The Fate of the Kingdom Awaits the Cast of Stones
In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, 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 nears its end and the selection of the new king begins--but in secret and shadow. As danger mounts, Errol must leave behind the stains and griefs of the past, learn to fight, and discover who is hunting him and his companions and how far they will go to stop the reading of the stones. (From back of book)
From the moment I read the synopsis for this book I knew I wasn't in for a good read, and it turns out I wasn't wrong!
This is a classic example of the type of book I enjoy reading; fantasy (But, of course!) with a historic feel to it. This book was rich with intrigue and politics. While I wouldn't say it was spectacular with so many twists and turns that it made you breathless, it is one of the best books I've ever read! And I don't say that lightly either.
I've read a lot of books, and many of them have left me breathless, though this one left me thoughtful and sometimes that's even better than breathless.
The main character, Errol, is a drunk, he doesn't know much, and he's clumsy. Above all else, I love flawed characters, orphaned, angry, scared, and forced-to-be-brave, characters are one of my absolute favorite parts about reading and a great story. Errol now holds a very high position on my list of favorite characters.
I was very surprised to learn that A Cast of Stones is Carr's first published book. His writing is so good and convincing that I'm a little jealous!
The more I think of it, the more I love this book! Everything was so well played out, and the spiritual implications, (GAH!) were amazing! Because Errol is such a flawed character that grace just flows from the pages, it's truly beautiful! I found it interesting that Carr had Errol fight with the staff rather than the sword. Very interesting choice.
While the book felt familiar in my hands I'd never call it cliche.
There were so many pieces and parts to this story it's hard to pull it all into one picture.
I only had a few little if-y moments in this book, mainly with the woman Rokha. But even in those moments my favoritism for Errol only strengthened.
The epilogue was a bit of a cliffhanger, unfortunately. Though I cannot wait to read the next book!
There is also one other thing, it didn't bother me personally, but it may bother others. There were several instances where a demonic like thing was talked about or possessed a person. This didn't bother me as such a thing is in the Bible many times, but I do know some people aren't crazy about it. So just a warning.
Overall A Cast of Stones is a new all-time favorite book for me! Amazing job Carr, amazing!
Title - A Cast of Stones
Author - Patrick W. Carr
Series/Trilogy Title - The Staff & the Sword
Book Number - #1
Pages - 429
Type of Book - Christian fantasy
Website - http://patrickwcarr.com/
This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers a division of Baker Publishing group in exchange for my honest opinion.
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