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The Stone Song
- Narrated by: Raza Jaffrey
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
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The Stone Song
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Summary
A dystopian sci-fi thriller set in a small Sussex village.
On a sweltering summer’s night, teenage siblings Jack and Lily witness a helicopter crash on the main road between Brighton and London. The next morning they wake to find their village has been sealed off from the entire world. A terrorist cell is holed up in Stenhurst - or at least that’s the official story, put out by sinister government agent Wynter and his vicious sidekick, Major Kellett.
But later that day, Lily and Jack stumble on the truth: the authorities are hunting for a mysterious creature, labelled CatX, who escaped during the crash. Together with their friends, Erin and Oliver, Lily and Jack take it upon themselves to defy the lockdown and protect the creature, no matter what the risks.
The stakes are raised still further when a team of American agents arrive with their own unique technologies. Nobody who sees the CatX must be allowed to survive, and yet it soon becomes clear that there is a much bigger secret here...one that threatens the entire world.
With four teenagers pitted against deadly opposition, this is a story of supernatural menace that will appeal to fans of Stephen King and Stranger Things.
Featuring an exclusive interview with narrator Raza Jaffrey at the end of the audiobook, in which he talks about the narration experience, his career as an actor and the things (and people) he loves to listen to.
Listen to clips from the audiobook
- The Stone Song by Tom Bale
- Jack's awakening
- Lily's great escape
- Oliver discusses his hostile school life
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About the author
Tom Bale had a variety of jobs before realising his lifelong ambition to be a full-time writer. He is the author of nine thrillers, including the best sellers See How They Run and All Fall Down, also available on Audible. The Stone Song is his first Sci-Fi novel. A keen cyclist and swimmer, he lives by the sea in Brighton.
Editor reviews
“This story is pacey, dark and captivating. I loved the world the author’s built, and felt totally swept up in the peril.” (Harriet, Audible Editor)
“Tom Bale’s ability to transport you right into the centre of the action is remarkable. With rich detail, dimensional characters and superb narration by Raza Jaffrey, I truly felt like I was meandering the streets of Stenhurst with the rest of the gang.” (Jess, Audible Editor)
About the performer
Raza Jaffrey’s film work includes The Rhythm Section, Cliffs of Freedom, The Rendezvous, Sex and the City 2, Eastern Promises, Harry Brown, The Crew and Infinite Justice.
On Television he is known for The Enemy Within (NBC), Lost in Space (Netflix), Code Black (CBS), Homeland (Showtime), Elementary (CBS), Smash (NBC), Mistresses and Spooks / MI5 (BBC).
He has also worked extensively on stage where he lead Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Bombay Dreams (Apollo), and played roles including Sky in Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward) and Billy Flynn in Chicago (Garrick).
Critic reviews
“I loved this book. A thoroughly original premise executed with verve and utter emotional truth. An unforgettable read.” (Elly Griffiths)
Behind the scenes
Watch our exclusive interview with Raza Jaffrey as he discusses his career as an actor and the narration experience.What listeners say about The Stone Song
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- tfdodo
- 16-02-21
enjoyable
Mostly very good. Some characters (esp. Authority figures) maybe a little overdone, and the ending left rather obviously open for the next on the series, but a good read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- linda warren
- 21-01-20
The stone song
I love this book really good ,it makes you think ,I hope there is a sequel
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ronald Douglas
- 07-04-21
Brilliant
Loved this book, appreciated the mention back to the amazing John Wyndham and Midwich Cuckoos.. Different perspective seeing it from the childrens point of view. Is there a sequel. Would love to read more.+
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Grab This Book
- 11-01-20
Entertaining cat and mouse adventure
I savoured the time I had listening to the plight of an alien creature which escaped captivity and sought safety in a small Sussex village.
I am very much a fan of rooting for the underdog (I think we Scots need to be born with this trait) and from the first chapters I found myself rooting for the CatX as, following the crash of a military helicopter which had been transporting CatX, it fled from the military and tried to escape from the only life it had known. CatX sought refuge in secure locations but became trapped in the chimney of a large house in the village of Stenhurst. Help would soon appear in the form of 4 teenage kids and a deadly game of hide and seek begins.
The children soon realise that CatX can communicate with them and an alliance is formed. CatX needs the help of the children to continue to hide from the military forces who are souring Stenhurst to find it. The village is shut down and a total media blackout has been imposed. But tracking an alien life form which is small enough to hide in a rucksack and climb down a chimney is no easy task and the longer the government take to locate their lost asset the more attention they bring to their activities in Stenhurst. Naturally desperation begins to set in and the arrival of American government agencies the pressure to get a prompt resolution to the situation leads to an overspill of aggression from the soldiers on the ground.
The Stone Song is a David vs Goliath tale which kept me thoroughly entertained. Tom Bale sets a vivid scene as he depicts the military oppression of a seemingly sleepy English village. There was a slow reveal throughout the story of what CatX may be, some clever clues passed me by as the story progressed and it was only with the benefit of hindsight I realised I should have been a bit quicker to spot some of the surprises which interweave through the book.
As with every audiobook review I need to comment on the narrator. In this case we are treated to the skills of Raza Jeffrey and he delivers a great performance. There is quite a large cast for The Stone Song and a range of accents are required – all handled perfectly. Raza is very “listenable” which is a trait you would expect to be found in all audiobook narrators but (sadly) this is not always the case.
The Stone Song is only available in Audiobook format and it clocks in at around 11 hours (slightly vague on the run time as the download includes an interview with Raza Jeffrey as a bonus for the listener). I always assess the success of a story on whether I would pass it to my family to read. My teenage son is looking for more fantasy type stories to enjoy and I have recommended he tries The Stone Song. The balance of adventure, alien life, military intervention and the conspiracry theories thrown out to deflect the world media tick all his boxes. First finished book of 2020. A good start!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bridget
- 26-11-19
Fantastic
Really great story & fantastic narrator. Definitely recommend to mystery fans.
Any fans of stranger things will love this story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian P Castle-Rees
- 13-04-20
A compelling story
This is the first work by Tom Bale that I’ve experienced so I was drawn to it by the synopsis as I love anything Sci-Fi. I have to say, I’m very impressed. The eclectic mix of likeable characters and dare I say evil characters was extraordinary well balanced and portrayed. There’s even a couple of characters I didn’t like to begin with, but end up being likeable in the end, conversely, some characters ended up being more sinister than originally portrayed. I loved the slightly different tilt to the “alien” genre and the young adults personalities were extremely well done. The overall depth of each main characters were brilliant. Raza Jaffrey was an amazing narrator and I hope to experience his voice talent again in the future. Will definitely seek out more work by Tom and/or Raza. B x
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- fmfmcd
- 19-12-19
enjoyable but sinister
entertain g tale. not so farfetched in the way the situation is managed which makes it sinister to me. an easy listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo
- 18-11-19
Enjoyable
This was like a modern take on an Enid Blyton book, mixed up with ‘Stranger Things’ and at one point I was definitely expecting someone to say ‘those pesky kids’ just like in Scooby Do! It was fun and easy to listen to and I’ll definitely get the get the sequel! Would make a great film or tv series.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- KathyW, UK
- 12-11-20
much better than anticipated
I chose this audio book to make up a sale selection a while ago. Finally decided I'd listen to it whilst sewing. Started off slow and I nearly gave in but was too busy sewing to stop and choose another book. Pleased I carried out as it turned out to be a most enjoyable story. Now I'd like to have a sequel please :)
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- the typist
- 11-11-19
Bring on the sequel!
Yes, it’s derivative of nearly every other alien-meets-kids story ever. Yes, it’s a bit clunky with certain dialogue and references that feel like they were dreamt up by a white, middle aged, straight man (which I’m assuming they were). And yes, the ending is telegraphed from the outset with all the finesse of a hammer thrower. But so what? I REALLY enjoyed it! Warm, engaging, intriguing, fun. With a genuinely interesting bit of world building - which, IMO, should have been front loaded and explored much earlier on. Though that’s clearly the plan for book two...
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7 people found this helpful