Book Review: The Stoneholding

by Mark James. Stoneharp Press, 2004. 322 p.

The honest, doughty highlanders of Lammermorn have long defied Gawmage, the usurper who sits on the throne of Arvon. Surrounded by mountains, they have stayed true to the old ways, represented by aged Wilum, the Hordanu (High Bard) of all Arvon. But the Great Harmony which sustains the forces of order and good has been breaking down for a long time, and there seems to be no way to restore it. Now Ferabek, the evil overlord who pulls Gawmage’s strings, has taken a personal interest in the clanholding of Lammermorn. The Sacred Fire tended by the Hordanu has been quenched, and troops are massing to annihilate those living in the valley. Can Wilum and his young assistants Kal and Galli survive long enough to rekindle the Fire, find the lost heir to the throne, and restore the Harmony?

The Stoneholding (the first book of The Talamadh) draws on Celtic mythology and a vaguely Scottish setting. The authors (Mark James is a pen name for Mark Sebanc and James G. Anderson) are clearly and unashamedly indebted to Tolkien, as most epic fantasies are. Kal and Galli are somewhat like Frodo and Sam, though not excessively so. The Celtic religion is infused with a subtle Christian sensibility, also in the tradition of Tolkien. I thought I saw a few nods to other fantasists, such as Robert Jordan.

Those who crave epic struggles between good and evil, featuring lost royalty, reluctant homespun heroes, and desperate measures, will find much to their liking in The Stoneholding. The genre is a well-worn one, but Sebanc and Anderson manage to inject unique elements thanks to the Celtic influence. The theme of a divine harmony which sustains the cosmos is particularly satisfying. Figures such as Wuldor, Ardiel, and Hedric are handled in an appropriately mythic style: the latter two appear in a striking transfiguration sequence near the end of the book.

I felt that the dialogue was at times stilted, though my imagining the characters as having Scottish accents did make it seem more plausible. The descriptive writing was more skillful, especially in regards the natural environs of the Lammermorn. The hints and prophecies are sometimes a little too broad, but on the other hand a number of important developments caught me by surprise. Best of all, I found myself caring more and more about the main characters as the book progressed: they’re likable in a down-to-earth kind of way, particularly old Master Wilum.

3 out of 5