A Promise of Stone and Shadow

by Meadow Spurr, Adam Boardwell (Illustrator), Michal Kváč (Illustrator)

When strange people start appearing in the magical realm of Attina, compiled with disturbing reports from the Water, Fire, Earth, and Air clans, the royals fear that the prophesied shadow they were born to face has finally arrived. Each blessed with the power to control one of the four elements in its entirety, the siblings can only hope that they're strong enough to defeat the coming threat.

It's not long before the unimaginable happens, and the Promised Four must rise.

262 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2021

Reviews

[Martine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!
Keep checking this space for the full review! :)

[Paula Spurr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC, so here’s my review of this fantasy fiction, without ANY spoilers.

Adventure! Teamwork! Magic! Epic battles!! Strong diverse characters in a fully-realized fantasy world. I truly enjoyed this story, and highly recommend it!

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Promise of Stone and Shadow

Author: Meadow Spurr

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: fantasy, magic

Publication Date: November 20, 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore)

Explanation of CWs: There is some violence and gore.

Publisher: Library and Archives Canada

Pages: 264

Synopsis: When strange people start appearing in the magical realm of Attina, compiled with disturbing reports from the Water, Fire, Earth, and Air clans, the royals fear that the prophesied shadow they were born to face has finally arrived. Each blessed with the power to control one of the four elements in its entirety, the siblings can only hope that they're strong enough to defeat the coming threat.

It's not long before the unimaginable happens, and the Promised Four must rise.

Review: I really liked this one! I thought the book was well written and had a lot of good premise and plot to it. The characters were well developed and the pacing was fairly spot on. The book also had some fun twists and the characters are the heart of the story and what kept me motivated to keep reading it.

The only issue I really had with the book is that the world building and magic system weren’t very well explained in my opinion. I thought it could have been fleshed out a bit more.

Verdict: it was great!

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fantasy novel was a well done debut novel by an author with so much potential. I received a copy in exchange of reading and reviewing.
The story follows the prophecy of four children who grow up to rule fairly and equally. A great threat comes upon them and their people and they do what they need to, to protect their kingdom.
Read if you enjoy:
-chosen one and prophecy trope
-found family
-elemental magic
-high fantasy
-3rd person omniscient POV

There is great queer rep, although no romance.

The author did an amazing job of building a complex fantasy world and system. I felt like that was overly fleshed out.
The story is more plot driven and I never got a good sense of the main characters. I would have liked to see the characters with more depth. There’s no insight or build up to them becoming the rulers.
The story flows at a slower pace, with a great battle happening at the end.
The resolution of the story left me wanting for more and it makes me wonder if we’ll see more of these characters and world.

Overall, a quick, enjoyable read for high fantasy readers.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me last air bender vibes which I adored. I love elemental magic. This book felt fresh and unique from over books I have read recently. The writing style has an old fashioned, formal feel to it. I felt like it was a historical account and I was learning the story of the land. I enjoyed the world and magic system building.

I really enjoyed how diverse this book was and how it dealt with that diversity. I love how disabilities were embraced and adapted to live with. I would like the asexual rep to have been further explored but it was described beautifully (IMO as someone who is not asexual).

Overall, I really enjoyed the mixture of mystery, scheming and awesome battle scene. The ending was powerful and left me wanting more.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished A Promise of Stone and Shadow, and I want more! This is not the style of book that I usually read, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it! I found it easy to lose myself in the story and I loved it! When I had finished reading it, I felt great disappointment that it was over. That doesn’t always happen! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an excellent read! I really hope that this is going to be the first of many books by this author.

[Mikee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am no fantasy reader. Actually this is only my second fantasy novel I have dived into and finished!
This novel is exciting with twists and turn throughout! While the ending is what I expected (and hoped for) how the protagonists got there was what was keeping me wanting more; unsure of how the next chapter would unfold.
Loved it and am excited for more novels from this author!

[Lysbetweenlines · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Promise of Shadow and Stone was the absolute perfect quick read. The world created was so vivid, and the take on the elemental gifts was unique and unlike anything else I’ve read. I was hooked into the story immediately, eager to follow the trials that the characters faced. I highly recommend it to any fantasy lover and hope that there’s a second book!

[Tyler Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an easy read and had its moments, but it was unoriginal, predictable, and the characters felt a bit 2-dimensional. I see a lot of people saying they wish they wanted more, but what if this book offered more of something different instead of more of the same?

[Anna Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely sensational fantasy! I found the characters extremely compelling and the world building first class. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of elemental magic. Can’t wait to read more from Spurr!

[David Pauls · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great weekend read. Imaginative storyline, unique characters, I only wish it was longer!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel has some Fifth Element and Avatar: The Last Air Bender vibes! The language is a little formal (because the language was so formal, the conversations did not flow as smoothly between characters) but the plot is intriguing.

I’m a big sucker for the chosen family trope and this book really pushes the idea. You can tell the characters really care about each other and what lengths they’d go to in order to protect that family.

I personally wish we saw more of the chosen family struggles. I feel like seeing the siblings connect over the formation of this chosen family would have allowed the reader to feel a stronger sense of urgency when that bond was threatened.

This is a debut novel so please be sure to check it out and support first-time authors!

[Taryn Rathje · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great first book! There was magic and twists and when I was done I wanted to read a sequel! The world was well created and I couldn’t ask for more in a fantasy novel.