Review: Stone & Sky by ZS Diamanti
Blurb:
Come fly away on griffin-back!
Fly off to the world of Finlestia in this epic fantasy story for readers looking for adventure, magic, and just plain fun; a tale where friendships must overcome insurmountable odds and remind readers to never lose hope.
From across the sea, a shadow rises. A lone survivor may be the kingdom’s only hope against annihilation.
Orin is a sworn protector. As a stalwart member of the Griffin Guard, he’s proud to protect the kingdom against a dreaded nation of orcs. But when the fires of war burn bright from the north, his entire squadron falls to deadly wyvern riders, leaving the devastated Orin bloody and alone.
With his squad dead, Orin has his mind set on saving others from the same fate.
Teaming up with a local huntsman’s family, Orin and his new friends must push themselves past their limits to face mysterious dangers and ancient magics. Shocked to discover the orcs’ secret weapon, the lone guardian’s last chance to save his home could require the ultimate sacrifice.
Review:
In a nutshell: Fun, classic epic fantasy that is driven by adventure, magical creatures of all kinds, and lots of positive themes.
Stone & Sky may have set the record for the fastest I’ve devoured an epic fantasy novel in a long time. It is day two of reading and loving this story, and yet here I am, writing a review, finished and hungry for more in this world.
Stone & Sky pitches itself very smartly in the epic fantasy genre, but is also smart in many other ways, a testament to the marketing savvy of creator ZS Diamanti (seriously, if you haven’t seen Zac’s Tik-Tok shorts, where have you been?). The thing about Stone & Sky is that it very easily slots into many other places in the proverbial bookstore. At times it borders on the late middle-grade, early YA tone of The Chronicles of Prydain or The Belgariad, or even the darker parts of Wings of Fire. You might be confused as to why these titles come to mind for me, but rest assured, this book is still made of stiffer stuff. During its more mature and complex moments, the world of Finlestia reminded me a lot of Middle-Earth, as well as the Cosmere.
Following the multi-pov plots of Orin, Garron, Merrick, and Karnak the Orc, Stone & Sky does not shy away from its dark moments, or absolute breakneck-speed action scenes. In fact, the violence depicted in the battle scenes stands far above any of the previous titles I mentioned. But on the other hand, this book is exactly what the fantasy genre needs more of, dare I say it: feel-good, noblebright epic fantasy that is still centred around large-scale wars and politicking, but does not at all venture into the simple confines of ‘cosy’.
Stone & Sky was also the book that happened to break my bad luck streak with SFF audiobooks. Call me a sulk, but I’ve tried for many years, to no avail, to listen to SFF books. There have been a few exceptions: Travis Baldree’s narration, and Steven Pacey’s stunning First Law narration. Nowadays, I only listen to lit-fic, rom-coms (don’t judge!) and nonfiction that also acts as research for my own writing. But this book changed that, and the narration by Peter Leppard is incredibly refined and immersive. Not once did I get distracted or sucked back into the real-world while listening, and let me tell you, that’s one great way to pass the time when you’re folding laundry or mowing the lawn.
The story, as I mentioned, is told through several POV’s, each one a distinct and interesting character. My favourite was Merrick the hunter, who undergoes some fantastic challenges and equally rises up to meet them. There is also King Garron, who is suffering from a corruption that is not dissimilar to Taravangian and his ever-changing intellectualism from the Stormlight Archive. Karnak the Orc, (and wyvern-rider) is a deeply interesting character because he represents the enemy, but he is also an honourable and moral family man. It really gets you thinking about the importance of considering perspectives, as we see his and the other characters’ arcs all intertwine and come together in fantastic climactic scenes. The character who suffers the most here is, funnily enough, Orin, the Griffin-rider who is saved by Merrick’s sister Ellaria in the first scene of the book, (which, by the way, is utterly fantastic).
However, over the course of the story, I couldn’t help but feel a little disconnected from Orin, despite being the opposite in the first few chapters. As things progressed, he seemed to lack agency, and was more or less swept up by the plot without much of a say in anything that happened. Instead, the other POV’s became more central characters. Thankfully, the cast of characters around him were brilliant, diverse, and dynamic, from the magical gnome Ezel, to the dwarf Coal, and Ellaria the healer. Then there were the mysterious elves … and let me just say, Zac’s elves are some of the best I’ve read.
Despite this minor frustration I had with the story, the overall package is highly enjoyable and accessible. There is a sprawling world here I can’t wait to explore further. Not once did I feel as though worldbuilding was being thrown at me faster than I could keep track. Amazingly, there was also minimal infodumping, which meant the story was, on the whole, very readable. I highly recommend Stone & Sky to anyone who needs a bit of wholesome, adventure-y fun and positive, emotional redemption arcs. If you need a break from grimdark, or if you’re a first-time fantasy reader, I think Stone & Sky might become a new favourite for you. It definitely has for me.
