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The Stone War

The Stone War

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Startlingly Original
Review: 'The Stone War' begins slowly. At first it felt like I was reading a retelling of 'The Postman' with Tietjen rebuilding New York city. Then, it got interesting.

The author's vivid imagination created surprises that both shocked and awed me. I found myself on more than one occasion electrified with fear. Several passages are nothing short of magical.

Robins' creates excellent characters (though Tietjen's obsession with NY is perplexing). Minor quibbles with an otherwise good book: 1) lots of profanity, 2)Robins' never explains the story. Why did characters' suddenly receive incredible powers? What exactly happened to the city? In the end, this is a refreshingly different novel from the dozens of other fantasies on the market.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Enjoyable, but needed more background
Review: As Robins' novel begins, a near-future New York is essentially under armed guard. Citizens are subject to ID checks as they traverse from neighborhood to neighborhood. Gangs roam the night freely and without consequence; law enforcement is minimal and ineffective. Central Park is no man's land. The homeless population has exploded. Those with sufficient means barricade themselves into apartment buildings-cum-fortresses in certain "safe" sections of the city.

John Tietjen, a divorced father of two, has an uneasy relationship with his ex-wife and children, but a passionate relationship with New York. He frequently roams the streets at night without care, trusting that "his city" will not let anything happen to him.

He reluctantly accepts a construction contract out of the city, and while he is gone, devastation strikes. In desperation, Tietjen rushes back to New York, only to find it in ruins and virtually depopulated. After a number of strange encounters, he rescues a woman, Barbara McGrath, from a madman and together they begin establishing a safehouse for other survivors.

But there are many oddities, most of them dangerous, in this new New York. As Tietjen's and McGrath's sanctuary becomes more populated, it becomes a target for other survivors, malevolent and strangely changed.

Robins writes some lovely descriptive passages. Her New York is vibrant and tawdry and frightening. Her characters, particularly Tietjen, are well-drawn with satisfying inner lives.

Although I enjoyed the novel overall, I have a couple of quibbles. I want to know how Robin's New York before the devastation became an armed camp nearly overrun with the homeless and the lawless -- although Robins never gives an explanation, she leaves the impression that middle-class families have been priced completely out of adequate housing. Even a hint or a throwaway reference as to how this situation came about would have sufficed. And I am dissatisfied with the final revelation of how the city was destroyed. Perhaps I missed the foreshadowing that would have made the denouem?nt more sensible.

The chief quibble, however, isn't the author's fault. A post-9/11 world robs this story of some of its power, particularly when Robins discusses buildings that no longer exist. It's a jarring note, and a sad one.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "The Stone War" is mavelous magic!
Review: Madeleine E. Robins' book "The Stone War" is truly a show of modern magic. Mrs. Robins' wonderful style brings her characters to life. Her interpretation of near-future New York is realistic and believable. She gives you just enough information about the city's demise to let you guess the anwser along with the charecters. I would recommend "The Stone War" to anyone looking for a modern fantasy. It truly is a work of magic.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "The Stone War" is mavelous magic!
Review: Madeleine E. Robins' book "The Stone War" is truly a show of modern magic. Mrs. Robins' wonderful style brings her characters to life. Her interpretation of near-future New York is realistic and believable. She gives you just enough information about the city's demise to let you guess the anwser along with the charecters. I would recommend "The Stone War" to anyone looking for a modern fantasy. It truly is a work of magic.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Brilliant Freakin' Book
Review: Madeleine Robins is best known for her short SF/Fantasy stories. Now she's done it more, better, bigger, and with style in a novel.

From the fine detail to the big sweeping panoramas, to the characters and setting, this is one of those books that I wish I'd written myself, but never would be able to in a million years.

Go pick it up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant sci fi fantasy
Review: The Stone War takes place in the New York City of the
near future. An unexpected disaster strikes the city,
causing chaos. An architect, hitherto an "ordinary guy",
takes charge of an effort to rebuild in the midst of
devastation and ghoulish obstacles. This book is very well-written. Its pacing and narrative resembles a golden age
hard sci fi future history novel, but its plot devices and themes combine elements of fantasy, horror and heroic symbolism to achieve a work that is satisfying both as sci fi/fantasy and as sophisticated fiction. The story becomes utterly believable despite the most fantastic plot. Ms. Robins should be very proud of this effort. I recommend this as an excellent read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant sci fi fantasy
Review: The Stone War takes place in the New York City of the
near future. An unexpected disaster strikes the city,
causing chaos. An architect, hitherto an "ordinary guy",
takes charge of an effort to rebuild in the midst of
devastation and ghoulish obstacles. This book is very well-written. Its pacing and narrative resembles a golden age
hard sci fi future history novel, but its plot devices and themes combine elements of fantasy, horror and heroic symbolism to achieve a work that is satisfying both as sci fi/fantasy and as sophisticated fiction. The story becomes utterly believable despite the most fantastic plot. Ms. Robins should be very proud of this effort. I recommend this as an excellent read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Successful, enjoyable multi-leveled read
Review: While all good novels need an engaging plot and 3-D characters, a really good science fiction novel also contains an IDEA that traditional fiction could not as well illustrate. This novel does that, by making real and manifest the horrific consequences of putting our fears and anger into boxes -- of keeping ourselves boxed up. And what makes this story especially compelling, is that its hero survives on multiple levels by refusing to be boxed in. While near-future NYC residents live with gated city blocks and armed guards at every corner, he roams the streets, connecting with the city and its inhabitants. When the psychic fears of all the city burst loose to wreck havoc, his band of survivors win out by refusing to sit behind their defense walls. And in the end, he grows by learning to connect emotionally with his fellow survivors. NET, this story succeeds on many levels -- as an adventure-survival story; as a science fiction novel; and as an exploration of the dangers of disconnecting, and the joys of connecting, with our fellow human beings.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Successful, enjoyable multi-leveled read
Review: While all good novels need an engaging plot and 3-D characters, a really good science fiction novel also contains an IDEA that traditional fiction could not as well illustrate. This novel does that, by making real and manifest the horrific consequences of putting our fears and anger into boxes -- of keeping ourselves boxed up. And what makes this story especially compelling, is that its hero survives on multiple levels by refusing to be boxed in. While near-future NYC residents live with gated city blocks and armed guards at every corner, he roams the streets, connecting with the city and its inhabitants. When the psychic fears of all the city burst loose to wreck havoc, his band of survivors win out by refusing to sit behind their defense walls. And in the end, he grows by learning to connect emotionally with his fellow survivors. NET, this story succeeds on many levels -- as an adventure-survival story; as a science fiction novel; and as an exploration of the dangers of disconnecting, and the joys of connecting, with our fellow human beings.


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