Historical Novels

The Chronicles of the Stone (Book 1)

Song of the Circle

The Chronicles of the Stone (a series of 5 novels)

In writing the Chronicles Barry Brailsford accepted a great challenge. He decided to carry his archaeological knowledge, historical research and his understanding of the ancient lore into a novel to share the story of the past with greater freedom. Truth and fiction are exciting partners within these pages, for all is paradox when we walk the rim of the circle. There is no beginning and no end, just the journey.

In the days before the Inca and Aztec nations, a world existed that gave birth to peoples who sailed the Pacific with a message of hope. They challenged the darkness with light. They were the Polynesians who settled the Pacific with incredible feats of navigation, unsurpassed in the history of humankind.

 

Yet, perhaps their greatest legacy was the creation of a society that lived in peace for 2,500 years.

Their world without war has been forgotten, set aside by the tragedy of recent centuries that sundered their lives with warfare so savage it tore apart the Pacific past. Yet, evidence of that ancient world of peace is being resurrected by modern archaeology. So we walk into these stories from the province of science. But let’s be clear about the Chronicles — they are historical novels that many class as ‘fantasy’. However, others leave space for the tohunga and shaman to walk the mystery that is evident here.

At the core of this journey is a dilemma that has consumed the minds of philosophers since the oldest of times — the clash of the darkness and the light. Reducing that issue to its impact on our lives we walk with those who find the courage to walk the ways of peace amidst turbulent tides of war. They carry no weapons and deal not in death. Their power stems from compassion and the sacred ways of the Ancients. Their wisdom is founded in the magic of the mystery of cosmic lore.

What seems lost is not forgotten! When you walk these trails you walk into yourself. The journey is the destination.

The Song of the Circle

Utini, born beneath a unique gathering of stars, is destined to travel ancient trails with Hera, a young woman of courage and wisdom, at his side. Eroa, the master carver of stone, is also of their journey for he can do no other. Together they carry a sacred carving into the world. Peace calls them forth to challenge the darkness embodied in the warriors of the Black Robe.

To protect the sacred they are driven to penetrate the treacherous Halls of Stone, ride the Dark River beneath the mountains and voyage across the Great Ocean. Here power, harnessed to destroy, is met by strength founded in compassion and minds that look beyond violence to the timeless realms of spirit and wisdom embodied in universal truth. Thus armed with knowledge founded in archetypes etched into memory and courage born of commitment to the higher good, they strive to meet the challenge of the darkness.

Their journey is one of discovery for as they create Tu Ahu — small stone alters in special sites — they join the land to the stars and awaken powerful cosmic lore. Yet, all the time they carry ancient wisdom that declares

‘the darkness and the light are one.’

The path that opens carries us into primal truths that touch our lives today. The elders say,

‘we are of the Circle and the Circle is of us. All is one.’

The Song of the Circle

ISBN: 0-9583502-1-3

> ORDER