Professional Reviews for Book 3, The Hollows of Candlewick by Scot R. Stone
The Beezer Review Website
By Andrew Gray
www.beezermn.laethyn.com
The Hollows of Candlewick by Scot R. Stone is the third book in The Snowtear Wars. The
first book is titled The Chimes of Yawrana and the second is titled The Ice Shadows of Arna.
With this third installment of this saga, Mr. Stone proves he is no longer a new fantasy author.
Rather, he shows that he has firmly planted himself as a name to be read within the fantasy
genre. Other fantasy authors should take note of Mr. Stone and understand they can no longer be
complacent with the stories they write. While Mr. Stone may be a lesser known author, it is by
no means a correlation to the quality of tale he can spin.
The plot of this story is actually several plots interwoven together to create a grand tale. The main
story arc is that of the threat to Castle Candlewick by a familiar face. However, there are also
several sub-plots as well. Things such as new visitors that appear on the shores of Yawrana, a
mysterious beast roaming the countryside destroying herds of cattle as well as people, and
once-loyal subjects suddenly turning their allegiance to threaten the crown. The previously
mentioned sub-plots are the only ones listed on the book's jacket. There are also a few more
present within the pages that I will not spoil for readers. Rest assured if you are a fan of a deeply
involved, richly detailed plot, then you will surely appreciate the effort put forth in this book.
With this, the third book in the series, Mr. Stone has proven that not only can he write wonderful
books, but he has also shown an ability to control the story. At no time did I feel as though the
story was becoming too big. It always felt as though the main story line was solidly grounded. He
has also shown that he can write a story that can transcend several books. This is another solid
addition to The Snowtear Wars without a doubt.
The characters in this book are largely the same cast as the first two books. Of course, there are
always additions when a new book comes along, yet most remain in this novel. Characters such
as Oreus Blake, King Noran, Boris, Rydor, Jada, Heirikech and many more. As with the previous
two books, the characters in this novel are all unique. They each talk with their own unique voice
and have their own actions and motivations as well. It seems common in today's fantasy genre
that books either have a good story and flat characters, or good characters and a flat story. That
is not the case with this novel. The combination of a solid story and very good characters makes
this novel an even more enjoyable read. The thing I appreciate most about the characters in this
novel isthat the good guys don't always win. They do suffer, and some even die.
All too often fantasy characters survive even when the situations they face are beyond dire. Not
so in this novel, and series. The `good guys' do suffer and their loved ones do get hurt. It makes
the entire novel feel more real. Personally, I appreciate that quite a bit.
Unlike the second book, there is no portion of this novel that feels sluggish or slow. Rather, the
entire pace of this novel is almost perfect. That speaks a great deal of Mr. Stone's development
as a writer. Reading the first three books so closely together, I can definitely see the growth of
Mr. Stone. The only criticism I have with this novel, is that there were a couple of times in the
novel where I almost felt that the villain, Heirikech, was too powerful. Yet, once I finished, it
seemed to fit pretty well.
Taken as a whole, this is a very solid fantasy book. However, taken as a series it is much more
impressive. Mr. Stone has remained consistent with characters/ plot lines. As a reader, it's nice to
have that continuity in a series. As I said above, I have been very impressed at the growth of Mr.
Stone's writing throughout these past three novels. I am excited to see what the next two books
will bring. The fourth book is titled The Mirrors of Methalis and is scheduled for release in
December,2008, which right now seems like a very long time away.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, even a little bit, I would strongly suggest tracking down this
series. There are elements in it that I believe everyone will enjoy. It is my belief that this series
will mark the start of a very successful career for Mr. Stone.
By Andrew Gray
www.beezermn.laethyn.com
The Hollows of Candlewick by Scot R. Stone is the third book in The Snowtear Wars. The
first book is titled The Chimes of Yawrana and the second is titled The Ice Shadows of Arna.
With this third installment of this saga, Mr. Stone proves he is no longer a new fantasy author.
Rather, he shows that he has firmly planted himself as a name to be read within the fantasy
genre. Other fantasy authors should take note of Mr. Stone and understand they can no longer be
complacent with the stories they write. While Mr. Stone may be a lesser known author, it is by
no means a correlation to the quality of tale he can spin.
The plot of this story is actually several plots interwoven together to create a grand tale. The main
story arc is that of the threat to Castle Candlewick by a familiar face. However, there are also
several sub-plots as well. Things such as new visitors that appear on the shores of Yawrana, a
mysterious beast roaming the countryside destroying herds of cattle as well as people, and
once-loyal subjects suddenly turning their allegiance to threaten the crown. The previously
mentioned sub-plots are the only ones listed on the book's jacket. There are also a few more
present within the pages that I will not spoil for readers. Rest assured if you are a fan of a deeply
involved, richly detailed plot, then you will surely appreciate the effort put forth in this book.
With this, the third book in the series, Mr. Stone has proven that not only can he write wonderful
books, but he has also shown an ability to control the story. At no time did I feel as though the
story was becoming too big. It always felt as though the main story line was solidly grounded. He
has also shown that he can write a story that can transcend several books. This is another solid
addition to The Snowtear Wars without a doubt.
The characters in this book are largely the same cast as the first two books. Of course, there are
always additions when a new book comes along, yet most remain in this novel. Characters such
as Oreus Blake, King Noran, Boris, Rydor, Jada, Heirikech and many more. As with the previous
two books, the characters in this novel are all unique. They each talk with their own unique voice
and have their own actions and motivations as well. It seems common in today's fantasy genre
that books either have a good story and flat characters, or good characters and a flat story. That
is not the case with this novel. The combination of a solid story and very good characters makes
this novel an even more enjoyable read. The thing I appreciate most about the characters in this
novel isthat the good guys don't always win. They do suffer, and some even die.
All too often fantasy characters survive even when the situations they face are beyond dire. Not
so in this novel, and series. The `good guys' do suffer and their loved ones do get hurt. It makes
the entire novel feel more real. Personally, I appreciate that quite a bit.
Unlike the second book, there is no portion of this novel that feels sluggish or slow. Rather, the
entire pace of this novel is almost perfect. That speaks a great deal of Mr. Stone's development
as a writer. Reading the first three books so closely together, I can definitely see the growth of
Mr. Stone. The only criticism I have with this novel, is that there were a couple of times in the
novel where I almost felt that the villain, Heirikech, was too powerful. Yet, once I finished, it
seemed to fit pretty well.
Taken as a whole, this is a very solid fantasy book. However, taken as a series it is much more
impressive. Mr. Stone has remained consistent with characters/ plot lines. As a reader, it's nice to
have that continuity in a series. As I said above, I have been very impressed at the growth of Mr.
Stone's writing throughout these past three novels. I am excited to see what the next two books
will bring. The fourth book is titled The Mirrors of Methalis and is scheduled for release in
December,2008, which right now seems like a very long time away.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, even a little bit, I would strongly suggest tracking down this
series. There are elements in it that I believe everyone will enjoy. It is my belief that this series
will mark the start of a very successful career for Mr. Stone.
