Book: The Healing Stone by John Newton
Reviewed by kats_reads_books
Rating: 5/5
"The Healing Stone is the first thrilling installment in the Shadows of Time series, where history and future collide, and the fate of both lies in the hands of an unlikely hero."
The Healing Stone is a wonderful combination of historical fiction and sci-fi, with mystical stones, time travel, predictions of the future, advanced technology that must be kept secret lest it create a rift in time.
I was completely captivated by Francisco, a young man forced to live on the streets and protect the secret of his Healing Stone, focusing on covertly healing people when he could. He is targeted as a potential recruit for the Sittiri, who wish to protect the timeline, which also makes him a target of the Key’ari who would have him killed.
There are multiple POVs from differing times and each character has their own motivations, but they all flow together well. It was remarkable to me how the historical and futuristic elements melded together so effortlessly, I'm definitely a fan of this mix of genres. So much happens in the story that I don't want to give anything away, suffice it to say I was hooked from the beginning and I'm really looking forward to reading more in this series and from this author.
Thank you to John Newton and Happily Booked PR for the advance reader copy. My opinions are my own.