A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr, ©2013

Travel along as their journey begins ~ or ends somewhere in between. It calls for an extra special gift bestowed upon him, invaluable to the outcome of the quest.

Danger mounts as a dynasty nears its end...

And an unlikely hero embarks on a perilous quest to save his kingdom.

You are in for an adventure!
A New Medieval Fantasy from Patrick Carr ~A Cast of Stones~ The Staff & The Sword series, available in both E-Book ISBN 9781441261021 and Paperback ISBN 9780764210433, 432 pages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Fate of the Kingdom Awaits the Cast of Stones

The Staff and The Sword; Book One

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.

Patrick W. Carr

Patrick W. Carr teaches high school math and makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his incredible wife, Mary, and their four awesome sons, Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Learn more at patrickwcarr.com.

An Epic Medieval Fantasy Saga

Errol Stone, the main character in The Staff and the Sword, may seem an unlikely hero at first glance. But, says Carr,

“I believe we all hold within ourselves the capacity, not only for evil, but for great nobility. This theme stretches across all three volumes of the trilogy.” 

In A Cast of Stones, Errol is forced to develop new depths when he is thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue, church machinations, and the unrest surrounding the selection of a new king.

   With a successful blending of high action and a spiritual quest, A Cast of Stones is the thrilling tale of an unconventional band of men trying desperately to save their kingdom.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

As I am almost exclusively a Historical Fiction Reviewer, here we go with a Fantasy ~ new to me!

I am diving in because I have enjoyed reading the promos for this novel. Especially, since I am half-Irish Kathleen and there is a castle on the cover!

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
--Proverbs 16:33

I am amazed at Errol's prowess in dodging impending doom on all sides. He delivers a letter packet with the messages obliterated before arrival. Being consumed by poison while on the return trail, advancement is stopped only by quick thinking and seeking help where he knows he will find it. He begins to reach out because of physical need and ends being the guide himself to avoid peril on the journey he would never have imagined in his safe narrow world.

Anya ~*~ She smiled, her blue eyes gleaming beneath flaxen hair. She resembled her father the way a beautiful sculpture resembled the slab of marble from which it would be carved.
   --A Cast of Stones, 58

Is that beautiful prose or what! Description of an indeed charming Irish lass for sure. Errol has gone ahead of his two traveling companions to secure lodging from the innkeeper, Anya's father. Errol is well-known; his reputation has gone before him. Ale being more important to him than the means to pay. His travelers whisk him away to another sleeping place to remove his imbibing.

Did you notice the mention of assassins following to attack? Errol slimly escaped being killed on his first trip and now on the return road, he doesn't fare much better! Fortunately, for him, he is rescued. He is not certain what his role is; is it the company he is with that is bringing his slow demise?

"Why do I have to go? Why would you even want me to go? I can't ride. I don't know anything about fighting." He waved  toward Cruk, who sat in his chair like a giant sack of grain. "Ask him. The only things I know how to do are gather herbs and drink."
   --Ibid., 84

Prerequisites, you ask? Or qualifying the qualified?

Daybreak. What had he gotten himself into? Why did people insist on starting journeys before the sun got warm? It couldn't be healthy.
   --Ibid., 86

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Thank you to author Patrick W. Carr for sending a copy of A Cast of Stones ~ The Staff & The Sword series, to review in my own words. The development of character is assuredly gripping as the story continues unexpectedly from one realm to another of
 the kingdom
 ~ facing truth ~ facing victory. Your attention and interest will be held and ready for 
The Hero's Lot.

The Staff and The Sword; Book Two

Available July 2013