The Stones of Kaldaar by Tameri Etherton is a blend of historical, urban and dark fantasy. Taryn thought she knew who she was until she and her grandfather enter a mysterious portal. Within a few hours, Taryn loses her best friend, her only family and her world. Her enchanting surroundings were foreboding, yet strangely familiar. Voices, auras of light, mystical creatures, magical powers, gods and goddess were her new normal. Those who have sworn to protect her whisper strange words, share vague looks, and hold secret meetings - there is something they are not telling her. When the truth is revealed, doubting herself, she wants to escape. Taryn had never backed down from a challenge before; she wasn’t going to start now. She vows to fulfill her part of the ancient Eirellian prophecy. Yet something diabolical is lurking in the shadows, vowing to do whatever it takes to destroy her.

Tameri Etherton releases her unfettered imagination in The Stones of Kaldaar. She fulfills all the elements of the fantasy genre. Etherton dreamt up a larger than life world with a reasonable amount of weirdness, with very few limits and boundaries. The story takes place in a magical land, full of gods, mystical creatures, and enchanting castles. The heroine is strong and vulnerable. As the heroine journeys through the strange land, she is trained to use her powers to defeat a mysterious evil villain. Along the way, the characters battle visible creatures and invisible phantoms, spurring on the action of the plot. The fantasy is figuratively written, with colorful imagery and a few great oxymorons. The reader is not seduced with too much descriptive detail. However, there were lewd carnal seductions between many of the characters, a bit distasteful at times. I wanted to escape from some of the overly sensual scenes. The Stones of Kaldaar is fantastical and suspenseful and its ending sets you up for the sequel.

In The Stones of Kaldaar by Tameri Etherton, Taryn has two distinct destinies. She's going to bring balance to the world and fulfill the prophecy that everyone has been waiting for. But she is also destined to destroy the planet Aelinae, bringing an end to it once and for all. She's been lied to about her home, her age, her family and even who she herself is. No one can be trusted as she tries to explore and develop the powers she has on Aelinae, but one man will offer her protection that she cannot pass on. Can she allow him into her life? Will he lie to her too? And when things couldn't possibly get worse, they do. A dark power is coming and only Taryn can stop it. If she fails, blackness will engulf the planet.

What a mystical, exciting book Tameri Etherton has put together here! A planet of magic and deceit takes center stage and it's so well developed that you could almost believe it resides somewhere out there in the cosmos. The Stones of Kaldaar combines realistic characters and a pinch of the unbelievable to make a read that I'll probably be returning to. My only complaint is that I wish the character of Rhoane was given a little bit more depth and expanded on a bit. But that barely distracts from the mysterious prophecy, daring heroine, breathtaking planet, and sinister villain. I'd mark it as a must-read for fantasy lovers. Sit down and be engulfed in this little gem.