A Cast of Stones Staff and the Sword

Errol Stone is a roustabout in Callowford, a backwater village. When a church messenger turns up carrying urgent letters for the hermit priest who lives in the hills, Errol takes the job of delivering them. He wants the coin and expects an easy errand.

The errand goes wrong fast. Assassins start hunting him, and he has to run with the priest and a small band of travelers. The group is part of a quest whose outcome could decide what becomes of the kingdom.

The kingdom has been guarded for thousands of years by the heirs of its first king, and that dynasty is close to its end. The choice of the next king has begun, but it happens in secret and in shadow. Someone is willing to go to great lengths to stop the reading of the stones.

Errol has to put the stains and griefs of his past behind him. He must learn to fight and work out who is after him and his companions.

This is epic fantasy with a reluctant hero, a chase structure and a plot built around a royal succession. The book won the 2014 Carol Award in the Speculative category.