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    The Druid Stone
    The Druid Stone
    The Druid Stone
    Ebook440 pages4 hours

    The Druid Stone

    By Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    A paranormal investigator and his handsome client must battle a curse that sends them back through Irish history in this gay time travel romance.

    After Sean inherits a hexed druid stone from his great-grandfather, the only person who can help stop the terrifying nightmares is paranormal investigator Cormac Kelly. But even though Cormac is a descendant of legendary druids, he soon finds himself out of his depth—in more ways than one. Because Sean’s the first man he’s felt anything for in a long time.

    As the pair develop an unexpected and intensely sexual bond, they are threatened at every turn by the mad sidhe lords of ancient Ireland. When Sean and Cormac are thrust back in time to Ireland’s violent history—and their own dark pasts—they must work together to escape the curse and save their fragile relationship.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateAug 6, 2012
    ISBN9781426894190
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    Reviews for The Druid Stone

    4/5

    37 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The author uses a mix of Celtic mythology, magic, history, time travel, and romance create this epic story. I found the characters to be interesting and there was definitely a lot of complexity. The only issue I had was how confusing the plot became at times, and I had a hard time following along without having to do some re-reading. I heard Scottish and Irish spoken all my life, so I didn't have any problem understanding the reader, but I think anyone that was unfamiliar with the accent and some of the terminology might have difficulty with it. I also had difficulty telling if the point of view being expressed was Connor's or Sean's. There are a lot of supporting characters, including creatures, animals, a wonderfully accepting family, really good friends and former lovers. I do wish there had been a bit more romance between Connor and Sean but overall, it was a really good story with some outstanding creepy bits.
    • 4/5
      Not sure how to characterize this book, horror, suspense, or druid/witches.. Perhaps a mixture of all. I will say that I had a profound enough reaction to the book that I will be making a blog book review about it this week.

      Very well written. I loved the attention to detail and the historical accuracy. My undergrad History degree was pleased.

      Overall, this was a wonderful book! It satisfied a taste I had for both male/male romance as well as historical/fantasy storylines. The writing was excellent and the character development and theme well defined and explored.
    • 5/5
      All around great. I don't exactly know what to write as a review - Monique wrote a very elaborate and fantastic review - so I just join with a "what she said" :-)
    • 5/5
      Wow. Just wow.

      This was everything I'm looking for in a book: excitement, danger, fast pace, love, fear, sweetness, near-death peril, twists, complexity, etc. This was a modern fantasy with the M/M romance an equally large component. The book could stand on it's own without the romance, although it wouldn't have been as good. The story is complex, riddled with fae lore, some of it familiar, some a bit new, with a lot of twists and turns. I think Belleau did a ton of research and it shows. I think any of my friends who are fans of Urban Fantasy and who aren't homophobic would love this book.

      The characters are complex, too. We learn a little more about Sean throughout the book, bits that explain his behaviors that aren't quite normal. He's damaged and hurting but strong and capable but mostly he is willing to do what he needs to do. He's also kind and good and brave. It isn't the least bit surprising why Cormac falls for him so fast.

      Cormac is intriguing and kind in his own way. He is selfless and guilt-ridden but he is willing to put himself out there for someone who needs him. His emotional baggage is killing him but he doesn't stop trying to do what's right. I understand why Sean eventually wants him, too.

      But there are more characters who are equally important, including Michael, the love of Cormac's life who disappeared ten years ago. Cormac blames himself and can't get over it. He was meant to be with Michael. So comes the complexity. I wasn't sure until close to the end who Cormac would end up with.

      I desperately wanted Cormac to tell Sean what the reader finds out: that Cormac feels that things with Sean are better than they ever were with Michael. Sean needs to hear it, needs to know that they get together not because Michael and Cormac changed but because Sean is the one Cormac wants. But we don't know if Cormac ever tells him.

      The one thing I really didn't like near was at the end: I didn't like the way Sean went home. I didn't like how he planned to stay there until Cormac comes for him. I wanted more of an explanation for why. Very briefly there's a mention that it's because he didn't know if how he felt in Ireland were real because of the danger, but I wanted more of that information, I wanted more introspection and missing Cormac. When they did get back together, it felt anti-climactic. I wanted the "God I love you, don't ever leave me again," stuff but it never came. I'm hoping it's a HFN because there will be more in a sequel.

      I personally don't like books that stray into weird dreamlike places where anything can happen. I think it's too easy because the author can make anything up and we can't fault it because it's not real. We also don't know what is real and what isn't. But I think the authors handled this very well and I was okay with it. I was also relieved that the second foray into fairy land was shorter, although the final battle was a bit short and anti-climactic. I didn't like how the humans really didn't have a hand in any of it at all. I wanted the to save the day.

      Overall, this book was amazing and I loved it. There were things I really didn't like but the things I did like overshadowed those negative parts, kind of like bad stuff: 3 stars, good stuff: 8 stars. So I'm giving the book 5 stars over all. If you like urban/modern fantasy with the Fae and you like M/M romances, you'll love this book.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the audiobook. Good reader, though Sean's American accent was a bit odd.

      What I liked: Sean. At first he seemed too pathetic and helpless, but he really came into his own. He never gave up or backed down for long.He talked back to every all-powerful sadistic being he ran into. He jumped in to save himself and others whenever there was an opening. He was determined to the right thing. He knew they had to try to save Michael from his grisly death in the past even though it rightly scared the sh*t out of him. He knew he needed to go back to the U.S. and get off his prescription meds and get his life in order even though it was hard and lonely.

      Aoibheann. I liked her in every incarnation, and each one made sense in terms of her development and situation at the time. She was brave, loyal, and smart. It was a pleasure to see her in action.

      Parts of the story. It was really gripping and suspenseful. The sidhe were thoroughly scary, as were the Vikings. I was especially impressed with the watery escape from Sreng. How terrifying to force themselves to go down into the water when it felt like certain drowning.

      What I didn't like as much: Cormac. He was a racist a**hole when Sean first met him. He was choked with guilt and angst for nearly the whole story. He didn't seem to have much on the ball for someone who was supposed to be an expert. On the other hand, he was fearless, and he came through for Sean in the end in a very satisfying way that showed character development.

      Other parts of the story. It got a bit repetitious - could have gotten by with one or even two fewer trips into the mounds. The family scenes went on too long for what they added to the story. It was way more grisly than necessary in my view. And what the story did to Michael was just too cruel for me. Not only does he have to suffer centuries of torture, he loses his magic when Sreng dies and ends up so injured and PTSD he can't even work. .

      Overall: good, exciting story with a satisfying ending. I will listen to it again.
    • 5/5
      Right, well then. For starters, I have this problem with any title that has the word "druid" in it (or "faerie," or "emerald," or references to the moon esp. if full, etc. -- you get the idea). Much like main character Cormac's problem with the American romantic notion of Ireland! My expectations immediately take a turn for the worse on exposure to the key words. I think I had already passed over this one once before I read Cruce de Caminos and got curious enough about Sean's continuing adventures to overcome my bias.Also much like Cormac, I'm glad I did.This is a gorgeous novel. The romance and the magic are beautifully balanced, neither feeling like a crutch for the other. The Good Folk are wild and dangerous, alluring and terrible in the same measure. The history of Ireland is a vivid and crucial part of the story, from the Troubles all the way back to the mythic age and the Tuatha de fighting the Fir Bolg. Despite this being Sean's first serious gay relationship, his hesitation stems less from "oh no sexual identity crisis" and more from "hang on, we've only just met and we've been in severely stressful situations; how much of this is coming from circumstances?" And something that always delights me -- when I figured out a key twist in the plot, it was revealed in the narrative in the next chapter, which is the perfect pacing for dropping hints to the reader and then confirming them.I had the occasional problem with the stumbling blocks in the relationship development, but they were brief; nothing that bothered me ever became a major issue. Mostly, I just found myself breathlessly turning pages to see where it would go from here. Loved it, will definitely read again.

    Book preview

    The Druid Stone - Heidi Belleau

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