related, which didn't help) that started with the same letter.
JS:2 CS:2
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie! One more catergory to go...
Catergory E: Overall/Other Things I Liked -
And this one goes to Jaded Stone. I loved how there were loads of tie-ins and in Jaded Stone we learnt more about the characters and world alike!
JS:3 CS:2
And the winner is...Jaded Stone!
I really did enjoy Jaded Stone. If you've read Cornerstone, it's really a must. I would love to see a story from Oren's point of view now. I recommend this series to fantasy readers who like the medieval-feel sort of theme!
4/5 stars
December 19, 2013
Valencia Roth has found herself between a rock and a hard place. She's been tasked with keeping the peace across her beloved land, something she's intent on doing at every turn. Granted, she's knows doing so won't be easy, but if the Cornerstones can be restored to their proper place, surely her efforts will be for naught, right?
Family means everything to her, and she'll do everything within her power to make sure things go as planned. Deep inside, Valencia knows there's a way to set all wrongs to right. She just needs to hold on long enough to do what she needs to do. Her family's honor has been ingrained into her very soul from an early age, and she aims to make sure that the family's memory continues to live on. If that means that she'll need to unite the broken lands once more, then that's what she's going to do, no matter what anyone else wants.
Determined to remain strong in the face of such adversities, Valencia soon realizes that things are not what she thought they were. Deceit and intrigue surround her every wake, and she's not quite sure as to what she must do. Part of her knows that restoring the Cornerstones is the key in uniting the land, once and for all. Achieving that, however, is another story.
Not everyone shares the same values she does. The outlying countries are determined in holding to their own. Valencia knows that the path to settling old scores is a treacherous one, but she's willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure things get done to her specifications. Her peoples happiness is at the forefront of her desires, even if they don't see that just yet. Somehow, some way, she'll bring them around to her way of thinking, or die trying in the process.
I started this series out of turn, but I confess that this book reads as a standalone. Granted, there are mentions of events I had no clue about, but I'll be remedying that fact soon enough once I catch up on the beginning of the series. Kelly has done an awesome job in weaving a bittersweet tale that will leave you yearning for more. The characters, both good and bad, slide underneath your skin, and make you feel for their plights. Will the Cornerstone ever come to be repaired as Valencia wanted them to be? There's no way of knowing unless you catch up on the series itself. Can't wait!
Family means everything to her, and she'll do everything within her power to make sure things go as planned. Deep inside, Valencia knows there's a way to set all wrongs to right. She just needs to hold on long enough to do what she needs to do. Her family's honor has been ingrained into her very soul from an early age, and she aims to make sure that the family's memory continues to live on. If that means that she'll need to unite the broken lands once more, then that's what she's going to do, no matter what anyone else wants.
Determined to remain strong in the face of such adversities, Valencia soon realizes that things are not what she thought they were. Deceit and intrigue surround her every wake, and she's not quite sure as to what she must do. Part of her knows that restoring the Cornerstones is the key in uniting the land, once and for all. Achieving that, however, is another story.
Not everyone shares the same values she does. The outlying countries are determined in holding to their own. Valencia knows that the path to settling old scores is a treacherous one, but she's willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure things get done to her specifications. Her peoples happiness is at the forefront of her desires, even if they don't see that just yet. Somehow, some way, she'll bring them around to her way of thinking, or die trying in the process.
I started this series out of turn, but I confess that this book reads as a standalone. Granted, there are mentions of events I had no clue about, but I'll be remedying that fact soon enough once I catch up on the beginning of the series. Kelly has done an awesome job in weaving a bittersweet tale that will leave you yearning for more. The characters, both good and bad, slide underneath your skin, and make you feel for their plights. Will the Cornerstone ever come to be repaired as Valencia wanted them to be? There's no way of knowing unless you catch up on the series itself. Can't wait!
March 7, 2014
I need to come clean and say that I haven't read the rest of this series, but since it's a prequel I figured it wouldn't matter too terribly much (plus the cover is all sorts of awesome). Although I might have missed some details, Easter eggs, or intricate plotting, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. I'm hoping there was more information about the Stones and the history of the three kingdoms in the other novels, because I felt it was lacking in this book. The mysterious curses and prophecies were never really explained and that detracted a bit from the story. I enjoyed the court politics that were at play because I'm a sucker for political intrigue coupled with magic. I thought the book had a few pacing issues; the middle could have been compressed a bit and the final chapters would have worked well if they'd been expanded. I did really like how the chapters started off with bits of character diaries; they gave nice insights and complimented the ongoing story.
Valenica was awesome. Strong and determined, but still possessing flaws and the need for growth. As the book progressed Valencia learned more about her position in Sheas and did some major maturing. The secondary characters weren't anything special, but it really was Valencia's book. She definitively formed the center of the story and maintained her importance throughout. Since I read it as an ebook I can't quite tell how long it was, but it felt short to me, which is another reason the secondary characters lacked significant subplots. There was a significant romance component, which mixed nicely with Valencia's struggles over duty to country versus individual desire.
This was a lovely little read. I will be on the look out for the other books in the series. If you want a light fantasy with a hint of darkness this is for you. Plus, there are already more books out if you can't get enough!
Valenica was awesome. Strong and determined, but still possessing flaws and the need for growth. As the book progressed Valencia learned more about her position in Sheas and did some major maturing. The secondary characters weren't anything special, but it really was Valencia's book. She definitively formed the center of the story and maintained her importance throughout. Since I read it as an ebook I can't quite tell how long it was, but it felt short to me, which is another reason the secondary characters lacked significant subplots. There was a significant romance component, which mixed nicely with Valencia's struggles over duty to country versus individual desire.
This was a lovely little read. I will be on the look out for the other books in the series. If you want a light fantasy with a hint of darkness this is for you. Plus, there are already more books out if you can't get enough!
November 25, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Rachel Marks and Kelly Walker.)
This is book 4 in the ‘Souls of the Stones’ series, but is actually a prequel to the series.)
Valencia is the Crown Princess of Sheas, and takes her position extremely seriously.
Can Valencia ever find love? What is best for her people? And should she bind the lines?
This was an okay story, but I didn’t like it as much as the other books in the series.
I found Valencia quite hard to warm to. She was very sure of herself, and her belief in her king and country, and seemed quick to dismiss things that didn’t go as she expected or wanted them to go. I found her a much harsher character than her daughter Emariya, and it took a long time for me to really feel any empathy for her.
The storyline was okay, but I did get a little bored with the politics going on. Valencia seemed more interested in what was good for her kingdom rather than what she wanted or felt, and unfortunately I have never been a fan of books that are heavy on politics and war. I did find it difficult to keep track of what was going on in the story, and just couldn’t really get into it properly.
There was a little bit of romance, but it was very brief, and wasn’t really all that compelling.
The ending was not a happy one, as anyone who has even so much as read the blurb for this book will know, we were left with hope though, and funnily enough this book made me want to re-read this series so that I could reconnect with Emariya.
Overall; an okay story, but I didn’t like it as much as the rest of the series. If you haven’t read this series, I urge you to try Cornerstone!
6.5 out of 10.
This is book 4 in the ‘Souls of the Stones’ series, but is actually a prequel to the series.)
Valencia is the Crown Princess of Sheas, and takes her position extremely seriously.
Can Valencia ever find love? What is best for her people? And should she bind the lines?
This was an okay story, but I didn’t like it as much as the other books in the series.
I found Valencia quite hard to warm to. She was very sure of herself, and her belief in her king and country, and seemed quick to dismiss things that didn’t go as she expected or wanted them to go. I found her a much harsher character than her daughter Emariya, and it took a long time for me to really feel any empathy for her.
The storyline was okay, but I did get a little bored with the politics going on. Valencia seemed more interested in what was good for her kingdom rather than what she wanted or felt, and unfortunately I have never been a fan of books that are heavy on politics and war. I did find it difficult to keep track of what was going on in the story, and just couldn’t really get into it properly.
There was a little bit of romance, but it was very brief, and wasn’t really all that compelling.
The ending was not a happy one, as anyone who has even so much as read the blurb for this book will know, we were left with hope though, and funnily enough this book made me want to re-read this series so that I could reconnect with Emariya.
Overall; an okay story, but I didn’t like it as much as the rest of the series. If you haven’t read this series, I urge you to try Cornerstone!
6.5 out of 10.
August 5, 2016
I received a copy through Netgalley.
A fairly enjoyable fantasy read. I actually finished this one! (The last few epic fantasy type novels I've requested through Netgalley were rather disappointing so this one was a nice breath of fresh air).
I read first 20% or so reasonably quickly, but admittedly it was a while before I read some more and then again before I finished. The writing was okay, the plot was okay, everything seemed a little middle of the road.
I did find the main character likable enough but a little naive. As a Princess she was very unshakable in her belief in her kingdom, but then when she ventured out - and turns out the commoners don't hold the Crown in the same high respect she does and she's affronted by this. She just can't understand why. I found that a little annoying.
Though in the second half of the book (once I got past 53%) I found the plot really picked up. The main character gets some hard knocks and resolve to do something about it. Which made her more likable. There were some very moving scenes of hard to deal with grief which were quite emotional and well written. And gives the Princess the kick she needs.
She had always been a little high strung (in my opinion) but really pulls herself together for the good of her people, she makes some tough decisions to hope to improve the situation for her kingdom.
An enjoyable read, and while I might not have much of an interest in more of this series I would certainly be interested in more from this author.
So thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my request to view the title.
A fairly enjoyable fantasy read. I actually finished this one! (The last few epic fantasy type novels I've requested through Netgalley were rather disappointing so this one was a nice breath of fresh air).
I read first 20% or so reasonably quickly, but admittedly it was a while before I read some more and then again before I finished. The writing was okay, the plot was okay, everything seemed a little middle of the road.
I did find the main character likable enough but a little naive. As a Princess she was very unshakable in her belief in her kingdom, but then when she ventured out - and turns out the commoners don't hold the Crown in the same high respect she does and she's affronted by this. She just can't understand why. I found that a little annoying.
Though in the second half of the book (once I got past 53%) I found the plot really picked up. The main character gets some hard knocks and resolve to do something about it. Which made her more likable. There were some very moving scenes of hard to deal with grief which were quite emotional and well written. And gives the Princess the kick she needs.
She had always been a little high strung (in my opinion) but really pulls herself together for the good of her people, she makes some tough decisions to hope to improve the situation for her kingdom.
An enjoyable read, and while I might not have much of an interest in more of this series I would certainly be interested in more from this author.
So thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my request to view the title.
February 10, 2014
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and All Night Reads for giving me this book to review.
Crown princess Valencia Roth is lonely and all she wants to do is her duty to her kingdom, Sheas, and her people, and to bring peace to all three kingdoms, Sheas, Thalmas and Eltar. Having decided to try and marry Oren, ruler of Eltar, who is also a cornerstone like Valencia but some people what to kill her because they are against bindings the lines. Then she meets Reid and dares to hope that she can have something for herself and fall in love with someone she wants. However, after a disaster, Valencia decides that she is not going to do what she is told and to make her own path.
Jaded Stone is a very enjoyable fantasy book with action and romance. I have not read cornerstone, however, I did not feel like I missed anything but it might be more enjoyable to read it in the correct order.
Valencia is not your normal lovable YA princess, as she is sure of herself and does not let herself get walked over especially if it is what is best for her kingdom even if it is not what is best for her. The secondary characters are all well written and three dimensional, however, I wish we could have seen more of Oren’s POV.
I will sometime be reading Cornerstone as I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend Jaded Stone to fans of YA fantasy books.
Thanks to Netgalley and All Night Reads for giving me this book to review.
Crown princess Valencia Roth is lonely and all she wants to do is her duty to her kingdom, Sheas, and her people, and to bring peace to all three kingdoms, Sheas, Thalmas and Eltar. Having decided to try and marry Oren, ruler of Eltar, who is also a cornerstone like Valencia but some people what to kill her because they are against bindings the lines. Then she meets Reid and dares to hope that she can have something for herself and fall in love with someone she wants. However, after a disaster, Valencia decides that she is not going to do what she is told and to make her own path.
Jaded Stone is a very enjoyable fantasy book with action and romance. I have not read cornerstone, however, I did not feel like I missed anything but it might be more enjoyable to read it in the correct order.
Valencia is not your normal lovable YA princess, as she is sure of herself and does not let herself get walked over especially if it is what is best for her kingdom even if it is not what is best for her. The secondary characters are all well written and three dimensional, however, I wish we could have seen more of Oren’s POV.
I will sometime be reading Cornerstone as I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend Jaded Stone to fans of YA fantasy books.
January 30, 2014
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this book.
Whoa!!! I loved Cornerstone but this one wasn't any less than that. This one was just as much as entertaining like Cornerstone and I didn't get bored for even a minute. My only complaint is that it ended too fast and too abruptly.
The characters were great and the plot was good too but I think I liked Emariya much more than Valencia but that doesn't mean that she was average or bad, she was awesome but I don't know why I felt much more connected to Emariya and I read that many of my fellow reviewers felt the same.
The twists were good and unpredictable but once again I wanted more detailed info that I didn't quite get maybe that's why I couldn't establish a bond with Valencia and she felt like a stranger sometimes. I loved the writing style of the author, there was perfect use of rich words and I didn't find any mistakes too, well maybe I was too busy reading the book.
Anyways this one is a great book and I would recommend it to all of you because it's really good.
Firstly I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this book.
Whoa!!! I loved Cornerstone but this one wasn't any less than that. This one was just as much as entertaining like Cornerstone and I didn't get bored for even a minute. My only complaint is that it ended too fast and too abruptly.
The characters were great and the plot was good too but I think I liked Emariya much more than Valencia but that doesn't mean that she was average or bad, she was awesome but I don't know why I felt much more connected to Emariya and I read that many of my fellow reviewers felt the same.
The twists were good and unpredictable but once again I wanted more detailed info that I didn't quite get maybe that's why I couldn't establish a bond with Valencia and she felt like a stranger sometimes. I loved the writing style of the author, there was perfect use of rich words and I didn't find any mistakes too, well maybe I was too busy reading the book.
Anyways this one is a great book and I would recommend it to all of you because it's really good.
Want to read
February 27, 2016Read through netgalley.com
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Shelved as 'never-read'
April 7, 2019Read the first book of the Soul of the Stones series, Cornerstone. 1 Star; therefore will not be continuing with the series.
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