Heartstone

Shardlake goes to war... Summer, 1545. England is at war. Henry VIII's invasion of France has gone badly wrong, and a massive French fleet is preparing to sail across the Channel. As the English fleet gathers at Portsmouth, the country raises the largest militia army it has ever seen. The King has debased the currency to pay for the war, and England is in the grip of soaring inflation and economic crisis. Meanwhile Matthew Shardlake is given an intriguing legal case by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. Asked to investigate claims of "monstrous wrongs" committed against a young ward of the court, which have already involved one mysterious death, Shardlake and his assistant, Barak, journey to Portsmouth. Once arrived, Shardlake and Barak find themselves in a city preparing to become a war zone; and Shardlake takes the opportunity to also investigate the mysterious past of Ellen Fettipace, a young woman incarcerated in the Bedlam. The emerging mysteries around the young ward, and the events that destroyed Ellen's family nineteen years before, involve Shardlake in reunions with both an old friend and an old enemy close to the throne. Events will converge on board one of the King's great warships, primed for battle in Portsmouth harbour...

They were young, popular, the perfect couple -- an all-American boy and a beautiful cheerleader. But the youthful passion that led them to Lookout Point that terrible evening would prove fatal. For Richie Walters the end came swiftly, as death descended upon him in a savage orgy of horrific violence. Elaine Murray would live long enough to learn just how lucky her boyfriend had been ... Two brutal slayings have rocked a stunned city. But the murders are merely the nightmare's beginning, flinging open a terrifying Pandora's box of sordid secrets and dark revelations more deadly than the bloodlust that lives in the rock-hard heart of a killer.

Heartstone. Legend said these unusual gems could cure any illness, but Thrylain the Great, the founder of Elinala, understood its real power and destroyed all heartstones. Or so he said. Seven hundred years passed and people forgot. When a crippled prince was born in Elinala, the king ordered the death of his son. Many died trying to protect the child, and in the ensuing chaos the boy disappeared, along with a pendant from the royal treasury. Everyone believed that the child was dead and the pendant destroyed. But they were wrong. Now grown to manhood, Derrick ́s only clue to his past is his gold pendant with its unusual gem, a long-forgotten heartstone. When Derrick tries to learn his true identity, the kingdom of Elinala is forever changed as hidden crimes are exposed, ancient evils set free, and the full power of heartstone is finally unleashed. Helpful Link: Schreiber has posted some of his published articles, essays, and poems along with book group discussion questions for some of his novels at Ironwood County Books

Ten years after the events recounted in Heartstone, enemies threaten Elinala ́s peace by threatening its chief architect--Derrick of Loneoak Island. Not only does this conspiracy have roots in the mysterious Shadow Empire, but the conspiracy also has a far more terrifying goal--to force Derrick into reawakening heartstone. The method used by this conspiracy? Destroy everything Derrick loves. Once again, ancient evils threaten to destroy Elinala, but this time the greatest evil may be caused by Derrick himself. Exactly what the Shadow Empire wants.

Monsters, manners, and magic combine in this exciting final volume in the Heartstone Trilogy—an exhilarating blend of epic fantasy and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice—in which a fearless healer and her dragon-riding husband must stop a reawakened evil from destroying their world. “The summons comes for the House of Edan Daired. Debts must be paid.” Tristan Wydrick, sworn enemy of House Daired, is back from the dead. Possessed by a ghast and sharing its shadowy unlife, he commands not only the soul-sucked ghastradi, but also the monstrous Tekari forces bent on Arle’s destruction. As their enemies begin amassing, desperate Arleans look to their greatest defenders. But Aliza and Alastair Daired, along with their dragon Akarra, are far from home, trapped in the icy northern wastes by Wydrick’s treachery. Fighting their way through blizzards, haunted forests, and their own growing fears, the Daireds find a new battle awaiting them in the capital, for the Tekari and ghastradi are not the only forces converging on the heart of the kingdom. Another moves toward Arle, riding the winds from the south: an ambassador from the Silent King of Els. Unknown enemy? Or unexpected ally? Plunged into the dangerous world of royal intrigue and ancient grudges, Aliza and Alastair soon realize it will take more than steel and dragonfire to save their kingdom, for the silence of Els hides a secret that could shake House Daired to its foundations. And silence, it seems, is about to be broken.

Corbin, a powerful shapeshifting young mage, is just beginning to learn to flex and harness his magical powers. When he hears that a young witch, who doesn’t know that her strangeness is due to magic, has run away for fear of being institutionalized for a second time, he knows that he has to help his friends find her so that she can learn to celebrate what makes her different rather than fear it. What he doesn’t know is that finding her will snowball him into a position where he again feels obligated to his scheming former mentor, Max Grobian. Nor does he know that Max will, once more, try to manipulate him into betraying her daughter Lorelei, a girl Corbin feels heart-bound to, yet fears to fully love. Book Review: "Praise for The Trueheart: What I loved most about this book was the all of the worldbuilding. Every element was developed with a great attention to detail. The history, the way the magic works, the reasons behind everything that happens, past and present, nothing was left out. The writing truly puts you inside the story, so you are surrounded by it in the best way possible. The characters were also deeply developed, so I felt connected to all of them. They all had a purpose in the story, none of them felt like they were there just to take up space, which I really liked. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I don't have any complaints. If you're looking for a fantasy book with lots of attention given to the world-building, this book might be for you!" -- YA Book Reviews (http://reviewsofyabooks.blogspot.com/)

The story of the Queens of Heartstone. The Queens of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.The seasons change as do the Queens .Read of extraordinary beauty and magick....... Spring lifted from thepage, flower scent filled the air. Soft colour touched your heart.Summer followed. Deep green and sunshine on a page, so fine. Autumn called, leaves, so rich, gold and red flame. Winter, fell. A beautiful world in white. Crisp clear nights. A Queens' role, the seasons changing .It is in the nature, of everything Especially created in A4 size for ease of readin and for sharing. A truly magical journey.....