Merciless. Murderer. Monster. He has been called many names in his time.
Built for war and nothing else, he has witnessed every shade of violence humans know, and he has wrought his own masterpieces with their colours. He cared once, perhaps, but far too long ago. He is bound to his task, dead to the chaos he wreaks for his masters.
Now, he has a new master to serve and a new war to endure. In the far reaches of the Realm, Hartlund tears itself in two over coin and crown. This time he will fight for a boy king and a general bent on victory.
Beneath it all he longs for change. For something to surprise him. For an end to this cycle of warfare.
Every fighter has a last fight. Even one made of stone.
The Heart of Stone reminds me of Stephen Aryan’s Mage series, with echoes of Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch. The story is simple on the surface; a warrior, created for one purpose, sold on to master after master to destroy and defeat an endless stream of enemies. But Task is tired, and the war that he’s come into is not as simple as he’d like. There aren’t even two sides to every story – there are a myriad of views and reasons for fighting, if only Task can listen to them. And once he’s listened to those outside, he then has to listen to himself…
I know I probably sound very philosophical with that. But the story, at its heart, is about a golem learning to think and feel; learning that his worries and fears are valid, and that maybe he’s not broken – he isn’t an unfeeling war machine, and maybe that’s why he’s survived 400 years when most of his kin have been destroyed fighting one enemy after another.
The book’s an easy read, and has an engaging plot – we follow Task as he walks through the war, obeying the orders of his master. But part-way through, the views split; there’s Lesky, stable girl with a perceptive streak; Huff, a commander and general who treads in his father’s footsteps with feet that will never be big enough to fill those shoes; and Frayne, politican and listener, diplomat and negotiator. And with those multiple views comes new viewpoints for Task. He is not just a war machine; he is a thinking being, and one with the capacity to care. But that’s a choice – and one that has major consequences.
I love the world-building in the book. Hartlund is a country destroyed by war after war, ground into the bones of the country – but the politics are intricately woven, hatreds and loves and history all providing background for the current fight. There are multiple sides and multiple views, and treachery woven into every plan. The ending is surprising, and heart-tugging; I’d love to see more of Lesky’s story, but I can also appreciate Galley’s comment that Task’s story, at least, is finished. Both Lesky and Task are wonderful characters, and given enough life that you want to turn the page and read more of their voices; Huff’s a [censored] [censored] – which is precisely the point, and excellently done – and Baroness Frayne…well, no spoilers, but that’s very interestingly done too.
So, overall? It’s a simple read, with an easy story. But the politics and the world-building behind it are intricate, and give the book a depth that merges well with Task’s long history and solid character. It’s a book with a dark edge, so don’t expect a light-hearted read – but it’s a complex, character-filled standalone that’s well worth the time.
PS: While there isn’t a sequel to this particular book, Galley has said that he’ll be telling some of Task’s past in short stories – keep an eye on his blog for details in the next few months!
© Kate Coe, April 2017
The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley
Published March 30th 2017
http://www.bengalley.com
Review copy courtesy of the author
406 pages
This looks like a nice change of pace novel and its currently on sale in the US. So thank you for the find.
I have read this book and completely agree with this review. I’ve read and love all of Ben Galley’s work. His characters and the world’s they reside in are as unique as the plots . Ben really knows how to grab your attention from page one and, as in his other series’, don’t let you go till the end. He has a wickedly creative mind and the smarts to promote it.