Official Review: The Stone of Mercy by M.J. Evans

[Heidi M Simone]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Stone of Mercy" by M.J. Evans.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Here comes a tale where readers can find centaurs, cyclops, fauns, and one Duende girl who is trying to fulfill the destiny she’s been given. The Stone of Mercy by M.J. Evans is the first in the young adult fantasy series, The Centaur Chronicles.

There is a legend that predicts the future ruler of Crystonia will wear the infamous Silver Breastplate and sit upon the throne of Mount Heilodius. This ruler will help heal the torn apart kingdom, bringing together the broken Centaurs, the harsh Cyclops, the enslaved Fauns, and peace once and for all.

Sixteen-year-old Carling had no desire in being more than what she was, living with her parents in Duenton. However, one heroic act from this little Duende has led to a domino effect on her path in life, and now she must fulfill her destiny of wearing the Silver Breastplate. Along with her best friend, Higson, and two Centaurs, Tibbals and Tandum, she embarks on a journey to collect the first stone on the breastplate, the stone of mercy. However, there are several obstacles along the way. Will she and her companions be able to find the stone while keeping true to their hearts?

Written in the viewpoints of several characters, the reader is able to follow the main characters and their inner thoughts. Though this is true, the reader only truly gets to know Carling. By far, she is given the most background and development, and albeit her incessant crying, she is still a very likable character. Even though most of the other characters are one-dimensional, the author clearly shows who readers should be sympathizing with and those who shouldn’t.

For most of the book, there were several bursts of low-action scenes, creating a steady flow throughout. There wasn’t a clear climax and the action scenes were not fully described, but I still found myself entertained and happy to continue reading each time I picked up the book.

The biggest theme here is mercy, hence the title. Carling is the one who shows the most mercy, even to the ones who treated her and her fellow friends poorly. Another major theme is friendship. Carling, Higson, Tibbals, and Tandum work together to not only to find the stone of mercy, but through many trials and unkind creatures.

There were a handful of errors, but they were not very distracting. Overall, the book could use a bit more action and some more character development, but as I have said, I still really enjoyed The Stone of Mercy. Therefore, I grant this read a 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to those who enjoy low-action fantasies where one girl is trying to fulfill her predestined path in life.

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The Stone of Mercy
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[Kat Berg]

This sounds like a likable read to be saved for a time when I don't feel like having to think too hard. Pity about the errors, though. I especially dislike them in YA books. What we read has such an impact on how we use grammar, etc. Thanks for the review.

[Corhan2]

Thanks for the review. Sounds interesting enough, just a pity about the action scenes and clear climax. I might just give this one a try on a day I do not want to concentrate too much.

[Heidi M Simone]

This sounds like a likable read to be saved for a time when I don't feel like having to think too hard. Pity about the errors, though. I especially dislike them in YA books. What we read has such an impact on how we use grammar, etc. Thanks for the review.

This is very true - it's definitely a light read. I don't like errors, too, but at least it was only a few. However, I agree, errors in YA and children's books are probably the worse ones to have errors slip in. The younger crowd could actually learn how to write incorrectly. Thank you for reading!

[Heidi M Simone]

Thanks for the review. Sounds interesting enough, just a pity about the action scenes and clear climax. I might just give this one a try on a day I do not want to concentrate too much.

It was interesting, but yes, the action scenes and a clear climax were lacking. This is a good story if you don't want to think too much as you read. If you do give it a try, I hope you enjoy it!

[Riszell]

I haven't read a book about centaurs before, I was only able to read about them in Harry Potter series and they're not the main cast there so this will be a new and interesting read.

[Sahani Nimandra]

Sounds like a happy-go read. What's best about these fantasy books is that you can drown in them and feel good about it. Thank you for sharing your review!

[Samantha Simoneau]

Interesting plot and I like YA because it's usually "clean." I don't know about the "incessant crying," though. Great review!

[gen_g]

The premise sounds really interesting and it would definitely read better once it has gone through another round of editing. Thanks for the review!

[Heidi M Simone]

I haven't read a book about centaurs before, I was only able to read about them in Harry Potter series and they're not the main cast there so this will be a new and interesting read.

I really liked that part of the main cast were centaurs. It made the book more magical.

[Heidi M Simone]

Sounds like a happy-go read. What's best about these fantasy books is that you can drown in them and feel good about it. Thank you for sharing your review!

It was definitely a light and easy read, especially since the action wasn't too much for a young reader to read. Thank you for reading!

[Heidi M Simone]

Interesting plot and I like YA because it's usually "clean." I don't know about the "incessant crying," though. Great review!

It was interesting and definitely clean. I just felt like Carling cried too much to seem realistic or I just found it annoying every time it was mentioned. A lot times she would cry, then get over it quickly, so the mention of crying don't seem necessary in these cases. Thank you for reading!

[Heidi M Simone]

The premise sounds really interesting and it would definitely read better once it has gone through another round of editing. Thanks for the review!

It was an interesting story, and a good one for the YA audience who enjoys clean fantasies. Since I only saw a few errors, I'm sure another round of editing would make this a more polished read. Thank you for reading!

[Kristy Khem]

The setting and supernatural characters sound exciting. I like the cover design too, it is quite magical. Thanks for reviewing!

[Kemunto lucy]

The characters are interesting and theme of mercy is good life lesson. Your review is awesome.