A Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr

Errol Stone, an orphan and town drunk, is tapped for an adventure that changes his life. Errol is asked to deliver a message to a priest in order to gain enough coin to pay for the ale he so desperately craves. Errol soon finds himself running for his life. People and creatures are attacking him wanting to end his life and he doesn't know why. Errol soon learns to defend himself not with the sword, but the stick. With the patience and precision of a warrior, he soon learns how to defend himself and best some of the best swordsmen in a traveling merchantman's caravan. Follow Errol on this grand adventure to learn how he ends up impressing and defending a king.

This high fantasy is written in the style of Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I found this book to be like a train pulling out of a station, it slowly gathered steam until it was roaring down the tracks at full steam. I wish that I had the second installment of this story to read right now. The cast of characters is long and detailed. I loved how Carr was able to introduce so many characters and bring the reader to understanding and wanting to learn more at the end of this book. I loved the action that he brought about with a simple flick of the word and sword. I was taken by surprise with some of the attacks just as a warrior might be taken by surprise. The details of the story helped to move the action along. I loved how the final battle came to a stunning conclusion and then wrapped up with the reader asking questions about who will take the throne when the king dies. This book was a great adventure and I want to read more.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with this book to read and review.