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William L. Stuart

author of The Gemstone Chronicles Series

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The Last Descendant (Sanyare Chronicles #1) by Megan Haskell – My Review!!

October 22, 2018 by Bill Stuart Leave a Comment

The Last Descendant – My Review!!

Sanyare The Last Descendant by Megan Haskell Cover

I found The Last Descendant (Sanyare Chronicles #1) on Indie Brag, a site that showcases the best of Indie Authors. After reading the blurb, I added it to the TBR list. Here’s my review!

Synopsis (from the author):

Raised in a realm where humans are no better than slaves, Rie Lhethannien has struggled for decades to earn a meager post in the High Court messenger service. Even training as an elite fighter isn’t enough to earn the respect she craves. Scorned by the high elves who rely on her loyalty, Rie’s closest allies are the fierce carnivorous pixies who travel by her side.

When she’s attacked on a routine delivery by assassins from the enemy Shadow Realm, Rie’s martial prowess keeps her alive…and frames her as a traitor. Facing execution at the hand of an unmerciful high elf king, Rie must forsake her oaths and flee into enemy lands to prove her innocence. The secrets she uncovers may threaten more than her honor or even her life…for war is looming in the nine faerie realms. 

What I liked about The Last Descendant:

The Last Descendant has all the great fantasy elements. Rie, a human coming into unknown powers, intrigue, battles, magic, elves, a forbidden realm, and a quest to uncover the truth. What more can a fantasy reader ask for? In addition, it’s a well-written and well-paced book. For fantasy lovers, it’s a series to keep them occupied. Well done, Megan Haskell!

What I didn’t like about The Last Descendant:

I’m not asking for an info dump, but more background on the Shadow Realm would help. I’m sure it comes out in the subsequent books, though, so I’ll have to wait.

Overall impression:

As with all the books I’ve read with Indie Brag Medallions, The Last Descendant (Sanyare Chronicles #1) is well-written and entertaining! Good characters, nice battles scenes, intrigue, and a touch of romance make it a book worth reading! I recommend this one to anyone who likes fantasy!

My rating:

5 Stars

Connect with Megan Haskell:

Find out more about Megan Haskell and her books on her website or her Amazon Author page! While you’re there, please consider leaving a review or a comment (and maybe buy a book or two)!

Connect with me:

I’m always interested in meeting new friends. Find me on the socials on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Say hi and let’s start a conversation!

Filed Under: Recommendations and Reviews Tagged With: adventure, Amazon, author, book, books, BRAG medallion, ebook, ebooks, elves, fantasy, fiction, Indie Brag, magic, Megan Haskell, review, reviewing, reviews, self publishing, The Gemstone Chronicles, The Last Descendant, The Sanyare Chonicles, william l stuart, young adult

Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1) - My Review!!

November 1, 2016 by Bill Stuart 1 Comment

Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1) – My Review!!

Protector by Vanna Smythe Cover

Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1) by Vanna Smythe showed up in my Goodreads recommendations. Finding myself with an open spot on the TBR list, I followed Goodreads advice and read it. Read on for my thoughts!

Synopsis (from the author):

Kae has trained his entire life to become an elite Protector of the Realm. When he finally achieves this honor he finds himself protecting something far greater: the Veil separating two worlds. On one side of the Veil lie unlimited stores of magic. On the Realm’s side, magic is all but obliterated, and Kae is one of the few who can use it. The priests who secretly rule the Realm will do everything they can to control his growing magical abilities. Kae’s willing to pay the price, even though it separates him from Issa, the girl he loves.

But the Veil has weakened over the last thousand years and powers on both sides will stop at nothing to keep it intact. Strangers from the other side have kidnapped Issa to take her across the Veil and sacrifice her to strengthen it. Kae is the only one who can find her. Going to her rescue means forsaking his oaths and duty, and leaving behind the future he always wanted. But if he chooses duty over love, Issa will die.

What I liked about Protector:

Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1) had about everything one could ask for in a fantasy novel. Palace intrigue, conflict between the king and the priests, a love story, destiny and fate, and the looming possibility of chaos to be unleashed by the Anniversary of the Veil.

Set against this backdrop is the story of Issa and Kae. Kae is a good character and grows into his role as a Protector. Issa is a bit of a spoiled princess, but not in the stereotypical way. Vanna Smythe weaves their stories into a compelling tale. I also liked the way the other side of the Veil interjects itself into Kae and Issa’s world, with Issa aunt coming to kidnap her and take her to the other side of the Veil. Good stuff!!

What I didn’t like about Protector:

While I enjoyed the characters, they were a bit one-dimensional. I hope in the rest of the series, the characters will grow and provide us more insights into their personalities. I also would have liked fewer characters, as it was a bit difficult to keep them straight.

Overall impression of Protector:

Good story, good plot, and good pace kept my interest and attention. This is a solid start to the series and I look forward to the next installment. I recommend Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1) to fantasy fans everywhere!

My rating:

4 Stars

Connect with the author:

Want to know more about Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1) or any of Vanna Smythe’s books? Find out more on her Amazon Author page or her website. If you’ve read Protector or any of Vanna Smythe’s other books, please consider leaving a review! I know Vanna would appreciate it!

Connect with me:

Want to tell me your thoughts on my review? Leave me a comment, email me at bill@williamlstuart.com, or connect with me on the socials. I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest!

Filed Under: Amazon, author, Book Posts, KDP, Kindle, Recommendations and Reviews, Reviews, The Gemstone Chronicles, William L Stuart Tagged With: adventure, Amazon, Amazon Author, author, book, books, ebook, ebooks, fantasy, fantasy adventure, fantasy author, fiction, KDP, Kindle, magic, Protector, Protector (Anniversary of the Veil Book 1), review, reviewing, reviews, The Gemstone Chronicles, Vanna Smythe, william l stuart, young adult

Tektite – Glass Rock or Telepathy Stone? You Decide!

October 11, 2016 by Bill Stuart 6 Comments

In The Gemstone Chronicles Book Two: The Amethyst, Nana and Beebop buy a tektite necklace from an antique dealer. The necklace, as it turns out, has telepathic powers. I won’t tell you more, as it would spoil the story! Nonetheless, I’ll tell you more about tektite!

What is tektite?

Tektite, for lack of a better description, is a glass rock. Similar to obsidian, tektite is mostly silicon. However, tektites are the result of meteorite impacts. Yes, that’s right, tektites are glass rocks formed when meteorites impacted the earth, sent molten particles into the air, and which fell back to earth in the strewnfields. Since tektites formed from the impacts, they have different characteristics compared to obsidian. Additionally, tektites might just have a little bit of cosmic matter in them! How cool is that?

Where can we find tektites? Across the globe, a few locations yield the majority of tektite finds. One of those locations, called strewnfields, is in Georgia! The Georgia tektites are known as Georgiaites and, just like the stone in The Amethyst, are green. Other strewnfields are in Texas, Autraliasia, the Ivory Coast of Africa, and Europe. Tektites from the different strewnfields have different characteristics which I will discuss next.

Tektite varieties:

Georgiaites:

I’ll start with Georgiaites. Found principally in Dodge and Bleckley counties in Middle Georgia, Georgiaites are olive green and generally tear drop shaped. Below is a picture of a Georgiaite (Photo by Sean Murray, courtesy of FallingRocks.com). Beautiful and extremely rare, Georgiaites are 35 million years old!

Georgiaite Tektite

Moldavites:

Moldavites are green, too, though a different shade than Georgiaites. Typically found in Czech Republic in Bohemia (no singing of Bohemian Rhapsody, please), the stones are about 15 million years old. The museum quality pieces are gorgeous and often used in jewelry. Here is an example of a museum quality Moldavite. I particularly like the flaky appearance!

Tektite Moldavite
Moldavite

Australites and Indochinites:

Australites spread across Australia and Southeast Asia. By far the most common variety, Australites are dark, usually black. Found across most of the southern half of Australia, these tektites have a unique disk or bowl shape. NASA (according to Wikipedia) used the shape of these tektites when designing the re-entry modules for the Apollo Space Program!

Tektite Australite
Australite

Due to the size of the impact, part of the same strewnfield reaches into Southeast Asia. The tektites found here – called Indochinites – are black like the Australites. Both Australites and Indochinites are much younger than Moldavites or Georgiaites, dating to about 790,000 years old. Here is an Indochinite.

Tektite indochinite
Indochinite

Ivorites:

Lastly, we talk about Ivorite. Found along the Ivory Coast on the Western Cost of Africa, these stones are only about 1.3 million years old. Because of the unstable political climate in the area, I couldn’t find a picture of an Ivorite to include in this post. As a result of the instability, few have been excavated. The found Ivorites resemble Indochinites.

In The Amethyst, the tektite was from the Georgia strewnfield. According to HealingCrystals.com, tektite encourages telepathy and helps with lucid dreaming and astral travel. Sounds a lot like what Nana and Laura experienced, but you’ll have to read the book to find out more!

Obviously, I took some license with the properties of all the gemstones in The Gemstone Chronicles series, but I enjoyed learning about the magical and mystical properties the stones possess. And tektite was a great addition to the collection!

What is your favorite gemstone (or gemstone power) from the series? Aidan’s double-terminated quartz is my favorite. Laura’s invisibility power is the best power, too! What about your favorite? Leave me a comment and let me know! I look forward to it!

Connect with me:

If you want to connect on the socials, find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can drop me an email, too, at bill@williamlstuart.com or subscribe to the blog (so you don’t miss a post)!

Filed Under: Amazon, author, Book Posts, Cool Things, Gemstone Posts, The Gemstone Chronicles, William L Stuart Tagged With: adventure, Amazon, Australite, author, book, ebook, ebooks, fantasy, fantasy adventure, fiction, gems, gemstones, Georgia, georgiaite, Good Reads author, Indochinite, invisibility, KDP, Kindle, magic, middle grades, moldavite, Smashwords, tektite, telepathy, The Amethyst, The Gemstone Chronicles, william l stuart, young adult

Silevethiel by Andi O’Connor – My Review!!

June 20, 2016 by Bill Stuart 1 Comment

Silevethiel – My Review!!

Silevethiel Cover

I’m back in my favorite genre (fantasy), but wanted something new from an author I haven’t read. I saw Silevethiel by Andi O’Connor and thought it looked like a good read. I was correct!

Synopsis (from the author):

Following her father’s murder, Irewen is betrayed and left for dead in the forests of Mistwood. Rescued by an elf, Irewen awakes an exile with no home, no country, and no people. But as the horrific memories of murder and betrayal return, she realizes the nightmare is only beginning.

The world of Vaelinel is failing–its fate bound to her in ways no one fully understands. A mysterious elven prophecy may provide her with some answers, but continuously hunted and fighting for her life, Irewen quickly learns that unearthing the truth will be more difficult than she ever imagined.

Can she accept the friendship of the Wood Elves, or will she stand alone against the terrifying evil now threatening to destroy the entire world?

What I liked:

Silevethiel is a good read! The elves paired with the animals (Protector and Guardian) is a unique twist on characters, and Laegon’s Guardian has a few great lines. Laegon’s character is easy to relate to, and Irewen’s spoiled princess to warrior growth makes it interesting. Her cousin’s betrayal sets the stage for the story, and, though predictable, still provides intrigue. In addition, the evil spirits that attack the cave are a great enemy! The burgeoning romance between Irewen and Laegon adds a nice touch, while Irewen’s embrace of her heritage plays nicely into the ending and sets the stage for the next book.

What I didn’t like:

Though I understand the reason, the time spent in the cave dragged a bit for me. More time spent in Mistwood learning her heritage and discovering her abilities might help. A few of the developments are too predictable.

Overall impression:

Silevethiel is a nice read. The characters are well-developed and the story has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. I enjoyed the banter between Laegon and his Guardian Bregen, and the fight scenes gruesome enough for most fantasy fans. I recommend this one to readers who enjoy elves, magic, and a little romance!

My rating:

4 Stars

Connect with the author:

Find out more about Andi O’Connor on her Amazon Author page or at her website. If you read Silevethiel (or any of Andi O’Connor’s other books), please consider leaving a review. I know she would appreciate it!

Connect with me:

If you want to connect with me, find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can also drop me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com. I look forward to connecting!!

Filed Under: Amazon, author, Book Posts, KDP, Kindle, Recommendations and Reviews, Reviews, William L Stuart Tagged With: adventure, Amazon, amazon book, Andi O'Connor, book, books, ebook, ebooks, elves, fantasy, fantasy adventure, fiction, Guardians, KDP, Kindle, magic, protectors, Silevethiel, william l stuart, william stuart, young adult

Williamsburg, VA Long Weekend – Part 1!!

June 13, 2016 by Bill Stuart 1 Comment

Lana and I decided to take a long weekend and visit the Williamsburg, VA area for Memorial Day. Both of us like history, and you can’t beat the place for American history. From the founding of the country to the Civil War and beyond, Virginia is bound tightly to America.

Colonial Williamsburg:

We started our vacation in Colonial Williamsburg. For those who don’t know, Colonial Williamsburg is a living history site. The city was the capitol of Virginia for many years (after it moved from Jamestown), and is the home to William and Mary College. Williamsburg is just a few miles up the road from Jamestown, site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, and Yorktown, where General Cornwallis surrendered and made America its own country. I will do separate posts on Jamestown and Yorktown soon.

Below is the entrance to Colonial Williamsburg. The flags of the original 13 colonies grace the flagpoles.

Williamsburg

I have to give kudos to Colonial Williamsburg, too, for offering a free weekend pass to military veterans, retirees, and active duty personnel over Memorial Day weekend. It wasn’t something I knew about until Lana and I arrived to buy our tickets, but we got the complimentary admission. I knew my ten years in the Navy was good for something! Bravo Zulu!

Just down the stairs from the flags is a 3D map of Colonial Williamsburg. I thought this was pretty cool!

Colonial Willamsburg 3D Map

At Colonial Williamsburg, visit the shops and see how colonists worked back in the 18th century. We visited a blacksmith shop, a silversmith, book binder, the armory, Governor’s Palace, Capitol Building, and many others. I will use this post as a general overview of our visit and go deeper into other aspects in other posts.

The food:

We ate lunch at Josiah Chowning’s Tavern. Eating in what could be an 18th century tavern was the real treat, but the food was pretty good, too! Ditto for supper. We ate at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, George Washington’s favorite tavern while visiting the city.

On of the great treats was seeing a Fife and Drum corps marching down the street.

https://www.williamlstuart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Video-Cutter_11_6_8_47_49.mp4

Interesting to think it was part of the buildup to the Revolutionary War with England that launched the United States. Humbling, too, when you consider what the colonists risked to fight the British.

There you have my very quick overview of Colonial Williamsburg. With so much to see and do, the visit was a blast!

Connect with me:

Have you been to Colonial Williamsburg? Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought. If you want to connect with me on social media, I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Otherwise, email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. I look forward to hearing your comments on the post and on Williamsburg!

Filed Under: Amazon, author, Colonial Williamsburg, The Gemstone Chronicles, William L Stuart Tagged With: 18th century, adventure, American revolution, author, blacksmith, book, books, Christiana Campbell, Colonial Williamsburg, ebook, ebooks, fiction, Fife and Drum, George Washington, KDP, long weekend, magic, Memorial Day, Revolutionary War, silversmith, tavern, The Gemstone Chronicles, vacation, Virginia, weekend, William and Mary, william l stuart, william stuart

Trinity: The Battle for Nevaeh by David Wind – My Review!!

May 16, 2016 by Bill Stuart Leave a Comment

Trinity: The Battle for Nevaeh – My review!!

Trinity Cover

I read the first two books of this trilogy (and gave them both 5 stars). When David Wind released Trinity: The Battle for Nevaeh, it hit my TBR list immediately. Read on for my review!

Synopsis (from the author):

Concluding the opening Trilogy of the Tales Of Nevaeh series, Areenna of Freemorn and Mikaal of Tolemac bring together the ten dominions for one last battle against their ruthless enemy. The Dark Masters threaten to annihilate the Nevaens, wiping humanity from the face of the earth, unless Areenna and Mikaal can find the mystical power that is Nevaeh’s salvation
To save their world, and their people, they must go where no one has gone for 3000 years: below the Island—deep beneath what used to be Manhattan. As the days grow darker, they search to find deliverance for their people, and become what has been prophesied—the Trinity of power. To accomplish this, they must first discover the third pillar of their powers.
Time is running out. Can they build the Trinity in time to save humanity from extinction?

What I liked:

Areenna and Mikaal are like old friends who continue to grow and amaze as they pursue their destiny. Adding to their mystique is Neleh, the third part of the Trinity puzzle, another compelling character. The Dark Masters are a great counterpoint of evil throughout the series, and their invasion of Nevaeh makes for an excellent backdrop for the story. I liked the revelation of what lies below Manhattan, and what (or who) the Eight are. The book links all the elements of action, intrigue, battles, and mystery together and brings the series to a satisfying conclusion.

What I didn’t like:

I would have liked more on Neleh, and the People. As important as the character was to the book, I know more about some of the minor characters than her. Similarly, I would have liked to know how The Eight fared after the final battle.

Overall impression:

As with the first two books, I enjoyed this one! The familiar characters, a few surprises, good battles, intrigue, and the great conclusion made this as good as the others!

My rating:

5 Stars

Connect with the author:

Want to know more about Trinity: The Battle for Nevaeh or the other books in the Tales of Nevaeh series? Visit David Wind’s  website or his Amazon Author page!

If you read any of the books, please consider leaving a review. I know David Wind would appreciate it!

Connect with me:

Do you want to comment on this review or contact me? I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. As always shares and comments are appreciated!

Filed Under: author, Book Posts, Recommendations and Reviews, Reviews, The Gemstone Chronicles, William L Stuart Tagged With: adventure, Amazon, Amazon Author, amazon book, Areenna, author, book, David Wind, ebook, fantasy, fantasy adventure, KDP, Kindle, magic, Mikaal, Nevaeh, review, reviewing, reviews, science fiction, scifi, self-publishing, The Battle for Nevaeh, The Dark Masters, The Gemstone Chronicles, Trinity, william l stuart, william stuart, young adult

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