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Title: Cornerstone
Subtitle: Souls of the Stones, Book 1
Author: Kelly Walker
Narrator: Kate Metroka
Format: Unabridged
Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
Language: English
Release date: 03-20-13
Publisher: Kelly Walker
Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes
Genres: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher's Summary:
In a world comprised of three rival kingdoms as different from each other as the families that rule them, Emariya Warren is unique in being a daughter of not one but two of the ruling families.
Sixteen years ago, Emariya narrowly escaped dying on their cold estate floor beside her mother. Now, after learning her father has been captured, Emariya makes the desperate decision to follow in her mother's ill-fated footsteps and journey to marry the prince of a rival land, Torian Ahlen. But when Emariya discovers the secrets of the three families and an ominous prophecy warning the three bloodlines must never be combined, she begins to fear the handsome prince waiting for her may desire more than to steal her heart.
Mature Content - Cornerstone does include a few minor curse words. No sexual or explicit content.
Members Reviews:
Excellent Start to a Series - Fantastic Heroine
T say that I was taken aback at the quality of the writing of the heroine (protagonist) would be an understatement. Many of the other characters fall into your stereotypical roles, but our blushing, warm, strong, magical, and independent heroine was characterized so well that it actually carries the story quite well. There are a number of story arcs that weave together to form the plot - one is a power play t take over the three kingdoms to make them one, another is to rescue the heroines father from his prison cell, another is to find out and control the power of the magic of the three stones. These three things are all inextricable, and our heroines potential marriage to Prince Ahlen could bring disaster, or the power to bring peace to everyone, but with everyone trying to kill her, she doesn't know which way to turn, and who is telling the truth and who is just out for their own greed or power.
If this book had more character development, had greater polish, removed the stereotypes, and improved the dialog, it could easily have lifted itself into the five star range. As I got it for free, this was a rare treat indeed, and I commend the author for providing such a wonderful level of writing for the entire world at no charge. The story is terribly exciting at a non-stop pace with characters that you care about in the middle of problems that you will want to see solved.
The biggest complaint I had about the book was the ending. It is what I call a MIT ending or Moment In Time. One minute the book is there, the next minute the book ends. Nothing is solved. Nothing is wrapped up. No story arcs are cleanly resolved. Typically, an event occurs at the end of the book that throws some type of monkey wrench into the main situation, or adds new light on the situation. Frankly, these types of endings make me want to scream. If my Kindle would not have broken, I would have thrown it - overhand into the corner with vim and vigor! Other than that, that book is really quite good. I am deciding if I am too insulted by the ending to buy the follow on book or not. I want to continue the story, but it was an underhanded was for me to continue. The story is definitely good enough to stand up on its own merits without the cheap tricks of MIT endings to get readers to buy follow on books.
It's going to be one of "those" series
I was hooked. Now I am waiting for the next installment. Cornerstone is loaded with depth and details.