Book Review: The Stone of Darkness

In Book 3 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid accepts her duty and follows the winter route--until she's bitten by a dragon. Everyone knows dragon bites are poisonous and deadly, so she reluctantly accepts her impending death. In a twist of fate, she survives. Desperate for an explanation, Astrid believes she has somehow been protected by the black stone she keeps with her at all times, a stone that emerged from the sole of her foot a year ago. Determined to find out what the stone is and what kind of powers it possesses, Astrid begins a journey that leads her to alchemists and an army of men under the rule of the powerful warrior, Mandulane, the acting lord of the Krystr army. Mandulane's mission is to spread the word of the new god Krystr, which preaches the evil intent of women and the danger they pose to all men, who are entitled to dominate the world. Rumors about this new god and army have spread, but Astrid is the first Northlander to encounter them. Soon, she stumbles upon a secret of a far-reaching and mind-numbing plot that will impact the entire world. Astrid must find a way to spread the news of this threat and protect her people and everyone else at risk. She's convinced the answer lies inside the Stone of Darkness, and she must find a way to understand the stone and the powers she's convinced it must hold before it's too late.

The Stone of Darkness
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 236 (ebook)
Part of Series: The Dragonslayer Series #3
Purchased: For Review for tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy: Book Depository || Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
Dragons dragons! Well..not really.. i mean not that much but you know i love them so i had to XD

The Stone of Darkness continues the story of Astrid, this time concentrating more on her more secretive side and her gems. Resa Nelson keeps the steady and easy storytelling of the second book and once again it was really easy for me to get into it. It took me just a few hours to finish,totally got lost in it. This time is even easier than before to get used to the story. At the first book everything was a little confusing, second book everything was much clearer and now you have a really good idea on what's happening, what's to happen and the characters. It's like you are part of the world too. The most difficult place to adapt is always the dragons. I still have some difficulty understanding how they think and act, but they made sense due time.

Two things were too different for me, and i really liked both. There was more magic while was on her adventure, either the creepy sisters at the start or the alchemists, it gave a different and maybe a little darker vibe to the story. Second, was the big female party Astrid had for company. I didn't like all of them but it was a nice change. It made the story more dangerous and it was also a good chance for us to see how the world changed after the events of the 2nd book.

Of course i loved Astrid again! She grows once again and learns new things. I love love her as a character. I love how she is presented, because we constantly change in our lives and i see that in every important scene from Astrid's life.
Again i missed Randim and DiStephan. They were there, but i just want more of them you know.

Resa Nelson offered once again an great adventure with one of the most strong and real female characters i've met. If you haven't start the series be sure to do. You can also try the short stories which are available for free for the tour.