Synopsis:~
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.
My take:~
Patrick W. Carr’s debut novel is a thrilling and fantastical medieval journey, whose unlikely hero discovers an impossible destiny lies before him. Very well written, A Cast of Stones runs with familiar themes but in a fresh and engaging way, with an underlying spiritual allegory. An always inebriated Errol Stone finds himself pursued by an assassin, ridiculed and dismissed by all who meet him, and eventually caught up in an adventure he can’t begin to fathom. Patrick has created a wonderful character in young Errol, a boy easy to cheer for as he joins a motley crew of travelers headed far away from his village of Callowford. As Errol discovers his companions and pursuers are not exactly whom they appear to be, danger creeps ever closer and Errol must find his wits and accept instruction if he is to survive what is to come. With plenty of deftly written fight scenes, captivating adventures, and meaningful and witty dialogue, Patrick has hooked me on this series and A Hero’s Lot can’t come soon enough.
With thanks to Bethany House for my review copy
Relz Reviewz Extras
Character spotlight on Errol Stone
Patrick’s Author Alert
Visit Patrick’s website and blog
Buy A Cast of Stones from Amazon or Koorong
March 14, 2013 at 8:51 am
Congratulations Patrick on your debut novel. This sounds great, I’m going to grab a copy.
March 15, 2013 at 11:51 am
Ian,
Thank you. I had a lot of fun putting the story together. I hope you enjoy it.
March 14, 2013 at 10:53 pm
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, I just loved it and cannot wait for the sequel!
March 15, 2013 at 11:53 am
Ruth,
I got the final galleys in today. I think they may release “The Hero’s Lot” toward the middle of June instead of July 1st. They keep telling me we’re ahead of schedule. Personally, I thought “The Hero’s Lot” was a bit stronger than “A Cast of Stones.”
March 15, 2013 at 11:57 am
Patrick Carr » Sounds good to me, Patrick! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
March 15, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Oh I’m so excited to hear that!! And Patrick, I work in Christian retail, so mid-June sounds right for a July 1st official release…I cannot WAIT. 🙂
March 15, 2013 at 12:01 pm
Ruth » I did, Ruth ~ you obviously enjoyed it as well. It reminded my a little of David Edding’s Belgariad – Errol has some shades of Garion in him 🙂
March 15, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Rel, I’ve never heard of the Belgariad books…I just looked them up on Amazon, they sound intriguing! Thanks for the tip!
March 15, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Ruth » They’re general market books but have great themes of sacrifice, redemption, and forgiveness. Very well written – I’ve reread them numerous times since I was in my late teens!