The Sword & Mr. Stone

Sword starts with what I consider a short story about Stone out on an adjusting job. When I finished it I was wondering why the author included it. As I read on, I realized it's so the reader gets a good idea of what Edward Stone is like since the action of the quest kicks in fast. Yeah, we get enough understanding of Stone's personality in the main story, but the short intro. wasn't a bad idea. It reminded me a little of Donald Westlake's light crime stories.

Of course, when you're talking about King Arthur and Excalibur you better be prepared to accept the absurd otherwise you'll nitpick everything, a bit like Stone at the very beginning. I liked the story and the fast pace of it. Stone is not one dimensional and grows with the story and the addition of the mighty librarian, Gwen, is a nice touch. A smart woman who contributes as much, if not more, then the male characters.

This read was a nice change of pace for me, a bit different. I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I had a lot of fun in read this book and I think it's entertaning and engrossing.
Well thought world building, interesting and fleshed out characters, the right amount of humor and a plot that flows.
I enjoyed and it's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a fun story! If you’re looking for a light-hearted adventure with a unlikely hero with quirky sidekicks and evil villains, then you should definitely give The Sword and Mr. Stone a read.

Edward Stone reminded me of some of my other favorite quirky characters. At times clueless, and at others surprisingly capable – even beyond his expectations. He started out not believing in magic at all. He was strictly a “fact” and “science” man. After spending a little time with Gwen and Milner while on the run from power hungry adversaries, the existence of magic became hard to deny. By the end of The Sword and Mr. Stone, he totally embraced it.

As lighthearted as The Sword & Mr. Stone was, the trio of characters were still facing some real danger and they found themselves in real danger and had to pull themselves out of more than one tight spot. There were a few twists and turns that left readers (and Edward) wondering who to trust and more than enough action to keep the pages turning. I loved the “romantic” tension between Gwen and Edward it was adorably awkward – especially on Edward’s side.

This is my first book by John Gaspard, but since I’m kind of looking forward to finding out what happens next with Edward and Gwen, it will most definitely not be my last. 😉

This book pulled me in from the first page. With an unlikely hero this light-hearted adventure will keep you turning the page.

this was a great read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey. The humor elements really brightened my day.

What a fun read. I will admit I kept picturing Simon Pegg as Edward Stone and read his parts in his voice. Milner and Gwen were the perfect accomplices. Lots of action with a steady to fast flow. Also learned a lot about the history surrounding the sword. Loved the mix of fantasy and current events. Ending was a little jaw dropping so I'm wondering if it will continue from there or a new adventure. Will grab more by this author.

The Sword and Mr. Stone is a modern adventure with a sprinkle of magic. The story follows Mr. Stone, the by the books insurance adjuster through what was to be a very straight forward job abroad but turns into anything but ordinary. I enjoyed the sometimes clueless and unlikely hero Edward Stone is and how he interacts with Gwen and Milner. The ending leaves you a little dumbfounded so I'm assuming there will be a second book. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. All spelling and grammar errors are totally my own.

The Sword & Mr. Stone was an excellent read on every level. It was very well-written with a complex plot and a few twists and turns. The characters were well-developed, very interesting and likable. This book had everything: suspense, action, villains and humor. There were times when I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen, and there were other times when I laughed. The humor in this story was so good. It greatly added to the book.

Highly entertaining with great characters I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Hilarious! Action Packed! Couldn't put it down!

I LOVED THIS! This reminded me so much of "The Librarian" that I kept waiting for Jane Curtin and Bob Newhart to pop in and give tips to Edward and Gwen. I really enjoyed how they brought the King Arthur legends to life and tied it to history and modern myth. I was also thrilled that Nessie made an appearance. She gets far to few mentions in literature and to tie her to the legend of Arthur, it totally worked!

Some of my favorite parts were near the beginning when Edward kept trying to analyze everything from an insurance adjuster's point of view. Too Funny!

Please write a sequel! This would be great as a series! Maybe look for the round table or the holy grail in the next installation?

A very fun adventure for Stone, he was a likable quirky character and I enjoyed watching his perspective change as the story progressed. The addition of the librarian Gwen was a great touch, all in all an enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley*