The Stone Prince

Attempted to reread in April 2021 (Original review to follow)

I made it 32 pages into my reread before I realized I had zero interest in what this book is. Look, it's a dense fantasy. It's also a very progressive product of it's time. It was written in 1997 and features a normalized queer, feminist world - which is beyond awesome! But it feels like it was written in 1997. There was a time when I loved those type of fantasy books (as evidenced by my original 5 star rating) but that time in no longer. A few excerpts to indicate what I mean about the writing.

With a shrug the Companion continued to stroke the brush through the Prince's hair, unperturbed.&&Seconds later Her Most Regal and Sacred Majesty Melesandra the Third, Aristok of Branion, Heathland, Kormandeaux and Aquilliard, Gaspellier, Poitienne, Roland, hereditary Earl of the Danelind Islands of Columba, Gracious Sovereign of the Triarchy, Most High Patron of the Knights of the Sword, and Vessel of the Living Flame, strode into the stables.&&The gray DeMarian Plaide crossed her black surcoat, pinned at the shoulder by a huge sapphire clasp. At her hip, in a blue-and-black scabbard, hung Justice, Kalandra the Great's broadsword, bequeathed to her former squire and granddaughter on the deathbed of the legendary warrior. Around her waist her silver warrior's belt carried the Dagger of Divine Right, symbol of earthly supremacy. Her vambraces were of engraved metal, as was her breastplate below the surcoat, and her crowned helm. Beneath it, her lean face was a mask of unsparing severity. The fiery outline and golden eyes of the fire-wolf crest flashed in the lantern light as she approached her eldest son. Eyes narrowing, she held out her hand, the Seal of the Realm on her finger.

If any of this sounds good to you, you could do a lot worse than this book. The fact is, I've finished 5 books since I put this one down, thinking I might get back to it. ... I won't. I'll find something else I'm enjoying more than this to read. (I am glad I discovered this writing wasn't working for me before I bought the third in the series.)


Original Review

There's something to be said for reading the right type of book at the right time. The first time I picked this book up to read, I made about thirty pages before putting it down. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the type of book I'd wanted to read then. I didn't mark it as DNF, though it say for many months waiting for me to finish it, because there was something about the story that had caught my interest enough that I knew, in a better mood, I would want to try again.

Just recently, I had been getting a powerful hunger for a thick fantasy. I wanted the wordiness that I hadn't been getting much of. I wanted depth to the world building. I wanted something to really sink my teeth into and be reading for days. So I grabbed this book.

And, you know, I'm really glad I did. Though, while the book did sound good, I'll be honest, eighty percent of the reason I bought it was because Fiona Patton is Tanya Huff's wife, whose books I adore.

There are several things to recommend this book that sets it apart from other fantasy books. First, there is true gender equality. There are no gendered titles. We have women and men that are ‘Prince' and ‘Duke' and ‘Earl'. While, I will admit it's a bit of a learning curve because I was mentally gendering the characters before they were in the book, I love it! There's at least as good of a chance a character whose gender hasn't yet been mentioned - a soldier or a guard or pretty much any other job we come across - to be a woman instead of a man.

Bisexuality seems to be the default in the world, as well. Most royal/nobility/wealthy people have what are called ‘Companions' and they seem to always be the same gender as their employer. Companions are known for being sex partners, but they are also confidants, artists, friends, spies, protectors, pretty much anything their employer wants/needs. What is absolutely wonderful is that there's basically no chance of them being abused. It's such a non-issue that the book doesn't even bring it up.

Polyamory is also definitely a thing, because we have a few instances of a royal sharing her bed with her (female) companion and her (male) lover. Also, the two main characters are in what I'd call an open committed relationship. (I don't know the proper terms so I'm sorry if this makes no sense.) The two men love each other and never in the story invite another to share their bed, but individually, one participates in casual sex and the other is in what I'd call a friends with benefits relationship. (With his betrothed, but, still!)

I do love this and I deeply wish I could find more books with poly relationships that aren't erotica.

The plot was a lot slower than I was expecting and a lot less action-y. Really, the story is more about politics and characters than anything else, and I think it worked really nicely.