Heir of Stone (The Cloudmages #3)

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Raves for
Heir of Stone:

“Readers will be grateful for the extensive appendixes, which include a cast list, a glossary and a brief history. While the pace can be leisurely at times, Farrell continues to shine as one of the strongest voices in the Celtic fantasy subgenre.”—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Farrell’s smashing series outdoes itself with each new volume. This one constitutes a wonderful tale of transformations, personal for Sevei and Kayne, global for the evolving consciousness of two species in conflict. Good enough to be cast in gold.”—
Booklist
(Starred Review)

 

“An atmosphere of ancient Celtic magic is effortlessly brought to life by Farrell’s colorful and fast-paced style. In classic sword-and-sorcery style, plots and intrigue abound and danger and dark magic lurk at every turn.”—
Locus

 

“This spirited and vivid fantasy continues a compelling saga that will appeal to fantasy fans, particularly those who enjoy strong female heroines and Celtic lore. This book is perfect for teens who enjoy well-crafted fantasies with lots of battles and magic.”—
VOYA

 

HOLDER OF LIGHTNING
MAGE OF CLOUDS
HEIR OF STONE

Copyright © 2005 by Stephen Leigh.

All rights reserved.

 

 

DAW Book Collectors No. 1315

 

DAW Books are distributed by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

All characters and events in this book are fictitious.
Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

 

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Paperback printing, January 2005

 

eISBN : 978-1-101-09848-6

Sonic inspiration this time around:
Capercaillie still found lots of play in iTunes. A new group this time around is Gaelic Storm (also known as the “Steerage Band” from the movie
Titanic
); I’ve enjoyed listening to their CDs that I’ve picked up and also put in iTunes. I’ve also come across a local group called Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters who do Celtic-based rock and who are a riot to see in person. Dead Can Dance also spent some time being played, even though they’re more Middle Eastern-influenced than northern Celtic—I think of them as my “Arruk” group. In honor of the passing of their harpist, I also put several of my Chieftains CDs on. And, as always, the Osna CD received a few plays, especially with Jenna’s scenes. And Kate Bush, a long-time favorite, found some time in the rotation while I was writing—her evocative vocals seemed to fit.

 

The Celtic Way of Life
by the Curriculum Development Unit (The O’Brien Press Ltd., 1998), is a small but interesting book giving an overview of daily life among the Celtic people of Ireland; it served as a quick source of inspiration for some of the aspects of life in the fictional Talamh an Ghlas.

 

For a more detailed and in-depth look,
The Course of Irish History
by Professors T. W. Moody and F.X. Martin (Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1995) proved invaluable. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in a detailed and well-researched overview of the history of Ireland.

 

My apologies in advance to speakers of Irish Gaelic. Through the book, I have borrowed several terms from Irish and though I’ve made my best attempt, any mistakes in usage (and I’m sure there are many) are my own and are due to my limited understanding of the language.

 

I also need to express my gratitude to Sheila Gilbert: for seeing the initial story and loving it, and for invariably giving me fabulous editorial suggestions that made each of the novels thus far a better book. Sheila, thanks for making me part of the “family” at DAW.

 

If you’re connected to the internet, my web site can be accessed from
www.farrellworlds.com
—you’re always welcome to browse through.