Book: Shadows in the Stone: Book 1, The Castle Keepers
Author: Diane Lynn McGyver
Publisher: Quarter Castle Publishing
Date: September 2012
Genre: fantasyPages: 368 Price: on Amazon – paper, $15.91 CDN; for Kindle $5.31 My rating: A memorable fantasy world with characters that will stay on your mind.
I had the privilege of reading this book, Shadows in the Stone, before its release. It had to brew in my brain awhile, as some stories do, so it has taken me a long time to write my review, for which I apologize to the author – but here it is!
Fantasy is one of my favourite genres to read. This story took me to a different place and even yet some things have stayed with me. Diane Lynn McGyver created a whole new world, with characters the reader quickly cares about, and suspense, drama and mystery to keep the pages turning.
Having said that, I would not recommend Shadows in the Stone to young readers as some battle scenes may be disturbing, and there are very descriptive scenes of relationship intensity and some violent scenes.
The main character, Corporal Bronwyn Darrow, made up his mind to never love again after being deeply hurt by a woman he trusted. That is, until he meets the enchantress Alaura of Niamh. Bronwyn tries to keep his focus on his duty as he wants to move up in the ranks of the castle guard but he is very distracted by this troubled mysterious woman. She needs his help, though, and he cannot resist the challenge, being an honourable man.
What nagged at me the most may not even be an issue for another reader. Bronwyn constantly runs through his emotions and thoughts regarding Alaura, for whom he soon cares deeply. There were places I felt should be left to the reader to ‘get’ the first or second time and know from there without the constant repetition. Even so, the author built characters of dimension and heart.
There are warriors, royalty, peasants, villains, secrets, betrayal, danger, heroism, love, passion, suspense, exciting moments that are magical, and more, all leading to a satisfaction for the reader in the way events unfold. The author describes scenes and situations very well, weaving pictures in the reader’s mind. Where the author ended this story leaves the reader waiting for more. There are several unanswered questions relating to Alaura, the castle, the child Alaura cares for, and more mysteries. Fortunately, this is the first in a series, so we have more books to watch for in which we can anticipate those answers.
All in all, this is a good read fantasy lovers will find captivating and fascinating.
You can find Shadows in the Stone listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.
Come back for my interview with Diane Lynn McGyver, the Canadian author of Shadows in the Stone, here on January 30’14. She has two copies of her book to give away to visitors who leave a comment after the interview! Don’t miss out!
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Polilla Writes 
Thank you, Lynn, for the wonderful review. I really appreciate the time you took to read the book and write your thoughts on it.
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You are most welcome, Diane. Sorry it took me so long!
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Sounds like a book I could get into. I look forward to the interview.
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You just might enjoy the book, Faith.
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You write such good reviews, Lynn. Just enough info to generate interest but no spoilers to ruin the reading experience. Thanks for introducing Diane and her book to us!!
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Thank you for the compliment, Sue! I’m glad my reviews do what I intend. 🙂
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I’m looking forward to reading the interview with Diane, Lynn. I’m sure it will be interesting. Your interviews always are. 🙂 I have one of Diane’s books in my TBR pile at the moment and have read Mystery Light in Cranberry Cove. I enjoy her writing and it was very cool meeting her in November at one of my signing.
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Thanks, Laura! Diane puts a lot of work into creating her characters and scenarios. I hope you enjoy our interview.
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I absolutely loved this book, and I don’t often read fantasy. The characters are very believable and one soon becomes attached to them. Thanks for the great review as always. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series.
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Thanks for your comment, Darlene. You’re right about soon becoming attached to the characters; Diane did a convincing job of creating believable personalities.
The next book should be even better now that we know the main characters.
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This sounds like a book I would like in a couple of years.
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You are building your future reading list, Erik. 🙂 If your mom likes fantasy once in awhile, perhaps she would enjoy this one.
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