The Cloudstone Key

Rithhek Cage Trilogy #1

by Darren T. Patrick

In the remote mining village of Aystin, Karsen Morgate secretly longs to explore the world outside the town walls; but instead dutifully spends his nights protecting the precious Cloudstone tiles—mined by his father, and engraved with mystical symbols and lore by the reclusive Adept Noxyn. When his half-brother, Petr, commits a gruesome crime, Karsen is forced to flee his home, carrying with him a tile depicting a unique artifact—the Ennae—entrusted to his care by the Adept himself. Alone, ailing, and on the run, Karsen must find help, find his way, and decipher the true meaning of the Ennae. For he soon realizes that he is being pursued by the dark brotherhood of the Shroud, and that he has somehow become an unwilling pawn in an ancient conflict.

The Shroud is stirring.

The world of Tholann is in danger.

And young Karsen Morgate is in the middle of it.

Genres: Fantasy

136 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2013

About the author

I'm a fan of story. Full stop. Science Fiction & Fantasy, in particular. The ability to create fantastical worlds and explore them through the eyes of heroic or tragic characters has always fascinated me.

The first two books of my fantasy fiction trilogy - The Cloudstone Key and The Peregrine Prophecy - were published in 2013.

Reviews

[David Sven · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is set in the fantasy world of Tholann where main protagonist Karsen Morgate is sent on a quest by his town's "Adept" to deliver a unique artifact far to the south to another Adept. On the way (or on the first stage of his journey covered in this book) Karsen discovers new races and learns about the history of his world outside his home town of Aystin. He learns of secret and sinister organisations and above all he learns more about the Ennae - the symbol carved into the magical Cloudstone agate he is carrying.

The thing that appeals to me in this book is the process of discovery (or beginning of) particularly surrounding the magical "agates" and there various properties. We learn about Cloudstone this book which is unique to and mined in Karsen's home town. Cloudstone has the magical property of imparting knowledge that an Adept inscribes or carves into Cloudstone tiles. Another agate is mined or farmed from special trees and has different magical properties. There are a total of nine different agates and we only get a close look at a few, so I'm interested in learning more about the rest, how they are mined or farmed, what there magical traits are and how they are used.

Indie author Darren T Patrick's debut novel shows a lot of promise with some interesting plot elements and world building. The book itself is quite short at only 130 pages and most of it is worldbuilding and probably not nearly enough story. By the time I got interested I was 3/4 through the book and then it ended - so it's hard to rate an unfinished story after only 130 pages. Luckily the next instalment is already out so I'll be continuing on with The Peregrine Prophecy where I'm hoping to see Patrick hit his stride.


3 stars

[Jonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick’s light, well put together writing style has a smooth flow that propels this remarkable tale forward. It is a fantastically creative tale that will take you on the ride of a lifetime. This author draws you in, allowing you to tread through the intricate world that he has created. He has also created & presented an entertaining history and lore of the land. Not only that, but he provides this information to the audience without breaking the flow of the story.

The variety of people and creatures that Patrick has created for this story round the story out nicely. The main character is a very captivating individual that you want to get to know better and whom you hope to see succeed. The vast array of characters in the supporting cast serve to introduce the reader to various aspects of this wide world.

This was a brilliant introduction to Patrick’s characters, land, and series. I can’t wait to follow this story along.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Artemas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cloudstone Key is Darren T. Patrick's debut fantasy novel, and a fine addition to the genre at that. Darren takes the familiar recipe of classical/high fantasy and adds just the right amount of personal spice to make it his own dish of fun .. all without going overboard.

A collection of interesting races combines with the rich history of a well-planned setting to take the reader on a pleasurable adventure. Darren does a fine job of providing the reader with the backdrop of the setting without dumping too much on them at any given time.

The few issues I have are minor:
-Several areas about the history left me curious for more which I'm hoping are explained in the coming volumes.
-The story was way too short for my tastes. As soon as it got going ... it ended. Good news- Book 2 of the series is more than twice as long.
-A few of the names were weird to me, but that's commonplace for fantasy settings and doesn't take away from the story at all.

3.5 stars

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid 3.5 stars, but instead of my usual giving it 3 stars, I am recording 4 stars for two reasons.

1. It is a world builder book and shows potential
2. It is a first novel from a new author

Story: 3.5/5

1: Being Vague, rambling plot with no little believable storyline
5: Ripping yarn, clever, thought provoking

A new author on the scene and I am convinced that if Cloudstone Key gets momentum we’ll see a lot more of Darren Patrick. As a first novel I have to say that I am impressed with the story. The scene is set in a remote village on a north east coast. The village is famous for gathering Cloudstone out of the rock face. The stone allows the local Adept to record history on to them. It turns out that Cloudstone is one of 9 agates in the world, each with different powers. This story is centered around two lads from the village who end up on a journey across the lands.
This first book is really a world and character building story, it reminds me of the first book in Abercrombies The First Law series in that regard. It isn’t a long story, but by the end of the book you have a good understanding of the world, the laws, the story of the stones, some magic and some of the players in the game.
For a first novel Patrick has done a great job in keeping the story relatively tight. There are a few areas that I was concerned with, for example there are parts where the author has seemed to use ‘convenient’ methods to explain or move the story along. In a couple of scenes, our protagonist gets to see inside the head of members of The Shroud, who happen to be stalking him. This helps him learn almost all their plans and members in a couple of pages, I don’t have a problem with this, as long as he keeps that skill and it is explained to us in book two how he does it. Secondly, travel anywhere in the world by sprinkling some powder also needs explanation and not just a means to allow the journey to quickly get to point B. I would have also liked to have seen more in the story of Petr and how he ends up in the role he does. It seems to have happened in the background quite quickly.

Overall I am really happy with the potential of this story.

Characters: 3/5

1: Unrealistic/unbelievable. Feel nothing for these characters
5: Fully engaged with the characters, believable. Researched.

I found the two main characters a bit clunky in the first three chapters and couldn’t always remember which was which. But that soon changed as the characters developed. On a negative note, they are a bit good guy/bad guy and i’d like to see some development of Petr so that we get to understand him, as his character changed the most in the shortest of times. On the positive, you can easily see that Patrick has potential with developing characters and some of the interaction between them is encouraging.

Read Weight: Solid

Fluffy, Light, Solid, Heavy, Struggle

The story itself is a light easy read, I have marked it solid though as there are number of new things to learn. In this first book we are only given certain knowledge and you can tell that the story is much larger than we are given so far.

Engagement: 4/5

1: Not fussed about finishing
5: Could stay up all night

I was definitely engaged well. I really enjoyed getting back into it on the second night of reading and even shut down the xbox so that I could read more. The story kicks along at a bit of a fast pace, being an intro book and all, so you’ll not find time to wonder what is happening with the story.

Recommend: 4/5

1: Would advise you to read something else
5: Go read it now. It is THAT good

Absolutely will recommend this story. I am excited to read a book that offers a big story with interesting concepts. Especially when you learn that the story is from a first time author.
I am looking forward to starting book two The Peregrine Prophecy next week.

[D]

I'm not going to rate my own story (as I might be slightly biased) but I did want to point out that I've made available to all - for free - 'A Reader's Guide to Tholann' on my site. You can get it here: http://darrentpatrick.com/readers-guide/

It's a relatively short PDF that dives into the world in which the The Rithhek Cage trilogy is based (Tholann), in particular, the people, the places and the items you will encounter as you read through The Cloudstone Key. I hope you like it :)

[L.K. Evans]

I’M INDIFFERENT

I’ll start by saying that this book has a wide range of ratings on Goodreads (most falling into the 4 star rating), which goes to show that for this one, it’s just going to be a matter of taste.

I can say that the world was nicely imagined. It had a good set of lore and creatures and races to keep one interested. We spent a bit of time with two races that I thought were extremely well thought out. It gave us a chance to learn about the lore of the world and gave us the overall issues our main character might face in future books.

However, for this reader, worlds come second to characters. Unfortunately for me, Karsen wasn’t a character I latched on to, nor did I become enticed by his story. He did go through something tragic, but I never really settled in with him enough to care. His brother, Petr, didn’t snag hold of me either. None of the characters did. So that will always pull me out of a book, and the way the world was rolled out made me even distance myself further.

If you’ve read any of my reviews, and I hope you have (shout out to Steven Colbert - I stole his line), you’ll know that my eyes glaze over when I encounter large sections of info dumping. I’ll shut down pretty quick. Now, sometimes authors can sneak info dumps into conversations and I won’t know because 1) I either care about the character enough that I’m interested whenever they speak or 2) it’s done in a way that builds up the character by revealing quirks or adding to his/her voice. That said, Patrick used the dialog trick. However, I didn’t learn much about Karsen, his voice didn’t evolve or come alive for me, and it seemed the dialog internal thought tags really dragged it down for me. That combined with all the information turned me off from the story several times. Again, this is just personal preference. I’m really bad when it comes to a lot of information in one section.

Now, aside from those parts, I did enjoy the story overall. I can see there’s probably tons of traveling in Karsen’s future and the likelihood of him exploring fun places. This book set the foundation for the reasons Karsen has set out from his home and the purpose he needs to fulfill. All of it has a mysterious beginning that had me wondering what in the heck was going on.

So, as a whole, without a character to latch hold of and a world that felt too hand fed to me, this book falls into my indifferent category. It wasn’t horrible by any means, and I think there will be—and are—several people who enjoy this book.

You can see this and other reviews on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com

[E.M. McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cloudstone Key (The Rithhek Cage Trilogy: Book 1)

From the beginning, the author does a fantastic job of setting the scene. His descriptions of the world of Tholann are vivid and full of depth throughout, wasting no time in immersing the reader into this strange new world.

Likewise, his development of the races on Tholann is similarly detailed and imaginative; from the towering Jikhquae women, down to the tiny squirrel-like Rethe, Patrick shows you the planets population in vibrant detail.

The premise is typical fantasy fare, with a protagonist that is pushed out of his normal life in order to fulfill a quest that is vital to the world. The story moves at a steady pace, with a good mix of dialogue, action, and world-building. I found myself staying up a few nights to finish an extra chapter or two, which is one of my hallmarks for a good book, and I finished the whole thing in three days.

This brings me to the only area that left me feeling flat. This book felt too long to be a short story, but far too short to be the first book of an epic fantasy series. As the first in a series, I can appreciate that more will likely be explained in the subsequent volumes, but several portions felt as if they weren’t fully fleshed out in this book, such as the different agates and how they are used to interact with the world around them. Several of the supporting characters also seemed to be missing some detail which would have allowed the reader to connect with them more deeply.

Overall, the book was a very immersive and exciting start to what appears to be a great new entry into the epic fantasy genre. If the next book fills in some of the details and continues to develop the world that Patrick has so deftly created, the entire series will definitely be one to add to your bookshelf!

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cloudstone Key by Darren T. Patrick is an amazing epic fantasy, and a really good debut novel. It tells the story of Karsen Morgate, a young man who is entrusted with the mission to take this carving called the Ennae of which he knows little about, to a person he has never met, and is soon to discover that he is getting into deeper trouble than he expected. So we get to accompany him in his first adventure ever, and discover this astonishing world which raises more questions that just suck you into the story. This is the first book in a series, so of course we don’t get this questions answered, but I definitely am waiting to learn more about this story.

I really appreciate a book that can transport and submerge you into a whole new and different world; but that is also very tricky because there’s always the risk that this world doesn’t fit together in a consistent and logical manner. However, this is not the case, because Darren did in fact take care of every single detail in order to make the world of Tholann plausible and believable. I really enjoyed the detail in Darren’s description of this magical place. You could almost see it and I could feel I was there alongside with the characters. Tholann appeared to be like this ancient world, full of history and tradition; they had their own expressions, currency and culture, and it was filled with different races and species. Although, at first, it was a little bit hard to absorb all the new information in order to understand this new world. I especially liked the fact that Tholann’s people depended or functioned around nine agates which where themed, meaning that each of them had their own purpose. Of course, since the book is the first of a series, we only get to learn about four of them, but I’m looking forward to uncovering the mystery behind the others.

The plot is well structured and well paced, although I have to admit that for me it started a little bit slow, but past chapter one the story gets more interesting and engaging as it develops. It has a good amount of mystery and suspense, mixed with a touch of epic adventure.

What I liked the most about the characters is that they were so different from each other. First we have Karsen, a young man with a secret passion for adventure, adventures which he hadn’t got the chance to have, until his father dies, his half-brother kills a young woman, and he is forced to leave the only home he has ever known to complete a mission he has been entrusted with, and of which he knows little about. He is very cautious, curious, respectful, and has a thirst for knowledge. Then, we have the Jhikquae, which I loved. They are a race of giant women who are in charge of maintaining the equilibrium in Silanokitt forest. They had this elfish vibe, but I thought they were a really original species. Finally, we have Bestah, a Sky-Touched boy, who I thought was really annoying at first; was it really that hard to give straightforward answers? But in the end he turned out to be ok, a really sweet boy.

To sum it up. I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves to get a peek into new worlds and have a taste for adventures. Good job Darren!

*Note: I recieved a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

After witnessing the tragic death of his father, Karsen is destined to be the next Lead Pick of Aystin. Unfortunately, he is thrown into turmoil when his half-brother (adopted brother) Petr murders a young woman. Adept Noxyn, the man who engraves Cloudstone, sends Karsen on a journey that will forever change the course of his life.

Karsen joins Petr in his exile, but the pair do not make it far together. Instead, Petr proves himself every bit a criminal and attacks his brother. He steals the Ennae (a very important piece of carved Cloudstone) and heads off into the wilderness, leaving Karsen injured and unconscious.

Despite no longer having the Ennae (his entire reason for joining his brother into the wild), Karsen does not feel he is able to return home. He decides to carry on and attempt to complete the task that was set before him. Along the way, he meets some unlikely friends and discovers he has the ability to experience events through other people’s eyes while dreaming.

This story is filled with imaginative new races and a fascinating world rich with history. Not only are there strange children who never grow old, but there are giants and talking squirrels as well. There is a rich, elaborate history behind the races that shaped the world of Tholann as we see it in The Cloudstone Key. There is quite a bit of world history presented, but it is done conversationally and does not weigh down the story. It is woven in rather than being presented in one large information dump. I much appreciated that.

The story takes place at a fast rate. Yes, there are places where everyone is just talking, but the conversation always serves to advance the plot or to explain something that has yet to be presented. I could not put this book down. My only disappointment came when the book ended, and I wasn’t ready for that to happen. I would very much like to read more of this story. There are immense possibilities in this amazing new world, and I look forward to reading more about it.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Helena Karlsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karsen, a young man on the brink of adulthood, is finding himself in unknown lands on a quest after his half brother commits a serous crime in their home village. The initial thrill of discovering that the world is full of fantastic creatures and magic is quickly exchanged for a growing fear for his life. Having committed his first crime, Petr turns against Karsen and joins the evil forces, the mysterious Shroud, that have returned to haunt the world. This leaves Karsen alone to fulfil his promise to hand over an object that is steeped in old, almost forgotten, lore to an unknown recipient in a far-away country while the enemy is hot on his heels.

Karsen is meant to continue his father's prestigious art of mining for Cloudstone, but all he wants to do is explore the world outside and he meets creatures - magical and wondrous - during his wanderings, but apart from Bestah, the Sky-Touched, they fail to come alive and leave the written pages to inhabit the world that has been conjured up for them. Admittedly, plot and characters have ample time to come alive and be explained as the trilogy continues, but I am left with a feeling that the story would have benefitted from being longer.

The novel is well-written and the author has included a map that helps the reader to make sense of the new world he has created. I am hooked enough to look forward to the second instalment and more than happy to recommend it as a good read.

[C.p. Bialois · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the opening pages we’re introduced to Karsen Mortgate, a young man with dreams of adventure outside the city of Aystin’s walls. Instead, he remained true to his duty and stood nightly guard over the freshly carved Cloudstone tiles detailing the history of the city.

Following the accidental death of his father and a murder by his half-brother, Karsen is forced to flee his home on a quest given to him by the Adept himself. His adventures lead him to meeting a race of people from legends and increasing the urgency of his journey.

As an Epic Fantasy fan, I have to say I really enjoyed the story. The writing was smooth and brought the world to life with each turn of the page. Focusing more on the social castes people find them in, it took the main character and forced him to see things from another point of view which I found very enjoyable.

The only bad part for me was the ending came too soon. I’m definitely in line to read the sequel when it’s released.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Darren Patrick's first book, and what a great debut! The story follows protagonist Karsen Morgate, resident of Aystin. Karsen's simple life as a guard quickly changes as he realizes that there is far more to his world than he initially believed. He discovers that the line between good and evil is not always clear.
This was a short and simple book, but so many open twists leave you wanting more. I cannot wait to read the next one.

[Book Hangover Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darren does a great job with this fantasy book! The main character being Karsen, you soon discover he doesn't want to be what he was "born" to be. When life takes two unexpected turns with his father and brother he is thrown into an adventure of a lifetime. On a quest to deliver a precious stone he is quenching his thirst for travel and adventure. This is a perfect first book in a trilogy of adventure. I can't wait to see what is in store in the next book.

[Kristen Wight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this fantasy adventure book. The Cloudstone Key introduces a whole new world full of mystery and lore. Karsen,a teenage boy,is not sure what is real or myth. As it seems to turn out the reality seems more mythical than the legends. I like the pace of the book and look forward to learning more about this fantasy world and the motivation behind the cold blooded murders.

[Jeni · Rating 2 out of 5]

***** minor spoilers *************************

First and foremost let me begin by stating that I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you

It was a great a concept however it failed in the delivery for me. The beginning did not grab the reader’s attention; there was too much background without knowing who anyone was or what was going on. I would have preferred if it had started when Karsen’s dad died and then provide the background when he was in his unconscious stage. IT would have grabbed the reader’s attention from the beginning.

I was also a bit confuse in the middle it was just to much, Petr missing from work, then he betraying Karsen, then becoming this monster who we had no idea existed. I would have preferred a little insight into what he was doing in his free time. Gave us a chance to know that he was evil or twisted or going dark as it said in the book.

The most upsetting part of the whole book was how Mej treated Karsen towards the end of the book. The woman you came to know would not have treated him so unjustly, he would at least be given the chance to defend himself. What happen to the Jhikquae’s opinion on truth, I thought that that’s what they held most important. Why would they just betray him that way, without the opportunity of him telling them the truth? AHHH!!! That really angered me.

I will end with saying that for a first novel it was a great concept. I would have just preferred a bit more detail in the middle of the book and not so much in the beginning. I hope to read future books of this author as I am sure that they will be great.

[MaryAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a wide variety of fantasy books on the market and I enjoyed getting to know the mythical world of Tholann, in this story. The story revolves around the character of Karsen. As it often does in stories, Karsen has a rough go of it to start the story. Family isn't ideal and he has challenges he must deal with just to stay alive. One of Karsen's dreams is to travel and go on adventures. This book is all about the interesting lands within Tholann that Karsen goes to explore including meeting some new friends along the way that add to his adventure. I particularly enjoyed the vision of 12 ft tall women! :)

I really enjoyed the book and the author did a good job of painting the picture for the reader of the various components that make up the world of Tholann. There are plenty more stories to tell as the plot continues to move forward at the end of the book. The question is what's next?!

I do believe I will pick up the next book to continue the adventure!

Thank you to the author for the interesting tale!

Please note I received this book from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

[shaymond · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not hold my attention. It took 4 separate sittings to finish the small 136 page book.
While the overall world, races, and ideas were nice, I did not enjoy the writing. The constant internal dialogue of the main character was annoying. I also felt the middle of the book read more like a history lesson than an adventure.

With so many books on my to read list, I am finding it difficult to pick up his second book and give it a go.

[Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

great opening to this series. Picked it up on amazon for free and gave it a shot. The characters are a little dull but the story is pretty captivating. I was slightly unhappy with how short it was and the ending felt like an unresolved cliffhanger. More like the end of an episode of a tv series rather than the ending of a season

[Take Me Away To A Great Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very slow and I lost interest really easy in the beginning. I like fantasy books but this book was not really my style.