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Summary: Garden of the Stone
Review: Bron, the man whom secret prophecy said would restore a balance between mindpower and handpower, vanished decades ago with the Stone - a powerful talisman through which the unfathomable energy and wholeness of the world can be approached by people with the Gift. Yet though the Stone is gone, much on the surface of the world of mindpower remains the same. The changes in the world since the loss of the Stone have been insidious. The theocracy of the Fortress still rules, maintaining an elaborate charade to keep the awareness of the Stone's loss from the masses. But constructions built with Gifts are beginning to fail across the world, and not even the ultra-conservative Reddened faction of the Arm of the Stone can stop the apparent unbinding of mindpower.The book expresses well about mankind's nature and destiny and avoids the obvious position of cheerleading magic and raspberry of technology. Thoughtful and resourceful, this reflectss humanity, posing hard questions and exposing weaknesses that we might yet, with no little difficulty, overcome.
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Summary: Riveting fantasy about repression and redemption
Review: I bought The Garden of the Stone not knowing there was a previous book in the series (the publisher doesn't exactly let you know). But I didn't feel cheated, because Garden really does stand alone. The backstory is included as a flashback, in a way that doesn't interrupt the flow of the plot, and in fact adds to it. Garden is a rarity--a fantasy novel with an exciting plot that nevertheless is carried by its powerfully-drawn characters (I especially loved Orrin). The world Strauss creates is fascinating and unique, and she makes it seem very real. Also, Strauss's writing style is head and shoulders above most of what passes for fantasy writing these days. This was a great book, and I hope the author expands the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasant read
Review: I didn't know that this book was a sequel when I took it off the shelf, nor did I realise it when I read it. Magnificently crafted to be a stand-alone book, it immediately picks you up and takes you into the action. It is a well-crafted story, of an assassin girl, Cariad, who is led by the legacy of her departed father, who captured a mystical artifact known as the Stone. She is a member of an underground resistance group who fight against the oppression of the Guardians and their suborders. The typical elements of a fantasy story are in here - hero is a part of a prophecy, item of mystical importance, love, danger, the final confrontation of good and evil. Strauss has intertwined these elements finely, but in truth, her story-writing skills are a little lacking. There is a fair amount of emphasis on detail - but not where it counts. She explains the surroundings well, and the history, but leaves little to character development, especially in regards to the supporting characters.
Also, the climax of the story seemed rushed; it was over in a few pages. There was a lot of build-up, so the finale turned out to be a little anti-climatic, espeically as it was extremely predictable. Not really a book for those die-hard hard-core fantasy lovers out there, but those of you who enjoy a simple read with a non-complex world, then Garden of the Stone is for you
Rating:
Summary: Nowhere near as good as the first book
Review: I thought Arm of the Stone was a terrific book, but this one felt rushed and ill-conceived. There was far too much time wasted on long, in-depth conversations in which psuedo-medievel men process their pain. Also, the author builds tension in several parts of the story, but lets it dissipate each time. Victoria Strauss' powerful grasp of language and intelligent characterization elevates the troubled and overlong plot, but the whole book feels perfunctory, as though she wasn't interested in writing it. I'll buy her next book the moment I see it on the shelf, but I won't be recommending this one.
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Summary: Not My Genre...
Review: I'll admit once again that I haven't read Sci-Fi/Fantasy since college. I had a lot of anxiety when I first ordered "The Garden", anxiety that vanished once Victoria's wonderful prose and charecter building took over. I've read both the first book ("Arm of the Stone") and this sequeal and I remain anxious; anxious for another Strauss offering.
Rating:
Summary: Really 3.5 stars.
Review: I'm rounding up because until I got to this page I hadn't realized that this was the second book in a series. Strauss gets point for writing a sequel that stands so well on its own. I didn't miss not having read the first. Cariad, a talented assassin who fights the tyranny of the Redenned waits for that father she's never known to return. The world sets up an interesting tension between handpower and mindpower and the balance between the two. It posits an alternative way of approaching our own history-- which is ultimately what a good fantasy should do. It's not spectacular, but it is enjoyable.
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Summary: Best fantasies I've read in a long time
Review: I've read both The Arm of the Stone and The Garden of the Stone, and found them to be exceptional fantasies. I couldn't put them down! They're not the run of the mill, dime a dozen, clone fantasies you usually wind up with when you go to the bookstore, with elves and quests and magic swords and cardboard characters and ridiculous dialogue. They're real novels, with interesting ideas, fascinating world building, and wonderful characters who come alive on the page and stay with you long after you're finished reading. Oh yes--and there's an exciting plot too. And lots of very cool magical stuff. I loved these books, and I hope Ms. Strauss writes more soon!
Rating: 
Summary: Not worthwhile
Review: It bothers me to see fantasy authors relying on capital letters and other worn cliches to impart interest. Strauss's first novel showed some promise, but she loses steam here, resorting to the standard dialog patterns and melodramatic mood music to tell what is basically a trite tale in new clothes. The price is probably right. It's the time you might waste that you have to factor in when making the decision to purchase this. I wouldn't.
Rating:
Summary: Just as good as the first one
Review: The Garden of the Stone has it all--a fast paced and exciting plot, fascinating world building, and excellent characters. No cardboard heroes here--the characters are so real you feel they're people you could actually meet. The book tells two stories, of Cariad, a skilled assassin on a secret mission to kill her father's greatest enemy, and Konstant, who is sent from a world of magic into a world of technology to find a man (the hero of The Arm of the Stone, the previous book in the series) who is the focus of an important prophecy. The two stories interrelate, but remain separate until the final chapters, when Strauss brings them beautifully together. Endings are often a problem in fantasy--the author runs out of steam or ideas, and all you're left with is a big so what." Not here. The climax of The Garden of the Stone is surprising and satisfying. I don't agree with the person who said this book doesn't stand alone. Ms. Strauss does a good job of including the action of volume 1, and though some characters from the previous book return, there are many new ones, and the story takes place in different settings. But it is a sequel, after all, so I would recommend reading the Arm of the Stone first, because it gives a better context for Garden, and also because the two books work so well together.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but could have been better.
Review: The plot is okay. The writing is pretty good. I'll admit that I read most of the book in one setting, so, it is engaging enough. But, the book fails to be compelling. The heroine Cariad is very one-faceted and fails to elicit sympathy. I kept wishing she would be tortured more during her captivity because I was so tired of her having been exposed to characters of her ilk half a dozen times before. Speaking of torture, just about every character in the book has some sort of a dark past which supposedly explains their present. Unfortunately, when the past is finally revealled, I couldn't help feeling let down, as in, "that was the big deal?" Truth to tell, I have been disappointed by most of the fantasy I read lately. I guess I'll just have to bear it until George R.R. Martin sends out another installment.
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