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The Stone Cycle #4
The Struggle for Authority
Arvenon is controlled by a traitor. The kingdom of Castel teeters on the brink. With the unseen hand of King Agon of Rogand pulling the strings, a mantle of oppression is slowly settling over the four kingdoms.
Recovered from the assassination attempt, King Steffan of Arvenon sets out to wrest back control of his kingdom, vigorously supported by Will, Rufe, Thomas, and familiar allies. Unlikely influences might ultimately tip the balance.
In a desperate attempt to block Agon, Will and Thomas set out for Rogand. What each of them encounters there will shake them to the core. The fate of four kingdoms will hinge upon the Stone of Authority.
Recovered from the assassination attempt, King Steffan of Arvenon sets out to wrest back control of his kingdom, vigorously supported by Will, Rufe, Thomas, and familiar allies. Unlikely influences might ultimately tip the balance.
In a desperate attempt to block Agon, Will and Thomas set out for Rogand. What each of them encounters there will shake them to the core. The fate of four kingdoms will hinge upon the Stone of Authority.
460 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2020
5 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Allan N. Packer
29 books28 followersAllan Packer writes epic fantasy. The Ruptured Kingdom is his second published series, following The Stone of Knowing and the other novels of The Stone Cycle series.
Allan grew up surrounded by books and became an avid reader during his childhood. In his university years fantasy displaced science fiction as his favorite genre, thanks primarily to J. R. R. Tolkien. He later shared this love with his four children by reading The Lord of the Rings to them aloud - a three-month marathon he completed twice during their formative years.
Born in Australia, Allan has lived and worked on three continents, and spent one quarter of his working years abroad. Having worked as an IT professional throughout his career, he was first published as a technical author.
Today he lives with his wife in Adelaide, South Australia, at the heart of a growing and geographically distributed extended family.
Allan is currently working on the final instalment in his series The Ruptured Kingdom. For news and information about Allan's books, visit his website.
Allan grew up surrounded by books and became an avid reader during his childhood. In his university years fantasy displaced science fiction as his favorite genre, thanks primarily to J. R. R. Tolkien. He later shared this love with his four children by reading The Lord of the Rings to them aloud - a three-month marathon he completed twice during their formative years.
Born in Australia, Allan has lived and worked on three continents, and spent one quarter of his working years abroad. Having worked as an IT professional throughout his career, he was first published as a technical author.
Today he lives with his wife in Adelaide, South Australia, at the heart of a growing and geographically distributed extended family.
Allan is currently working on the final instalment in his series The Ruptured Kingdom. For news and information about Allan's books, visit his website.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 5, 2021
Great continuation of an epic tale
I have rated this 3.5 stars. I have been following this series and have really enjoyed the story! This book was the hardest for me to get into because the first half of the book followed many different characters and I had a hard time keeping track of the storyline while critical details were being laid for the second half of the book. That is the reason I gave it 3.5 instead of 4.
The second half of the book really picks up from a storyline perspective and I couldn't put it down! Without adding spoilers, there was a surprise character twist that I enjoyed.
An excellent conclusion to the story of the stone of authority and I look forward to the next installment!
I have rated this 3.5 stars. I have been following this series and have really enjoyed the story! This book was the hardest for me to get into because the first half of the book followed many different characters and I had a hard time keeping track of the storyline while critical details were being laid for the second half of the book. That is the reason I gave it 3.5 instead of 4.
The second half of the book really picks up from a storyline perspective and I couldn't put it down! Without adding spoilers, there was a surprise character twist that I enjoyed.
An excellent conclusion to the story of the stone of authority and I look forward to the next installment!
September 2, 2025
The story continues in the Struggle for Authority, and it doesn’t disappoint. Whilst I’m wary of giving away too much in a review that could spoil the plot for new readers, the book does a fine job of building on the characters depicted in the previous novels, highlighting in one particular instance just how powerful and threatening the Stones can be when placed in the wrong hands. Nobody is immune, essentially, and being a main character doesn't automatically grant you an easy time of it or the power to resist. Packer does a great job either way in building on the world he initially created in the Stone of Knowing, and his no-nonsense and clean writing style continues to prove itself. I’m aware I’m nearing the end of his “Stone Cycle” series, so I’m curious to see how he ends it.
June 25, 2025
I'm truly enjoying this series. I'm really going to miss the characters when I finish. During this particular book, I've been surprised and pleased at how different storylines dovetail and at the fate of certain characters. I highly recommend starting at the beginning with The Stone of Knowing and continuing through the rest of the series.
November 7, 2020
Another brilliant entry into the world of Arvenon and it's surrounding kingdoms.
December 31, 2020
Captivating!
My rating is 4.5 stars
Allan Packer's fantasy saga, The Stone Cycle, has been fascinating. He has done an amazing job of conceptualizing the world in which these stories take place. Each one is so memorable, it doesn't take much effort to pick up the next, even months later, and understand what has been going on. Each of them builds on the others, though, so if you haven't yet read the prior stories in this series, you will want to do that before reading further in this review.
I almost felt as if I was being reunited with good friends when I sat down to read Thomas and Will's latest adventures. And as the cast of characters has grown over the series, there were several friends to be reintroduced to! When you are reading this, if you have forgotten who anyone is, there is a cast of characters at the end to use as a cheat sheet.
There are fewer battles and more suspense and drama in The Struggle for Authority than I recall there being in the earlier books. Now that the stage has been set with the usurper on the throne and enemies surrounding the true king, things appear a bit hopeless. Yet, as always, Will has a daring plan.
I loved the surprises throughout the story!! I did not at all expect the events in Rogan to play out as they did. And what happened with Will? Wow! In fact, with both things that happened to him in Rogan - wow! I would love to tell you more but you should learn about these events on your own. And the image from the cover? You'll want to be sure to read about that in the book - it was quite unexpected and spectacular.
In my review of The Stone of Authority, I mentioned Ennawi and my hope that we would learn more of him in later books. I was not disappointed, though I was surprised at the way he was able to save the day and the secret of his ability to withstand the mental abuse heaped upon him by the evil King Agon.
While it felt like all the loose ends were neatly tied up - or at least had every indication that they were about to be - there is yet another stone to be discovered. So be sure to read this now and keep an eye out for The Stone of Vitality!
Read my full review at Among the Reads
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
My rating is 4.5 stars
Allan Packer's fantasy saga, The Stone Cycle, has been fascinating. He has done an amazing job of conceptualizing the world in which these stories take place. Each one is so memorable, it doesn't take much effort to pick up the next, even months later, and understand what has been going on. Each of them builds on the others, though, so if you haven't yet read the prior stories in this series, you will want to do that before reading further in this review.
I almost felt as if I was being reunited with good friends when I sat down to read Thomas and Will's latest adventures. And as the cast of characters has grown over the series, there were several friends to be reintroduced to! When you are reading this, if you have forgotten who anyone is, there is a cast of characters at the end to use as a cheat sheet.
There are fewer battles and more suspense and drama in The Struggle for Authority than I recall there being in the earlier books. Now that the stage has been set with the usurper on the throne and enemies surrounding the true king, things appear a bit hopeless. Yet, as always, Will has a daring plan.
I loved the surprises throughout the story!! I did not at all expect the events in Rogan to play out as they did. And what happened with Will? Wow! In fact, with both things that happened to him in Rogan - wow! I would love to tell you more but you should learn about these events on your own. And the image from the cover? You'll want to be sure to read about that in the book - it was quite unexpected and spectacular.
In my review of The Stone of Authority, I mentioned Ennawi and my hope that we would learn more of him in later books. I was not disappointed, though I was surprised at the way he was able to save the day and the secret of his ability to withstand the mental abuse heaped upon him by the evil King Agon.
While it felt like all the loose ends were neatly tied up - or at least had every indication that they were about to be - there is yet another stone to be discovered. So be sure to read this now and keep an eye out for The Stone of Vitality!
Read my full review at Among the Reads
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews