The Skystone and The Singing Sword Marion Zimmer Bradley, a book critic, says The Skystone is "one of the most interesting historical novels that I've ever read, and I've read plenty"(Front cover). In writing, success is generally a direct result of an author being able to keep a reader interested. Jack Whyte is an interesting and successful author throughout The Skystone and The Singing Sword because of his development of characters and his ability to write strategically. Character development