Plot
Memory of Stone is a fantasy novel that follows the different but convergent lives of Nyx, a renowned criminal and Egan, a celebrated soldier and a legend in his own right. As the story progresses, we realize that though life dealt them very different hands, they are both two sides of the same coin.
After the piquant prologue, the book putters off to a slow start as Chio builds her world, acquaints us with her characters and their unique realities. Following a very lonely and suffering-laden childhood in Termain (nicknamed the Bottoms), 18-year-old Nyx becomes a death hound for Mr. Vinnie, a crime lord who is the closest thing she has to a father figure. The only bright light in her murky criminal life is her friend, Felix, a sweet-natured magic wielder. Nyx’s life takes a rather interesting turn when Felix goes missing. Our female main character then journeys off to the royal capital to rescue her friend and find out why Lord Dolton is kidnapping magic wielders. Her rescue mission fails abysmally, and she is captured.
On the other side of the coin is Egan.
Dark, brooding, handsome and blue-eyed, Egan’s dexterity with the sword has earned him respect among commoners and royalty alike and the nickname, Loran’s Blade. Egan’s side of the story begins with his journey to the royal capital of Gelshiem along with his master, Lord Belarius, and a group of soldiers. While in the capital, King Madoc takes a special interest in him and elevates him among other soldiers. Members of court are not left put in the sweep of “Egan fever.” Egan finds this off-putting and burdensome and counts the days till he can finally leave court and all its trappings
While navigating the intricacies of court and avoiding the King’s constant attention, Egan notices something off is going on in the palace dungeons. That was the first day he saw Nyx. Shortly afterward, King Madoc sends Egan on a very curious mission. Convinced that magic wielders, led by Lord Erin, are planning an uprising, the King orders Egan to kill Lord Erin. This doesn’t sit right with Egan for so many reasons, one of which is the fact that he, too, is a magic wielder. Egan ends up helping Lord Erin escape.
During her imprisonment, Nyx is tortured repeatedly and gruesomely. It is obvious to her captors that she has no magic but they can’t fathom who sent her. After many monotonous days of torture, during the Lirtna festival, Nyx finally escapes her holding cell and saves Felix. Things take a messy turn when they are forced to take the queen hostage to negotiate their exit. Unfortunately, Loran’s Blade takes Felix captive and Nyx is forced to negotiate with him. Nyx and Felix finally escape, leaving the Queen unharmed and Egan with a deep cut on his shoulder.
Nyx and Felix make the arduous journey back to stinky Bottoms only to discover Mr. Vinnie has sold them out to emissaries from Gelshiem. They both escape and take a boat to the borders of the fey kingdom of Dalfeira. Unfortunately, Nyx falls ill and the sailors, tired of wasting supplies on treating her, dump them on unknown fey territory. In the face of the danger, Nyx’s suppressed magic is revealed. This is where the duo meets the fey Prince Gannon (my favorite character), his brother Valens and their friend, Chetan.
Back at Gelshiem, the legend of Loran’s Blade has grown in the wake of Egan rescuing the Queen. Egan is uncomfortable with staying any longer in the capital city and turns down the King’s offer of staying for longer. The King acquiesces but insists on giving Egan a royal healer for the wound he sustained while protecting the queen. The healer is a blind magic wielder called Cecily.
At the Air Kingdom of Dalfeira, Nyx is regaining her strength under the care of Gannon and his household. Faced with a reality totally at odds with what she is used to, she goes through a major identity crisis. Under the tutelage of Gannon, she works on her physical strength and flexes her magical muscles. There is an evil lurking around Dalfeira whose origin, despite Gannon’s efforts, is still unknown.
Cecily’s presence in Egan’s life brings with it a major upheaval. He confronts her when he realizes she is retarding his recovery process. She breaks down and explains her actions. She doesn’t want to return to the capital city because of the high healer’s fear of an imminent threat to her (Cecily’s) life. Egan swears to protect her and a tentative romance blooms in the wake of the solemn promise.
At Dalfeira, Gannon, Chetan, and Nyx are tracking the creatures that have been plaguing the air kingdom. They stumble upon a cave inhabited by a monster, a god of sorts, who recognizes Nyx as a descendant of Moor, the first fey. The creature produces a bloodstone that glows faintly with recognition when Nyx touches it. The creature rages and demands for a mysterious other half needed to make the stone shine. The two escape the violent creature with the bloodstone in their possession and Gannon sustaining injuries.
As luck would have it, they come upon King Madoc of Gelshiem and a small regiment of soldiers (including Egan), on a mysterious strip of land bordering the air and earth kingdom. Gannon, Chetan, and Nyx discover that the King is doing shady business with the unscrupulous Prince Holden of the earth Kingdom of Denfrey. A scuffle ensues with Nyx taking on Egan. The King dies in the process. In the course of their sparring, Egan touches the bloodstone on Nyx’s neck and it glows a vibrant red. He snatches it away just before he escapes with the remaining soldiers. Subsequent events reveal that Egan and Nyx are in fact twins and Cecily is the rightful heir to the Gelshiem throne.
Analysis
With its flawed characters, engaging plot, and nail-biting suspense, Memory of Stone is a veritable page-turner. Chio is an expert world builder and the queen of cliffhangers, ending most of her chapters on a suspenseful note. Her skills of description are unparalleled and she paints the world in the book so vibrantly and beautifully it is so easy to visualize. As I read, I could smell the fishy (pun intended) atmosphere of the Bottoms and feel the emotions of each of the characters as if they were mine. After reading the prologue and the first thirteen chapters, the story seemed so cliché I could already predict how its trajectory:
Nyx was the baby who had been given up by the couple in the prologue.
She would fall in love with Egan, make a massive comeback and reclaim all that was hers
The end.
I was wrong, and I knew from the moment Gannon entered the picture. In a non sequitur of events, Egan turns out to be Nyx’s twin and blind Cecily turns out to be the heir apparent to the throne. Typical of a maestro and skilled storyteller, Chio ends with the mother of all cliffhangers that suggests there might be a sequel in the works.
In the course of reading Memory of Stone, it becomes obvious that Chio is a very circumspect writer. When we discovered Nyx had magic, I was taken aback.
When she was captured while trying to save Felix, her captors checked her for magic.
She had none.
So how come she now had magic?
The way I saw it, this was a serious plot hole. Many scenes later, we meet the god in the cave and discover the entire history with the bloodstone and how Nyx’s magic is intensified in the presence of her twin, effectively plugging that plot hole.
I have read the works of many fantasy authors. From the distinct African flavor that is Nnedi Okorafor’s writing and the complex and thought-provoking works of George R. R. Martin down to the easy-flowing and spellbinding works of Rowlings, I can unequivocally say Chio Zoe’s voice is unique. Her style is distinct, refreshing, and unlike anything I have read. I am partial to fantasy, and it always delights me to see Nigerian fantasy authors. I look forward to reading more of her works. On a scale of 1 to 10, Memory of Stone is a 12 and an enthralling read.
Themes
While Memory of Stone is filled with rich themes and lessons, these themes stood out the most.
Dualism
Whether it was done deliberately or serendipitously, I like how the author injects the concept of dualism when crafting the twin characters of Nyx and Egan. Just like the concept of yin and yang dictates that each part has a bit of the opposing side in it, each of the characters has a little of the other in them.
Nyx with her fiery, golden eyes controls the frigidity of ice
Egan with his cool, blue eyes controls a very yin-yang vibe Chio gives Nyx and Egan
At first, the two main characters with their different realities seem like the antithesis of each other. Nyx has been alone for most of her life and has had to resort to crime to survive. Egan on the other hand has lived the life of honor as a celebrated and skilled soldier. With the progression of the story and the discovery of the bloodstone, we realize they are both complementary and interconnected halves of a greater whole.
Friendship
This is a foundational theme in Memory of Stone. While we see many friendships in this book, the one that stands out is the friendship between Nyx and Felix. Despite Nyx’s aloof attitude at the beginning of the book, it is obvious that Felix holds a very special place in Nyx’s heart. This is confirmed when she risks it all to find him in the capital city. Despite the torture she endured, she never considered escaping without Felix. With the advent of time and new obstacles they have to face, Nyx and Felix’s friendship gets stronger and stronger.
Courage
Each page in Memory of Stone is bookmarked by incidences of unwavering courage. With each travail, the characters are forced to draw from deep wells of courage:
Nyx risking it all to save Felix and going back for him before escaping the capital city
Egan going against the King’s immoral commands and sparing Lord Erin’s life.
Egan risking his safety and status to protect Cecily
Blind, sweet Cecily engaging in the risky business of retarding Egan’s healing process and greater strength to keep pushing in her quest to find Nyx as Egan directed even when the High Healer, the closest thing she had to a mother figure, died.
Felix deciding to recapture his life and move on without dwelling over all that had happened.
Nyx deciding to let go of fey bias, trust Gannon and start a new life despite her shady past.
In my opinion, the resounding lesson behind these macro and micro acts of courage is the fact that you don’t have to be perfect to be courageous or do something worth remembering.
Like what you read? Check out Enugu, Corn Cobs and True Love.
To get a copy of the book, check out Adam’s Pages Bookstore, Abuja or Amazon
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