Review: WITNESS THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF THE KELANNIS
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2012
Very interesting read; it makes me think of Christopher Columbus. I know...that may seem weird but the author; though writing about mythical creatures draws such a stark parallel to the historical existence of humans...of being captured; forced and enslaved.This is my first reading of Mark Whiteway's work and I am happy that he chose to combine the three of his writings. I really got to journey through the lives of the Kelanni and feel the pain of this civilization. The author did such a profound job of depicting the characters that at times you forgot that they were non humans; that your mind was taken to another planet.In the first volume the reader gets to understand how movements are borne. How adversity births courage and how there is this universal spirit of survival ingrained in each and everyone of us, that does whatever is necessary in order to maintain life. I became so enmeshed in this story that I took on an air of suspicion at almost every turn of the page; I felt as if I was a part of the plot and had to find some way to warn Shann and the others of the Keltar's agenda.Now let me reiterate how happy I am that Mark decided to put this in a trilogy because I absolutely could not have waited until he had written the second one. The suspense would have left me in utter dismay. I'm swept into this quest that I now feel I must avenge!  Volume two brings us into unfamiliar territory, though the "people" look the same as the Kellanis, their surroundings differ vastly; including their languages. This does not deter them from carrying on the mission though because their people have to be saved. It is during this volume that Shann became my favorite character; she demonstrated such strength and tenacity sublimely woven with grace. At first I felt sorry for her early in the reading because she always seemed to being yanked from what was familiar to her; but then that turned into admiration as I observed her tackling whatever she came up against. She has an against all odds spirit that great stories are built on.The plot thickens and quickens in the third book. The writer brings you right there and then yanks back your hope only to carrot and stick your optimism once again. It's really like watching a great suspense. And on that note I'm not an avid sci-fi watcher BUT "The Lodestone," Trilogy is so fantastically written that you just don't remember that you're reading that genre. As an aside; you know how sometimes you watch a sci-fi movie and the story line seems so far out there it's actually unbelievable; like you can't even pretend that it's real for 90 minutes? LOL.I must say that book three does bring back a lot of suspicion that was felt while reading volume one. You feel like you're back full circle not knowing who to trust. I recall in volume one when Shann was found by Alondo and asked if he could hold the stone for a while...I didn't trust that because she was being sought and I felt that he was going to steal it from her or was plotting a scheme to lure her and trap her for the Keltar. When you read book three like I said, you too will begin to feel the same feelings re-surfacing.This story is about faith, hope, despair, betrayal, sacrifice, defeat and triumph. You actually feel the emotions of the characters; you can identify in many cases on a personal level. The Lodestone Trilogy is a book to soak in over several days; never mind nothing much else can get done because you just want to know what's happening next.