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A Reaper of Stone (Volume 1)

by Mark Gelineau, Joe King

Series: A Reaper of Stone (1)

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507509,400 (3.58)2
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.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

I wasn’t ready to reach the end of this book, and not because there’s a scene or two I wanted to see live instead of in flashback or discussion. I didn’t want to pack these characters away. That’s the sign of good storytelling, something clear from the starting prologue which turns expectations on their head and gives us a taste of the adventure to come along with both tension and humor.

A Reaper of Stone is a traditional fantasy adventure, but not as in the cliche. It’s the type with villains who should have been better people and the main characters determined to live up to their vows no matter the pressure to be like everyone else and allow corruption into their roles. Elinor models herself on tales of old, and there’s both truth and strength to be found in them. Her determination, though, requires the help of friends, newly made and older, to keep her resolve and have her back.

Elinor might be the main driving force, but Conbert is as much a main character. They offer a well-done switch of traditional roles without depending on stereotypical traits. Elinor is the fighter not because she’s unique but rather Elinor has been training hard her whole life and comes from a rougher world than most city-bred candidates. She’s neither emotionally stunted, brash, or a bully. Her strengths do not change her into something other than the honorable young woman she is.

Conbert is the scholar, though as an engineer he is not all paper and books. He’s a negotiator in part because he’s empathic and aware of the people issues, but this ability doesn’t make him weak or emotional. He just has a talent for seeing to the heart of people and uses it to smooth the way and offer critical advice.

The story plays on the dangers of neglecting the past and forgetting the purpose behind old traditions in favor of greed and ignorance. It’s not so much anti-progression as a warning against letting the more selfish impulses run rampant. Still, a strength of this story is how it doesn’t give a straight classist argument as many fantasy novels do. It’s not the corrupt nobles against the innocent and good peasantry. The book gives a more nuanced portrayal allowing every person, regardless of role or birth, to make a choice. That’s critical because it leaves open a path of change rather than seeing future as a pre-ordained disaster.

Despite its length, this is a complete tale with character change and deeper meanings to make it memorable. The world building has many common European markers, but also unique elements to draw the reader in. The actual writing seemed rough at times, but the storytelling and adventuring feel pulled me past any hiccups. I was eager to learn what would happen next and to see how the earlier events would influence the future.

While in many ways a young adult title skewing to the younger edge, the book has a bit of situation-appropriate swearing and conviction has its, sometimes brutal, costs. I mention this not to scare anyone off but so you can judge tolerance. Story wise, I don’t think a younger teen would fail to find enjoyment and a reminder of the rules of honor passed down in myth as they were not in reality. The older set are likely to enjoy as much as I did.

P.S. For those keeping track, this book was written by at least one BayCon author. I’m sorry it took me so long to read it. ( )
  MarFisk | Jan 17, 2020 |
Originally drawn to this because of the beautiful cover, I continually put of reading Reaper of Stone by Mark Gelineau and Joe King because I thought there is no way this can be as good as the cover. Finally, I decided I needed to just read it and see and I was completely wrong! This was such an enjoyable story that I was upset at how short it is (only about a hundred pages.)

The authors create such a salivating peek at their new fantasy world in introducing us to protagonist Elinor and friend Conbert as they take on their mission to tear down a stone fortress. Elinor is the Reaper of Stone and everyone knows what that seems to mean, save the reader. We see how this world works on a feudal system of Kings and Lords and fealty earned. We see that magic exists and corruption. A school for youth and wild creatures. What we don’t see is is the how or why, which was why I was upset at the length of the novella.

We are teased with things that don’t ever materialize. We are given enough to sate our palette but not enough to truly understand. This ends up feeling like a small scene of a much larger novel that the authors released solely to build interest. I thought at first this was solely a teaser novella, but it isn’t. The entire series, which to their credit was rapidly released, consists of novellas. I haven’t picked up any follow-ups, but i’m interested if only to see if we ever get the payoff I really wanted to see.

A Reaper of Stone by Mark Gelineau and Joe King feels solid and promises a great story, only, we never get to see it. It’s almost like a story we’re told after the fact instead of living it, experiencing it ourselves. This fault lies mainly with the short length of the novella.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. ( )
  heylu | Jan 8, 2020 |
I liked this story. I loved Elinor. I love this story and can't wait to jump into the second book, but this was such a great, quick read. I really, really enjoyed it and I'm totally rooting for Tae. This was great. 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book. ( )
  Beammey | Jul 23, 2016 |
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

If I understood correctly, A Reaper of Stone, is the first novella in An Echo of the Ascended series, a collection of novella's spanning multiple genres. It sounds very interesting and I plan on following the series.

This first novella is an interesting story with the medieval/fantasy feel to it. A House has fallen and now the lands must be reclaimed by the King, a job that befalls the main character, a Reaper.

The story is really short but still a lot happens and you also get quite a view of the world. I would have liked to see the story a bit longer, I think it would have made it even better, but I also believe the authors did a good job making this novella feel like something more than a rushed read in which nothing happens. I'm looking forward to reading the next novellas, although secretly I wouldn't have minded if the next novellas were set in the same world, which seemed really interesting.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ( )
  Floratina | May 26, 2016 |
This was an odd novella. Not bad – not at all; it simply didn't engage me fully. I talk sometimes about writing fighting against me; I've found a shiny new metaphor. Think of it like scuba diving. The kind of writing I treasure, and to which I aspire if I ever get my act together, is transparent, completely clear, allowing the swimmer – the reader – to wander through an alien environment with 360 degree visibility, complete absorption in the environment with no distractions of cloud or turbulence. The water was a little murky in this one. It took a long time for me to click with it, and in a short piece that's a problem.

I don't know. I just don't know. There's a small part of me that wants to follow this series, and find out what else happens… but, honestly, I don't know if it's being voted down. I don't know if I'll actually remember.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review. ( )
  Stewartry | Mar 12, 2016 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Mark Gelineauprimary authorall editionscalculated
King, Joemain authorall editionsconfirmed

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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.

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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.
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