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Alastair Stone Chronicles #1.4
Shadows and Stone
Living a Double Life
Dr. Alastair Stone, British expatriate with a black belt in sarcasm, attracts weirdness like catnip attracts cats. When he's not teaching Occult Studies at Stanford, he's dealing with magical threats that would turn most people into gibbering lumps. Ideally, he tries to keep these two sides of his life separate, but that doesn't always work out so well for him. Just ask his ex-girlfriends.
Tonight's date was just supposed to be a simple Halloween party at a fellow professor's house—a few drinks, a little shop talk, a fake séance. Until the "séance" summons a very real—and very angry—spirit.
Something horrible is happening in this nice, suburban home. If Stone doesn't figure out what's going on and stop it fast, some restless ghosts will make a bloody bit of long-buried history repeat itself—and kill anyone who gets in their way.
Shadows and Stone is a standalone novella in the Alastair Stone Chronicles urban fantasy series.
Dr. Alastair Stone, British expatriate with a black belt in sarcasm, attracts weirdness like catnip attracts cats. When he's not teaching Occult Studies at Stanford, he's dealing with magical threats that would turn most people into gibbering lumps. Ideally, he tries to keep these two sides of his life separate, but that doesn't always work out so well for him. Just ask his ex-girlfriends.
Tonight's date was just supposed to be a simple Halloween party at a fellow professor's house—a few drinks, a little shop talk, a fake séance. Until the "séance" summons a very real—and very angry—spirit.
Something horrible is happening in this nice, suburban home. If Stone doesn't figure out what's going on and stop it fast, some restless ghosts will make a bloody bit of long-buried history repeat itself—and kill anyone who gets in their way.
Shadows and Stone is a standalone novella in the Alastair Stone Chronicles urban fantasy series.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
101 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2018
About the author
R.L. King
70 books332 followersR. L. King is the author of the Amazon-bestselling urban fantasy series The Alastair Stone Chronicles.
When not doing her best to make life difficult for her characters, she works as a software technical writer for a large Silicon Valley database company.
She also freelances for Catalyst Game Labs, publisher of the popular roleplaying game Shadowrun, where she's contributed fiction and game material to numerous sourcebooks and one full-length adventure, "On the Run," which was included as part of the 2012 Origins-Award-winning "Runners' Toolkit."
Her first novel in the Shadowrun universe, "Borrowed Time," was published in Spring 2015. She's working on her second Shadowrun novel, "Veiled Extraction," which will be released in late 2016 or early 2017.
When not writing or working, she enjoys hanging out with her very understanding spouse and her small herd of cats, and watching way too much Doctor Who.
When not doing her best to make life difficult for her characters, she works as a software technical writer for a large Silicon Valley database company.
She also freelances for Catalyst Game Labs, publisher of the popular roleplaying game Shadowrun, where she's contributed fiction and game material to numerous sourcebooks and one full-length adventure, "On the Run," which was included as part of the 2012 Origins-Award-winning "Runners' Toolkit."
Her first novel in the Shadowrun universe, "Borrowed Time," was published in Spring 2015. She's working on her second Shadowrun novel, "Veiled Extraction," which will be released in late 2016 or early 2017.
When not writing or working, she enjoys hanging out with her very understanding spouse and her small herd of cats, and watching way too much Doctor Who.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 20, 2019
Alastair Stone is not big on Halloween parties, but his date is taking him to one at a fellow professor's house. The fake seance opens the door to something dangerous and it focuses on the small boy. Alastair not only teaches Occult Studies, but he has a fair bit of magic himself, and it is dates like these that leave him a single man. What's more important is that he must figure out what's happening and save the family from a vicious spirit without getting killed himself.
This is my first time reading one of R.L. King's Alastair Stone stories, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's solid urban fantasy with plenty of dry sarcasm and a good-hearted hero. I did predict where the story was going, but it was a marvelously fun ride. Fantastic voice and sharp editing. I'll definitely be picking up more in this series.
This is my first time reading one of R.L. King's Alastair Stone stories, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's solid urban fantasy with plenty of dry sarcasm and a good-hearted hero. I did predict where the story was going, but it was a marvelously fun ride. Fantastic voice and sharp editing. I'll definitely be picking up more in this series.
December 25, 2018
Excellent novella for doing exactly what it is meant to do: introducing new readers to the Alastair Stone Chronicles world. First the character's personality and relationship issues; next powers and how weirdness always sneaks in; finally combining research, investigation, and powers to create solutions to the mystery.
Comparisons to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden have been made, but I found the feel closer to P.N. Elrod's Jack Fleming and Stuart Jaffe's Max Porter. Less fantastical, but never doubting the "other" is there. Of course the Dreseden comparison seems the better "go-to" since the main character is a Mage, rather than vampire and ghost.
The mystery is satisfying, and the dangers edge the dark shadows at night.
Comparisons to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden have been made, but I found the feel closer to P.N. Elrod's Jack Fleming and Stuart Jaffe's Max Porter. Less fantastical, but never doubting the "other" is there. Of course the Dreseden comparison seems the better "go-to" since the main character is a Mage, rather than vampire and ghost.
The mystery is satisfying, and the dangers edge the dark shadows at night.
June 6, 2018
When I saw the announcement of a "new" release of an Alastair Stone novella, I like this series so much that I purchased this ebook without reading the synopsis. I realized quickly that I had already read this story. I believe it was free or a .99cent download for signing up for email notifications from R.L King. I enjoyed it very much the FIRST time I read it and the re-read was just as enjoyable even though I knew what was happening.
April 22, 2018
Excellent story! Definitely worth a read!!!!
June 2, 2018
Wonderful novella, sometimes short stories don't feel complete, but King doesn't seem to have this problem. Good mystery with good action and lots of magic.
December 25, 2018
For a novella it is a well written story! Stone saves the son and family of a colleague from the university. Read the story and enjoy it as much as I did as it is a interesting short mystery!
June 29, 2022
Enjoyed it. Well written with good flow and no fluff.
February 3, 2025
Alistair Stone
I love all of these books They keep you entertained and it is hard to put them down once you start
I love all of these books They keep you entertained and it is hard to put them down once you start
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews