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Broken Stone Chronicle #3
Pilgrim's Storm Brooding: A Sweeping Dark Fantasy Epic
One warlock has been slain, but the conspiracy of wizards he served is just getting started...
As Adelko embarks on his training for journeyman at the Argolian Order's headquarters in Rima, Horskram and his superiors try to work out who is bent on reuniting the Headstone and plunging the Known World into war.
Their revelations will take them back on the road again, this time to the exotic Pilgrim Kingdoms, where Urovian crusader lords live in uneasy peace with the native Sassanians. But as Adelko and Horskram are destined to find out, the murky politics of the Blessed Realm have become tainted by the sorcerous plot they are struggling to unravel...
With them go Anupe, Hettie and Adhelina - as the latter discovers latent powers that might be able to help the monks - while the knights Braxus, Torgun and Wrackwulf head north to fight in Thraxia en route to the mysterious Westerling Isles to warn the keepers of the third fragment. With them as ever goes the redoubtable squire Vaskrian, whose reckless ambition will see him rise high – only to fall low.
And on the Other Side, the Seven Princes urge on their dark prophet...
As Adelko embarks on his training for journeyman at the Argolian Order's headquarters in Rima, Horskram and his superiors try to work out who is bent on reuniting the Headstone and plunging the Known World into war.
Their revelations will take them back on the road again, this time to the exotic Pilgrim Kingdoms, where Urovian crusader lords live in uneasy peace with the native Sassanians. But as Adelko and Horskram are destined to find out, the murky politics of the Blessed Realm have become tainted by the sorcerous plot they are struggling to unravel...
With them go Anupe, Hettie and Adhelina - as the latter discovers latent powers that might be able to help the monks - while the knights Braxus, Torgun and Wrackwulf head north to fight in Thraxia en route to the mysterious Westerling Isles to warn the keepers of the third fragment. With them as ever goes the redoubtable squire Vaskrian, whose reckless ambition will see him rise high – only to fall low.
And on the Other Side, the Seven Princes urge on their dark prophet...
1048 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2019
9 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Damien Black
8 books153 followersDamien Black is an author born and raised in London. The first three instalments of his five-book epic fantasy series, the Broken Stone Chronicle, are available from Amazon and the Kindle Lending Library. Click here to check them out:
viewauthor.at/DamienBlack
Or to purchase them in audio format, please visit his publisher Podium at their new website here:
https://podiumaudio.com/book-author/d...
Damien has also published an anthology of horror stories, An Urban Pentagram, and a dark fantasy novella, The Returning, also available from Amazon.
The fourth book in the Broken Stone Chronicle is due out in August 2025.
Detailed map graphics of the Broken Stone world can be obtained by contacting Damien via private message. Just enclose a working email address and he will gladly send you hi-res versions!
Thank you for your interest.
viewauthor.at/DamienBlack
Or to purchase them in audio format, please visit his publisher Podium at their new website here:
https://podiumaudio.com/book-author/d...
Damien has also published an anthology of horror stories, An Urban Pentagram, and a dark fantasy novella, The Returning, also available from Amazon.
The fourth book in the Broken Stone Chronicle is due out in August 2025.
Detailed map graphics of the Broken Stone world can be obtained by contacting Damien via private message. Just enclose a working email address and he will gladly send you hi-res versions!
Thank you for your interest.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 5, 2020
I have to say that I continue to really enjoy this series. It's a big old classic style fantasy and therefore it falls into some of the traps and pits that classical fantasy has, but it's also vast, fuelled by a desire to fix the world, and full of magic and demons. I really enjoyed the varied plotlines in this particular volume, and I think that the adventure still feels like there's a lot more to come and to be offered by the author.
Adelko and his master continue their travels, I liked seeing how much Adelko has grown and how he questions so much more than he did before. He's intelligent and has good intuition which has served them well over the course of the story.
Vaskrian is still a character I like to see even though his role in this book didn't seem as big as I had hoped it could be. I will be looking out for him though and I am glad he achieves something big in this one :)
Adhelena and Hetty are still travelling together but their relationship is fraught and hard and it's definitely clear there's some mending to be done. I liked seeing how they reacted when trouble came to them and how they managed to progress the main story here, and not only be damsels in distress all the time.
Torgan and his band had a very interesting storyline with their travels to check on the headstone. I think of all the plots theirs was the most different to that we've seen in the previous books and I liked the new adventures and trials that they faced.
The plots of the monks and the whole world in general are coming to fruition in this book. We see a lot of mages and dark magic, and also a lot of adventurers trying to track down the rot in their lands. We also see a WHOLE LOT of wars kicking off and it seems that the demons are really infecting the land as a whole.
Overall, a solid continuation and I plan to keep reading this series for sure and see where we end up :) 4*s overall.
Adelko and his master continue their travels, I liked seeing how much Adelko has grown and how he questions so much more than he did before. He's intelligent and has good intuition which has served them well over the course of the story.
Vaskrian is still a character I like to see even though his role in this book didn't seem as big as I had hoped it could be. I will be looking out for him though and I am glad he achieves something big in this one :)
Adhelena and Hetty are still travelling together but their relationship is fraught and hard and it's definitely clear there's some mending to be done. I liked seeing how they reacted when trouble came to them and how they managed to progress the main story here, and not only be damsels in distress all the time.
Torgan and his band had a very interesting storyline with their travels to check on the headstone. I think of all the plots theirs was the most different to that we've seen in the previous books and I liked the new adventures and trials that they faced.
The plots of the monks and the whole world in general are coming to fruition in this book. We see a lot of mages and dark magic, and also a lot of adventurers trying to track down the rot in their lands. We also see a WHOLE LOT of wars kicking off and it seems that the demons are really infecting the land as a whole.
Overall, a solid continuation and I plan to keep reading this series for sure and see where we end up :) 4*s overall.
November 26, 2019
Actual rating: 4.5
This review was originall posted on RockStarlit BookAsylum!
Pilgrim's Storm Brooding is the third instalment in the Broken Stone Chronicles series by Damien Black. This review was a long time coming, and since it's been a while since I've read it back in the spring, so this review probably won't be as long and detailed.
The scope of the Broken Stone Chronicles series was huge from the beginning and as the story goes on, Black keeps widening our horizon and feeding ever more plot, intrigue, adventure, magic into it without it ever feeling oppressive. Or you feeling lost in the middle of it all. As someone who is not much of a fan of classical epic fantasy, I still find myself enhanced by the imagery of Black, and the vividness by the world he creates.
We take up events right after we left them at the end of Warlock's Sun Rising. The race for the broken stone fragments continue as well as the war between the kingdoms and the stakes are higher than ever. The company is broken up during the third book, smaller groups are being formed to go on their way, following their duty, calling, fate, or whatever we want to call it. Adelko and Horskram are heading to the south to find the fourth fragment, Braxus and his company goes back to Thraxia to fight for the throne, Torgun and the others are travelling to the islands to make sure the third fragment is safe. All the while the mastermind behind the uniting wizards continue weaving their little webs and pulling the strings from the background. Pilgrim's Storm Brooding is a long book, so I'd rather not go into the plot as it would take a lot to recount. Let's just say, you won't be sort of excitement, adventure, magic, fighting and intrigue as well as some punch to the gut kind of surprises.
If you've got this far, you are already familiar with Black's writing, but if not, let me tell you one thing: he keeps improving with each book. I had some pacing issues with Devil's Night Dawning and I had a bit of criticism to Warlock's Sun Rising as well, but I think Pilgrim's Storm Brooding reads really well. And despite it being a monster of a book, it reads faster than I would have anticipated.
My favourite part was probably the Part Four, in which Torgun and company travel around accompanied by the Druids. Out of all of the places Black came up with, the Westerlings Isles my absolute favourites - Nuallan Hold with its magical atmosphere and cool ideas, which makes me wish I just go there and discover it for myself. I seriously could have spent twice as much time with this plotline just for the imaginery and landscapes and the myths surrounding it.
In terms of criticism, I still think these books should be shorter, but I also know it was a decision to keep it this long, which is fair, but keeping track of ALL the things can be a bit overwhelming. On the plus side, it has four, well defined parts so you can take a break and get back to it if that fancies you. I also wish we learned what happened to Vaskrian, because his plotline ended on a cliffhanger and arrgh, man I need to know.
Pilgrim's Storm Brooding lives up to its precedessors and then takes things up on another level. We have all of our old friends back, but of course there are some new characters you might find interesting. I'm seriously awed what a vast world Black built within these pages which are rich with history, myths, and life. A truly epic fantasy story.
This review was originall posted on RockStarlit BookAsylum!
"Perhaps it was better to question nothing, Adelko reflected gloomily, to be a fool and wander through life in blissful ignorance."
Pilgrim's Storm Brooding is the third instalment in the Broken Stone Chronicles series by Damien Black. This review was a long time coming, and since it's been a while since I've read it back in the spring, so this review probably won't be as long and detailed.
The scope of the Broken Stone Chronicles series was huge from the beginning and as the story goes on, Black keeps widening our horizon and feeding ever more plot, intrigue, adventure, magic into it without it ever feeling oppressive. Or you feeling lost in the middle of it all. As someone who is not much of a fan of classical epic fantasy, I still find myself enhanced by the imagery of Black, and the vividness by the world he creates.
We take up events right after we left them at the end of Warlock's Sun Rising. The race for the broken stone fragments continue as well as the war between the kingdoms and the stakes are higher than ever. The company is broken up during the third book, smaller groups are being formed to go on their way, following their duty, calling, fate, or whatever we want to call it. Adelko and Horskram are heading to the south to find the fourth fragment, Braxus and his company goes back to Thraxia to fight for the throne, Torgun and the others are travelling to the islands to make sure the third fragment is safe. All the while the mastermind behind the uniting wizards continue weaving their little webs and pulling the strings from the background. Pilgrim's Storm Brooding is a long book, so I'd rather not go into the plot as it would take a lot to recount. Let's just say, you won't be sort of excitement, adventure, magic, fighting and intrigue as well as some punch to the gut kind of surprises.
If you've got this far, you are already familiar with Black's writing, but if not, let me tell you one thing: he keeps improving with each book. I had some pacing issues with Devil's Night Dawning and I had a bit of criticism to Warlock's Sun Rising as well, but I think Pilgrim's Storm Brooding reads really well. And despite it being a monster of a book, it reads faster than I would have anticipated.
My favourite part was probably the Part Four, in which Torgun and company travel around accompanied by the Druids. Out of all of the places Black came up with, the Westerlings Isles my absolute favourites - Nuallan Hold with its magical atmosphere and cool ideas, which makes me wish I just go there and discover it for myself. I seriously could have spent twice as much time with this plotline just for the imaginery and landscapes and the myths surrounding it.
In terms of criticism, I still think these books should be shorter, but I also know it was a decision to keep it this long, which is fair, but keeping track of ALL the things can be a bit overwhelming. On the plus side, it has four, well defined parts so you can take a break and get back to it if that fancies you. I also wish we learned what happened to Vaskrian, because his plotline ended on a cliffhanger and arrgh, man I need to know.
Pilgrim's Storm Brooding lives up to its precedessors and then takes things up on another level. We have all of our old friends back, but of course there are some new characters you might find interesting. I'm seriously awed what a vast world Black built within these pages which are rich with history, myths, and life. A truly epic fantasy story.
August 17, 2019
And so the quest continues.
Having just come out alive from something akin of haunted moors, our travellers finally reach Rima, the capital of Pangonia. But if they thought they would get a restbite from the journeying or adventuring they have another thing coming.
In this book our brave companions are thrown further apart to different corners of their world continuing to try to uncover the source of spreading evil. Which keeps stalking them endlessly wherever they go.
They make new alliances along the way though so it is not all doom and gloom. More is revealed about the plot at hand, although plenty is left hidden for further books to come.
This is Damien Black’s third book in The Broken Stone Chronicle and it doesn’t disappoint. It is as well written as previous two with in my opinion even smoother prose than before. The pace is well set shifting between slower and faster. There were even parts where I forgot to breathe! It is a worthy successor in the series and sets the scene for an even more exciting plot in the next one.
Anyone who enjoyed the first two books will surely find this a must read because Damien’s story does not let off easy.
Having just come out alive from something akin of haunted moors, our travellers finally reach Rima, the capital of Pangonia. But if they thought they would get a restbite from the journeying or adventuring they have another thing coming.
In this book our brave companions are thrown further apart to different corners of their world continuing to try to uncover the source of spreading evil. Which keeps stalking them endlessly wherever they go.
They make new alliances along the way though so it is not all doom and gloom. More is revealed about the plot at hand, although plenty is left hidden for further books to come.
This is Damien Black’s third book in The Broken Stone Chronicle and it doesn’t disappoint. It is as well written as previous two with in my opinion even smoother prose than before. The pace is well set shifting between slower and faster. There were even parts where I forgot to breathe! It is a worthy successor in the series and sets the scene for an even more exciting plot in the next one.
Anyone who enjoyed the first two books will surely find this a must read because Damien’s story does not let off easy.
October 4, 2019
Whereas I positively devoured book 1 (Devil’s Night Dawning) and book 2 (Warlock’s Sun Rising) I had difficulty in getting into this one. It took me to well over 200 pages before I became entranced with the story again. As I had read book 2 almost 2 years ago (December 2017) I decided to re-read the last few chapters to refresh my memory. Imagine my surprise therefore, when this new book opened with the torture of Horskram. What had I missed I wondered! Book 2 left off with Horskram and Adelko travelling to Rima by boat. Anyway, I soon became aware that the first chapter of book 3 (vol 1) does have a place in the ongoing story.
On a positive note though, I did finish this book eager to pick up the next one, which I am happy to say I have sitting on my TBR shelf.
I will award the physical copy of this book with the full five stars. The cover is stunning. The paper the book is printed on is superb. It is a lovely physical copy which was a joy to read from. I just love self published books. They are far superior those that some of the large publishing companies produce.
On a positive note though, I did finish this book eager to pick up the next one, which I am happy to say I have sitting on my TBR shelf.
I will award the physical copy of this book with the full five stars. The cover is stunning. The paper the book is printed on is superb. It is a lovely physical copy which was a joy to read from. I just love self published books. They are far superior those that some of the large publishing companies produce.
November 23, 2019
This third instalment is a long but satisfying read. We rejoin our pair of intrepid monks as they continue their journey but spend plenty of quality time with a number of other characters. Have really enjoyed the series to date and this book was no exception.
October 9, 2019
Alright. I actually finished this one fairly quickly but a couple of weeks ago Mrs NBR had her tonsils out and it has not been a fun process for her, or me taking care of 2 young kids and Mars NBR haha.
So this is the third installment in the series and honestly if you’ve made it through the first two books and enjoyed the series there’s no reason you won’t continue to enjoy book 3.
In round 3 the group gets split up and is all over the known world as they look for headstone fragments. The world is also plunged into war in almost every land as the dark canal behind the theft of the fragments attempts to take over the world.
Our group of knights goes West while the girls and the religious group go to the Holy Land.
Adelko comes into his own much more in this book and Horskram can seem like a secondary character in the group he leads at times.
Vaskrian plays a big role on his group’s journey until he disappears about 2/3 of the way in.
I liked the girls much more in this book and felt like they were better fleshed out than they were in previous books.
If I had one complaint it’s that it’s an incredibly long novel and it could probably be tightened up some. The length didn’t bother me since I’m not on the same right reading schedule I have been on for the last two years but if I was it would have been tough.
I definitely look forward to the 4th novel!
So this is the third installment in the series and honestly if you’ve made it through the first two books and enjoyed the series there’s no reason you won’t continue to enjoy book 3.
In round 3 the group gets split up and is all over the known world as they look for headstone fragments. The world is also plunged into war in almost every land as the dark canal behind the theft of the fragments attempts to take over the world.
Our group of knights goes West while the girls and the religious group go to the Holy Land.
Adelko comes into his own much more in this book and Horskram can seem like a secondary character in the group he leads at times.
Vaskrian plays a big role on his group’s journey until he disappears about 2/3 of the way in.
I liked the girls much more in this book and felt like they were better fleshed out than they were in previous books.
If I had one complaint it’s that it’s an incredibly long novel and it could probably be tightened up some. The length didn’t bother me since I’m not on the same right reading schedule I have been on for the last two years but if I was it would have been tough.
I definitely look forward to the 4th novel!
February 11, 2020
The Broken Stone Chronicle is going from strength to strength and I believe that this is the best volume yet. In short, this is a great addition to the ever-expanding saga. If you like your fantasy epic and densely packed with multiple plots, lots of characters and plenty of twists and turns this series is definitely for you. Once again, I find myself in the unfortunate position of now eagerly awaiting the next one! Highly recommended!
November 3, 2019
This is a 5-star review. That is a good description of my experience.
Damien is back at the top of his form with the third installment in this series. The plot continues as various faiths that have spent centuries in conflict now find themselves either ready to commence all-0ut war or to work together to fight off the larger impending evil.
This installment does a couple of things very well. One is that there is less focus on rape. My biggest criticism of the second installment is the blase attitude towards rape. The second is that Damien has done an excellent job of recalling past events without bogging down the current narrative progress.
This is a fun read that is worth your time....and money!!
Damien is back at the top of his form with the third installment in this series. The plot continues as various faiths that have spent centuries in conflict now find themselves either ready to commence all-0ut war or to work together to fight off the larger impending evil.
This installment does a couple of things very well. One is that there is less focus on rape. My biggest criticism of the second installment is the blase attitude towards rape. The second is that Damien has done an excellent job of recalling past events without bogging down the current narrative progress.
This is a fun read that is worth your time....and money!!
January 20, 2021
Twist and turns
The series has started... Hoping a continuation is in store. The plot is good and the characters are solid. The narrators as always does a good job.
The series has started... Hoping a continuation is in store. The plot is good and the characters are solid. The narrators as always does a good job.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews