Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Well!  Not only did The Stone Heart, sequel to The Nameless City, make it to the library by library day, but I also decided to just take the plunge and read it quickly so my oldest could get her hands on it.

Which means I finished it after lunch today.

I have to say, I personally didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the first one; there was more blood and treachery of a personal nature, which is less my thing.  It certainly kept me reading, however, and I doubt that will be a problem for readers who are drawn to the books of their own accord, instead of having them thrust upon them by a child with eagerly pleading eyes.  We learn more about Kai’s and Rat’s families, as well as more of the back story of just about everyone; we also see a great deal more turmoil.  (Stone Heart is also a typical second installment in a trilogy, meaning we’re left hanging instead of seeing resolution to that turmoil.)  Bottom line?  The book may be darker than its predecessor, but it will keep you reading–AND whet your appetite for The Divided Earth, whenever that will be coming out.

Note:  For those who would prefer to know in advance, there is a brief mention (a couple of frames, near the beginning) of a boy having a crush on another boy.  The focus of the book is firmly on political and ideological conflict, however, so that’s about as romantic as the book gets–anywhere.