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The Petralist #2
A Stone's Throw
Connor's supposed to be dead.
He's not very good at it.
He did save his village . . . by destroying it. And the armies vying to control his powerful curse think he died. But he needs patronage from a high lord or his curse will transform him into a raging monster.
So Connor creeps back into the land of the living, joining his Aunt Ailsa at the Carraig, the school of the Petralists, hoping somehow to find patronage on his terms.
He should have known better.
At the Carraig it's all about the game, and the stakes have never been higher. With old enemies appearing from under every rock, Connor plunges into games within games that form a maze of conflicting loyalties and deadly intrigue.
Dying again isn’t an option. So with the help of trusted friends, Connor launches his own game, breaking all the rules, gambling on the one chance at a free life with the girl he loves. The alternative is chaining his powers to one of the nations planning to unleash him upon the world.
Connor doesn't want to kill anyone.
He might not have a choice.
He's not very good at it.
He did save his village . . . by destroying it. And the armies vying to control his powerful curse think he died. But he needs patronage from a high lord or his curse will transform him into a raging monster.
So Connor creeps back into the land of the living, joining his Aunt Ailsa at the Carraig, the school of the Petralists, hoping somehow to find patronage on his terms.
He should have known better.
At the Carraig it's all about the game, and the stakes have never been higher. With old enemies appearing from under every rock, Connor plunges into games within games that form a maze of conflicting loyalties and deadly intrigue.
Dying again isn’t an option. So with the help of trusted friends, Connor launches his own game, breaking all the rules, gambling on the one chance at a free life with the girl he loves. The alternative is chaining his powers to one of the nations planning to unleash him upon the world.
Connor doesn't want to kill anyone.
He might not have a choice.
- GenresFantasy
472 pages, Hardcover
First published December 4, 2015
81 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Frank Morin
36 books436 followersFrank Morin loves great stories, great food, and great humor. He is an outdoor enthusiast, and loves to travel for inspiration.
Frank is the author of fast-paced adventures with quirky humor including:
• The Petralist - epic teen fantasy series, full of magic, adventure, and humor.
• The Facetakers - fast-action urban fantasy
• Bacon Master of the Apocalypse – humorous epic fantasy
He and his wife are often found hiking, camping, Scuba diving, or traveling to research new books. Find out more about his novels and his shorter fiction, or join his readers group at:
https://bio.to/authorfrankmorin
Frank is the author of fast-paced adventures with quirky humor including:
• The Petralist - epic teen fantasy series, full of magic, adventure, and humor.
• The Facetakers - fast-action urban fantasy
• Bacon Master of the Apocalypse – humorous epic fantasy
He and his wife are often found hiking, camping, Scuba diving, or traveling to research new books. Find out more about his novels and his shorter fiction, or join his readers group at:
https://bio.to/authorfrankmorin
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 15, 2015
Intriguing series. Fun story. Fascinating characters.
April 3, 2024
Connor is constantly jumping from the fire into the frying pan and back again. It’s all about the great game. He is a player but also a pawn and knows little of what is really going on. Well, the same with us readers; we are continually getting the onion peeled back, but the core remains elusive.
There are games within games. The games, so-called, are really plots and schemes by both individuals and houses or families. These schemes are both short and long term but always trying to gain some advantage. It seems everyone is engaged in some way or another, at times unwittingly. A few schemes are resolved in this book, but many are still in play at the end of this book
Mr. Morin has a rich imagination. The uses of the various stones by those with affinities are interesting; how they put those stones into practice is entertaining and sometimes surprising. Difficult situations are sometimes resolved by creative uses of the stones. Building an ice dome to keep out the winds is a prime example.
A Stone’s Throw is built around the Rhidorroch, a maze-obstacle course that trains the petralists, primarily for war, but it also is part of the great game between the houses since participants vie for prestige and advantage for their patrons. Bound up in all this is the impending war between Obrion and Granadure, Connor’s love story, and the odd but chuckling relationship between Captain Rory and Anika. Will war actually break out? How is that the unclaimed become monsters in Obrion but seemingly nowhere else? Can Connor safely break out of his obligations to Shona? Who is Evander? These questions are yet to be resolved, but there is the hope that later books will provide answers. Read on fantasy fans, and enjoy.
There are games within games. The games, so-called, are really plots and schemes by both individuals and houses or families. These schemes are both short and long term but always trying to gain some advantage. It seems everyone is engaged in some way or another, at times unwittingly. A few schemes are resolved in this book, but many are still in play at the end of this book
Mr. Morin has a rich imagination. The uses of the various stones by those with affinities are interesting; how they put those stones into practice is entertaining and sometimes surprising. Difficult situations are sometimes resolved by creative uses of the stones. Building an ice dome to keep out the winds is a prime example.
A Stone’s Throw is built around the Rhidorroch, a maze-obstacle course that trains the petralists, primarily for war, but it also is part of the great game between the houses since participants vie for prestige and advantage for their patrons. Bound up in all this is the impending war between Obrion and Granadure, Connor’s love story, and the odd but chuckling relationship between Captain Rory and Anika. Will war actually break out? How is that the unclaimed become monsters in Obrion but seemingly nowhere else? Can Connor safely break out of his obligations to Shona? Who is Evander? These questions are yet to be resolved, but there is the hope that later books will provide answers. Read on fantasy fans, and enjoy.
December 15, 2016
It was an interesting sequel and I like the main character even if he annoyed me a bit at times. Plot and characters and the entire world are intriguing, I would like bit more of a backstory and explanations for certain things, because some events seem a bit nonsensical.
Looking forward to the third book.
Looking forward to the third book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2021
Great Dufy fantasy series!
I’ve read the first two books in this brilliant series. Couldn’t put them down. So looking forward to the rest.
Using lots of imagination, the writer has created a fascinating world filled with people and strange powers. Romance, adventure, political power struggles - they’re all here. Read and enjoy.
I’ve read the first two books in this brilliant series. Couldn’t put them down. So looking forward to the rest.
Using lots of imagination, the writer has created a fascinating world filled with people and strange powers. Romance, adventure, political power struggles - they’re all here. Read and enjoy.
September 5, 2020
A Fun Series
These are characters that you love and care about.There are lines that you just have to share, even when those others are trying to read their own novels. I love the complex plot twists that never seen contrived. A very good read.
These are characters that you love and care about.There are lines that you just have to share, even when those others are trying to read their own novels. I love the complex plot twists that never seen contrived. A very good read.
July 20, 2021
Great book!
A great follow up to the first book in the series. Twists and turns keep coming, the characters get more interesting and develop, and there are new ways to use the powers from this interesting magic system!
A great follow up to the first book in the series. Twists and turns keep coming, the characters get more interesting and develop, and there are new ways to use the powers from this interesting magic system!
June 24, 2020
Great read! Really Enjoyed it. Definitely recommend. Couldn't put it down.
December 3, 2025
excellent read
Hrs of a great story line love the characters as this book will draw you in for hours, can’t wait for the next book
Hrs of a great story line love the characters as this book will draw you in for hours, can’t wait for the next book
February 15, 2017
Nadat ik deel 1 uit had, ben ik direct verder gaan lezen met deel 2. Ik moest weten hoe het verder ging met Connor, Verena, Hamish, Jean, Shona en de rest. Het verhaal is zorgvuldig opgebouwd. Langzaam leer je samen met Connor de betekenis en de kracht van de stenen kennen.
Was Connor in het eerste deel nog een beetje de onbezonnen jonge knul, in A Stone's Throw moet hij wel snel volwassen worden en blijven zijn beslissingen wederom niet zonder gevolg. Op de Carraig, een school voor jongeren met speciale gaven, is het aangaan van weddenschappen schering en inslag. De intriges vliegen je dan ook om de oren en tussen al dit gemanipuleer, ontdekt Connor langzamerhand wat zijn krachten inhouden. De opbouw naar het einde van het boek is superspannend en het verhaal eindigt met een cliffhanger van jewelste!
Dit is echt storytelling pure sang! Ik kan niet meer naar een steen kijken zonder dat ik bedenk welke krachten erin zitten verborgen...
Het spreekt voor zich dat ik alweer in deel 3 ben begonnen met lezen.
Was Connor in het eerste deel nog een beetje de onbezonnen jonge knul, in A Stone's Throw moet hij wel snel volwassen worden en blijven zijn beslissingen wederom niet zonder gevolg. Op de Carraig, een school voor jongeren met speciale gaven, is het aangaan van weddenschappen schering en inslag. De intriges vliegen je dan ook om de oren en tussen al dit gemanipuleer, ontdekt Connor langzamerhand wat zijn krachten inhouden. De opbouw naar het einde van het boek is superspannend en het verhaal eindigt met een cliffhanger van jewelste!
Dit is echt storytelling pure sang! Ik kan niet meer naar een steen kijken zonder dat ik bedenk welke krachten erin zitten verborgen...
Het spreekt voor zich dat ik alweer in deel 3 ben begonnen met lezen.
October 7, 2016
Somehow better than first
Reader thoughts:What a great game of a story. Layers of secrets, a fully-realized cast of characters, powers that conflict and complement each other, a deadly curse, creative inventions, and a protagonist to root for, despite his wavering and confusion.
Connor becomes mired in trouble as soon as he moves to a school for petralists. While maintaining guise as an ungifted servant, he angers multiple students and teachers, some now intent on killing him. He makes so many gealls (basically a bet/promise/game/wager in one) that he's indebted to all the major people of the school, or they to him (including a princess, a healer, a champion, a professor, a spy, and more). Every effort he makes at escape locks him in tighter. Beautifully done.
Connor still seemed surrounded by many attractive women, but at least he has picked one to set his heart on. The terms in the second novel were less confusing (though no more explained).
Masked Dawnus! I do love secrets.
Writer thoughts: This book takes on so much that it ignores minor conflicts other stories make their main focus. For instance, Connor's bets might have gone sour, or Eban might have caused more trouble, but there was so much more going on with greater stakes that the readers are rushed past the lesser troubles. This is good because we see a more epic scope, but an author can also gain a lot by focusing on the little troubles of daily life. Most books have a nice mix, and I like how this one was handled.
Does it make sense for an author to focus so much attention on a game? I think yes. For one, the game affects people in that world (fame, money, privilege), and it is life-and-death for Connor. Plus, it's so fun to see him explore the powers more and more, and the game lets him do that.
Reader thoughts:What a great game of a story. Layers of secrets, a fully-realized cast of characters, powers that conflict and complement each other, a deadly curse, creative inventions, and a protagonist to root for, despite his wavering and confusion.
Connor becomes mired in trouble as soon as he moves to a school for petralists. While maintaining guise as an ungifted servant, he angers multiple students and teachers, some now intent on killing him. He makes so many gealls (basically a bet/promise/game/wager in one) that he's indebted to all the major people of the school, or they to him (including a princess, a healer, a champion, a professor, a spy, and more). Every effort he makes at escape locks him in tighter. Beautifully done.
Connor still seemed surrounded by many attractive women, but at least he has picked one to set his heart on. The terms in the second novel were less confusing (though no more explained).
Masked Dawnus! I do love secrets.
Writer thoughts: This book takes on so much that it ignores minor conflicts other stories make their main focus. For instance, Connor's bets might have gone sour, or Eban might have caused more trouble, but there was so much more going on with greater stakes that the readers are rushed past the lesser troubles. This is good because we see a more epic scope, but an author can also gain a lot by focusing on the little troubles of daily life. Most books have a nice mix, and I like how this one was handled.
Does it make sense for an author to focus so much attention on a game? I think yes. For one, the game affects people in that world (fame, money, privilege), and it is life-and-death for Connor. Plus, it's so fun to see him explore the powers more and more, and the game lets him do that.
January 2, 2016
Page turner
I loved this book ! It kept me on my seat and was defiantly a page turner, which I find to be the best books. The characters were well developed and it was fun to read what different and very interesting situations Conner was getting mixed into without knowing what the results would be. I recommend thus book to everyone as it is a great read and will keep your attention. Keep rocking and rolling!
I loved this book ! It kept me on my seat and was defiantly a page turner, which I find to be the best books. The characters were well developed and it was fun to read what different and very interesting situations Conner was getting mixed into without knowing what the results would be. I recommend thus book to everyone as it is a great read and will keep your attention. Keep rocking and rolling!
October 8, 2016
Looking forward to the next book.
Couldn't seem to put the book down.
Well written and I still don't know which side if any Connor should fight for.
Will look forward to reading g the rest of the series
Couldn't seem to put the book down.
Well written and I still don't know which side if any Connor should fight for.
Will look forward to reading g the rest of the series
April 4, 2016
This book is incredible! I about died laughing-- but underneath the humor, it's a complex, thought-provoking story. Surprisingly applicable to a normal life.
January 24, 2016
Stoned
A Stones Throw was an excellent read. Frank developed the characters to a point they could be real people. Could not but the book down . Can't wait for the next book
A Stones Throw was an excellent read. Frank developed the characters to a point they could be real people. Could not but the book down . Can't wait for the next book
Read
October 19, 2016Man I love this series almost wish I waited a couple of weeks so I could jump straight into book 3....almost.
October 26, 2016
Disappointed
I came here with great hope but I was really disappointed. The story line is fractured. Connor makes stupid choices and I hate the cliff hanger ending!
I came here with great hope but I was really disappointed. The story line is fractured. Connor makes stupid choices and I hate the cliff hanger ending!
January 8, 2017
Interesting
This was a better book than first one. There are lots of intriguing plot twists with likable characters. I highly recommend.
This was a better book than first one. There are lots of intriguing plot twists with likable characters. I highly recommend.
June 15, 2020
A stone's throw
I have really enjoyed this series so far. Really like the twist with the use of magic. The extra story at the end about Jean was a perfect ending to this book.
I have really enjoyed this series so far. Really like the twist with the use of magic. The extra story at the end about Jean was a perfect ending to this book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews