Book Review: A Draw of Kings by Patrick W. Carr

Back Cover: Dark Forces Have Gathered and the Final Battle for Illustra Has Begun

Their journey to Merakh should have made Errol and his companions heroes of the realm. Instead, they've been branded enemies of the kingdom.

In the wake of the king's death, Duke Weir is ruling the country--and he intends to marry Adora to bring an heir from the royal line. With Errol and the others imprisoned and the identity of the rightful heir to the throne still hidden in secrecy, Illustra is on the verge of civil war--and threatened by hostile forces gathering on every side.

A dangerous mission to free Errol is attempted, but the dangers facing the kingdom mount with every passing moment. The barrier has fallen, ferrals are swarming toward the land, and their enemies draw ever closer. Will the discovery of the true heir turn back the tide of Illustra's destruction?

My Review: Once again, Errol Stone and his friends are on a dangerous journey, but this time the fate of the entire kingdom rests in their success. A usurper has taken the throne, and everything may be lost. The spring is coming and with it the war that could destroy them all. This novel will suck you in and keep you turning pages long into the night. I stayed up until two in the morning, because I could not put the book down until I found out what happened. The pages are full of epic battle scenes and danger at every turn. You don't want to miss the exciting conclusion to this fun fantasy series.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of the Staff & the Sword series and lovers of fantasy. I would suggest reading the first two books first, so this one makes sense.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: The Hero's Lot by Patrick W Carr

Back Cover: With the King Near Death, Will the Kingdom Fall?

When Sarin Valon, the corrupt and dangerous church leader, flees the city of Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But he and his friends still have dangerous enemies working against them in secrets and whispers.

In a bid to keep them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom, and in that journey they discover amazing new secrets about the workings of Aurae.

Back in Erinon, Errol is unjustly accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon and kill him. To enforce their sentence, the church leaders place Errol under a compulsion--he must complete his task, or die trying.

My Review: Once again Errol is forced into the undesirable position of hero as he is put under yet another compulsion. He must succeed in his quest, or die in the effort - and it looks like dying might be the only option open to him. The Hero's Lot follows on the heals of the first book in the series A Cast of Stones and I am grateful I read that book or I would be completely lost as to what I going on in this novel. I am intrigued by the tale, and am interested in reading the next book in the series.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of fantasy, but highly suggest you read the first book in the series (A Cast of Stones) first.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

Back Cover: 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 Review: It was the cover of A Cast of Stones that drew me to this book. I love the different elements and I wanted to know more about the story that went with it. While I enjoy fantasy from time to time, I'm not an avid reader in the genre, so I wasn't sure what I was going to find. A Cast of Stones was a little different than most fantasy that I've read. The church is a huge part of this book that really feels like it is set in medieval times, with magical elements. The main character, Errol, goes through so much in the story that he is not close to the same character that he started as. It is interesting learning about the world that  Carr has created through the view of his character learning along the way. I was drawn along in this tale, trying to understand what was happening and how things were going to turn out. I am interested in reading further tales in The Staff and The Sword series.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of Christian fantasy.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.