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The Heart of Stone Adventures #3
Doom's Daze
Impossible mission: try not to laugh!
Former jester Malfred Murd's fate has taken yet another unexpected bounce. Quicker than you can say “Utmost Secret”, our unlikely hero is reunited with his magpie advisor... his two greatest frenemies... and the woman who's best at breaking his heart... for an international espionage mission with a foppish, Foolish twist.
Exotic locales. Sensuous strangers. The cover persona Agent Murd was born to play. All these and more lie in wait— but the stakes are as high as the mountains hiding a sinister country from the rest of the blissfully ignorant world. Because the enemy has a weapon never before imagined, and only our operatives can stop them from unleashing a new and horrific kind of war.
Former jester Malfred Murd's fate has taken yet another unexpected bounce. Quicker than you can say “Utmost Secret”, our unlikely hero is reunited with his magpie advisor... his two greatest frenemies... and the woman who's best at breaking his heart... for an international espionage mission with a foppish, Foolish twist.
Exotic locales. Sensuous strangers. The cover persona Agent Murd was born to play. All these and more lie in wait— but the stakes are as high as the mountains hiding a sinister country from the rest of the blissfully ignorant world. Because the enemy has a weapon never before imagined, and only our operatives can stop them from unleashing a new and horrific kind of war.
- GenresFantasy
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 23, 2022
5 people want to read
About the author
Eva Sandor
7 books71 followersEven as she was writing loving descriptions of applewood smoked bacon, luxury real estate and computer parts, advertising copywriter (and longtime illustrator) Eva Sandor had a feeling she would someday create a fictional world full of humor, speculation and joyous wordplay. Join her there and treat yourself to “funny fantasy that hides a serious soul”.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 27, 2022
The third part of Malfred Murd's adventures takes him far away from home and turns him into a reluctant agent of a secret intelligence bureau. It seems the Adversary, which we met in the previous volume, plans to conquer the kingdom. Malfred, accompanied by some friends, will have to disguise himself and do his utmost to foil them.
This installment is just as richly drawn as the first two, full of wonderful round characters, hilarious dialogs and many surprises. Waiting for the finale!
This installment is just as richly drawn as the first two, full of wonderful round characters, hilarious dialogs and many surprises. Waiting for the finale!
October 29, 2022
I am afraid that I cannot do this book justice. I did not read either of the two books in the series that preceded it and I am afraid that I spent a good chunk of the book hopelessly lost.
I had a hard time figuring out what was going on or even what kind of book it was intended to be. Parts of it read like YA or even for younger kids. Parts of it were definitely not that way.
My wife's words frequently come back to me when reading books that are this long. She once said of a book, "Too many words." I didn't know what she meant, but I have read several books since then where that was clearly the case. I am not 100% sure that is true of this one.
So this is obviously part of a series. I jumped into book #3 and I do not recommend that anyone else do that. If I had read the other two books, I might have had a very good idea what was going on and the book would have been much more pleasurable. As it was, there was a lot going on.
Parts I liked: It had a beginning and an ending. It is part of a series, but you COULD stop reading this and feel like you had a conclusion. There were no cliff hangers. That is a plus. It has more or less a happy ending, which is always nice.
Parts I didn't like: Talking animals. That usually kind of ruins it for me. If they were aliens, I guess I could make an effort to suspend my disbelief. But it is not clear that that is what is going on, and one of the animals refers to the people as Oomans or something like that. So it sounds like it might just be a grown up version of aladdin and the talking parrot.
The book was very long and the build-up seemed to take forever. The ending was really abrupt, by comparison. That is more observation than complaint, but it did seem like there was a lot of story there for it to end that quickly. On the other hand, since there was so much story, part of me was ready for the end.
This was a strange little book. The author seems lovely and for the most part, the book was well-edited and it was an interesting enough plot. If you read and enjoyed books 1 and 2, then you will no doubt like this one as well. If you didn't read those, you should do that before you decide whether or not to tackle this one.
I had a hard time figuring out what was going on or even what kind of book it was intended to be. Parts of it read like YA or even for younger kids. Parts of it were definitely not that way.
My wife's words frequently come back to me when reading books that are this long. She once said of a book, "Too many words." I didn't know what she meant, but I have read several books since then where that was clearly the case. I am not 100% sure that is true of this one.
So this is obviously part of a series. I jumped into book #3 and I do not recommend that anyone else do that. If I had read the other two books, I might have had a very good idea what was going on and the book would have been much more pleasurable. As it was, there was a lot going on.
Parts I liked: It had a beginning and an ending. It is part of a series, but you COULD stop reading this and feel like you had a conclusion. There were no cliff hangers. That is a plus. It has more or less a happy ending, which is always nice.
Parts I didn't like: Talking animals. That usually kind of ruins it for me. If they were aliens, I guess I could make an effort to suspend my disbelief. But it is not clear that that is what is going on, and one of the animals refers to the people as Oomans or something like that. So it sounds like it might just be a grown up version of aladdin and the talking parrot.
The book was very long and the build-up seemed to take forever. The ending was really abrupt, by comparison. That is more observation than complaint, but it did seem like there was a lot of story there for it to end that quickly. On the other hand, since there was so much story, part of me was ready for the end.
This was a strange little book. The author seems lovely and for the most part, the book was well-edited and it was an interesting enough plot. If you read and enjoyed books 1 and 2, then you will no doubt like this one as well. If you didn't read those, you should do that before you decide whether or not to tackle this one.
September 26, 2022
Playful, witty, spy romance in science fantasy world.
Reader, I implore you to defer reading this splendid tale until you have read Fool's Proof and Power's Play (in that order) as then you will more fully appreciate the character developments and significance of supporting cast and events in the world Eva Sandor is forging. Also, this book gives away some spoilers for the previous books. It could be read as a standalone, but as you cannot unread it, please read the others first for your own maximum pleasure.
The theme of role reversal is taken further in this book with adventures of main characters. We learn of hushcraft and witness machinations of state and manipulation of people. The comedy is more wry and ironic than the first book, but still present. I think Eva Sandor is a a poet at heart as poem and song lyrics are included and men hang around street corners waiting for women to pay them to recite love poetry. Having started out to emulate Terry Pratchett, she is now gunning for Ian Fleming - and succeeding.
The story is fast paced and action packed with twists and reversals. Descriptions are vivid and relatable. I thought a good subtitle might be "the spy who went into the cold". We have a new antagonist, yet the seeds of the sinister opposition were sown in previous books. There is a dramatic ending which does give resolution (and some further redemption) for some familiar characters. However, some plot lines are left to be resolved and this is deliberate having seen that the series was carefully planned with interlacing and foreshadowing of stories. I am eager to read more of this entertaining world and witness the growth of characters for whom I have developed a distinct fondness.
I received a free advance review copy, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Reader, I implore you to defer reading this splendid tale until you have read Fool's Proof and Power's Play (in that order) as then you will more fully appreciate the character developments and significance of supporting cast and events in the world Eva Sandor is forging. Also, this book gives away some spoilers for the previous books. It could be read as a standalone, but as you cannot unread it, please read the others first for your own maximum pleasure.
The theme of role reversal is taken further in this book with adventures of main characters. We learn of hushcraft and witness machinations of state and manipulation of people. The comedy is more wry and ironic than the first book, but still present. I think Eva Sandor is a a poet at heart as poem and song lyrics are included and men hang around street corners waiting for women to pay them to recite love poetry. Having started out to emulate Terry Pratchett, she is now gunning for Ian Fleming - and succeeding.
The story is fast paced and action packed with twists and reversals. Descriptions are vivid and relatable. I thought a good subtitle might be "the spy who went into the cold". We have a new antagonist, yet the seeds of the sinister opposition were sown in previous books. There is a dramatic ending which does give resolution (and some further redemption) for some familiar characters. However, some plot lines are left to be resolved and this is deliberate having seen that the series was carefully planned with interlacing and foreshadowing of stories. I am eager to read more of this entertaining world and witness the growth of characters for whom I have developed a distinct fondness.
I received a free advance review copy, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 26, 2022
I'm into mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and sometimes romance. Surprisingly, this book contained aspects of all those genres via a compelling storyline and superb world building.
Eva Sandor is an exceptional writer. The story is beautifully crafted. I was suitably impressed, time and again, by her skill in creating names for people, places and things that don’t exist in this world, but perfectly captured the time and essence of the world she so deftly built.
For those who appreciate spy novels, there are bad characters who are into treason, connivance and mayhem (rad explosions!) And there are endearing characters, my favorite being a precocious, multi-lingual magpie, Corvinalias, who gathers intelligence through flight and anchors the story in wisdom.
For those who like a touch of romance, you’ll enjoy the humorous yet touching relationship between Fred—who was chosen for a very special mission, due to his diverse array of talents—and Dok, a by-the-book Bureau agent who discovered, observed and vetted Fred into service. Her feelings for his uniqueness fascinate her—and trouble her.
I’ve already said the author is a very talented writer, further evidenced by her ability to integrate subtle humor that took me by surprise and caused me to chuckle out loud.
Doom's Daze is a fantasy; it’s an adventure; it’s a world that is well worth visiting, and it left me with a desire to visit again with the distinctive, delightful characters I came to care for.
Eva Sandor is an exceptional writer. The story is beautifully crafted. I was suitably impressed, time and again, by her skill in creating names for people, places and things that don’t exist in this world, but perfectly captured the time and essence of the world she so deftly built.
For those who appreciate spy novels, there are bad characters who are into treason, connivance and mayhem (rad explosions!) And there are endearing characters, my favorite being a precocious, multi-lingual magpie, Corvinalias, who gathers intelligence through flight and anchors the story in wisdom.
For those who like a touch of romance, you’ll enjoy the humorous yet touching relationship between Fred—who was chosen for a very special mission, due to his diverse array of talents—and Dok, a by-the-book Bureau agent who discovered, observed and vetted Fred into service. Her feelings for his uniqueness fascinate her—and trouble her.
I’ve already said the author is a very talented writer, further evidenced by her ability to integrate subtle humor that took me by surprise and caused me to chuckle out loud.
Doom's Daze is a fantasy; it’s an adventure; it’s a world that is well worth visiting, and it left me with a desire to visit again with the distinctive, delightful characters I came to care for.
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November 3, 2022Eva Sandor MFA’97
Author
From the author:
The third book in Eva Sandor's Heart of Stone Adventures series.
Finding himself still alive is former jester Malfred Murd's first clue that his fate has taken yet another unexpected bounce. Quicker than you can say “Utmost Secret,” our unlikely hero is reunited with his magpie advisor ... his two greatest frenemies... and the woman who's best at breaking his heart ... for an international espionage mission with a foppish, Foolish twist.
Exotic locales. Sensuous strangers. The cover persona Agent Murd was born to play. All these and more lie in wait — but the stakes are as high as the mountains hiding a sinister country from the rest of the blissfully ignorant world. Because the enemy has a weapon never before imagined, and only our operatives can stop them from unleashing a new and horrific kind of war.
Author
From the author:
The third book in Eva Sandor's Heart of Stone Adventures series.
Finding himself still alive is former jester Malfred Murd's first clue that his fate has taken yet another unexpected bounce. Quicker than you can say “Utmost Secret,” our unlikely hero is reunited with his magpie advisor ... his two greatest frenemies... and the woman who's best at breaking his heart ... for an international espionage mission with a foppish, Foolish twist.
Exotic locales. Sensuous strangers. The cover persona Agent Murd was born to play. All these and more lie in wait — but the stakes are as high as the mountains hiding a sinister country from the rest of the blissfully ignorant world. Because the enemy has a weapon never before imagined, and only our operatives can stop them from unleashing a new and horrific kind of war.
September 13, 2022
Eva Sandor is a creative genius. In this third installment of the Heart of Stone Adventures, I escaped into her beautiful alternate world. She combines intimate humor and wit amongst individual characters with the more pressing issues of everyday life. It is difficult to overstate the artistic fluidity of this book. As an illustrator, she has created beautiful artwork for each of her books. As a writer, she vividly paints each character and scene with similar brilliance. I particularly enjoyed watching Malfred’s character further develop. If you are looking for a read that is pure joy and will take you away from the silliness of our world today, I highly recommend Doom’s Daze. This is pure pleasure and would make a great gift.
October 6, 2022
In this third book, Malfred Murd with his friends have to try and stop the kingdom from being taken over has a real crazy role reversal as he now is an agent in the secret intelligence agency although reluctantly. At least he has his Magpie, Corvinallas, advising him and helping him along with the girl who stole and broke his heart and some so called friends to try and stop the take-over of the kingdom. With lots of snark from Corvinallas, laughter and a fast paced, can't put it down action packed story line, you are in for a treat! I can't wait to see what will happen next! I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
January 2, 2023
Fool's Proof introduced us to the characters of Midlandis and was a delight.
Power's Play expanded the world and was awesome.
Doom's Daze is a triumph!
From the start, everything that was left hanging at the end of Power's Play clicks into place. The plotting is terrific, the story-telling, as ever, is magnificent, and the jokes had me laughing out loud till tears formed. Drawing heavily on a bond-esque theme of espionage and adventure (starting with the totally brilliant opening credits available on the author's website), Fred and his team face an existential threat to the very future of Midlandis.
Brilliant! Can't wait for the next one...
Power's Play expanded the world and was awesome.
Doom's Daze is a triumph!
From the start, everything that was left hanging at the end of Power's Play clicks into place. The plotting is terrific, the story-telling, as ever, is magnificent, and the jokes had me laughing out loud till tears formed. Drawing heavily on a bond-esque theme of espionage and adventure (starting with the totally brilliant opening credits available on the author's website), Fred and his team face an existential threat to the very future of Midlandis.
Brilliant! Can't wait for the next one...
September 26, 2022
Fits well with the series. I enjoyed it.
October 9, 2023
Another great story in the series.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews