On Tour with Prism Book Tours
A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. CarrMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Fantasy
Book Description: An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love
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.
My thoughts: Errol is an unlikely hero. As the story begins he is the local town drunk at 18 years old. He lives to make a little money so he can purchase his next tankard of Ale.
Circumstance places him in position as a messenger comes bearing an important missive for a priest living in a remote region. Errol is one of the few people who can traverse the rugged terrain and deliver the message.
This sets him on the path toward his destiny. He becomes hunted and learns how to really live his life in his journey. The journey teaches him many lessons and he gains valuable knowledge about himself and the kingdom. He also learns about religion. There is a lot of emphasis on the clergy and their influence in the lives of the people and their role in government.
The book started out slowly for me. While I was sympathetic toward Errol, I couldn't relate to him at all. His life was pathetic. It didn't take long for me to realize his potential and become more interested in the story.
This book is very well written and appealing. It is appropriate for many age groups. Adults as well as teens will enjoy this book.
Available 2/1/13:
The Book Depository
Patrick Carr shares his goal on how he wanted to present the Clergy in the book!
********************
My goal for the church was to show it as (mostly) a sincere
collection of men who’ve been presented an impossible task; that of determining
the kingdom’s fate in the event the king dies without an heir. But within that,
I also decided to use the church in the dual role of antagonist and protagonist
where my main character, Errol is concerned. Put bluntly, Errol is a victim of
spiritual abuse in a very physical form. The local priest, Antil, the only
representative of the church he’s ever known, has been intent on beating
Errol’s drunkenness out of him. As such, Errol wants nothing to do with
churchmen.
Taken together, the church becomes almost a character in and of
itself. Their use of the conclave, the organization of readers that’s been
subservient to it for hundreds of years, has led the church into a rigidly
mechanistic way of thinking. They don’t really try to hear from Deas, they cast
lots. One of the things I wanted to show through the course of the series,
using Martin Arwitten as my tool, was to show this character growing and
maturing. By the time I’d finished the last manuscript, I wanted to show that
the church, if not doctrinally correct, was at least on the right path.
********************
About the Author:
Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
Awards: ACFW Genesis Competition 2010 Finalist for “A Cast of Stones” in Speculative Fiction.
Find & Follow:
Tour-Wide Giveaway:
Grand Prize (USA & Canada): Print copy of entire series of three books (#2 & #3 as they are published) + A Cast of Stones Mug + Lend your name to a character in book #3!!
2nd Prize (USA & Canada): Print copy of A Cast of Stones
International Entries: eCopy of A Cast of Stones
Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and sponsored by Bethany House & the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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The Herbwomen of secret lore
The World of The Staff & the Sword
The Readers of the cast lots
The Watchmen, elite warriors
The Clergy of power
Catch the entire Tour!!
LAUNCH-DAY BLAST!
1/24 – Christian Novels – Review – World
1/25 – I Am a Reader, Not a Writer – Readers
1/27 – Reads to Reels – Watchmen
1/28 – LDS & Lovin’ It - Clergy
1/29 – Proud Book Nerd - World
2/1 – RELEASE-DAY BLAST!
2/4 – Bookworm Lisa – Review – Clergy
2/6 – Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Review Herbwomen
2/8 – Backing Books – Review – World
2/11 – Jill Williamson – Review – Clergy
2/17 – CTF Devourer – Review – Clergy
2/20 – Min Reads & Reviews – Review Watchmen
2/21 – FINALE BLAST, Winner
announced
Loved this book!! I am so glad I got the chance to read it before it came out. I am recommending it to everyone! Great review of it!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read!
ReplyDelete