Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
In “Black Stone Heart” Michael Fletcher has delivered a really dark story that gets deeper the longer you’re in its grasp. Khraen, the main character, starts off knowing basically nothing about himself or the wider world. He is looking for obsidian shards that seem to be holding the secrets of his past. On that quest he slowly starts to explore and learn not just about what happened before, but also about the world. And while we get to follow his plot, and his world, his distinctive voice get stronger and stronger until it feels like you really are inside the story. I especially liked how Khraen feels like a piece of unworked clay and his personality only slowly evolves. Not a bad person, but finding himself alone and without memory he also doesn’t have any imprinted moral code, so it’s very intriguing to see how this character is gaining his own personality. The – expected since this is a book by Michael R. Fletcher – descent into darkness is so naturally and gradually done that you hardly notice how you start to root for someone who definitely is not a hero. But he’s just doing what the situation demands, isn’t he? Is he?
Once again Michael Fletcher manages to spellbind you into this grimdark spiral of madness, and yet it feels so very fluent and logical it makes you take a double take at your own thoughts and emotions. The story is perfectly balanced on a fine edge, it holds the reader’s attention all the way as the characters grow, develop and come alive in your mind.
“Black Stone Heart” is set in a medieval style world with wizards, necromancers and demons. It’s familiar enough to allow the reader to dive right in, and yet has enough new things to discover, so it always keeps up the interest. And it isn’t limited to just that one plane of existence either…
I can’t recommend this one enough for anyone who likes a book without a clear black and white (or really any black and white) world, and isn’t squeamish about gore, sex and violence in their books.
Who was I? The kind of person who thought only of themselves? The kind of person who abandoned those in need?
I realized I’d asked the wrong question. Why let my unknown past define me?
It wasn’t, ‘Who was I?’ but rather, ‘Who am I?’
And still, I hesitated.
Once again Michael Fletcher manages to spellbind you into this grimdark spiral of madness, and yet it feels so very fluent and logical it makes you take a double take at your own thoughts and emotions. The story is perfectly balanced on a fine edge, it holds the reader’s attention all the way as the characters grow, develop and come alive in your mind.
“Black Stone Heart” is set in a medieval style world with wizards, necromancers and demons. It’s familiar enough to allow the reader to dive right in, and yet has enough new things to discover, so it always keeps up the interest. And it isn’t limited to just that one plane of existence either…
I can’t recommend this one enough for anyone who likes a book without a clear black and white (or really any black and white) world, and isn’t squeamish about gore, sex and violence in their books.
2.5
Super interessanter Plot aber leider hatte ich mir das alles anders vorgestellt. Khraen ist langweilig und an manchen Stellen ein richtiger Waschlappen. Die Romanze(n) haben es nicht besser gemacht. Mal sehen ob ich die Serie weiterverfolgen werde.
Super interessanter Plot aber leider hatte ich mir das alles anders vorgestellt. Khraen ist langweilig und an manchen Stellen ein richtiger Waschlappen. Die Romanze(n) haben es nicht besser gemacht. Mal sehen ob ich die Serie weiterverfolgen werde.
This book started off so promisingly. A great premise with a twisty mystery making up its bulk, I was sure I was gonna be hooked til the end.
Howeva, it puttered out for me a little after the halfway mark. I really do want to know what happens when our (anti)hero finally gets his heart all back together but there’s so many dreary inner monologues of doubt that I just can’t read another whole book. This guy just has endless debates with himself. One page he’s all gung-ho on not being an evil monster and then two pages later he’s back to “oh well, let’s chop up some bodies so I can get my power back lol”. And then he immediately feels guilt about being blasé about murder again! Pick a lane, dude! I can get on board with someone struggling with his evil inclinations, but it has to be more subtle than this, it just has to.
It’s a pity because I felt like this book could have been so much more. There’s bits here and there that are truly fun and interesting. But it’s so bogged down by pages of maudlin recriminations that I really have very little interest in reading the next installment.
(ALSO SPOILER ANGER: Dude, you are NOT allowed to be surprised by the Venka discovery at the end. I mean DUHHHHHHH)
Howeva, it puttered out for me a little after the halfway mark. I really do want to know what happens when our (anti)hero finally gets his heart all back together but there’s so many dreary inner monologues of doubt that I just can’t read another whole book. This guy just has endless debates with himself. One page he’s all gung-ho on not being an evil monster and then two pages later he’s back to “oh well, let’s chop up some bodies so I can get my power back lol”. And then he immediately feels guilt about being blasé about murder again! Pick a lane, dude! I can get on board with someone struggling with his evil inclinations, but it has to be more subtle than this, it just has to.
It’s a pity because I felt like this book could have been so much more. There’s bits here and there that are truly fun and interesting. But it’s so bogged down by pages of maudlin recriminations that I really have very little interest in reading the next installment.
(ALSO SPOILER ANGER: Dude, you are NOT allowed to be surprised by the Venka discovery at the end. I mean DUHHHHHHH)
A very grimdark first person account of memory recovery by a very morally grey MC. Set in a world of mages, elementalists, demonologists, dragons and more, a world with a defining apocalyptic war history.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Black Stone Heart is a dark and immersive fantasy that delivers everything I look for in the genre: strong character development, vivid world-building, and weighty, morally complex themes. Fletcher writes with a sharp edge, crafting a story that balances brutal action with introspection.
The linear storytelling makes the narrative easy to follow without sacrificing depth. The world is rich with ancient lore, demons, gods, and hidden histories, all of which add a sense of scale and mystery that kept me hooked. I especially appreciated how the story explores the consequences of personal choices and the constant pull between kindness and darkness, without ever feeling forced.
This is a gripping, atmospheric read with real emotional and philosophical weight. If you enjoy grimdark stories with moral tension and layered world-building, this one is worth your time.
Rating: 5/5
The linear storytelling makes the narrative easy to follow without sacrificing depth. The world is rich with ancient lore, demons, gods, and hidden histories, all of which add a sense of scale and mystery that kept me hooked. I especially appreciated how the story explores the consequences of personal choices and the constant pull between kindness and darkness, without ever feeling forced.
This is a gripping, atmospheric read with real emotional and philosophical weight. If you enjoy grimdark stories with moral tension and layered world-building, this one is worth your time.
Rating: 5/5
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
RTC - Read it as part of SPFBO, review will follow after the conclusion.
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2020/09/finalists-for-6th-spfbo.html?m=1
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2020/09/finalists-for-6th-spfbo.html?m=1
Resurrection of something rotten.
Reconstruction of body and mind. A sick and ancient mind of an ancient emperor.
Someone who lived so long ago that he is remembered only in legends and devotions.
Much of the story is the dark, angry thoughts of someone fighting an internal battle to remember how he died and how he woke up. Revenge, desire for retaliation and hate, a lot of hate. All in the thoughts of someone who wants to be and do better.
Haven't I told you he's a demon yet? Well, yes. He's the boss of them all.
I feel like calling these texts:
"the delirious murmurings of a rotten emperor."
Reconstruction of body and mind. A sick and ancient mind of an ancient emperor.
Someone who lived so long ago that he is remembered only in legends and devotions.
Much of the story is the dark, angry thoughts of someone fighting an internal battle to remember how he died and how he woke up. Revenge, desire for retaliation and hate, a lot of hate. All in the thoughts of someone who wants to be and do better.
Haven't I told you he's a demon yet? Well, yes. He's the boss of them all.
I feel like calling these texts:
"the delirious murmurings of a rotten emperor."