The Blue Stone — Robert C. Weber

A fantasy, The Blue Stone is the middle book of a trilogy. The story begins with the death of King Jora on the battlefield. He transfers possession of a mysterious, magical blue stone to one of his two sons. One of them is the child of Joraââ,¬â"¢s queen, Muranna and the other is the child of a slave, Xana. The blue stone symbolizes the continuation of Joraââ,¬â"¢s dream to begin a new history for the people of the Long Valley. He wanted to end the cycle of war and slavery that had consumed his people for generations. The blue stone originated in the land to the north near the beautiful Blue River. Its origins are known only to the mysterious sect of priestesses, the Ulma, under the direction of their leader, the Nuncarra. Book I, Fallen Temples, depicts the rise of King Jora and Book III, The Long Valley, concerns the inevitable conflict between his sons.