The Stone and the Maiden: The House of the Pandragore

by Dennis Jones

Book Overview

After an eight-year publishing hiatus, Jones returns with this debut fantasy--the first book of a new epic of war, magic, miracles, and the deadly dysfunction of a ruling family. Young Mandine... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380978016
• ISBN13: 9780380978014
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Voyager
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Interesting, clean escape book for fantasy genre!

This is the best book by Dennis Jones. It is very well written and fun to read. A welcomed addition to any fantasy fan.

awsome and enchanting

this book was so amazing i couldnt put it down. Teachers yelled at me in class to stop reading it.You have love fighting and not your everyday migic story. Instead of just having mages and people with magical powers u have everyday people from an empire under attack trying to save their future. this story was very unique and always kept u guessing what was going to happen next.I would recommend this to any big fantasy reader and even if u are just starting to get interested in fantasy this book is a good way to start.kaitlinalso i recomend- Mask and the Sourceress:dennis jones, The Darkangel:Merideith Ann Pierce, Wit'ch Fire:James Clemmens.

Very Nicely Done

I haven't enjoyed a book quite this much since some of Dennis McKiernanns earlier work. Mr. Jones' characters are as richly developed as any you're likely to run across, and his writing is smooth and even. It's one of those books that you have a hard time putting aside. Of course there are common elements... medieval fantasies usually do contain chimeras, prince/princesses, evil sorcerers, etc.Duh! And Mr. Jones paints this as his own unique medieval world in rich earth tones, and colourful prose. He also manages to stay away from the Tolkien traps so many of his contemporaries fall into. I had a hard time putting it down, and I'm a hard core reader of this type of fantasy fiction.I hope The Mask and the Sorceress comes out soon!! I for one can't wait.

Promising new writer--I liked the book

This book from a new author of fantasy has the potential to be truly great. The characters are very interesting and Dennis Jones had created a full house of different and strange people--the magical beings like the hemandri (a wood sprite-like creatures), the Dascarids (the ruling family), Erkai (nasty sorcerer/villain), etc. However, the characters seemed to lack life. The heroine, Mandine (a brave princess and heir-apparent), is really likeable but I had some trouble identifying with her, perhaps because she was too brave and good. The hero Key Mec Brander--a soldier nobleman--is admirable but uninvolving. What you're left with by the end of the book is a satisfying read but not a masterpiece. Still, considering this is Mr. Jone's first book in the genre, I am very impressed and I think he deserves a good amount of credit. And he's CANADIAN! Whoever said canadians are dull and unimaginative should read this book and prepare to apologize with a white flag. This novel deserves 4 stars because it was entertaining, the plot and language is exciting and the ideas are original--I eagerly await the sequel.

A very good fantasy

The Tathar army seems invincible as it destroys everything in its path on their trek to conquer their neighbor The Ascendancy. Evil sorcerer Erkai the Chain leads the Tathars on their conquest. Already a master of the Black Craft, Erkai has tapped into the more deadly Deep Magic. Mandine Descaris, heir to the Ascendancy throne, knows she needs a miracle to defeat her foe and his horde. When she meets one of her soldiers, Captain Key Mec Brander from the land to the far east Elthanem, they fall in love. Together they seek the mythical talisman the Signata that has been reported to have surfaced three times in four millennium. As Key and Mandine risk their lives in search of the legendary magical amulet that they feel can save the country, her half-sister plots to take over the throne. THE STONE AND THE MAIDEN is a fabulous fantasy fable that will please readers of the sub-genre. The story line centers on the quest for a rare magic to defeat an apparently invincible enemy. Mandine is a great character who will garner much praise from fantasy lovers. Though the motives of Key, Erkai, and the secondary players never surfaces, Dennis Jones provides the audience with a pleasant plot that screams for a sequel.Harriet Klausner