Blazing Earth

Stone Circles, Book #3

By Terri Brisbin

ISBN#9780451469120

Author Website: http://www.terribrisbin.com

 

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Synopsis:

Tolan of Durlington is a farmer whose ancestors have tended the same lands for centuries with astonishing success. His hope for the future is that his son—and his sons yet to come—will carry on the traditions. But, his carefully laid plans are shaken by the village healer he’s come to love.

Unable to bear children, Elethea can offer Tolan only companionship and physical comfort. When hidden powers in their blood—powers to command the fertile earth, to draw from the healing sun—explode into being, their world and lives are changed forever.

Soon, the fate of humankind is in their hands as the wrathful goddess grows closer to escaping her prison and destroying the world as they know it. Battling the goddess’ followers and their own fears, can these two lovers protect mankind and still survive to find their own future? (Goodreads)

 

Review:

I enjoyed this third installment in the Stone Circles series.

As Blazing Earth begins, Lord Hugh de Gifford is still on his quest to free Chaela, the goddess of chaos and fire who was trapped by her fellow gods and goddesses many years ago.  The Warriors of Destiny, descendants of these original ancient Celtic deities, are doing all within their powers to permanently close the gateways through which Chaela may escape.  Everyone converges where the last two Warriors can be found.  Tolan, an Earthblood, has heard the stories passed down through his family and has an uncanny ability to make things grow.  He is the overseer of Lord Geoffrey’s lands.  Elethea (Thea), the Sunblood, is known about town for her healing and midwifery talents, but she is clueless when her godly powers begin to show themselves.  Tolan and Thea have an arrangement of sorts but really do love each other, and Tolan would like very much to marry Thea.  However, Thea was abused by her first husband and left barren as a result of her injuries, and she cannot bring herself to accept Toran’s proposal because she knows that he would like to have more children.  As they learn more about their powers from the other Warriors, their bond becomes even stronger, but they are faced with a horrible choice when Lord Hugh captures Tolan’s son Kirwyn.

Blazing Earth may be my favorite of the Stone Circle novels thus far.  I felt a great affinity for Tolan and Thea and appreciated that they were already in a romantic relationship and did not get together because they were “supposed to” as Warriors.  Tolan’s love for his son and Thea were endearing.  Thea’s pain over her inability to bear children and subsequent feeling of not feeling deserving of Tolan’s love was heartbreaking.  I am hopeful that their newfound abilities from the gods will somehow solve this problem in the next book.  One can hope.  Lord Hugh was delightfully evil, and he never fails to make my stomach turn at least once per book.  The other Warriors were featured some in this installment, and it was exciting to see everyone come together.

Tolan was faced with an impossible, no-win choice that no parent should ever have to encounter.  I do not know if I would choose differently if I found myself in the same circumstances.  The repercussions of this choice led to a welcome plot change with a different outcome than the other books.  This carried the story along nicely and kept me reading to find out what would happen next.

I definitely think that the Stone Circles books should be read in order and that it would be difficult to read as a standalone novel.  I enjoyed my time in the thirteenth century and look forward to reading the next installment.  I recommend Blazing Earth to fans of Terri Brisbin and to readers who enjoy a dollop of supernatural fantasy with their historical romantic adventures.