Cast of Stones - A Review

About the book
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
Christian fantasy seems to me to be rather touch and go. There are some authors who stand out and wow the reader and there are others that don't. For me, this particular book falls into that second category. I tried and tried to get into the book and enjoy it, but sadly I just couldn't. I ended up just skimming the book so I'd know what would happen. I felt that this book had potential to be an amazing start to an amazing journey of faith and become an epic in the Christian fantasy market. Yet it lacked.

There were a few things I enjoyed about the book. First, the cover design. It served it's purpose and captured my attention. The back cover synopsis caught my attention as well. The fact that this was the first in the series was an added bonus. I found some of the characters to be very interesting. I really loved the priest. I found him to be very resourceful.

Sadly, the main character, Errol, annoyed me to no end. I felt that the author was trying to make him into another Frodo, and for me that didn't work. I may pick up the free Kindle version at some point and give this book a shot again, but for now, I'm done with it.

Fantasy lovers may truly enjoy this book. As one fantasy lover, this was not one I enjoyed. I will still continue to read Christian fantasy on the chance that I find the hidden gems that exist.

I received the paperback copy for free from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to like the book or to give a positive review, but to just express my opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 2 stars