A little over halfway through the book I realized I was going to be upset at the end. Why? Because this was only book one of the series. Meaning things weren’t going to be completely resolved. To which I say Boo!
Reason #895 why I like to wait until a series is complete before I start it. I can be impatient on occasion and waiting isn’t really one of my gifts. Just ask my parents how awesome road trips were with me in the back seat. And now I have to wait for-ev-er until the next one comes out. Unlike. Or until July, but still. Unlike!
But that’s a good thing for the author because it means the first one kicked off right!
A Cast of Stones (The Staff and the Sword) by Patrick W. Carr dives right in with suspense and action from the very beginning. I also kept waiting for a dragon to show up (thanks to The Inheritance Cycle), but no dragons in this one folks. There’s adventure, friendship and mystery, along with a medieval fantasy vibe. I was left wondering where the journey will go and how Errol will continue to change. There’s a couple characters I’m not sure what to think about yet either. Are they too good to be really good? Will two of the characters fall in love? Will power corrupt some?? Even a week after I finished, I was still pondering these questions. I’m looking forward to the second book and what it will reveal!
If you don’t like fantasy medieval novels, I still think you should give this one a shot. You never know! And if you do, I believe you’ll find A Cast of Stones enjoyable, entertaining and a great start to an exciting saga. There’s characters you think you know, but you don’t, ones who turn out to be friend and not foe and then a few where you’ll just have to wait to find out with the next book. It leaves you waiting for the next release!
In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone’s search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he’s joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom’s dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.
(I was given a copy for my honest review by Bethany House Publishing)
Have you read it? Let’s discuss in the comments (spoiler alerts are welcome there 🙂 ).
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