Friday, September 17, 2010

The Stone Traveler: Book Review




The Stone Traveler by Kathi Oram Peterson, is an LDS YA time-travel adventure. It begins a few years from now, drops back almost two thousand years, and returns to the future.

Lost yet?

Good.

Kathi is guiding a travelogue through the realms visited by Stone Traveler on her blog HERE.

I'm kind of excited, I think my place is the first glimpse of the wicked city of Jacobugath, you'll get on the tour.

A reward for following her on the entire blog journey, visiting and commenting on all the stops are weekly prizes-and a grand prize of a kindle. Fear not, you can play catch up on the previous sites and you have until the 30th.

Comment like you read my review too.

So my review.
We follow two main characters- Sabirah, a young woman from millennia ago and Tag Quincy, a teen from the not too distant future. Tag has probably about two thirds of the book, but most of the time they are together you see different views on one situation. Tag usually being the fish out of water in a fantastical ancient-american landscape.
Behind the time-travel adventure arc lies the familial issues that each one must face. I like that the way Kathi has her characters act and react-it felt real, no matter when you are from.
It's good because I don't believe people as individuals have really changed, society and customs sure, but we all feel love and loss the same way.
And with the characters dealing with loss AND overcoming it, I think makes this is a great book to be both entertained and think about.
I suspected the answers to Tag's problems a little early on, but that won't take away from the book at all for anyone.
I did think it started a little slow with Tag and I didn't really like him at first-being more interested in Sabirah-but that only helped for Tag's character growth.
I would have liked to have seen a little more with the villains-but I'm just that type of guy.
I'm sure this is a book my kids will enjoy when they are a little older.

Zouche Jaguar God of Jacobugath

43 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Sounds good. I need an increase in salary just to cover the cost of the books I want to buy.

Anonymous said...

Excellent review, David! I like myself a villain, too, and love when they hang around a while. ;)

Laura S. said...

I like villains, too, but I like the main characters best! Thanks for the review!

MTeacress said...

I agree with the rest of you - villians make the book all that much better. I saw a guy in a book store once that looked like a villian. I can't wait to use him in one of my books. :)
Have a great weekend!

nephite blood spartan heart said...

I hear that Charles.

Thanks L.T.

You're welcome Laura.

That was me Michelle.

Redhead said...

WOW that was a great review!! I loved the pictures you added to it!

Unknown said...

Nothing is better than having a villian you love to hate.(: I'll have to check out the book. Great post, thanks for sharing.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks Andrea

Christina Dymock said...

I love, love your blog. Thanks for the stop over on the tour. I think I'll stay a while. Great review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thank you Christina, enjoy.

Emily M said...

The pictures you found are so cool!! Love the Stone Traveler!! Can't wait for my friend to return my copy so I can read it again!!!!

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Cool emfawcett.

Ben Spendlove said...

Yeah, but where's Waldo? ;) Good review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Ben- He dead.

Annette Lyon said...

I love what you said about people in general. You're right--times changes, but our hearts don't.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks Annette-that's a theme I hope comes across strong in my own stuff.

Chantele Sedgwick said...

Great review! The villian's keep a story going sometimes as much as the main characters do. I love seeing what makes a great villian tick, and am sometimes sad to see them go so fast. But the MC's make the book I think. You have to have a great main character to take out that nasty villian. :)

Tracy Loewer said...

Yay - pictures AND villain love! :) I've got a fun one in my current MG novel, so I'm totally into that sort of thing at the moment, hehe. Great review!

brendajean said...

I love that you wanted more villains! Most people want more romance;) I enjoyed your review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Chantele- exactly, they compliment each other.

Thank you Tracy.

Brendajean-well, I am an action writer myself.

Anonymous said...

I love all the pictures you included. What a great addition to your review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks Carol, I strive to visually entertain.

Taffy said...

Good Review. I also liked the pictures. Especially of the guy concerned about being on the alter :)

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Taffy-yeah, no one likes to be sacrificed.

Peggy Urry said...

Fantastic pictures! This sounds like such an interesting book.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

David, thanks for your review. I would have liked to see a little more with the villains, too, but then, I have a hard time with that in my own writing. Better work on casting the beam out of my own eye first, I guess.

P.S. I'd like to be a rogue of all trades, too. Is that a guy-only thing? If not, are you taking applications for an apprentice? :)

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks Peggy.

Krista V.-You can absolutely apprentice to being a rogue of all trades.

M.R.Bunderson said...

I love the look of your blog. Great review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks Marilyn.

Elizabeth Morgan said...

The pictures are really cool. Great review!

nephite blood spartan heart said...

I appreciate that Elizabeth.

Glynis Peters said...

I fell out of the canoe over at Kathi's blog. Google wouldn't let me leave comments, but at last I have made it. I was worth it too. I Love your review and pictures!

Jenn Adams said...

Great review! I'll be checking this one out for sure.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thank you Glynis, watch out for snakes.

Jenn- you be careful.

Elise said...

I love your pictures! Great review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

I appreciate that Catia.

Jilly Bean said...

I like the pictures you added. Looking forward to reading this book.

Anonymous said...

I love the name of your blog and the ancient pictures. I am anxious to read this book and then pass it to my grandson. I loved your review and the fact that you touched on familial problems.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks for dropping in Jilly.

Thnak you flsongbird, come again.

Lori Bottomley said...

Love the pictures. Nice review.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thank you Lori.

Valerie Ipson said...

Thanks for the review and with pics even!

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thanks for dropping in Valerie.