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. Sariah 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.
Review
Winner of the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Debut Novel --Independent Book Publishers AssociationFinalist for the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year 2009, Science Fiction/Fantasy --Foreword MagazineDora Machado's debut novel, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, is an accomplished adult fantasy, entertaining and thought provoking in equal measure. Due out in June, this is a page-turner with heart and deserves to find a wide readership. --SFFMedia.com
Finalist for the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year 2009, Science Fiction/Fantasy --Foreword Magazine
Finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Debut Novel --Independent Book Publishers Association
About the Author
Dora Machado has a master's degree in business administration and earned her bachelor's degree in history from Georgetown University. She is a Phi Beta Kappa, but thinks that surviving motherhood is the greater accomplishment. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a bilingual fascination for writing, a preference for history, and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her indulging husband, her two extraordinary teens, her exchange students, three very opinionated cats, and a goldfish.