Melting Stones (Circle Reforged Series #2)

by Tamora Pierce, Grace Kelly (Read by)

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce has done something unprecedented for an author of her stature—written the newest novel in her Circle of Magic universe to go directly to audio. There will be no print version for at least a year! It’s the story of Evvy, the young stone mage introduced in Pierce’s bestselling Street Magic, who accompanies her guardian Rosethorn on a mission to Starns Island to study a mysterious plant die-off. with her magic—and the help of Luvo, one of Tamora Pierce’s most original creations—the girl discovers a threat far greater than anyone could have imagined. Preventing disaster may cost Evvy her life. Even more frightening, from her point of view, it may require her to melt her own hard heart, and open herself to human contact.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501237966
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	04/14/2015
Series:	Circle Reforged Series , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Tamora Pierce has published more than two dozen novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Trickster’s Choice and Terrier. A former housemother, literary agent, and radio actress, Tammy lives in Syracuse, New York, with her beloved “spouse creature,” Tim Liebe, with whom she wrote the Marvel Comics series “White Tiger.” Visit her on the Web at www.tamorapierce.com.

Editorial Reviews

Almost as prolific as she is popular, Pierce bucks convention and brings this novel to audio a year in advance of its hardcover publication. Once a writer for radio theater, Pierce tailors the narrative to audio, which is evident in the enhanced use of dialogue to convey plot and the streamlined descriptions. The story itself is a continuation of adventures begun in Street Magic, part of the author's Circle of Magic cycle-fortunately, listeners can easily enter the fantasy world here without any previous acquaintance. Narrator Evvy, a young and battle-scarred mage whose words and thoughts are crisply, even commandingly read by Kelly, goes with her guardian Rosethorn to a "battle island" where the plants are dying off. With help from her friend Luvo, the living heart of a mountain (his voice sounds a bit robotic), she discovers that volcanic spirits plan to erupt. Production values are consistently high: carefully integrated original music raises the emotional stakes, and a skilled cast delivers full-bodied performances, even making good on lines like "his voice was as hard asdiamonds, and as soft as chalk." The novel is not one of Pierce's more surprising or innovative, but her typically strong characterizations and the superb acting camouflage its deficiencies. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

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Publishers Weekly

Gr 8 Up

The council of mages, The Winding Circle, has received a request from the Battle Islands for assistance. Their plants are dying and their rivers are turning to acid, and the situation is getting worse. The Circle sends two mages, along with a student who has gotten herself into a bit of trouble. Evvy has a choice-either go on the mission or be confined to Discipline Cottage. Her mentor is one of the mages, so she chooses to accompany them. When they arrive at the island, they discover that Evvy might be useful after all. What follows is a riveting story that has many inventive and exciting plot twists and turns. The story was originally created as an audio book, with actors helping the author develop the characters as they recorded. It was a fabulous idea, and the story features excellent character development because of it. Evvy has depth, and readers get hints as to her motivations and desires. The whole book, the first in a series, is an amazing ride.-Jennifer-Lynn Draper, Children's Literature Consultant, Oshawa, Ontario

School Library Journal

In this first print edition of a tale originally conceived of and published as an audiobook (2007), the magic of Evumeimei Dingzai, a rough-edged young stone mage last met in Street Magic (2001), is tested to its limits on (and under) an island afflicted with mysterious dead zones. It doesn't take Evvy long to learn that the island of Starns is volcanic in origin and that after thousands of years powerful fire entities from the planet's core have nearly reached the surface. Can she convince the skeptical surface residents to flee and simultaneously divert the coming eruption? Thanks to a quick temper and rudimentary people skills shaped by her harsh early life, the first shapes up to be tougher than the second; fortunately, she has allies—notably Luvo, a deceptively small, stonelike being who is actually the ancient living heart of a mountain. Related in a strongly individual voice, expertly set in context without longwinded explanations and well-stocked with nuanced characters of several ages and species, this suspenseful tale is lit up with magic. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

This audiobook original, released well before the print version, will please the author’s legions of fans. The new Circle of Magic fantasy features Grace Kelly as Evvy, an apprentice stone mage. She is able to suspend her physical self and explore the depths of the earth, sensing and, at times, influencing the course of nature. With her mentor, Rosethorn, and the powerful Luvo, she is challenged to solve the mysterious withering of an island whose plants and waters are dying. While the production has some over-the-top sound effects, Kelly delivers a strong performance, and the Full Cast voices align well with their characters. Listeners will especially enjoy the author’s participation. L.D.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

FEB/MAR 08 - AudioFile