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Once upon a time, I married my high school sweetheart. Over the years we added five wonderful children, several dogs and horses and a lot of great memories to our lives. I have been writing the stories in my head for the last twelve years. Most of my stories are about horses or horse/fantasy characters. Writing is a form of creative recreation for me. But since I am a very social creature, sitting at my computer is hard for me to do. So, I get my breaks by going on trail rides in the beautiful Colorado mountains or taking a Dressage lesson.
Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
The land of Crystonia has been without a ruler for the past century and a half. There has been no peace in the land while the larger, stronger races battle for leadership. The Centaurs, Ogres, and Cyclops all want to conquer and maintain Mount Heilodius, the designated location of the empire’s seat of government. Yet, the destined ruler of the land is a Duende named Carling, born in the village of Duenton. The Duende are small descendants of the fairies that once filled the land. A magical silver breastplate has been secretly forged for young Carling, and she must find four stones of light that are needed to complete it and assert her right as a ruler.
The Stone of Mercy by M.J. Evans is the debut story for The Centaur Chronicles, a captivating tale in which this first installment aptly emphasizes compassion as well as other moral values. With her trusted friend and fellow Duende, Higson, along with siblings Tandum and Tibbals, the young Centaurs from Minsheen herd, Carling embarks on her first quest to secure the Stone of Mercy. As is the custom with most fantasy books, a map is provided in the early pages and the names of some places made me smile: Forest of Rumors, Cliffs of Confusion, and Manyon-Canyon. I love the wittiness and it is a great way to start the reading. That said, there’s a heavy theme of loss in the story.
The chapters are appropriately short, which helps the good pacing of the plot. Evans brings some dynamics to the list of classic ethereal beings in the fantasy genre with the Duende. I haven’t read about Centaurs for quite a while, so it’s a pleasure to have them as part of the world-building. The Stone of Mercy is a fine read and I look forward to Book Two, The Stone of Courage.
