Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

Book Info
Kindle Edition, 582 pages
Published July 21st 2014
ISBN 13 9780987770646
edition language English
other editions None found
Source:

Book Buy Links
Amazon
SMASHWORDS

BOOK SYNOPSIS

It’s been almost a hundred years since warlock meddling freed the demons from their underground domain. Their eventual capture has encased them in large stones across all the lands. They became known as the demon stones.

Over time, the truth of their imprisonment devolved into legend and tales to frighten children.

Now, the seven kingdoms are in upheaval. The demon stones are being opened and the vile creatures once more roam the land. War has broken open between realms as the fingers of accusation are pointed.

Caught in the middle is Gar Murdach, a farm boy who recently passed the age of ascension of sixteen marking him as a man, and his younger sister, Darlee, as they both struggle in their separate ways to escape the horrors wrought by the demons and the war that swarms round them.

My Thoughts

Having read and enjoyed The Brotherhood Of Piaxia, which also is set in the same world as Demon Stones, it was my pleasure and privilege to read a copy when the author asked me for an honest review.

In a world where magic is outlawed with the penalty for practicing it’s art is to be put to death young Gar Murdach accidentally commits the unpardonable crime of setting free a demon imp. This at first innocent action sets off a chain of events that soon lead to a war that threatens to ravage a good part of the kingdom as well as take away everything and everyone who Gar cherishes.

In my mind there was no doubt that Gar made a huge error in judgement by continuing to free the demons from their stone prisons, although they proved over and over again to be useful the bloodshed that was left in their wake was not always that of a combatant but also innocents.

As a lover of fantasy this was a very smoothly developed story for me, it took place in a make believe land whose inhabitants were as diverse as one would expect in a time where technology had not been invented and people still lived off their labor at different tasks for most of the population.

There was of course the ruling class, those whose wealth and privilege were so far removed from the commoners who they depended on to provide them with service and goods that it was surreal to a simple farm boy like Gar.

Having grown up in a household that never provided more than the basics when Gar finally found himself in a position of power with the demons he had freed he pretty much let it go to his head, as they say absolute power corrupts absolutely especially when one does not have the maturity needed to make sound decisions as to how to wield it.

The best part of the whole book was the fact that throughout the story there was never any thought on the part of the author to gloss over it’s harsher aspects, rather the brutality of quite a few of the scenes kept things in perspective as to just how serious consequences for ones actions could get.

Ultimately what I took away from this book was the fact that at some point we all face hard choices, we also face adversity that tests our inner strength but the difference between taking responsibility for ones actions as well as working through human frailties is what determines whether one is aligned with good or evil. In Gar’s case that line was very hard to define at times, it was also easier for him to confuse his need for vengeance rather than the need for justice until he finally learned the hard way.

The characters are many, the world is well described, the action is plentiful and at times heart wrenching, the political angles of the story are well thought out, the magic used is at times scary and at other times wondrous but always helpful to it’s wielder, there are moments of great bravery that come from unexpected sources as well as moments of cowardice from expected ones all in all this is a story told on a broad scale as it crosses multiple genres while holding true to it’s roots of fantasy.

This is an easy to get caught up and swept away type of tale, not all hearts and flowers though as it has a lot of scenes that are brutally painful as well as graphic in their description. Totally not one for squeamish stomachs but if you do not mind a harsher reality than be prepared to enjoy this fantasy adventure fully!