Enjoy For Free Shadows In The Stone (The Castle Keepers, #1) Devised By Diane McGyver Accessible Through Audio Book

dont often read fantasy, but I have been following this author and the premise of her story sounded intriguing.
I was not disappointed and found I was unable to put the book down, This may be fantasy, but the characters are very real, Ms. McGyver has created characters you care about as they deal with their personal demons, suppressed feelings, magical powers and unrequited love.
Alaura of Niamh, my favourite character, is both tough and gentle, as well as mysterious, Bronwyn and Alaura have a unique relationship which can also be frustrating at times, The child, Isla, will capture your heart as she has her fosterfather Bronwyn, The author paints a palpable picture of the land of AthoLea, sparing no details, A number of fantastical creatures make their appearance adding colour and interest,

Many characters are introduced in this book and I had trouble keeping track of all of them.
I also felt there were too many questions left unanswered at the end of the book, What happened to Isla What secret is Alaura keeping and why cant she join with Bronwyn What is wrong inside Aruam Castle Who is the traitor What is, “The Prophesy” I may be kept up at night wondering.


This is the first book in The Castle Keeper series and I look forward to reading the next three books to find the answers.
This is a great read for those who love fantasy and for those who are new to it.
A fantasy, history that I really enjoyed, Fantasy is one of my favourite genres to read, This story took me to a different place and even yet some things have stayed with me.
Diane Lynn McGyver created a whole new world, with characters the reader quickly cares about, and suspense, drama and mystery to keep the pages turning.


Having said that, I would not recommend Shadows in the Stone to young readers as some battle scenes may be disturbing, and there are very descriptive scenes of relationship intensity and some violent scenes.


The main character, Corporal Bronwyn Darrow, made up his mind to never love again after being deeply hurt by a woman he trusted.
That is, until he meets the enchantress Alaura of Niamh, Bronwyn tries to keep his focus on his duty as he wants to move up in the ranks of the castle guard but he is very distracted by this troubled mysterious woman.
She needs his help, though, and he cannot resist the challenge, being an honourable man,

What nagged at me the most may not even be an issue for another reader.
Bronwyn constantly runs through his emotions and thoughts regarding Alaura, for whom he soon cares deeply, There were places I felt should be left to the reader to get the first or second time and know from there without the constant repetition.
Even so, the author built characters of dimension and heart,

There are warriors, royalty, peasants, villains, secrets, betrayal, danger, heroism, love, passion, suspense, exciting moments that are magical, and more, all leading to a satisfaction for the reader in the way events unfold.
The author describes scenes and situations very well, weaving pictures in the readers mind, Where the author ended this story leaves the reader waiting for more, There are several unanswered questions relating to Alaura, the castle, the child Alaura cares for, and more mysteries.
Fortunately, this is the first in a series, so we have more books to watch for in which we can anticipate those answers.


All in all, this is a good read fantasy lovers will find captivating and fascinating.
Corporal Bronwyn Darrow is an honourdriven, hard working young dwarf and not a Tolkienesque dwarf, either who is dedicated to rising in the ranks of the Aruam Castle.
When he comes to be the legal guardian of Isla, a hauflin child, he learns, among other things, that there is more to life than work and status.
Alaura of Niamh, a young enchantress with a mysterious past, becomes entangled in the lives of Bronwyn and Isla, and this is essentially where the story kicks off, following Alaura and Bronwyn on their physical and metaphorical journeys to save Isla and everyone else from a dark and mysterious outside force.


Without giving too much more away about the plot, I will say right away that this was unlike any other fantasy novel Ive read before.
It contains all the yummy elements of a traditional fantasy an evil magician, a prophecy, dwarfs, elves, and of course a little hardtoget romance between the two main characters but there are other aspects that arent really typical, and that I absolutely adore.


The relationships between all the characters are what steals the show for me: Bronwyns relationships with his parents and siblings, his friend Farlan, his daughter Isla, and best friend/hardcore love interest Alaura.
I dont usually see strong familial ties in fantasy books, probably because most of the time the main character is an orphan, and I love the scenes where Bronwyn attends family dinners, banters with his siblings, and seeks advice from his parents.


The fact that Bronwyn and Alaura are friends first and love interests second for the most part is one of my favourite things in the entire book.
Their ability to help each other, work together, argue incessantly, and understand each other is inspiring, and not what I expected.
The forces keeping them apart romantically usually set up or created by Bronwyn or Alaura themselves makes us as readers want to slap some sense into them because they love each other and they both know it.
The sexual tension is killing me, But sshhh, as a reader, I actually dont want them to get together because I like their friendship too much.


Isla is the little girl everyone loves, but shes not just a cutie that needs protection from the adultsof the time.
Shes independent, strongwilled, incredibly clever, and able to gain the help and alliance of those around her in order to survive.
Her friendship with fellow hauflin Liam is something I look forward to the development of in future books, and Im eager to see her become a strong and caring young woman.
Out of all the characters in the book, I think Isla is my favourite, followed by fierce and powerful Alaura everyone loves a strong heroine.


The book as a whole is stunning visually, The Land of Atho Lea is beautiful and varied, and Im curious to know more about the politics of it, and how humans, elves, dwarfs, and hauflins all coexist.
I want to read an Atho Lea history book on how it all came to be, Many of the scenes are so well described it felt more like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book when this happens in novels, I am an incredibly happy reader.


If I have anything to say that is a critique its that I would like a glossary of characters/places and a pronunciation guide at the back.
Maybe its because I read it in chunks over a long period of time rather than in one or two sittings time constraints didnt allow for this but I had a wee little bit of a difficult time keeping track of who was who and where, especially the minor characters.
It was a book that I had to consciously dedicate time to, Its not what I would consider a casual, easy, lighthearted read for bus travel, but one for snow days where one stays put for several hours at once.


All in all, Shadows in the Stone is what I consider a very unique, relationshiporiented novel with fascinating, multifaceted characters in a diverse and changing world.
Im intrigued as to where the plot is headed, because I honestly have no idea,

I wouldnt recommend this book for young readers, as there is some sexually intense scenes and graphic content, but to everyone else, especially fantasy fans, go for it!for the book itself.
. . the author knows her characters and their circumstances well, and writes as such,

for my enjoyment, . . I always felt like I was behind, trying to catch up and understand why things were happening.
After enjoying this book I have a hard time not believing its world actually exists somewhere, maybe in Nova Scotia.
Fantastic in all senses of the word, Now on to book two in the series,

From my review of the book at amazon, com: This first book in Diane Lynn McGyver's Castle Keepers series is very well done and will keep you turning pages right to the end.
What I particularly enjoyed in this solidly mainstream fantasy is its fresh focus on established themes, It's like an awardwinning movie director telling the person behind the camera to lower or raise the picture in the viewfinder for a new angle.
The fantasy world McGyver has created has the magical beings you might expect, but you'll see them in new ways and see their story with fresh insights.
Atcentimeters I'm taller than the average person the book made be believe I was seeing a magical world from a height a little less than half that.
Enjoy. I did find that I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning, I could have just put it down at any point, never to be picked up again, But the summary, on the back, was intriguing and I continued on and at some point, a little later than usual, I was hooked and blew through the last half or more of the book.
I will be definitely reading the next book in her Castle Keepers series because now that I know the characters, I have a burning need to find out what happens.
Things arent always what they seem to be in a small town in the Land of AthoLea.
Magic creeps in the shadows, waiting to pounce, . .

Corporal Bronwyn Darrow vows hell never fall victim to love again after the woman he adored betrays him.
He directs his energies to rising in the ranks of Aruam Castle, aspiring to one day command as captain of the guards.
Although he treasures his home and family, he is blinded both by his desire to succeed and a

mysterious magic lurking in the shadows of the ancient castle.


Alaura of Niamh, a halfbreed enchantress with a deadly past, takes refuge in Bronwyns hometown.
When the two meet, the spell which binds them is stronger than their fears of falling in love.
As Alauras secrets threaten to separate them forever, outside forces attempt to shatter the security of Aruam Castle and eliminate Bronwyn.
When an orphan weaves their lives together, they embark on a journey destined to either destroy or deliver them to the passion living in their hearts.

Show More
Show Less,