Mac  McDonnell has been sentenced to seven years in Van Diemen’s Land. His love, Deidre (‘I am affianced.’) Scott, follows him there on the same ship, Brilliant. The novel opens with the ship sinking. Can Deidre overcome the series of obstacles keeping them apart?

Years of Stone is a novel full of rich detail. Real persons from the time, such as the Franklins. are woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story, and the setting feels authentic. The story worms its way through every stratum of colonial society. It reminds me of Zola’s Rougon-Macquart novels. I felt that I, like the main characters, had been transported to another land.

It is the second novel in a series, but it feels complete in itself. I will definitely look up the first book when I get a chance.

On to the bad stuff… I can’t really think of anything to be honest. Mac was often his own worst enemy, but I suppose it is easy to have patience when you aren’t breaking rocks twelve hours a day. Years of stone, indeed.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest, non-reciprocal review.