Tag Archives: Patrick W. Carr

CSFF Day Two: The Hero’s Lot

27 Aug

Patrick Carr and the first two novels in his epic fantasy series are the focus of the CSFF Blog Tour this month. Yesterday I posted about A Cast of Stones, a novel I highly recommend. Last month I read and reviewed book 2, The Hero’s Lot. Below are excerpts and a link to my full review. Make sure you also visit the other participants on the tour.

heros-lotWhen Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne.

In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol’s home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.

patrickPatrick 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.

My Impressions:

The Hero’s Lot is a quest for truth — of secrets of the past and secrets of God. The nature of God and His relationship with His people are major themes as contrasted with the restrictions humans place on that relationship.  Favorite characters from book 1 are in force here, and they become more complex. A few new characters are added that deepen the spiritual dimension of the story. The novel is set in a medieval world with a very familiar feel to it. The language, people and geography seem very real. This actually made the book more enjoyable as I tried to figure out just where the action could have taken place. (Is that Egypt they are traveling to?) Please note that there is another book yet to come in the series, so the novel leaves loose ends.

Full Review

(Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

Check out what others on the tour are saying. Click on the links below.
Julie Bihn
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Rachel Wyant

Tags: , ,

CSFF Blog Tour: A Cast of Stones

26 Aug

The Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour is focusing on Patrick Carr and his debut novel, A Cast of Stones. I had the great pleasure of reading and reviewing Carr’s novel a few months ago. Below are a few excerpts and a link to my full review. This was a great book that I highly recommend, so check it out. And don’t forget to visit the other participants on the tour.

210433_w185In 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.

patrickPatrick 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.

You can follow Patrick on FB HERE.

My Impressions:

Wow! What a great fantasy novel Patrick W. Carr’s A Cast of Stones is! This is an epic story centered on a most unlikely character — an eighteen year old orphan who has spent the last four years of his life in a drunken stupor trying to hide from the failures and hurts of his past. Errol Stone has no one to care for him, save the owner of the local tavern who keeps him supplied with ale and the herb women to whom he sells to keep him in coin for his ale. Life is one long yearning for the next drink. But his life soon takes a momentous turn, and he is thrust along a path to find his destiny. Finding himself hunted, Errol has no choice but to follow along with priest Martin, reader of lots Luis, soldier Cruk and Liam, a boy he has grown up with who is perfect in every way including his goodness and humility. The kingdom of Illustra needs them, and Errol is dragged along to do his part, although he cannot imagine what that part could be.

Carr has created a wonderful character in Errol. He is alone and broken, searching the features of everyone he meets looking for some common trait to link to his own. He believes what everyone has always told him — he is only good at being a drunk. I loved Errol’s growth from sluggard and drunk to, well, an heroic figure. And it is not an easy road Errol must travel. Pursued, attacked, left for dead, Errol survives only through the mercies of Deas (God).

Full Review

(Thanks to Bethany House for my copy of A Cast of Stones. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

To read what others have to say, click on the following links.
Julie Bihn
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Rachel Wyant

Tags: , ,

Book Review: The Hero’s Lot

31 Jul

heros lotWhen Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne.

In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol’s home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.

patrickPatrick 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.

My Impressions:

The Hero’s Lot is the second book in Patrick Carr’s The Staff And The Sword series and as such should be read only after you read his first novel, A Cast of Stones. But that’s a really good thing, because this series is excellent! (You can read my review of A Cast of Stones HERE.) Book 2 continues the story of Errol Stone, now Earl Stone, a reformed drunk, now epic hero. Errol is under compulsion by the church to kill the traitorous Sarin Valon, a feat that most in the kingdom see as a death sentence for Errol. But Errol is not easily done away with, especially when he has so many that want to keep him alive.

The Hero’s Lot is a quest for truth — of secrets of the past and secrets of God. The nature of God and His relationship with His people are major themes as contrasted with the restrictions humans place on that relationship.  Favorite characters from book 1 are in force here, and they become more complex. A few new characters are added that deepen the spiritual dimension of the story. The novel is set in a medieval world with a very familiar feel to it. The language, people and geography seem very real. This actually made the book more enjoyable as I tried to figure out just where the action could have taken place. (Is that Egypt they are traveling to?) Please note that there is another book yet to come in the series, so the novel leaves loose ends.

All in all, I think Carr’s series is great for Young Adult and Adult readers, and I heartily recommend it. And I definitely cannot wait to read book 3, A Draw of Kings, due out in February 2014.

Recommended.

I received The Hero’s Lot from the publisher and NetGalley in return for a review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

heros-lot-tour

Blog Tour and Giveaway 

To enter the giveaway, click HERE.

July 22nd
Book Blast

July 23rd
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Guest Post
Lori’s Reading Corner – Guest Post
Beck Valley Books – Spotlight
Rogue Mission – Review
Mel’s Shelves – Review

July 24th
Simply Wyrdings – Review
Aimee Laine – Guest Post
Buried in Books – Review
Christy’s House of Chaos – Review

July 25th
Tressa’s Wishful Endings – Review
Worthy 2 Read – Review
Mom of 2 Dancers – Spotlight
 Taking Time for Mommy – Interview

July 26th
The Book Diva’s Reads – Spotlight
Bibliophilia, Please – Interview
Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf – Review
Peace From Pieces – Interview

July 28th
Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews – Character Interview
Sparkles and Lightning – Tens List

July 29th
Spellbindings – Review
Scribbler’s Sojourn – Review
Books, Books the Magical Fruit – Guest Post
Froze8′s Blog – Tens List
Spellbindings – Review
Writing, the Universe, and Everything Books – Review

July 30th
Baking Books – Review
LDS & Lovin’ It – Review
Bunny’s Review – Tens List
Scrapblog – Guest Post

July 31st
Turner’s Antics – Guest Post
Sarah Ballance – Tens List
By the Book – Review
Sweeping Me – Guest Post

August 1st
Seeking With All Yur Heart – Review
Mythical Books – Review
Deal Sharing Aunt – Review & Tens List
Rogue Mission – Review
Indie Author How-to – Tens List

August 2nd
Proud Book Nerd – Review
Christy’s Cozy Corners – Review
Frugal Experiments – Review
Bookworm Lisa – Review

Tags: ,

Book Review and Giveaway: A Cast of Stones

31 Jan

210433_w185In 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.

patrickPatrick 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.

You can follow Patrick on FB HERE.

My Impressions:

Wow! What a great fantasy novel Patrick W. Carr’s A Cast of Stones is! This is an epic story centered on a most unlikely of characters — an eighteen year old orphan who has spent the last four years of his life in a drunken stupor trying to hide from the failures and hurts of his past. Errol Stone has no one to care for him, save the owner of the local tavern who keeps him supplied with ale and the herb women to whom he sells to keep him in coin for his ale. Life is one long yearning for the next drink. But his life soon takes a momentous turn, and he is thrust along a path to find his destiny. Finding himself hunted, Errol has no choice but to follow along with priest Martin, reader of lots Luis, soldier Cruk and Liam, a boy he has grown up with who is perfect in every way including his goodness and humility. The kingdom of Illustra needs them, and Errol is dragged along to do his part, although he cannot imagine what that part could be.

Carr has created a wonderful character in Errol. He is alone and broken, searching the features of everyone he meets looking for some common trait to link to his own. He believes what everyone has always told him — he is only good at being a drunk. I loved Errol’s growth from sluggard and drunk to, well, an heroic figure. And it is not an easy road Errol must travel. Pursued, attacked, left for dead, Errol survives only through the mercies of Deas (God).

And while Carr’s medieval world is pure fantasy, there are enough similarities to our own that make the reader feel comfortable in the world he has created. There is a familiarity in the names of people, places and the geography of Illustra and the lands outside its borders.

A Cast of Stones is the first book in The Staff and The Sword series, so there are secrets yet to be uncovered and fates yet to be settled. I am hoping some of the characters Errol met along the way will make a return in the next books. And I am indeed looking forward to reading more of this series.

Highly Recommended.

(I received  A Cast of Stones from Bethany House in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Giveaway:

To win a copy of A Cast of Stones, just leave me a comment. Giveaway will run through February 7th.

Tags: ,

Newer Entries →