"A story that will touch your heart and reach for your soul!"
Candace Sams books of The Order are each unique and
amazing
in their own right. Stone Heart is no exception, as Ms.
Sams takes us back to the magical place where Fairies,
Elves, Goblin's, Druids, and Dwarfs can live peacefully
from the outside world. Angus MacGregor is an ancient Druid that holds a great
deal
of anger towards the outside world and The Order. His
parents were cast out of The Order, a safe haven for
magical beings, for trying to share their magic with the
outside world. Angus only five at the time went with them.
Unfortunately, they died soon after cold and starving,
leaving a young Angus to fend for himself. Feeling cast
aside and mistreated as he struggles to survive in the
outside world, Angus become very bitter and angry. So
consumed is he by his anger and spite that he lashes out on
those around him without a second thought. The leader of
the Order, the Sorceress has seen and heard enough and
decides to teach him a lesson by turning Angus into an ugly
stone statue for the next 300 years. His only release will
be if someone on that anniversary comes to repeat the words
that entombed him in stone. What the Sorceress does not realize is that in a moment
of
brief compassion Angus helped a little girl whose kitten
was taken from her. It is from this one act that this
little girl promises to help him. It is just such a promise
that passes down the family line. Karen Matthews is sitting with her Aunt Aggie who is on
her
deathbed. Aunt Aggie begs a promise out of Karen that she
will go to Scotland, find this statue and say specific
words on a particular day. Karen agrees as Aunt Aggie
passes away. Though finding the request odd, Karen figures
she has nothing to lose as she too, suffers from a bad
heart and has only limited days to live. So why not go on
one last great adventure. Karen Matthews was not a character to be pitied, but
rather
a woman who has accepted her lot in life and embraces her
choices without regret. Angus is a man in need of
redemption and a trusting soul to believe in him again.
Together they learn and embrace life and joy, as she values
her last days on this earth and he values the new lease on
life he has been given. Candace Sams writes an amazing love story about the
power
of friendship that can build in to so much more. Her
settings are vivid and magical. And her ability to create
humor out of simple life situations is enchanting. The
supporting characters are unique and magical in their own
right and brought a wonderful balance to the book. I could
go on and on about Stone Heart, but my words seem almost
too simple compared to the beauty of a story that must be
read and experienced. And like any good fairy tale, it has
a wonderful ending! (This is the 3rd book of The Order: GRYPHON'S QUEST and
THE GAZING GLOBE are the first two.)
Reviewed by Mindy Lobaugh
Posted April 6, 2004
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