by David Zindell (Author)
Death and destruction surround the Lightstone in the second book of this magnificent and deeply moving fantasy epic. The Cup of Heaven has been wrested from the hall of Morjin the Liar, the Great Red Dragon himself, by Valashu Elahad, Valari knight and seventh son of the King of Mesh. As Lord Guardian of the Lightstone, his task is to find the Maitreya, the one person to whom its secrets will be revealed. Even so, the power of the Lightstone pours through Valashu like a golden fire. There are many who believe Valashu himself to be the Maitreya. But Valashu can find no voice of certainty within himself. He only knows that if a man proclaims himself falsely to be the Shining One, then he shall become a new Red Dragon, only mightier and more terrible. Then the scryer Kasandra declares a new prophecy: 'This is the vision that I and my sisters have seen: that you, Valashu Elahad, will find the Maitreya in the darkest of places; that the blood of the innocent will stain your hands; that a man with no face will show you your own.' What could be darker than finding the Lord of Light inside the cavern of his own heart?
Format: Paperback
Pages: 688
Edition: New Ed
Publisher: Voyager
Published: 15 Mar 2004
ISBN 10: 0006486215
ISBN 13: 9780006486213
Reviews of The Lightstone:
`Vividly imaginative and truly grand' Time Out
`Remarkable for scale, ambition and a capacity to evoke sinister beauty ... with the inherent strengths of mythic structure, bringing to the tale a sense of urgency and spiritual depth ... heroism is not just heroic acts but an emotional space that goes with the acquisition of doomed love and mortal enemies. This is an impressive start to an interesting cycle.' Roz Kaveney AMAZON
`Every so often a novel comes along that threatens to redefine its genre. The Lightstone is such a novel ... Zindell re-imagines the epic on a grand scale ... The Lightstone shines brightly ' DREAMWATCH
`David Zindell's words are like magic, which manage to capture the tiniest nuances of his landscapes and characters and bring them to life ... If you want something that will make you think, that touches on elements of spirituality and philosophy and the fine lines between good and evil then The Lightstone is a winner' WHSMITH.CO.UK
David Zindell's short story Shanidar was a prize-winning entry in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. He was nominated for the `best new writer' Hugo Award in 1986. Gene Wolfe declared Zindell as `one of the finest talents to appear since Kim Stanley Robinson and William Gibson - perhaps the finest.' His first novel, Neverness, was published to great acclaim.