Review: Great Read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 1, 2012
Five motorbike riders zoom across the desert and find a burnt out boat. With the boat is a scorched and broken corpse. A sudden storm sends the riders back to their camp, leaving the corpse and boat as they found it.The corpse is soaked by the rain and gradually his wounds fill with stone which then becomes flesh. Once he is fully restored the stone man, now human in appearance, crosses the desert and finds the bikers camp. Josie and Jimmy, two of the bikers, join forces with him and help him regain his memory and fend off his enemies, despite the danger to themselves.Definitely a science fiction book with a unique premise. Stone men, ordinary humans and a shape shifter all combine to make a good story. Josie and Jimmy, the two main humans, are typical teenagers. He's fascinated by Josie, she considers him a friend. The stone man is able to reconstitute himself when hit by bullets or knives and even after major attacks on his body. He is both an unusual and well developed character.I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At first slow going, I found it difficult to keep my interest, but I persevered and was glad I did. The more I read the more I got hooked. The excitement builds gradually until it comes to a stupendous climax. It's certainly worth pushing through to the end as the last few chapters make the slow beginning worthwhile. The end brings the story to a finale, but still leaves hooks to bring the reader back for the sequel. Well done C.E. Martin, a book with a good story and well edited.Originally posted at LAS Sci-Fi/Fantasy Reviews