We come to it at last- the top 5! As I shared on Facebook before I began this countdown, the top 5 slots were especially hard to fill. If the characters were alive and able to arm wrestle, that's probably what would have happened. Then I could have called a winner and saved myself from agonizing over who to place where. Alas, there was no arm wrestling to be had, and in the end I tightened my belt, narrowed my vision, and hammered out the slots.
Here we find my second recommendation for my guy readers. I have been looking for an epic fantasy tale since Bryan Davis's Dragons of Starlight/Tales of Starlight series' alternate releases last year. (For the record, I STILL haven't read the 3rd book, Exodus Rising, or it's counterpart, Liberator). But I digress....
A Cast of Stones follows Errol, a stinky, worthless drunk, on a fantastic journey to freedom from alcohol, warrior training, and, of course, transformation to a bona fide hero! This book is a slow burner- but stick with it because I promise you will not be disappointed. Patrick Carr knows how to tell a sweeping story, and I ended up loving Errol with all his flaws, and rooting for him (almost) the whole way through the book. I can't wait to get my hands on book 2, Hero's Lot.
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.
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