The Stone Testament - Celia Rees

[Mark Robson]

When Celia Rees told me that her next novel was to be her first venture into fantasy, I must admit I was intrigued. I knew instantly that she wouldn’t be dealing up a ‘hack and slash’ tale in some pseudo-medieval fantasy world, but what sort of book would she write? Given her record of wonderfully descriptive historical fiction, my anticipation of her new book The Stone Testament was laden with curiosity. Her writing voice is distinct, and very different from that of the majority of fantasy writers. Having just read the final page, I should start by urging Celia not to make this a token foray into fantasy. The Stone Testament is a wonderful book … but how to describe what she’s done?

To say The Stone Testament is a complex story is rather like saying that Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series is quite long! It’s totally different to anything I’ve ever read, so I find myself unable to make comparisons with other authors or stories. I have just put the book down and am still in a state somewhere between awe and shock at what Celia’s achieved. In a single book of just over 400 pages, she’s written in three different time periods: modern day, early twentieth century and an indeterminate ‘elder time’. Within these periods she draws from: modern cultist behaviour, ancient Mesopotamian history and the ‘dreamers’ of the N. American Indians. She touches on the Incas, the Aztecs and voodoo magic; explores shamanism and, for good measure, brings in living dinosaurs and gods, both elder and younger!

To try to put a label on this book would be nonsensical. I can only say that Celia wisely chose to play to her strengths. The depth of her research is evident on every page. The detail and the precise sense of place that she builds so convincingly gives the whole book (whilst obviously a work of fantasy fiction) an almost scarily realistic edge.

Since first reading Celia’s book ‘Pirates!’ earlier this year, and then ‘Witch Child’ shortly afterwards, I’ve developed a great deal of respect for her story-telling and attention to detail. What she brings to fantasy is quite stunning in both depth and readability. I don’t want to give even the slightest of spoilers to this story, but instead urge you to go out and get a copy right now and read it for yourself. Any reader of fantasy will recognise the quality of this story from page one. Don’t let this one pass you by. You’d be missing a real treat of a read.

[Mary Hoffman]

My review of The Stone Testament appears in today's Guardian newspaper. The link to read it online is:
The end of time | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books

Mary