The Summon Stone by Ian Irvine

Orbit, 2016. ISBN 9780356505206
(Age 13+) Recommended. Fantasy. The Summon Stone is the first book of a new trilogy The Gates of Good and Evil by Ian Irvine. This trilogy is the fourth quartet/trilogy of Three Worlds Cycle series.
Ian Irvine has set this fantasy story on the planet Santhenar, the least powerful but the most populous of the three worlds and the home of the old human peoples. The Summon Stone is located somewhere on this planet and is a gate between worlds.
The Merdrun people are a cruel race and are gathering in the void between worlds awaiting the awakening of the Summon Stone, which will enable a gate to be opened between the void and Santhenar. The Merdrun intend to kill every inhabitant of Santhenar and make the planet their own. The Summon Stone is evil and, as it slowly awakens, begins to corrupt most of the inhabitants of Santhenar.
Four inhabitants of Santhenar are fighting to destroy the Summon Stone and stop the Merdrun from invading their planet. The four are Llian, a master chronicler and a storyteller; his partner Karen, a triun and a sensitive; Whelm, a student storyteller mentored by Llian; and Ariel, a crippled girl of 15 years, who is training herself to be a perfumer.
The characters feel like real people, grow and change with each new situation they find themselves facing, and display courage and resilience in confronting their cunning and cruel enemies.
The Summon Stone is a new series by Ian Irving but is based on the worlds and their inhabitants from his previous books of the Three Worlds Cycle series. However, if you have not read any of the books of the Three Worlds Cycle series, there is not sufficient information in the text or the glossary in the back of the book for the reader to feel they have enough important information for an understanding of what is happening.
If you have read other books of the Three Worlds Cycle series written by Ian Irving and enjoyed them, you will like this new series.
Glen Avery