The Heart of Stone
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5.0 • 3 Ratings
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
Mercenary. Murderer. Monster. Task has been called many names in his time.
“Echoes of Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch.”
– SFF World
“Grimdark with heart and soul.”
– Anna Smith Spark, author of The Empires of Dust Trilogy
“A very, very good read."
– Fantasy Faction
“A brutal delight with thrilling action and heart, rowdy and wise, bloody and tender at the same time."
– Dyrk Ashton, author of The Paternus Trilogy
Best Self-Published Fantasy Novel
– 2017 Booknest Fantasy Awards
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Golems are built for war and little else. In centuries past, they were a terrifying staple of the battlefield. Empires were conquered on the backs of golems. Now, time and fear have whittled their kind down to a precious few, kept only by kings and warlords.
Task of Wind-Cut is one such machine of war.
Task was built to kill. Built to win. Thousands have died at his stone hands. He cared once, perhaps, but far too many years have passed and too much blood has been spilled. Task has become numb to the chaos he wreaks for his masters. A slave to the spells that bind him.
Now, Task has a new master to serve and a new war to endure. In the far reaches of the Realm, Hartlund is in the grip of civil war, tearing itself in two over coin and crown. This time, Task will fight for a boy king and a general bent on victory.
Beneath his formidable stone, Task longs for change. For an end to this cycle of warfare. For proof of light and good amongst the foul darkness of humanity and war. It will take the mind of an unusual stable-girl to change his.
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ABOUT THE HEART OF STONE
Packed with action and yet emotionally charged, The Heart of Stone is an epic military fantasy novel that explores the facets of human nature and the roots of warfare and conflict. Told through the eyes of Task, a five hundred year-old golem, this standalone fantasy is perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie.
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MORE PRAISE FOR THE HEART OF STONE
“From the fascinating world-building to the intriguing, colorful and memorable characters, The Heart of Stone is a pleasure to read.”
– BookNest
“Dark, brutal and violent, and packed with heart and emotional depth, The Heart of Stone is an intriguing novel.”
– Alan Baxter, author of The Alex Caine Series
“This is Ben’s best book yet. Plain and simple.”
– Michael R. Miller, author of The Dragon’s Blade Trilogy
"A solidly written and fascinating dark fantasy."
– BiblioSanctum
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MORE BOOKS BY BEN GALLEY (Available in ebook, paperback and audio)
Emaneska Series
– The Written
– Pale Kings
– Dead Stars - Part One
– Dead Stars - Part Two
– No Fairytale
Scarlet Star Trilogy
– Bloodrush
– Bloodmoon
– Bloodfeud
Chasing Graves Trilogy
– Chasing Graves
– Grim Solace
– Breaking Chaos
Standalones
– Shards
Customer Reviews
A Great First Stand Alone Novel From Mr Golem, oops, Galley.
Heart Of Stone is Ben's eighth novel but his first stand alone one. He has honed his distinctive descriptive writing style over the course of his books, giving us, the reader, the style we loved in his first couple of books but done In a tighter more controlled fashion.
If you enjoyed the Emaneska series (The Written, Pale Kings, Dead Stars Part 1 & 2) then you will enjoy Heart Of Stone. It starts off at a slower pace than his previous books (that's just an observation rather than a criticism) and builds up to a climatic conclusion.
It tells the story of an unlikely friendship formed between a young girl called Lesky and a 400 year old stone golem (brought to life by ancient magic for the sole intent to be used as a war machine) called Task and their desire for a more fulfilling life during a civil war that has raged for 9 years. There is treachery, deceit, bloody battles, surprising alliances and even a dragon !
The positive and negative points of the book are the same: it's a one off story, although as Task is already 400 years old at the beginning of the book there is the scope to learn much more about Task's earlier life and adventures.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️