The Burning Stone

Enjoy this author and this series. Was pleased with the story. Good introduction to the series.

This is not a hardcover but a large paperback

Despite being a fan of both historical fiction and fantasy, somehow I've made it through my prolific reading "career" without ever having read any Jack Whyte. When this popped up on Netgalley, I didn't need much persuading to take it on for review. So what is the appeal that has made him such a popular author, and is this a worthy piece of his impressive portfolio?Well, yes and no.Whyte is definitely an author at the top of his game. This book is well written, with interesting, fleshed out characters and he appears to have done his homework on the historical period, which is set in roughly 380 AD/CE Britain, still under Roman occupation.However, I have something of a problem with this one. It's a prequel, and I haven't read any of the other books, so it feels like an info dump at times, and at others I feel like it would have made more sense if I had read the books,which is probably true. There is a lot of dialogue in the book. A hell of a lot. It starts nicely with an exciting scene where a robbery is foiled, and sets the scene for the rest of the book.The main character Quintus Varrus is a good one, the kind of guy most guys would like to be. Despite being born with a leg deformity that denies him entry to the legions, Varrus lets nothing get in his way as he strives to succeed in life. A chance encounter in London sees him meet the love of his life, but also sees him go into hiding in exotic Colchester, where he becomes a smith. While living undercover, his smarts and drive bring him to the attention of what amounts to a Roman secret military policy, the Mithratic Order, whose purpose is to combat corruption in the legions, and they sign him up. There is way more to the story, so I won't spoil it for you, but this is the gist.As I said before, there's a ton of dialogue, and at times you'll feel like some of this could be cut out to push the story forward a bit faster. The action scenes are good and seem realistic, and the author brings the world his characters inhabit to life in an impressive fashion.I found the best bits were whenever Cato was the focus. He's an ex-soldier and member of the Order, and he has his own agendas, which add a bit of spice to the occasion. Whenever he's around, expect to clean some fecal matter off your fan.All told, I liked the book. Despite the amount of "exposition", the story isn't necessarily dull, but mostly engaging. I'll definitely check out more of the author's books, now that I've had a taste, so watch this space (if I ever get through my TBR).3.5/5

This was an amazing prequel to an even more amazing set of books. The characters and story are built with obvious love and passion. Jack Whyte has a way of putting you right beside these characters, this ancient land and story. This book was so good, I’m re-reading the Camulod Chronicles. I haven’t read these books in years and years, but I got them out of storage because this prequel made me want to re-introduce myself to this mystical land and story. Do yourself a favor and read these books or any of the books Jack Whyte has written. You won’t be disappointed.

I've read Jack Whyte series several time. This book "The Burning Stone" is the prequel to "the Sky Stone." I look forward to returning to ancient Roman Britain through the imagination of Jack Whyte. Jack Whyte inspired my interest in reading widely on ancient Roman Britain.

If you were a fan of the first series of this (Starting with The Skystone), this is a pleasant return to the original characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and found myself easily transported back to Britain in the waning days of the Roman Empire.

Once again Jack White makes the distant past come alive in this tale from Roman Britain. White has a real talent for creating believable characters in the milieu of the Roman Empire. Incredibly well-researched.

There are inconsistencies in the story as compared to Skystone but it didn't bother me too much. I enjoyed the story on its own merits and I am looking forward to future editions.

A gift for my husband who has read all of Jack Whyte's books. The Burning Stone explains many things leading up to the contents in each of the other books. Well worthwhile to have and enjoy!

Falls short of his previous books. Nothing happens. Read his earlier books instead