The Standing Dead: The Stone Dance of the Chameleon Trilogy, Book #2 - Softcover

Pinto, Ricardo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553812858 ISBN 13: 9780553812855

Publisher: Bantam Books, 2003

Synopsis

THE ACCLAIMED SEQUEL TO THE CHOSENIn desperation, the Ruling Lord Suth searches within the sacred walls of Osrakum for Carnelian, his son, and Osidian, the God Emperor elect. He suspects the Empress Ykoriana is behind their disappearance and knows that if they are not found soon it is her other son, Osidian's brother Molochite, who will rule - with fearful consequences for the Three Lands.Captive of the tribes of the Earthsky, Carnelian is - for the moment - safe, and succumbs readily to the seasonal rhythms of tribal life, he is convinced by unexpected discoveries that it is fate that has bought him there.He grows to love these simple people and hopes for sanctuary among them. But the dark forces Carnelian helped unleash in Osrakum begin to cast their shadow over his adopted home. He is witness to the awful oppression that the Masters - whom the tribesmen call the Standing Dead - have been inflicting on them for millennia. But even more terrible is the presence Carnelian has unwittingly brought with him. Potent and terrifying, it threatens everything he now holds dear in this new-found world.With The Standing Dead, Ricardo Pinto gives us a tumultuous new chapter in the Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy and confirms his place as one of fantasy's most singular and literate voices.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

In this rousing sequel to Pinto's debut fantasy, The Chosen (2000), Carnelian, the son of He-who-goes-before, and Osidian, the new God Emperor elect, leave the safety of Osrakum only to fall into the hands of plainsmen raiders. When Carnelian helps the plainsmen evade capture, he wins sanctuary for both himself and the by-now-catatonic Osidian. They journey to the tribe's home in the Earthsky, where Carnelian soon finds himself enjoying life. Osidian, however, burns with desire to return to Osrakum and wreak vengeance on his enemies. When Osidian finally rouses himself to act, the novel shifts from a simple paean to the "noble savage" to a symphony of horror that builds steadily to a soul-shattering crescendo. Carnelian's love-for Osidian, for his adoptive family generally-leads him into trouble time after time. Indeed, the weakness of love is a major theme here, one sure to resonate with established fans and newcomers alike.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553812858
• ISBN 13: 9780553812855
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 736