Today we’re featuring fantasy novel A Reaper of Stone by Mark Gelineau and Joe King. This book not only has a gorgeous cover – I mean, lookit! – but a blurb intriguing enough to make me want to read it. So I did. Yay.
Read more about the book below and then check out my review if you please. Also, there’s a short yet maddeningly curious excerpt that you must read and a giveaway you should most definitely join! Awesome, right?
About the book
A Lady is dead. Her noble line ended. And the King’s Reaper has come to reclaim her land and her home. In the marches of Aedaron, only one thing is for certain. All keeps of the old world must fall.
Elinor struggles to find her place in the new world. She once dreamed of great things. Of becoming a hero in the ways of the old world. But now she is a Reaper. And her duty is clear. Destroy the old. Herald the new.
Lovely cover art, a simple and lovely story
Elinor, an orphan who worked and fought everyday to get to where she is, is an officer in the king’s army. And not just an officer, but a Reaper, one who is tasked to reclaim lands for the king. Her duty leads her to Timberline to reclaim the land of Lady Kian Liane who lost her life to bandits. However, when she gets there, things are not what they seem and Elinor must make a difficult decision that will define her character.
I don’t know if you can call a book lovely, but A Reaper of Stone as a fantasy has a lovely quality to it. It has a strong, kickass female protagonist – always a good thing to have, in my opinion – and a setting/environment that gives it that true classic or epic fantasy feel.
It was a very fast read and I liked the story’s premise – and promise! – but it left me wanting more. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but I wanted more backstories, more character development, more complicated twists, more depth. The epilogue had me expecting something outrageously epic, but the book just ended too quickly for me. There are just so many interesting elements that I wanted to explore more. Elinor’s past, her relationship with Conbert (see the excerpt), the kingdom she serves, the ancient earth creatures of legends and the legends themselves – I wanted to know more about them. The book felt like an abridged version of an epic fantasy that could be quite spectacular.
Anyway, I do understand that this is a novella; that’s probably why it felt condensed and the plot easy and straightforward. I think the dark and complex epic fantasies I’ve read in the last year or so have spoiled me. Seriously though, A Reaper of Stone is a novella that holds so much promise. It’s a nice start to a series and I am definitely interested to read more.
If you want to dig into this light fantasy read, you can get A Reaper of Stone on Amazon. By the way, the book is FREE on Amazon for 5 days beginning the date of this book blast! Awesome, right? Go get it now and don’t forget to leave a review when you’re done!
I received a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligations. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.
Read an excerpt
The girl put a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was low. “Whatever happens next. You mustn’t move.”
And then the ground underneath the horse exploded upward and a pale white form the size of a wagon erupted into the air. The horse let out a scream that turned into a wet gurgle as white writhing tentacles enveloped the animal. The copper tang of blood filled the air and Conbert felt his stomach lurch.
He thought to go for the sword he carried at his side but he saw the girl’s eyes.
He held himself still as another of the creatures breached the drowning grass. It was a huge mass of rippling white flesh, except at the front where the mouth opened like an exposed wound. Massive tearing fangs lined the pink maw, and white tentacles writhed from the worm’s throat, seeking the remnants of the thrashing horse. The two monsters tore the horse apart in seconds, powerful tentacles flaying meat from bone with horrific efficiency.
As the rendworms began to slide across the ground in their direction, Con felt a terror urging him to run. He fought against it, trying to focus instead on the perfect stillness of the young girl. The huge worms slid past them.
And then as Con held his breath, the girl moved.
The young cadet was fast and sure as she darted forward. She struck out with the mace, swinging it with both hands, and smashing it into the rendworm’s side. There was a loud crack, and Con knew that somewhere inside the sinuous horror a bone had broken under the blow.
About the authors
Mark and Joe have been writing and telling stories together for the last 25 years. They share a love for the classic fantasy tales of their childhood. Their Echoes of the Ascended series brings those old epic characters and worlds to new life.
Visit their Website and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Mark’s Amazon Page and Joe’s Amazon Page. For their latest releases, join their mailing list.
Giveaway
The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter.
Check out the other tour stops for other reviews of the book and for more chances of winning.