A Quest of Blood and Stone

Let's start with this book could have been 100 pages shorter. This story is told between three different point of views. While I thought this was going to be something different, this is pretty much the adventure or Ward and Cade with a little bit of Ayla thrown in. However, I'd say about 1/3 of the book is just repetition. And this is why the book wasn't a five star for me. The first part of the book is just Ward and Cade continuously hating each other. Then a situation makes them tolerate each other. Once they cross the border, it's no longer them hating each other but Cade (or was it Ward) hating their fae guide while Ward (or was it Cade) trying to smoothe things over. Then we have Ayla, who wants to prove herself and every time she is determined to do so, she just retreats into herself because of Eoghan.

There are some revelations, none of which are surprising in my opinion, that interject this repetition of events but overall, that is the basics of the story. In general, I really did enjoy this story. I thought the plot was interesting and the patience of the villain is something to commend for. I think if some editing went into it without the same scenes over and over again but just in a different place were omitted, it would have been stronger.

While I enjoyed the characters overall, sometimes it was so hard to tell who was who. To have two characters with four letter names and not too distinctive seriously made it so hard for me to remember who was Ward and who was Cade. Honestly, I struggled with this to the very end. I think if the names were a little different, it would have been easier to tell. Plus each chapter was written from first person so it didn't help. Ayla was okay. I liked her but her voice was so sparse that it was hard to really connect. Most of this book was told from Cade and Ward's point of view.

Overall, A Quest of Blood and Stone by S. Usher Evans was a good book but it did have some aspects that didn't work for me. An overuse of the same scenarios and dialogue just tweaked a little bit made it hard to finish this book faster. Along with that, it took me almost the whole book to differentiate between Cade and Ward which shouldn't have been that difficult. I do applaud Evans on an interesting story and plot though. While some revelations were obvious to me, I did enjoy reading it all play out. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy fae books with political issues - just take you're time with it and don't try to rush.

What I liked:
The story is told between 3 distinct character voices, The Princess, The Wizard Apprentice, and a Solider, on a quest to find a stone to end the terrorization of the evil Fae, but are they the enemy? An enthralling tale that wraps you up in the quest, the politics, and the wondering of who is the bad guy. The descriptions of the fae world, the attention to detail on the background story that got this world to where it is now, and the weight of what the princess is facing as she is under the disillusionment from her Wizard Council are so excellent.
Final Verdict:
This story is tight; there is no lag as we move from one part of the quest to the next; it is easy to know who is talking and where we are in the story. I was amazed by the talent of this author.

When Ayla's father is killed by the fae, the wizard Eoghan takes over with her teachings and runs the kingdom with plans to hand the responsibilities off to her when she's old enough to take over. Now that Ayla is about to be coronated as queen, Eoghan thinks she isn't ready. But how can she ever have the confidence to rule when he micromanages everything. For that reason, she feels the need to prove herself. Dealing with rude older suitors and trying to defy Eoghan without stepping on her toes keeps Ayla busy while waiting for her friends to return.

With Ayla's kingdom at risk from the fae, Eoghan selects his wizard apprentice Cade and a guard named Ward to track down the tool she needs to protect herself. It's a stone whose power can only be accessed by Ayla's bloodline. While Ayla fights to prove herself worthy, Cade and Ward set off to locate this stone, both wanting to earn a place in her kingdom. The two set off on a journey but they still continue to butt heads, both having the goal to claim Ayla's heart.

Along the way, they find themselves in danger from creatures they didn't even know existed. While on their trip, Cade realizes they're being followed and confront the fae. She quickly becomes their map as she leads them to the stone, or so she says. Cade was taught to never trust a fae because they of their trickery. But Ward will do anything to find the stone for Ayla and doesn't have too much of a problem about traveling with a fae. So, Cade is forced to comply.

A QUEST OF BLOOD AND STONE is an epic fantasy that takes you on a dark adventure into the fae realm. The characters are all likable with their own personalities and aspirations. The plot is fast-paced packed with twists and turns that leaves the reader guessing about what's going to happen next. My favorite parts were of Ward and Cade as they navigate the territory of the fae where everything wants to eat them.


Final Verdict: Overall, this is a great start to the Seod Croi series. I love the ending since it isn't exactly a cliff hanger but still leaves the reader wanting more. I would recommend this to fans of fae, magic, epic fantasy, adventure, and royal politics.