The Lightstone

The Lightstone is a fantasy book written by David Zindell in 2001.  It is the first book of the Ea cycle series which encompasses The Lightstone, The Silver Sword, The Lord of Lies, Black Jade, and The Diamond Warriors.

Plot

The immortal Morjin, the Lord of Lies, has reappeared in the world of Ea once again to conquer all the land for himself and create a world filled with madness.  To stand against Morjin, King Kiritan of Alonia invites the people of Ea to begin a quest for the Lightstone, a relic with unlimited powers in response to a prophecy that could lead to Morjin's doom.  Valashu Elahad, seventh and youngest son of the king of Mesh, is one such knight that takes the pledge to search for the Lightstone, although he has reasons of his own.  Valashu has the gift of empathy, a gift and a curse he inherited from his grandfather, which causes him problems along the path of the warrior, a family tradition.  Hoping that the golden cup may cure him of his "affliction", Val sets off for Alonia, joined by his teacher, Juwain, and his best friend, Maram.  Eventually his party grows to have seven significant individuals, each with their unique gifts and abilities to light the way on their journey throughout the continent for the Lightstone.

Ancient prophecy

"The seven brothers and sisters of the earth with the seven stones will set forth into the darkness. The Lightstone will be found, the Maitreya will come forth, and a new age will begin.  A seventh son... will slay the dragon. The old world will be destroyed and a new one created."

The Greater Gelestei

Gold Gelestei (lightstone) - Power over all matter, energy, space and time, and all of the other gelestei.  Can do just about anything

Silver Gelestei (Silustria) - Reflects, protects, and magnifies the powers of the soul, including those of mind, including logic, deduction, calculation, awareness, ordinary memory, judgment and insight.

White Gelestei (Kristei) - Allows particular people to look into the future / perceive events distant in either space or time

Blue Gelestei (Blestei) - Quicken and deepen all kinds of knowing and communication for mind speakers and truth sayers

Green Gelestei (Varistei) - Power over the forms of living things.  Can be used to heal or twist creatures into different shapes.

Red Gelestei (Tuaoi stones) - draw upon the sun's rays, as well as the earth's magnetic and telluric currents, to generate beams of light, lightning, heat or fire.

Black Gelestei (Baalstei) - devour light and are the stones of negation.  Made originally to control the Red Gelestei.  They can be wielded as weapons to attack people physically, mentally and spiritually, sucking away their vital energies and will.

Purple Gelestei (Lilastei) - unlocks the light locked up in nonliving matter so that matter might be changed, molded and transformed.  Sometimes called the alchemists' stones.

Category:2001 novels
Category:Children's fantasy novels
Category:Fantasy novel series
Category:Works by David Zindell