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Heroes of Ravenford #1
Ruins on Stone Hill
What do you get when you mix an elf, a gnome, a halfling, and a warrior? Magic, mayhem, and loads of sarcasm.
Glolindir thought he knew all about magic until he came face to face with his very first monster. He only survived thanks to:
Lloyd, the gallant spiritblade as talented as he is reckless.
Seth, the mysterious halfling whose knives are nearly as sharp as his tongue.
Aksel, the quiet gnome whose very touch can heal.
Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of their troubles. The little town of Ravenford is in desperate need of heroes. Before Glo and his new friends know it, they are up to their eyeballs in monsters and worse.
It all comes to a disastrous head when they confront a dark force in the ruins outside of town. Outclassed and overpowered, the only thing that can save them now is their wits and a bit of luck.
Enter a world of magic and adventure in this fun tale of heroes in the making.
Glolindir thought he knew all about magic until he came face to face with his very first monster. He only survived thanks to:
Lloyd, the gallant spiritblade as talented as he is reckless.
Seth, the mysterious halfling whose knives are nearly as sharp as his tongue.
Aksel, the quiet gnome whose very touch can heal.
Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of their troubles. The little town of Ravenford is in desperate need of heroes. Before Glo and his new friends know it, they are up to their eyeballs in monsters and worse.
It all comes to a disastrous head when they confront a dark force in the ruins outside of town. Outclassed and overpowered, the only thing that can save them now is their wits and a bit of luck.
Enter a world of magic and adventure in this fun tale of heroes in the making.
370 pages, ebook
First published June 6, 2014
876 people are currently reading
767 people want to read
About the author
F.P. Spirit
13 books487 followersSwords, Sorcery & Sarcasm
F.P. Spirit is an avid science fiction and fantasy fan. A Trekkie before it was cool, F. P. became hooked on fantasy the moment he cracked open his first copy of Lord of the Rings. When he is not lost roaming the multiverse of sci-fi and high-fantasy fiction, F. P. is either creating adventures for his roll-playing friends and family or connecting with his mind and body in an attempt to reach that inner spark of spirit.
To learn more you can go to his website fpspirit.com or subscribe to his newsletter at fpspirit.com/newsletter
F.P. Spirit is an avid science fiction and fantasy fan. A Trekkie before it was cool, F. P. became hooked on fantasy the moment he cracked open his first copy of Lord of the Rings. When he is not lost roaming the multiverse of sci-fi and high-fantasy fiction, F. P. is either creating adventures for his roll-playing friends and family or connecting with his mind and body in an attempt to reach that inner spark of spirit.
To learn more you can go to his website fpspirit.com or subscribe to his newsletter at fpspirit.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 2, 2025
D&D nerd here. This really felt like a real D&D campaign, but in book form. It actually inspired me to write up the story of the campaign I am currently in, though just for the group, not to actually publish. I don't think my writing could be as polished as this or other books out there.
This book had some spots that kicked me out of the story and others where I could really visualize what was happening as if I was there with the characters. I loved how individual the characters all felt. They had distinct personalities and weren't just cardboard cutouts, which was great. I really loved the gnome and halfling on riding dogs instead of horses. I SQUEED out loud when I read that part, lol.
Some of the word choices on the other hand, didn't always work for me. The whole "ninja" thing, yeah, no. It seemed a tad too immature for me. It also took me a LOOONG time to read this, as nothing grabbed me to the point where once I put it down, I could easily leave it for days or longer. I would enjoy it when I picked it back up, it wasn't bad, but it didn't have the hook I needed to keep at it. That may be more me than the book, as after I got to 33%, it picked up for me.
All in all, a solid first book in a series. Not sure if I will be pursuing the next book, but I wouldn't avoid it if we crossed paths.
3, if you like the D&D genre I recommend this as a good one to read, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an eARC of this book to read and review.
This book had some spots that kicked me out of the story and others where I could really visualize what was happening as if I was there with the characters. I loved how individual the characters all felt. They had distinct personalities and weren't just cardboard cutouts, which was great. I really loved the gnome and halfling on riding dogs instead of horses. I SQUEED out loud when I read that part, lol.
Some of the word choices on the other hand, didn't always work for me. The whole "ninja" thing, yeah, no. It seemed a tad too immature for me. It also took me a LOOONG time to read this, as nothing grabbed me to the point where once I put it down, I could easily leave it for days or longer. I would enjoy it when I picked it back up, it wasn't bad, but it didn't have the hook I needed to keep at it. That may be more me than the book, as after I got to 33%, it picked up for me.
All in all, a solid first book in a series. Not sure if I will be pursuing the next book, but I wouldn't avoid it if we crossed paths.
3, if you like the D&D genre I recommend this as a good one to read, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an eARC of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2018
After one hundred and fifty years of peace, dark forces stir in the town of Ravenford. Is this a precursor of war or something even more sinister? A young warrior, an elf, a halfling and a gnome band together to face these creatures of darkness. What they encounter is more than they’re prepared to deal with. But with courage, magic, quick-thinking and an unseen protective force, these four heroes may be the catalyst needed to defeat the forces of darkness. If they fail, the world will be plunged into darkness forever.
Ruins on Stone Hill is a classic epic fantasy focused on a band of misfits with the odds stacked against them and all they have is each other. Like Lord of the Rings, there’s plenty of action scenes and humorous dialogue. The characters are well developed with their own distinctive voices. The plot is well-drawn with creative world-building techniques. It hooked me from the first chapter and I found myself wondering what was going to happen next.
If you love classic fantasy with a great cast of characters, you’ve got to read this book. Highly recommend and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Favorite Character/Quote:
Aksel climbed out of the wagon just in time to see the creature rushing toward them. “Well, that doesn’t look good.”
“Agreed,” Glo said through barely moving lips.
My Rating: 5 stars
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Ruins on Stone Hill is a classic epic fantasy focused on a band of misfits with the odds stacked against them and all they have is each other. Like Lord of the Rings, there’s plenty of action scenes and humorous dialogue. The characters are well developed with their own distinctive voices. The plot is well-drawn with creative world-building techniques. It hooked me from the first chapter and I found myself wondering what was going to happen next.
If you love classic fantasy with a great cast of characters, you’ve got to read this book. Highly recommend and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Favorite Character/Quote:
Aksel climbed out of the wagon just in time to see the creature rushing toward them. “Well, that doesn’t look good.”
“Agreed,” Glo said through barely moving lips.
My Rating: 5 stars
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
April 5, 2015
This read like a gaming group plodding through a couple of modules that would have been more fun to play than to read. The characters were the conventional motley crew thrown together for no particular reason other than AD&D needs adventurers; an elf mage, halfling ninja, gnome cleric, and human warrior roll their dice and go on campaign.
The prose was more limping than limpid weighed down as it was by excess baggage. After twenty or more occasions of someone asking “curiously” I hungered for someone to ask incuriously. No one ever just turned, they always whirled. There was one occasion that someone began an action only to be interrupted whereas there were dozens of beginnings and starts to actions as simple as walking through a door or standing from a chair. After the twentieth time someone “started to enter” I wanted to scream “just get him through the door already!” Character after character “laughed to himself” or “chuckled” endlessly at jokes that were not the least bit funny. I actually chuckled at only one (a normal chuckle lasting a second or two) though it rang a bit false, too. It was a pun on “Fire in the hole.” In this world the phrase is appropriate to setting off dynamite or tossing a hand grenade. I’m not quite sure what the pseudo-medieval referent would be. All that could be considered stylistic differences, I suppose, but there were also quite a few cases of repeated words and homonymic error.
In short, it needed a good edit.
But the straightforward hack-and-slash action appealed to the twelve-year-old boy in me even as the grown man winced at the handful of female characters shunted off to the side as swooning decoration.
The prose was more limping than limpid weighed down as it was by excess baggage. After twenty or more occasions of someone asking “curiously” I hungered for someone to ask incuriously. No one ever just turned, they always whirled. There was one occasion that someone began an action only to be interrupted whereas there were dozens of beginnings and starts to actions as simple as walking through a door or standing from a chair. After the twentieth time someone “started to enter” I wanted to scream “just get him through the door already!” Character after character “laughed to himself” or “chuckled” endlessly at jokes that were not the least bit funny. I actually chuckled at only one (a normal chuckle lasting a second or two) though it rang a bit false, too. It was a pun on “Fire in the hole.” In this world the phrase is appropriate to setting off dynamite or tossing a hand grenade. I’m not quite sure what the pseudo-medieval referent would be. All that could be considered stylistic differences, I suppose, but there were also quite a few cases of repeated words and homonymic error.
In short, it needed a good edit.
But the straightforward hack-and-slash action appealed to the twelve-year-old boy in me even as the grown man winced at the handful of female characters shunted off to the side as swooning decoration.
Read
January 11, 2023DNF at 35%
I like more substance in my fantasy stories than just a D&D campaign. What I got instead was stilted dialog, stereotypical characters with no spark, and not a very exciting story.
Honestly, I'd rather play a D&D campaign than read it.
I like more substance in my fantasy stories than just a D&D campaign. What I got instead was stilted dialog, stereotypical characters with no spark, and not a very exciting story.
Honestly, I'd rather play a D&D campaign than read it.
Want to read
June 12, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/12/2019)! 🎁
March 29, 2015
The Ruins on Stone Hill (Heroes of Ravenford Book 1) is about a bunch of guys getting together to have adventures. Using both physical weapons and magic, they fight off orcs, giants, golems and wicked wizards, usually destroying the bad creatures in the process. It’s a bit of a romp, and as such, it’s enjoyable. Unfortunately, I look for a bit more in a fantasy novel.
To me, fantasy novels offer the potential of placing a hero (male or female) on a quest that we as readers can identify with, allowing us to cheer those heroes on and celebrate when obstacles are overcome. The quest should involve something of moral or ethical value. A grail. The destruction of an object that could allow the baddest guy around to rule the world. Something worth fighting and dying for. In this book, the first quest to map a keep and potentially recover a scroll for a probably good wizard is taken on with a promise of payment in the end. To me, money doesn’t quite meet my criteria for a quest.
In addition, there doesn’t seem to be much of a plot. Jumping from one adventure to the next, with little or no connection between them (save for the fact the two most important people in the town—the mayor and the wizard—are the ones sending them out) does not a plot make. Which leaves me thinking that the only plot in this is what it takes to pull this group together. And for a story about adventures, we sure skipped the third one fast. They started out, and then they were home again.
As a woman and a writer of fantasy myself, I found the stereotypes of the few female characters a bit too much to handle. Kailay, the barmaid at the local establishment, has doe-eyes for Lloyd, the big, strong, handsome human in the group. She is “buxom” and referred to twice in three paragraphs as she is introduced as a “young girl.” That really got to me. She’s not a child (I hope). And then, when Kailay recognizes that Lloyd has eyes for another, she completely falls apart. Be still my feminist heart (and mouth). Three other women of minor prominence have equally boxed-in roles—all of them noble, beautiful, well-educated and practically perfect. And then there’s the half-human, half-orc warrior woman who shows up briefly, fights valiantly (a little Xena warrior princess there), but, being on the wrong side, cannot be allowed to survive. Now, she was interesting.
On the picky side, I found some of the language to be a little too modern. To me, a fantasy set in a typically semi-medieval world should watch the modern clichés and metaphors. I was jarred out of the story several times with phrases such as “picture perfect” (which to me implies a camera being involved somewhere).
To me, fantasy novels offer the potential of placing a hero (male or female) on a quest that we as readers can identify with, allowing us to cheer those heroes on and celebrate when obstacles are overcome. The quest should involve something of moral or ethical value. A grail. The destruction of an object that could allow the baddest guy around to rule the world. Something worth fighting and dying for. In this book, the first quest to map a keep and potentially recover a scroll for a probably good wizard is taken on with a promise of payment in the end. To me, money doesn’t quite meet my criteria for a quest.
In addition, there doesn’t seem to be much of a plot. Jumping from one adventure to the next, with little or no connection between them (save for the fact the two most important people in the town—the mayor and the wizard—are the ones sending them out) does not a plot make. Which leaves me thinking that the only plot in this is what it takes to pull this group together. And for a story about adventures, we sure skipped the third one fast. They started out, and then they were home again.
As a woman and a writer of fantasy myself, I found the stereotypes of the few female characters a bit too much to handle. Kailay, the barmaid at the local establishment, has doe-eyes for Lloyd, the big, strong, handsome human in the group. She is “buxom” and referred to twice in three paragraphs as she is introduced as a “young girl.” That really got to me. She’s not a child (I hope). And then, when Kailay recognizes that Lloyd has eyes for another, she completely falls apart. Be still my feminist heart (and mouth). Three other women of minor prominence have equally boxed-in roles—all of them noble, beautiful, well-educated and practically perfect. And then there’s the half-human, half-orc warrior woman who shows up briefly, fights valiantly (a little Xena warrior princess there), but, being on the wrong side, cannot be allowed to survive. Now, she was interesting.
On the picky side, I found some of the language to be a little too modern. To me, a fantasy set in a typically semi-medieval world should watch the modern clichés and metaphors. I was jarred out of the story several times with phrases such as “picture perfect” (which to me implies a camera being involved somewhere).
March 27, 2015
“The Ruins on Stone Hill” is a great adventure/fantasy tale that captured my attention from the first page. Its characters are an unlikely group consisting of a human, elf, halfling and gnome, who are all young and inexperienced, trying to master their craft and find their way while defending a small town from the deadly creatures that surround it. As the story unfolds, several more adventurers provide assistance along the way. I appreciate the author’s use of names that are creative but not so unusual that they are difficult to remember. The characters are very likeable, and the relationship that develops between them is endearing and becomes stronger with every new adventure. Speaking of adventures, the battle scenes within the story are very descriptive but not too gory for those of us who might not appreciate that sort of thing. The story has just the right amount of fantasy, action/adventure, mystery and even a bit of romance to keep the pages turning. It is a well-written and well-paced book that forms a wonderful foundation for the series. I recommend it highly!
January 30, 2022
Dungeons and Dragons in a book form, jam-packed with mythic creatures, good vs. evil, and one grand questing adventure.
While it make it up in action, the actual plot lacks substance. It's basically just a campaign in word format. A generic fantasy read. There is nothing to make it stand out in the fantasy world genre, and any (good) female representation was sorely missed.
The main characters are varied and colourful, making them distinct from each other. I appreciated the absence of detailed violence and gore that is normally associated with these novels.
Anyone who loves D+D campaigns and medieval/fantasy video games will be attracted to this read and enjoy it. I would recommend this to preteen/early teenage boys. I will pass on the next book, as it didn't have enough to grab me in its fold.
While it make it up in action, the actual plot lacks substance. It's basically just a campaign in word format. A generic fantasy read. There is nothing to make it stand out in the fantasy world genre, and any (good) female representation was sorely missed.
The main characters are varied and colourful, making them distinct from each other. I appreciated the absence of detailed violence and gore that is normally associated with these novels.
Anyone who loves D+D campaigns and medieval/fantasy video games will be attracted to this read and enjoy it. I would recommend this to preteen/early teenage boys. I will pass on the next book, as it didn't have enough to grab me in its fold.
September 10, 2019
The Ruins on Stone Hill (Heroes of Ravenford, #1) by F.P. Spirit is a very enjoyable young adult novel in the swords & sorcery sub-genre of fantasy. The book serves as an origin story for a group of young heroes as they meet and embark on their first adventures together.
The prose and dialog flow very smoothly. Clearly, the author has great expertise with the written word and knows how to make action unfold. The main characters are well-crafted with unique personalities. Each quest or battle is compelling and easy to understand. The author makes well-thought out use of magic rather than invoking it as an overly convenient plot mechanism. Familiar fantasy tropes are leveraged uniquely and cohesively to make the story and world feel original. Even though the novel sets up for the sequel at the end, the book does more than enough to resolve its sub-plots in satisfying fashion.
While the pros greatly outweigh the cons, the novel does suffer from a handful of minor drawbacks. Too often, characters smile--or grin, smirk, curl their lips, or contort their mouths in various other versions of smiling. The frequency of smiling borders on comical. When characters smile too often, they can seem too self-assured, which can sap the tension out of a scene.
Also, the author has a slight tendency to over-explain. In general, writers should be mindful of the triple-redundancy that can occur when revealing what's going to happen, showing it happen, and recapping what happened. Take care not to reveal the exact same details in all three instances and don't make events unfold exactly as planned. That said, over-explanation typically leads to better reader comprehension than not including enough details.
Casual readers may prefer the straightforward good time offered by the book, but the content could seem a bit simplistic to the more sophisticated mind. It's good guys versus obviously bad guys with no significant conflict between the protagonists, few plot twists, and a light-hearted tone that tells the reader no real harm will come to our heroes. Many young adult novels include more adult situations, but this work keeps things G-rated. There's nothing wrong with that if the target audience is very young adults or readers who are looking to avoid bad language, sex, and extreme violence.
All in all, The Ruins on Stone Hill is a well-written and engaging YA fantasy novel. At some point, I will likely pick up book two.
The prose and dialog flow very smoothly. Clearly, the author has great expertise with the written word and knows how to make action unfold. The main characters are well-crafted with unique personalities. Each quest or battle is compelling and easy to understand. The author makes well-thought out use of magic rather than invoking it as an overly convenient plot mechanism. Familiar fantasy tropes are leveraged uniquely and cohesively to make the story and world feel original. Even though the novel sets up for the sequel at the end, the book does more than enough to resolve its sub-plots in satisfying fashion.
While the pros greatly outweigh the cons, the novel does suffer from a handful of minor drawbacks. Too often, characters smile--or grin, smirk, curl their lips, or contort their mouths in various other versions of smiling. The frequency of smiling borders on comical. When characters smile too often, they can seem too self-assured, which can sap the tension out of a scene.
Also, the author has a slight tendency to over-explain. In general, writers should be mindful of the triple-redundancy that can occur when revealing what's going to happen, showing it happen, and recapping what happened. Take care not to reveal the exact same details in all three instances and don't make events unfold exactly as planned. That said, over-explanation typically leads to better reader comprehension than not including enough details.
Casual readers may prefer the straightforward good time offered by the book, but the content could seem a bit simplistic to the more sophisticated mind. It's good guys versus obviously bad guys with no significant conflict between the protagonists, few plot twists, and a light-hearted tone that tells the reader no real harm will come to our heroes. Many young adult novels include more adult situations, but this work keeps things G-rated. There's nothing wrong with that if the target audience is very young adults or readers who are looking to avoid bad language, sex, and extreme violence.
All in all, The Ruins on Stone Hill is a well-written and engaging YA fantasy novel. At some point, I will likely pick up book two.
September 12, 2021
I am not sure if I was reading a book or if this was the written story of a video game. My first issue came within the first pages where the main characters were a human, an elf, a gnome and... wait for it... a half-ling. You see where I am going here. I was very upset with the author for plagiarizing Tolkien LOTR series. However the halfling is a ninja, the gnome is a cleric, the elf is a wizard in training and the human is obviously the soldier.
So I thought that I would continue reading.
Our four young heroes are on their way to Ravenford, a seatown, when they are attacked by none other than orcs (sigh). Luckily they manage to save the caravan they are travelling with. They are soon told that they are the first caravan to reach Ravenford for a while. From there are a series of "tasks" given to them by the Baron, in charge of the town: getting rid of a dark mage, wiping out the orcs, finding out who is behind the attacks. They are also handsomely recompensed for completing their tasks.
I believe this is the author's first book and it was written in 2014. Maybe it is a draft. In my view there is a lot of editing to do to this book. First and foremost, it is a linear story. No side story at all. All heroes stay together all the time and do what they do best, which is getting rid of evil. The story would be enriched if there was at least another branch or two to the main line of the story.
The characters are not developed enough (that would have been a nice way of adding side stories).
I nearly dropped the book when i reached the mirror and the invisibility cloak. I understand that it is not easy to find new materials and original ideas but this was getting a bit too much for me.
So all in all, I would not recommend this book. This needs a lot more work before it is published, in my view.
Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my heartfelt opinion.
#the ruins on stone hill #NetGalley
So I thought that I would continue reading.
Our four young heroes are on their way to Ravenford, a seatown, when they are attacked by none other than orcs (sigh). Luckily they manage to save the caravan they are travelling with. They are soon told that they are the first caravan to reach Ravenford for a while. From there are a series of "tasks" given to them by the Baron, in charge of the town: getting rid of a dark mage, wiping out the orcs, finding out who is behind the attacks. They are also handsomely recompensed for completing their tasks.
I believe this is the author's first book and it was written in 2014. Maybe it is a draft. In my view there is a lot of editing to do to this book. First and foremost, it is a linear story. No side story at all. All heroes stay together all the time and do what they do best, which is getting rid of evil. The story would be enriched if there was at least another branch or two to the main line of the story.
The characters are not developed enough (that would have been a nice way of adding side stories).
I nearly dropped the book when i reached the mirror and the invisibility cloak. I understand that it is not easy to find new materials and original ideas but this was getting a bit too much for me.
So all in all, I would not recommend this book. This needs a lot more work before it is published, in my view.
Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my heartfelt opinion.
#the ruins on stone hill #NetGalley
March 29, 2015
In The Ruins of Stone Hill, we follow the growth of a group of misfit D&D-type characters as they engage in a heroic odyssey. It is clear that many readers really plug into and enjoy this book; I, however, agree with the minority of reviewers who think that it lacks originality. I also struggle with the two-dimensional nature of some of the characters, and at times details pertinent to the story occur inorganically. That said, this book is not without the charm evoked by any decently written story employing the characters and narrative frameworks of a Tolkien-inspired tale; but it fails to add anything new beyond the standards requisite of the genre.
I have never participated in a RPG, nor have I read a lot of contemporary Fantasy novels, so I could be missing something here—missing a mindset that allows a greater appreciation for narratives of this ilk. So, I would still recommend this book both to young readers, as an introduction to classic fantasy, or to RPGers who enjoy this form of story-telling.
I have never participated in a RPG, nor have I read a lot of contemporary Fantasy novels, so I could be missing something here—missing a mindset that allows a greater appreciation for narratives of this ilk. So, I would still recommend this book both to young readers, as an introduction to classic fantasy, or to RPGers who enjoy this form of story-telling.
August 19, 2014
Escapism fiction at its best., August 18, 2014
By
susanne leist, author of The Dead Game (Woodmere, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ruins on Stone Hill (Heroes of Ravenford Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
A fantasy adventure where a town must be saved by a motley crew of supernatural figures. Askel the gnome, an endearing figure, tries to lead them into battle. With their own unique powers, they valiantly fight to save the town of Ravenford. There's an adorable elf, who lightens the way with his laughter. Glolindir tries his best to act human even though he can heal with his touch. Lloyd, the spirit blade, uses his swords with lightning speed. They band together to become heroes for the town. Their battles lead them through caves, tunnels, secret passageways, hidden rooms, and magical mirrors. And to top it all off, they must contend with wizards, monsters, and evil creatures.
This is escapism fiction at its best.
By
susanne leist, author of The Dead Game (Woodmere, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ruins on Stone Hill (Heroes of Ravenford Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
A fantasy adventure where a town must be saved by a motley crew of supernatural figures. Askel the gnome, an endearing figure, tries to lead them into battle. With their own unique powers, they valiantly fight to save the town of Ravenford. There's an adorable elf, who lightens the way with his laughter. Glolindir tries his best to act human even though he can heal with his touch. Lloyd, the spirit blade, uses his swords with lightning speed. They band together to become heroes for the town. Their battles lead them through caves, tunnels, secret passageways, hidden rooms, and magical mirrors. And to top it all off, they must contend with wizards, monsters, and evil creatures.
This is escapism fiction at its best.
January 1, 2021
This story was an okay young adult fantasy - it was nothing ground breaking or too interesting, though some of the fights and interactions with monsters were interesting. The author ripped a lot straight from Dungeons and Dragons, which really took away from the work for me; at least change the spell names, etc. to give it a little more originality. There was also a severe lack of female characters or character variation in the work. Whenever the male protagonists met a female character they made comments like "oh, she's not like the typical shallow females I'm used to" or "how refreshing that I finally met a woman who was genuine and straightforward." The author also included the generic and debasing "no one has ever or will ever understand women" conversation. This really detracted from the work.
December 28, 2025
Fun quest, but I didn’t always enjoy the writing style. Overall, not my cup of tea.
October 9, 2017
*This review may contain spoilers. You have been warned*
Wow, what a book! Where to start... I'll start by saying I'm not particularly fond of the YA genre. It's usually always the same story. Hero has ordinary, boring life and is thrown on an epic quest with new powers/skills he never knew he had and he has to stop some evil. The Ruins on Stone Hill is not that kind of book and it sucked me right in! (whew!) So major props to F.P. Spirit!
The story starts off with our heroes, Glolindir, an elven wizard, Askel, a gnome cleric (or priest if that is your preferred term), Seth, a halfling rogue who prefers to be called a ninja, and Lloyd, a human warrior who has special abilities giving him the title of Spirit Blade, setting out to make a name for themselves and over the course of this book they get thrown into more than they were bargaining for.
I really loved the characters in this book. Each of them has their own set of skills and personalities and the banter between them can get really good and funny. Glo and Lloyd being my favorites. Glo starts out thinking he knows everything. He's been practicing his spells and knowledge for a long time and after a while couldn't stand being under the wing of his mentor because he thought he knew a lot so he set out on his little adventure only to find out, he knows...nothing! Yep. Nice smack in the face for him that was really humbling for his character. This knowledge allows him to actually grow as a character and it was nice to see.
Lloyd is a big sweetheart. And I mean big. Literally. He's a really big guy! But don't let his size fool you. He's not some hardened warrior or anything. You tell him people died at the hands of some bandits and the man starts crying and wants to avenge them. He's also something called a Spirit Blade, a type of warrior with special abilities. And trust me, some of the things he can do, it pretty darn cool.
Then we have Askel. He's our little cleric who is very kind and always looking out for everyone. But looks are deceiving with him. He's basically the leader of this group. He uses hit wit to keep everyone on top of the situation and make sure they get things done. A bit weird huh? But it works.
Now we have Seth. In my eyes, and to many others, he's a rogue, but he likes being called a ninja. He's pretty agile so I can see it. He's a snarky little guy and pretty much likes to keep his feelings to himself. His past is shrouded in mystery but from what hints you get, it probably wasn't the greatest. He's actually one character I could really get myself to like much. Every now and then I started to but then he'd do a bunch of stuff that would bring him back down on my list.
Then we have the last three in this little odd group. Brundon, Delgron, and Elladan. Brundon and Delgron aren't main characters as they're just hired help, but they're hired so often I count them as being part of the group. The two of them are the best of friends and you can really see it as they interact with each other. Their friendship is really touching actually. Their personalities are also a good balance for the group. Brundon is a tracker and knows his stuff. He can give Seth a run for his money when it comes to stealth. Delgron is a warrior through and through. He's head strong and tough but he does have a few fears he likes to try to brush off as nothing. Lastly we have Elladan. He's an elven bard that arrives in the group late into the book. He's very skilled, but he's also another character I have yet to be swayed by. Some of the things he says are a bit weird and almost come off as childish. He's also always jumping to say things first in formal meetings that make it feel like he's trying to be a self appointed leader. Maybe it's just me.
What I found most interesting with the way this author wrote out these characters was that he didn't really tell us any of the ages of the characters. I usually have an issue with this but the author counters that by having each character act a certain way that you would associate with a particular age for each race. Very interesting way of going about it and I'm not going to complain.
I'm not sure where other reviewers are coming from with the whole lack of strong female characters bit. Sure, there aren't any warrior females in the group, but there are strong females. Three in particular.
The first is Lady Gracelynn. Noble and wife of the Baron of Ravenford she has a duty to her people. She has to be political and kind and think of her people before herself. She has to support her husband when things get a little tough for even him. She has an iron will that is encased in a noblewoman's body. There is nothing weak about her.
There is also nothing weak about her daughter, Andrella. Sure she's a sheltered girl, but she has this noble path thrust upon her. She may have the ability to choose who she marries (with the approval of her parents) but she still has duties she needs to uphold and she faces them head on. Not many would be willing to sacrifice their own wants for others. I know if I was born in her shoes, I'd run off and try to be my own person and focus on my own wants.
Finally we have the barmaid Kailay and, man, what a woman she is. This girl knows what she wants, or more specifically, who she wants. Lloyd. She is not shy and is very open that she's interested in him. She uses her femininity to her advantage and outright kisses the man after only knowing him for maybe two days. That's gutsy! Lloyd is also the only male character she flirts with. She's kind to the others but she's not flirting just for the attention to get extra tips.
Just because a character isn't physically strong, doesn't make them weak. There is more to strength than that. It takes a strong will and state of mind to overcome difficult obstacles. It takes strength in believing and accepting on one's self to be able to go down your chosen path. Without that will, you can't accomplish anything, not matter how physically strong you are.
To add to all this, many of the male characters have "feminine" traits. Lloyd and Glo are good examples. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. Lloyd nearly came to tears on more than one occasion and to most "man standards" that would make him less of a man and weak. Even the Baron of Ravenford wasn't afraid to show a softer side of him during time of reminisce. His wife, Lady Gracelynn, would have to help him sometimes.
Now, while I really liked this book there were a few things I had difficulty with that resulted in my one star reduction. My first thing had to do with the formatting. Particularly the font size and extra spacing between paragraphs. The font was too small for my liking. It made it hard for me to want to read sometimes because my eyes tired quickly. This also ties into the extra spacing. I'm not really sure the purpose of it, maybe to offset the small font, but it was a bit annoying to look at and deal with. I really think the book could have benefited from large font and removal of all that extra spacing.
Another problem I had was a lack of explanation on some of the creature types. This book is very DnD inspired but with that came creatures that aren't always used in a lot of fantasy books and not all of them had enough description about them to be able to follow exactly what they were/looked like. That's not to say not all of them were lacking in descriptions, but a fair number.
My last issue was with a jarring chapter at the end. The pace of the book was well set and you got used to reading the adventure the heroes go on but as one chapter ended with them heading out, the next one didn't start with them doing the quest. The next chapter was actually after and I didn't realize what was going on until three pages in. I thought I had actually missed something, like an entire chapter. Why didn't I realize it? Well it could have been one of two things. One could be because the creature they had fought in a previous battle and in this newest quest were so similar it threw me off. The other reason could be because I was so used to us following them on the quest that I expected to be able to "watch" this next one. Just a small bit of tweaking in the beginning of that chapter would have fixed that for me.
So in the end, this book gets a 4 out of 5 from me and I look forward to the next book in this series. Keep them coming F.P.!
Wow, what a book! Where to start... I'll start by saying I'm not particularly fond of the YA genre. It's usually always the same story. Hero has ordinary, boring life and is thrown on an epic quest with new powers/skills he never knew he had and he has to stop some evil. The Ruins on Stone Hill is not that kind of book and it sucked me right in! (whew!) So major props to F.P. Spirit!
The story starts off with our heroes, Glolindir, an elven wizard, Askel, a gnome cleric (or priest if that is your preferred term), Seth, a halfling rogue who prefers to be called a ninja, and Lloyd, a human warrior who has special abilities giving him the title of Spirit Blade, setting out to make a name for themselves and over the course of this book they get thrown into more than they were bargaining for.
I really loved the characters in this book. Each of them has their own set of skills and personalities and the banter between them can get really good and funny. Glo and Lloyd being my favorites. Glo starts out thinking he knows everything. He's been practicing his spells and knowledge for a long time and after a while couldn't stand being under the wing of his mentor because he thought he knew a lot so he set out on his little adventure only to find out, he knows...nothing! Yep. Nice smack in the face for him that was really humbling for his character. This knowledge allows him to actually grow as a character and it was nice to see.
Lloyd is a big sweetheart. And I mean big. Literally. He's a really big guy! But don't let his size fool you. He's not some hardened warrior or anything. You tell him people died at the hands of some bandits and the man starts crying and wants to avenge them. He's also something called a Spirit Blade, a type of warrior with special abilities. And trust me, some of the things he can do, it pretty darn cool.
Then we have Askel. He's our little cleric who is very kind and always looking out for everyone. But looks are deceiving with him. He's basically the leader of this group. He uses hit wit to keep everyone on top of the situation and make sure they get things done. A bit weird huh? But it works.
Now we have Seth. In my eyes, and to many others, he's a rogue, but he likes being called a ninja. He's pretty agile so I can see it. He's a snarky little guy and pretty much likes to keep his feelings to himself. His past is shrouded in mystery but from what hints you get, it probably wasn't the greatest. He's actually one character I could really get myself to like much. Every now and then I started to but then he'd do a bunch of stuff that would bring him back down on my list.
Then we have the last three in this little odd group. Brundon, Delgron, and Elladan. Brundon and Delgron aren't main characters as they're just hired help, but they're hired so often I count them as being part of the group. The two of them are the best of friends and you can really see it as they interact with each other. Their friendship is really touching actually. Their personalities are also a good balance for the group. Brundon is a tracker and knows his stuff. He can give Seth a run for his money when it comes to stealth. Delgron is a warrior through and through. He's head strong and tough but he does have a few fears he likes to try to brush off as nothing. Lastly we have Elladan. He's an elven bard that arrives in the group late into the book. He's very skilled, but he's also another character I have yet to be swayed by. Some of the things he says are a bit weird and almost come off as childish. He's also always jumping to say things first in formal meetings that make it feel like he's trying to be a self appointed leader. Maybe it's just me.
What I found most interesting with the way this author wrote out these characters was that he didn't really tell us any of the ages of the characters. I usually have an issue with this but the author counters that by having each character act a certain way that you would associate with a particular age for each race. Very interesting way of going about it and I'm not going to complain.
I'm not sure where other reviewers are coming from with the whole lack of strong female characters bit. Sure, there aren't any warrior females in the group, but there are strong females. Three in particular.
The first is Lady Gracelynn. Noble and wife of the Baron of Ravenford she has a duty to her people. She has to be political and kind and think of her people before herself. She has to support her husband when things get a little tough for even him. She has an iron will that is encased in a noblewoman's body. There is nothing weak about her.
There is also nothing weak about her daughter, Andrella. Sure she's a sheltered girl, but she has this noble path thrust upon her. She may have the ability to choose who she marries (with the approval of her parents) but she still has duties she needs to uphold and she faces them head on. Not many would be willing to sacrifice their own wants for others. I know if I was born in her shoes, I'd run off and try to be my own person and focus on my own wants.
Finally we have the barmaid Kailay and, man, what a woman she is. This girl knows what she wants, or more specifically, who she wants. Lloyd. She is not shy and is very open that she's interested in him. She uses her femininity to her advantage and outright kisses the man after only knowing him for maybe two days. That's gutsy! Lloyd is also the only male character she flirts with. She's kind to the others but she's not flirting just for the attention to get extra tips.
Just because a character isn't physically strong, doesn't make them weak. There is more to strength than that. It takes a strong will and state of mind to overcome difficult obstacles. It takes strength in believing and accepting on one's self to be able to go down your chosen path. Without that will, you can't accomplish anything, not matter how physically strong you are.
To add to all this, many of the male characters have "feminine" traits. Lloyd and Glo are good examples. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. Lloyd nearly came to tears on more than one occasion and to most "man standards" that would make him less of a man and weak. Even the Baron of Ravenford wasn't afraid to show a softer side of him during time of reminisce. His wife, Lady Gracelynn, would have to help him sometimes.
Now, while I really liked this book there were a few things I had difficulty with that resulted in my one star reduction. My first thing had to do with the formatting. Particularly the font size and extra spacing between paragraphs. The font was too small for my liking. It made it hard for me to want to read sometimes because my eyes tired quickly. This also ties into the extra spacing. I'm not really sure the purpose of it, maybe to offset the small font, but it was a bit annoying to look at and deal with. I really think the book could have benefited from large font and removal of all that extra spacing.
Another problem I had was a lack of explanation on some of the creature types. This book is very DnD inspired but with that came creatures that aren't always used in a lot of fantasy books and not all of them had enough description about them to be able to follow exactly what they were/looked like. That's not to say not all of them were lacking in descriptions, but a fair number.
My last issue was with a jarring chapter at the end. The pace of the book was well set and you got used to reading the adventure the heroes go on but as one chapter ended with them heading out, the next one didn't start with them doing the quest. The next chapter was actually after and I didn't realize what was going on until three pages in. I thought I had actually missed something, like an entire chapter. Why didn't I realize it? Well it could have been one of two things. One could be because the creature they had fought in a previous battle and in this newest quest were so similar it threw me off. The other reason could be because I was so used to us following them on the quest that I expected to be able to "watch" this next one. Just a small bit of tweaking in the beginning of that chapter would have fixed that for me.
So in the end, this book gets a 4 out of 5 from me and I look forward to the next book in this series. Keep them coming F.P.!
April 20, 2017
I love CLEAN fantasy. The story and characters here are so much fun!
July 6, 2023
Reminds me somewhat of the "classic" D&D novels I used to get sucked into.
June 13, 2019
Excellent adventure and science fiction with a bunch of characters which are very different and interesting in their own way.
August 24, 2014
The Ruins on Stone Hill by F.P. Spirit is an entertaining fantasy story with some deep, engaging characters, with the only slight criticism being a lack of real originality.
What I mean by a lack of originality is that is that many of the standard Tolkien or Dungeons & Dragons fantasy tropes are quickly evident: the elven mage, the snarky rogue, the noble warrior, sinister wizards, orcs, bugbears, undead warriors, etc. etc. etc. Of course, this is not a criticism for many people, and I actually enjoyed the comforting feeling of being taken back into a world that was new but also felt familiar, having read a lot of fantasy novels when I was younger. There are one or two ideas that seem original, such as the warrior who is a "Spiritblade", but overall I felt this was a story in a world I already knew, rather than being something completely new.
That aside, F.P. Spirit tells an entertaining story that is suitable for all ages. And while the character roles may be familiar, their background stories are far deeper than normal for this genre and I found myself curious to learn more about what had brought them together. One of the largest compliments I can give the author is that I often thought about the story when not reading, and especially I found myself wondering about the characters and their motives; all of them had some kind of conflict in their past and none of them were one-dimensional. It is true that there is a lack of strong female characters, something another reviewer noted, and while I didn't find it to hinder the story it may prove more of a sticking point to others.
For most readers though, I believe The Ruins on Stone Hill is an entertaining story with some intriguing characters set in an interesting, if somewhat familiar, fantasy world. I will look forward to the second instalment in this series to see what happens to our heroes next as I'm sure the author's storytelling ability will only get better and better.
What I mean by a lack of originality is that is that many of the standard Tolkien or Dungeons & Dragons fantasy tropes are quickly evident: the elven mage, the snarky rogue, the noble warrior, sinister wizards, orcs, bugbears, undead warriors, etc. etc. etc. Of course, this is not a criticism for many people, and I actually enjoyed the comforting feeling of being taken back into a world that was new but also felt familiar, having read a lot of fantasy novels when I was younger. There are one or two ideas that seem original, such as the warrior who is a "Spiritblade", but overall I felt this was a story in a world I already knew, rather than being something completely new.
That aside, F.P. Spirit tells an entertaining story that is suitable for all ages. And while the character roles may be familiar, their background stories are far deeper than normal for this genre and I found myself curious to learn more about what had brought them together. One of the largest compliments I can give the author is that I often thought about the story when not reading, and especially I found myself wondering about the characters and their motives; all of them had some kind of conflict in their past and none of them were one-dimensional. It is true that there is a lack of strong female characters, something another reviewer noted, and while I didn't find it to hinder the story it may prove more of a sticking point to others.
For most readers though, I believe The Ruins on Stone Hill is an entertaining story with some intriguing characters set in an interesting, if somewhat familiar, fantasy world. I will look forward to the second instalment in this series to see what happens to our heroes next as I'm sure the author's storytelling ability will only get better and better.
September 2, 2014
Classic dungeon crawl is a light, fun read.
The Ruins on Stone Hill is pretty much what I expected: a classic adventure in the style of Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons. A brace band of heroes, looking to make names for themselves, undergoes a series of quests to help the town of Ravenford. Along the way, they make friends and outgrow some of their youthful mistakes.
The story is light and easy to follow, suitable for a children's book. Although the characters are quickly identified as a human warrior, a gnome cleric, an elf mage, and a halfling rogue, they do have distinct personalities and secrets that come out over the course of the story. The highlight of the book is their friendship. And the action is steady, with lots of battles and dangerous encounters, without being too graphic. There's also a good amount of humor mixed in.
I had two minor problems with this book. One, all of the main characters are male, and the main purpose of secondary female characters was to fawn over the human warrior. Lloyd barely had to open his mouth before the young women were obviously attracted to him, and started doing him favors. The only female warrior they encounter is described as "sultry" and emphasis on her "ample bosom" even in the middle of combat. Two, the random use of Asian terms in a pseudo-European setting. For example, the rogue Seth insists on calling himself a ninja, even though he had typical rogue abilities like lock picking and stealing; while warrior Lloyd talks about channeling ki. None of these words appear to be used in their original context, so it seems as if the author used them just for an exotic flavor, and they stand out as odd.
In the end, however, there was a satisfying conclusion with the promise of more adventures to come. An enjoyable read for all ages.
The Ruins on Stone Hill is pretty much what I expected: a classic adventure in the style of Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons. A brace band of heroes, looking to make names for themselves, undergoes a series of quests to help the town of Ravenford. Along the way, they make friends and outgrow some of their youthful mistakes.
The story is light and easy to follow, suitable for a children's book. Although the characters are quickly identified as a human warrior, a gnome cleric, an elf mage, and a halfling rogue, they do have distinct personalities and secrets that come out over the course of the story. The highlight of the book is their friendship. And the action is steady, with lots of battles and dangerous encounters, without being too graphic. There's also a good amount of humor mixed in.
I had two minor problems with this book. One, all of the main characters are male, and the main purpose of secondary female characters was to fawn over the human warrior. Lloyd barely had to open his mouth before the young women were obviously attracted to him, and started doing him favors. The only female warrior they encounter is described as "sultry" and emphasis on her "ample bosom" even in the middle of combat. Two, the random use of Asian terms in a pseudo-European setting. For example, the rogue Seth insists on calling himself a ninja, even though he had typical rogue abilities like lock picking and stealing; while warrior Lloyd talks about channeling ki. None of these words appear to be used in their original context, so it seems as if the author used them just for an exotic flavor, and they stand out as odd.
In the end, however, there was a satisfying conclusion with the promise of more adventures to come. An enjoyable read for all ages.
November 19, 2019
A group of friends are travelling together, an elf, Glolindir and his familiar, a raven, a gnome, the cleric Aksel, a Halfling, the dwarf and Seth the ninja assassin team up with a human warrior, Lloyd, a lord and a spirit blade and Brundon and Titan, human mercenaries, one a skilled tracker, the other a great warrior in order to battle orcs, bugbears, zombies and undead, a necromancer and stone golems. The friends, unlikely a group as ever there was, found that teamwork was everything. When they all set their skills to action and to the plan formulated by their cleric Aksel there was no stopping them, be they fighting orcs or attacking a keep guarded by monsters and undead creatures or even a powerful wizard, a troll and a giant. The group of friends bantered with one another especially Seth and Glo but they also seemed to rub off one another so much so that the serious elf seemed to be even developing a sense of humour, making the story a real fun read and a light easy novel to follow. Some romance seems to be in the air too for a number of our groups’ members. The heroes venture to the keep once again to loot, get the stone golem down and check out the wizard’s lab and on the way back they encounter yet another black mage and his band of warriors. They learn that all these black clothed mages turning up close to Ravenford belong to the Serpent Cult and that for some reason they had their eyes on Ravenford and they feel it is their duty to protect this city. This story is full of adventure, crazy heroics, friendship and loyalty and fantastic monsters and all written in a humorous way which is so enjoyable to read.
July 12, 2018
The Ruins on Stone Hill by F P Spirit is the first installment in the epic fantasy adventure Heroes of Ravenford series. Written in a unique style that is entirely the author's own and dives immediately into an action sequence, we're introduced to the initial mix of characters: The human Lloyd, halfling Seth, elven Glolindir, and a gnome named Askel. Together, this seemingly mismatched group fight off orcs, wizards, and a whole host of fantasmic beasts as they venture through well depicted and thoroughly imaginative scenery in order to fend off the evil that is encroaching on Ravenford.
The Ruins on Stone Hill is a exciting yet comfortable foray into classic fantasy fiction. F P Spirits allows their own spell to be cast in the individuality of the narrator's voice, skirting the usual pitfalls of modern authors of the genre and offering a fresh approach without trying to reinvent the wheel, which often proves confusing for us die-hard fans. The characters are exceptionally well developed and the battle scenes are entertaining and polished. What I loved most is that this is a series I can read with my young niece, who loves tales in the spirit of Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings. It's not often that we find a book that appeals to my generation and hers...and the best part is we don't even have to wait to find out what happens, as The Serpent Cult, The Dark Monolith, and Princess Lanfor have already been released.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
The Ruins on Stone Hill is a exciting yet comfortable foray into classic fantasy fiction. F P Spirits allows their own spell to be cast in the individuality of the narrator's voice, skirting the usual pitfalls of modern authors of the genre and offering a fresh approach without trying to reinvent the wheel, which often proves confusing for us die-hard fans. The characters are exceptionally well developed and the battle scenes are entertaining and polished. What I loved most is that this is a series I can read with my young niece, who loves tales in the spirit of Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings. It's not often that we find a book that appeals to my generation and hers...and the best part is we don't even have to wait to find out what happens, as The Serpent Cult, The Dark Monolith, and Princess Lanfor have already been released.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
March 12, 2015
This book told a very fascinating story, but first, let me point out two factors in the story that I considered a kill joy. The first is the way the author constantly flashed back to explain why a character in the story could perform some action, which we were not previously told the character could perform. The second is the way the author used myriads of small details in the story, details that could have been left to the imagination of the reader, details that the reader should have been allowed to fill in. Now, these details did nothing but prolonged the length of the story, and made the story unnecessarily too long.
The story, as I already said was very fascinating. I got to meet creatures of different natures binding together to work together for the good of all. In a world populated by the good and the bad, where the bad is constantly looking for ways to do the good in, it was a pleasure to see how these creatures, both big and small, humans included, combined and complemented their different skills to root out evil. I was warmed mostly by how Seth was always the one that dispatched the wizards. These dark spirits never saw him coming.
I enjoyed the read, even if I would have liked the story to be compressed a bit to shorten it. In other words; say what you have to say without stretching the story.
The story, as I already said was very fascinating. I got to meet creatures of different natures binding together to work together for the good of all. In a world populated by the good and the bad, where the bad is constantly looking for ways to do the good in, it was a pleasure to see how these creatures, both big and small, humans included, combined and complemented their different skills to root out evil. I was warmed mostly by how Seth was always the one that dispatched the wizards. These dark spirits never saw him coming.
I enjoyed the read, even if I would have liked the story to be compressed a bit to shorten it. In other words; say what you have to say without stretching the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2022
See Jonathan & D. Martin's reviews.
Was not aware that this was / is a YA novel, if indeed it is. On a positive note, each of the characters undergoes quite a bit of development / backstory; the story moves along with little lag in the action, except for some gruesome killings. But I agree that there is NO development in any female characters; hence it is for a YA male (or uneducated male) reader. "Quests" that have predictable outcomes, mixed metaphors, some chapters needed editing--or was that me -?- I could not be bothered to go back & re-read them. I have better books waiting for me.
Was not aware that this was / is a YA novel, if indeed it is. On a positive note, each of the characters undergoes quite a bit of development / backstory; the story moves along with little lag in the action, except for some gruesome killings. But I agree that there is NO development in any female characters; hence it is for a YA male (or uneducated male) reader. "Quests" that have predictable outcomes, mixed metaphors, some chapters needed editing--or was that me -?- I could not be bothered to go back & re-read them. I have better books waiting for me.
September 11, 2014
A fun story about a group of friends who set off for adventure! The group goes from adventure to adventure, helping towns and different people who’ve hired them to rid them of some form of evil.
What I liked: This was a fun fantasy story with an Elf, Halfling, Dwarf, and a couple humans. There are lots of fun mini adventures—to keep your interest. I really enjoyed Seth (the Halfling) he was my fav! I loved his sarcastic nature. The author does a well job in building his characters and giving you bits and pieces of their past.
What I didn’t like: Not really a whole lot on this aspect really. I think I’d have liked to see a bit more love interest in the book. There are a few brief parts, but the story is mostly based on a group of men.
Overall, I really thought this was a fun read that fantasy readers would enjoy. It’s got it all! Orcs, giants, zombies, you name it! Fun stuff!
What I liked: This was a fun fantasy story with an Elf, Halfling, Dwarf, and a couple humans. There are lots of fun mini adventures—to keep your interest. I really enjoyed Seth (the Halfling) he was my fav! I loved his sarcastic nature. The author does a well job in building his characters and giving you bits and pieces of their past.
What I didn’t like: Not really a whole lot on this aspect really. I think I’d have liked to see a bit more love interest in the book. There are a few brief parts, but the story is mostly based on a group of men.
Overall, I really thought this was a fun read that fantasy readers would enjoy. It’s got it all! Orcs, giants, zombies, you name it! Fun stuff!
June 24, 2015
I read this book at one sitting, resulting in a very late dinner. Chapters have intriguing titles that cause a total failure of the plan to read “just one more”. The town of Ravenford is like any small town… sorry, no… that’s fantasy becoming reality, exactly as it should. Skeletons, zombies, bugbears, stone men and evil wizards don’t exist. They absolutely don’t, do they?
There are four heroes, a Halfling, more than capable of slitting the throats of monsters twenty times his size by using his brain, a human, an elf, and a gnome. The challenge is to protect Ravenford from the numerous assorted villains. How the heroes attempt it, and whether they succeed… read it and see, but if you’re in charge of the cooking, send somebody out for a pizza.
There are four heroes, a Halfling, more than capable of slitting the throats of monsters twenty times his size by using his brain, a human, an elf, and a gnome. The challenge is to protect Ravenford from the numerous assorted villains. How the heroes attempt it, and whether they succeed… read it and see, but if you’re in charge of the cooking, send somebody out for a pizza.
August 11, 2019
Outstanding and I would like to give it 6 stars. The character development, including the wheres and whys, is terrific and provides significant insight as to the interactions between the protagonists. The action is wonderful and exciting and I will definitely be making time in my life to continue the saga.
Please note that I am jealous of the author's talent.
Michael Kane
Please note that I am jealous of the author's talent.
Michael Kane
April 1, 2015
fun fantasy romp
A group of mismatched friends go on a string of adventures together. Along the way they build friendships and test their mettle against a number of evil creatures. They also improve in both skill and power, setting up the next volume nicely.
A group of mismatched friends go on a string of adventures together. Along the way they build friendships and test their mettle against a number of evil creatures. They also improve in both skill and power, setting up the next volume nicely.
February 8, 2020
A fun read!
As a player of the world’s greatest fantasy RPG game, I’m picky about fantasy novels. This novel has so far served to satisfy that craving for great and fun fantasy reading in between my gaming sessions. Can’t wait to read more of the series!
As a player of the world’s greatest fantasy RPG game, I’m picky about fantasy novels. This novel has so far served to satisfy that craving for great and fun fantasy reading in between my gaming sessions. Can’t wait to read more of the series!
November 4, 2021
I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating is 2.5 stars, but I bumped it up because Goodreads doesn't do half stars.
What to say about this book...well, my first impression was that the author spent a lot of time telling us about the sights and sounds and feeling of things rather unnecessarily. I was wondering why my phone was telling me it was roughly 871 pages at a readable font size, but within 3 pages I was like “oooooooooh, yep. Makes sense.”
My second impression was this book was geared towards an older age group than I would have pegged it for. That is Young Adult. The reading level is more in par with a preteen novel. Not a terrible thing, but I noticed it was using lower-level words than what is typically found in a Young Adult novel. It also uses a lot of repetitive language, which is a writing ploy to teach children. The number of recurring words is also a teaching strategy. The amount of “curiously”, “chuckled”, ”laughed”, “whirled” etc that was going on reminded me of a low level, high interest novel. Not a bad thing, but not what a was expecting as it was not advertised as such.
This would be an excellent novel to get a reluctant low level reader, who loves dnd, into reading. Because it reads like a dnd campaign (as advertised) or a video game. It’s like a series of quests all stemming from the same important NPC. Although, unlike a good dnd campaign, this storyline is quite linear. The characters are not well developed either. If you are part of a good role playing group, there is a lot of time spent developing the characters. This one is more of a level up, heavy on the fighting campaign. You don’t get a lot of back info on characters. Most of the lady NPCs are there for decoration, which I didn’t like.
Some people may argue that a lot of the ideas for the campaign shadow other books. The mirror, the cloak, the races of the PCs…didn’t bother me as much because by that point I was very into a “I am reading someone’s take on their dnd campaign” which sometimes does steal from other sources for inspiration…especially when you are pulling the campaign out of you’re a$$ because your group has powered through what you had prepared for the day and wants to keep playing.
Basically, it’s a magic using Elf, a fighter human, a halfing ninja, and a gnome cleric all going on a series of quests together. The book starts with them traveling to Ravenford, which is a town on the sea side. On the way there their caravan is attacked by a band of orcs. Because in DnD there are always some orcs. Lol Ehm. Anyhow, the companions manage to save the caravan and arrive in town only to pretty much be told they are the first caravan to arrive in some time. The Baron tasks the team with getting rid of a dark wizard/mage, a bunch of orcs, and finding out who is behind all the attacks. And, of course, there is a bunch of gold in it for completing these tasks.
Conclusion
Would I recommend this book?
….
Not to an adult, I wouldn’t. But to a diehard dnd 12 year old boy, maybe.
What this book needs is a good editor, an update on the language level used, maybe some side story to add some depth to things and characters…and better female representation. It was very…patriarchal. The one interesting woman got killed.
Actual rating is 2.5 stars, but I bumped it up because Goodreads doesn't do half stars.
What to say about this book...well, my first impression was that the author spent a lot of time telling us about the sights and sounds and feeling of things rather unnecessarily. I was wondering why my phone was telling me it was roughly 871 pages at a readable font size, but within 3 pages I was like “oooooooooh, yep. Makes sense.”
My second impression was this book was geared towards an older age group than I would have pegged it for. That is Young Adult. The reading level is more in par with a preteen novel. Not a terrible thing, but I noticed it was using lower-level words than what is typically found in a Young Adult novel. It also uses a lot of repetitive language, which is a writing ploy to teach children. The number of recurring words is also a teaching strategy. The amount of “curiously”, “chuckled”, ”laughed”, “whirled” etc that was going on reminded me of a low level, high interest novel. Not a bad thing, but not what a was expecting as it was not advertised as such.
This would be an excellent novel to get a reluctant low level reader, who loves dnd, into reading. Because it reads like a dnd campaign (as advertised) or a video game. It’s like a series of quests all stemming from the same important NPC. Although, unlike a good dnd campaign, this storyline is quite linear. The characters are not well developed either. If you are part of a good role playing group, there is a lot of time spent developing the characters. This one is more of a level up, heavy on the fighting campaign. You don’t get a lot of back info on characters. Most of the lady NPCs are there for decoration, which I didn’t like.
Some people may argue that a lot of the ideas for the campaign shadow other books. The mirror, the cloak, the races of the PCs…didn’t bother me as much because by that point I was very into a “I am reading someone’s take on their dnd campaign” which sometimes does steal from other sources for inspiration…especially when you are pulling the campaign out of you’re a$$ because your group has powered through what you had prepared for the day and wants to keep playing.
Basically, it’s a magic using Elf, a fighter human, a halfing ninja, and a gnome cleric all going on a series of quests together. The book starts with them traveling to Ravenford, which is a town on the sea side. On the way there their caravan is attacked by a band of orcs. Because in DnD there are always some orcs. Lol Ehm. Anyhow, the companions manage to save the caravan and arrive in town only to pretty much be told they are the first caravan to arrive in some time. The Baron tasks the team with getting rid of a dark wizard/mage, a bunch of orcs, and finding out who is behind all the attacks. And, of course, there is a bunch of gold in it for completing these tasks.
Conclusion
Would I recommend this book?
….
Not to an adult, I wouldn’t. But to a diehard dnd 12 year old boy, maybe.
What this book needs is a good editor, an update on the language level used, maybe some side story to add some depth to things and characters…and better female representation. It was very…patriarchal. The one interesting woman got killed.
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