A Draw of Kings Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for A Draw of Kings! Today I have my review of the book to share with you and don't forget to enter the tour wide giveaway!

A Draw of Kings (The Staff and the Sword #3)

Author: Patrick W. Carr

Genre: YA Christian/Fantasy

Release Date: February 18, 2014

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Description:

Their journey to Merakh should have made Errol and his companions heroes of the realm. Instead, much is changed on their return. In the wake of the king’s death, Duke Weir is ruling the country–and his intentions are to marry Adora to bring an heir.
 

With Errol and the others imprisoned and the identity of the rightful heir to the throne still hidden in secrecy, Illustra is on the verge of civil war–and at growing risk from the armies of Merakh and Morgol.
 

A dangerous mission to free Errol succeeds, but the dangers facing the kingdom are mounting with every passing moment. The barrier has fallen, ferals are swarming toward the land, and their enemies draw near. Will the revelation of Illustra’s next true king come in time or will all be lost? 

A Draw of Kings is the third book in the young adult Christian fantasy series The Staff and the Sword. It continues to follow Princess Adora, Errol and their companions as they finally make their way back home after a dangerous journey to Merakh. Instead of the reception they imagined, they are greeted by the news that Duke Weir has been named king and is waiting to marry Adora. Errol and the others are thrown into prison to await their official trial while their country, Illustra, is on the brink of a civil war - not to mention the outside armies of Morgol and Merakh. Errol escapes prison and finds the kingdom in chaos and serious danger. Will he be able to save Adora in time? What is going to happen to Illustra, and when will the identity of the true king be revealed?

This continues to be an exciting series full of action and adventure amid fantasy and romance. The characters continue to be well written and we learn more about them with each book. I liked seeing the characters' interactions with each other and watch their relationships develop - whether it be friendship or romance. The plot was filled with action that kept me eagerly reading to see what will happen next. There's a definite tension throughout the pages as the various story lines play out. The author did a fantastic job creating the intricate world that the series is set in with vivid imagery and detailed descriptions that made it easy to see everything in my mind's eye. Definitely recommended for fans of YA fantasy and adventure and Christian fiction.

Check out the other books in the series (linked to Goodreads):

      

Patrick 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.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository | IndieBound

Giveaway: Two (2) winners will receive all three (3) books in the series

 

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Book Blast & Giveaway: The Hero's Lot by Patrick W. Carr

The Hero's Lot 
Author: Patrick W. Carr

Description:
 
Riveting Sequel from Christian Fantasy's Most Talented New Voice. When 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. 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Hero's Lot is the Sequel to A Cast of Stones

 

A Cast of Stones 

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love. In 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. 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 

Patrick 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. 

Website * Facebook

     

Book Blast Giveaway 

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

Ends 8/11/13

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A Cast of Stones Blog Tour: Tens List & Giveaway

A Cast of Stones (The Staff & the Sword #1)
Author: Patrick W. Carr
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Description: 

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love

In 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.

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes &Noble

The woman took another, slow step toward him, her smile stretching the cuts and bruises on her face. “I don’t care who kills you boy, but do you really want to die by the borale arrow?” She laughed. “Do you relish feeling it rip and tear its way out of your flesh leaving you to die from blood loss, screaming in pain?” She nodded back toward Balina. “The captain has a sword, freshly sharpened. He can make your end quick and painless.”

“Don’t believe her boy,” Merodach said. He pitched his voice to carry over the flood below. “A malus never kills quickly. They feed on pain. Come with me. I can take you to safety.” He took a step.

Errol’s tried in vain to watch everyone. The pounding of his heart merged with the flood waters. He cast the briefest of looks down, fought to keep from sobbing. The roiling depths were too far away to survive a jump.

He was going to die. All that remained was to choose between the arrow, the sword, and the water.

Without turning his back to Merodach or the malus-possessed woman, he climbed the railing.

The three of them inched forward.

“Come, boy.” The woman’s voice crooned. “There’s no need for such a death.” Her voice grew mocking. “Don’t you want to be buried in your faith? Don’t you want the priest to bless your grave?”

“Errol, don’t.” Merodach’s voice cut across the woman’s.

For a moment, something in the assassin’s voice penetrated the fear that clouded his thinking. Could he be telling the truth? If he’d wanted Errol dead, he could have simply fired. It would be impossible to miss at this range, but that would leave Merodach open to counter-attack by the malus and her guard.

He didn’t want to die. Errol took a tentative step toward the assassin, tried at once to ignore the arrow aimed at his chest and brace for its impact that would kill him.

An animal-like snarl erupted from behind him. Merodach raised the bow, drew.

He launched himself into space, heard the whine of the borale’s arrow merge with a cry of rage and pain. The water rushed up at him.

My top 10 favorite books or series and why

By Patrick W. Carr

1. The Belgariad. This is actually five books. It was written by David Eddings in the early 80’s. I love the way the characters feel so real and Eddings way with dialog is awesome.

2. Magician. This is by Raymond E. Feist. Nobody has done magic and elves better than Tolkien, but Feist comes close. Plus his story has a warmth to it that is hard to match.

3. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever. Written by Stephen R. Donaldson back in the ‘70’s, this series elevated description and the concept of an antihero to a whole new level. Have a dictionary handy.

4. The Lord of the Rings. Nobody who wants to write fantasy should embark on the task without taking a serious look at the master. You must find where he succeeds, but also where he falls short.

5. The Fionavar Tapestry. This is a little known work by Guy Kay. The reason I list it here is because it provides a great example of how to tell a grand story with a minimum of words. It’s an awesome read.

6. The Wheel of Time. This series of 14 books (yes, 14!) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will probably be the longest fantasy of all time. If it had been more tightly written, it might have the best series of all time.

7. The Chronicles of Narnia. How can you not love a story that teaches you something new every time you read it. The beauty of C.S. Lewis’s work is its appeal to any age group.

8. Calvin and Hobbes. Watterson wrote this comic strip in the 80’s and 90’s and you can still find compilations of it on sale today. As a writer I try to mimic with words what he did with pictures. This is the best comic strip of all time.

9. The World Book Encyclopedia. My parents bought the 50^th anniversary edition when I was a kid. Whenever I was bored (and even when I wasn’t) I loved leafing through it for interesting articles. Yes, I’m a nerd.

 

10. The Bible. The influence of the Bible as a literary work is indisputable and people quote it regardless of their religious affiliation. For me, this is the source of my inspiration. Every theme writers touch on is found here.

 

Thank you for stopping by the blog today and sharing your favorite books and series with us Patrick!

Patrick 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.

Website * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway

$10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/31/13

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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.