Synopsis from Amazon:
Connor is cursed . . .
In Obrion, that means he must obtain patronage from a high lord prior to his sixteenth birthday, or face execution.
Connor turns sixteen tomorrow.
Not to worry, he has a plan. Although it doesn't take into account little things like 'accidentally' setting the local lord's mansion on fire or his town getting invaded.
Armies clash, superhuman Petralists step out of legend, and layers of deadly intrigue shatter Connor's simple life. Caught in the middle of the conflict, he cannot understand why both sides are so interested in his curse.
If he stays, he dies.
If he leaves, people he loves will die.
Some birthdays are like that.
And there's this girl . . .
>>>>>>>>
My Review:
Eight years ago, I attended my local ComicCon and had a blast navigating the Artist's Alley section, particularly the area that specifically pertained to books by local authors and other writers and booksellers. I perused many interesting titles (which I ended up buying as ebooks a few weeks later) and received a lot of promotional "swag" items like bookmarks and postcards. One such was for Set in Stone, and therefore on the next ebook-buying "binge", I included it in my purchases. It then sat in my TBR for the next few years, overtaken by so many other books I read in the interim, as I watched that list of "Books I owned but have yet to read" grow longer and longer! But at long last, the time arrived when I would read it!
I was a bit apprehensive going into it, since some of the reviews I read complained about certain character arcs and made it sound like a trope-laden hodgepodge of plot holes and cheap escapes, fan-service type stuff... but I did want to give it a fair shot, so I kept reading. At least none of the characters were too insufferable at the beginning!
I really think reading about the inspiration behind the story, learning that it grew out of a storytelling improvisation session with his 11-year-old child really helped reframe the story as one geared toward the middle-grade reader, and from that perspective, it was a great story! I very much enjoyed the concept of the Petralists, the world-building centered on quarry-work and "unlocking" latent superhuman abilities based on different types of stone. I love that it almost felt limited in this first book, as it provides enough of an introductory foundation that promises payoff in the form of even more development in ensuing sequels. Yes, I did note the character arc that annoyed the other reviewers so much, but in the context of "this is a story meant for middle-graders" I didn't find it so terrible--and there were some tropes I was expecting to see that didn't happen, so I was definitely happy about that!
The variety of personalities in the cast of characters was awesome. Everything from the strong, solid, stoic type; the bubbly, exuberant type; the arrogant and overbearing type; and the dedicated, dependable type can be found in these pages. It does get to feel a bit long and dragging at times, if you're going in expecting a quick, simple, straightforward story like most children's novels. This is very much "epic fantasy for preteens." I really got a lot of "Ranger's Apprentice" vibes from it, if I'm being honest, and some of the chapters were actually shorter than others, so it makes the story feel like it's going by a bit faster when the action and movement is slow.
Set in Stone is an ingenious middle-grade novel that starts off on a unique premise, builds its world well, and manages to be highly entertaining just when the reader's attention is starting to drift. I'd rate this book a granite-steady *****4.5 STARS***** and if you're someone who enjoys finding new middle-grade fictional worlds to explore, OR you know a middle-grader who would love a new epic fantasy series to really get swept up into, I would recommend you pick up Set in Stone and see if it excites your imagination as much as it did mine!
Further Reading: (YA Adventures/Epic Fantasy/Young Heroes/Strong World-Building)
The Fair Folk Chronicles--Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins
-Foul is Fair
-Street Fair
-A Fair Fight
-All's Fair
-Foul is Fair
-Street Fair
-A Fair Fight
-All's Fair
The Bhinian Empire--Miriam Forster
-City of A Thousand Dolls
-Empire of Shadows
-City of A Thousand Dolls
-Empire of Shadows
The Portal Prophecies--C. A. King
-A Keeper's Destiny
-A Halloween's Curse
-Frost Bitten
-A Keeper's Destiny
-A Halloween's Curse
-Frost Bitten
No comments:
Post a Comment