Rating: 
Summary: Average, at best
Review: ...The world setting is very simplistic, with little or no backstory, and no reason to care. Plus, it is full of anachronisms that jar the sensibilities. For example, it is a fantasy book where everyone travels by horseback or ship and wields swords and crossbows. Yet they have electric generators and smoke cigarettes without any of the supporting pieces (like steam or coal power to drive the generators). Odd technological pieces thrown in for no reason. It just feels sloppy. I ...the characterizations are fairly weak, and there is practically no character development in the story. Sadly, the best defined and most internally consistent character is the villian's henchman, an assassin. Supposedly, the main character is a retired super-spy. However, you would never be able to tell from his actions or mannerisms. And, for a main character, his presence is surprisingly scarce. I would guess that he is only in roughly 25% of the book. All in all, the book is sloppy. It lacks focus, and pays too much attention to things that don't advance the story, but at the same time offer no other payoff. It is internally inconsistent, and lacks any compelling characters. If you are bored, and looking for something to occupy your time, pick this book up. Otherwise, there are better selections out there...
Rating:
Summary: Average, at best
Review: ...The world setting is very simplistic, with little or no backstory, and no reason to care. Plus, it is full of anachronisms that jar the sensibilities. For example, it is a fantasy book where everyone travels by horseback or ship and wields swords and crossbows. Yet they have electric generators and smoke cigarettes without any of the supporting pieces (like steam or coal power to drive the generators). Odd technological pieces thrown in for no reason. It just feels sloppy. I ...the characterizations are fairly weak, and there is practically no character development in the story. Sadly, the best defined and most internally consistent character is the villian's henchman, an assassin. Supposedly, the main character is a retired super-spy. However, you would never be able to tell from his actions or mannerisms. And, for a main character, his presence is surprisingly scarce. I would guess that he is only in roughly 25% of the book. All in all, the book is sloppy. It lacks focus, and pays too much attention to things that don't advance the story, but at the same time offer no other payoff. It is internally inconsistent, and lacks any compelling characters. If you are bored, and looking for something to occupy your time, pick this book up. Otherwise, there are better selections out there...
Rating: 
Summary: Where is the finally?
Review: I bought Harzard's Price and really enjoyed the book, until I came to the end to find it continued on in another book. Bought Dark Waters, to also find no real ending to the story. I am so disapointed to find no others books to contiune the chronicles to the conclusion of the storyline.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Read!
Review: It's refreshing to read a SF&F book that is written above an 8th grade level. A very interesting story with action, adventure and magic - but the magic is not overused as a device as commonly seen in this genre. Much more of a "cliffhanger" at the end than I would have expected; I hope the next book in the series comes out soon!! Good character development and some interesting opportunities for future series related to this one (the Khrine for instance).
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy at it's Best
Review: Mr. Stone, a first time author I believe, weaves an immensely thick plot in just a few hundred pages. Character development is superb for those who are kept around for book two (I know as I have now read book two); others are swiftly dealt with in an aggressive style that only Stone could conceive of. His writing style is mature, his plots are rich and thick, and his imagination toward death and dismemberment at times is alarming. Who is Mr. Stone and what has he been through? What kind of person am I for enjoying this sort of thing? (I enjoyed the character development of Hannibal Lechter too, so this sort of thing does not come as a suprise to those who know me.) Hazard's Price is a must read for those wanting more out of the genre. Mr. Stone is finally here to serve it up. I enjoyed Hazard's Price but I even think more highly of it after reading Dark Waters. (Dark Waters deserves 6 stars!) Hazard's Price serves an elaborate set-up so that the action can really kick into gear in Dark Waters. Fasten your seat belts because this series is awesome!
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy at it's Best
Review: Mr. Stone, a first time author I believe, weaves an immensely thick plot in just a few hundred pages. Character development is superb for those who are kept around for book two (I know as I have now read book two); others are swiftly dealt with in an aggressive style that only Stone could conceive of. His writing style is mature, his plots are rich and thick, and his imagination toward death and dismemberment at times is alarming. Who is Mr. Stone and what has he been through? What kind of person am I for enjoying this sort of thing? (I enjoyed the character development of Hannibal Lechter too, so this sort of thing does not come as a suprise to those who know me.) Hazard's Price is a must read for those wanting more out of the genre. Mr. Stone is finally here to serve it up. I enjoyed Hazard's Price but I even think more highly of it after reading Dark Waters. (Dark Waters deserves 6 stars!) Hazard's Price serves an elaborate set-up so that the action can really kick into gear in Dark Waters. Fasten your seat belts because this series is awesome!
Rating:
Summary: Flawed, but promising
Review: My impression, on finishing Hazard's Price, is that it was a first book by an author who is going to be really good once he properly hits his stride. The situation he sets up is complex, the characters are varied and two-dimensional. However, there were (for me) too many main characters who had minimal time devoted to showing them, so it was difficult to distinguish who they were and why they were doing things. The head of the Ministry of Intelligence could have been more intelligent, the Complex Backstory behind the friendship of Hazard and his companion is synopsized a couple of times and portrayed as Highly Significant, but it always comes up in bullet list form and I could never care about it properly. I've read far worse first books, with far less ambitious goals, and I do look forward to seeing the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed, but promising
Review: My impression, on finishing Hazard's Price, is that it was a first book by an author who is going to be really good once he properly hits his stride. The situation he sets up is complex, the characters are varied and two-dimensional. However, there were (for me) too many main characters who had minimal time devoted to showing them, so it was difficult to distinguish who they were and why they were doing things. The head of the Ministry of Intelligence could have been more intelligent, the Complex Backstory behind the friendship of Hazard and his companion is synopsized a couple of times and portrayed as Highly Significant, but it always comes up in bullet list form and I could never care about it properly. I've read far worse first books, with far less ambitious goals, and I do look forward to seeing the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Very good Debut!
Review: Stone has written a very good novel that combines the genres of sword&sorcery with spy thriller. Long ago a terrible war was fought between two nations:Chaldus and Yndor and it was fought by mages to prevent another war of magic from rising up a spell was woven.The spell took most of the magic from the world.This was called the binding.Only a selective few ministers from these countries know the words to undo the spell.And Now someone is killing these ministers and torturing them to gain the words for that spell.Galatine Hazard, a rich businessman, who has a dark past as a thief and spy is being framed for those murders.He must stop the assasin before he brings two countries to war and unlease the powers of that spell! Stone's novel has some gripping scenes of intrigue, magic and action.This novel also has some memorable characters like Hazard who finds out that you cannot escape your past.Taylor Ash-the courageous head of Chaldean Intelligence.Cain-Hazard's best friend and business associate.Aston-the wily retired head of chaldean intelligence and wizard.Hain-the sadist assasin who is hired for the murders. The only that prevented me from giving it five-stars is Stone takes too long to get Hazard on the trail of the assasin and this novel is another ... (sigh) series in the making because there is a cliffhanger.But all and all a impressive debut.
Rating:
Summary: bravo!
Review: this book along with the second in the series, was sitting on my shelf for nearly a year when i took it with me on a recent trip out of the country. i finished both in record time and was unavailable for two of my seven days on my vacation (to my wife's chagrin).i found it a wonderfully easy read spurred on by interesting,complex characters. in a crowded fantasy genre, i believe a refreshing new voice has arrived with mr. stone's first book and i look forward to a long career with more of the same. when is the third book coming?
| 
