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The Heart of Stone Adventures #1
Fool's Proof
Jester. Juggler. Joker. Jerk. Malfred Murd might be talented, but he’s undeniably abrasive— and he’s pushed the limits of humor right into a ditch.
Sacked from his cushy gig on the Royal island, Fred is left playing bootleg shows in dirtwater towns where crowds are scarce and meals are sparse. His only fan is an infuriatingly optimistic magpie who thinks he’s helping when he steals a bag full of shinies.
But the bag belongs to the ruler of a Tekologically advanced country that, just like Fred, is deep in Royal disfavor. And as our former funnyman blunders into that noble lady’s desperate plan to save her people, all three Hells break hilariously loose!
Sacked from his cushy gig on the Royal island, Fred is left playing bootleg shows in dirtwater towns where crowds are scarce and meals are sparse. His only fan is an infuriatingly optimistic magpie who thinks he’s helping when he steals a bag full of shinies.
But the bag belongs to the ruler of a Tekologically advanced country that, just like Fred, is deep in Royal disfavor. And as our former funnyman blunders into that noble lady’s desperate plan to save her people, all three Hells break hilariously loose!
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2020
102 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Eva Sandor
7 books71 followersEven as she was writing loving descriptions of applewood smoked bacon, luxury real estate and computer parts, advertising copywriter (and longtime illustrator) Eva Sandor had a feeling she would someday create a fictional world full of humor, speculation and joyous wordplay. Join her there and treat yourself to “funny fantasy that hides a serious soul”.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 24, 2023
This book is too crazy and I admit it at times I had a hard time following the plot.
The characters are hilarious and the situations sometimes have completely ridiculous and unexpected outcomes, speaking in a good way, but for my taste it was too much.
The characters are hilarious and the situations sometimes have completely ridiculous and unexpected outcomes, speaking in a good way, but for my taste it was too much.
September 6, 2020
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This read like high fantasy written by the Monty Python troupe. Malfred Murd is the former royal fool from the Isle of Gold. Now he makes his way from village to village, performing without a license and collecting whatever coins he can before the licensed entertainers run him out of town. He's accompanied by a magpie, Corvinalias, who is primarily interested in shinies and adventures. Along the way, Fred runs into a hapless messenger and a highly successful businesswoman before he finally finds himself in the technologically-advanced lands of the de Whellen's. Dame Elsebet de Whellen is the ruler of these lands, at least for now. She is desperate to keep her title and for that purpose has sent her healer, Doktor Lively, to the King on the Isle of Gold. Unfortunately she's received a message from the Doktor saying "Help" and Fred, who wound up with the messenger's bag and the note, is swept up in her mission to save the Doktor and appease the king. The hapless messenger and the successful businesswoman have their parts to play in this epic adventure, as do Corvinalias and another royal family of a neighboring principality. There's mistaken identities, magic, pirates, smugglers, and more as Dame Elsebet and Fred go on their way. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read!
This read like high fantasy written by the Monty Python troupe. Malfred Murd is the former royal fool from the Isle of Gold. Now he makes his way from village to village, performing without a license and collecting whatever coins he can before the licensed entertainers run him out of town. He's accompanied by a magpie, Corvinalias, who is primarily interested in shinies and adventures. Along the way, Fred runs into a hapless messenger and a highly successful businesswoman before he finally finds himself in the technologically-advanced lands of the de Whellen's. Dame Elsebet de Whellen is the ruler of these lands, at least for now. She is desperate to keep her title and for that purpose has sent her healer, Doktor Lively, to the King on the Isle of Gold. Unfortunately she's received a message from the Doktor saying "Help" and Fred, who wound up with the messenger's bag and the note, is swept up in her mission to save the Doktor and appease the king. The hapless messenger and the successful businesswoman have their parts to play in this epic adventure, as do Corvinalias and another royal family of a neighboring principality. There's mistaken identities, magic, pirates, smugglers, and more as Dame Elsebet and Fred go on their way. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read!
April 2, 2022
DNF: I read through half of this on my Kindle, but decided to stop. The characters are interesting. The plot… well, I wasn’t sure what the “plot” really was! Because this is set in a world unlike earth’s reality, it took time adjusting to that, plus the bizarre actions and descriptions of the people, I actually began hoping that something “normal” would happen so I would have a basis to help with understanding the book. Not much luck. Weird kingdoms, odd people, strange devices… I just found myself getting more and more confused.
I enjoyed the writing style and the creativity of this new world, I just got tired of waiting for it all to make sense.
I enjoyed the writing style and the creativity of this new world, I just got tired of waiting for it all to make sense.
August 10, 2020
My first thought of Fool's Proof was that if the story inside in any way matched the cover art, I was going to enjoy it immensely. I was not disappointed. Some familiar historical fantasy tropes provide a comfortable framework wherein the author weaves a very colorful tapestry of players, each one worthy of closer scrutiny as their lives and motivations intertwine in sometimes complex (but never confusing) ways. Sandor embroiders a rich and well-rounded world in very few stitches, delivering a lively tale that invites deeper thought but doesn’t demand it - a boon in these tumultuous times. I can read Fool’s Proof and enjoy a humorous escape, yet afterwards find myself thinking back to characters and their actions and the things left unsaid about them. In fact, my biggest criticism of the book is that it does not lag, even where I wish it would. I would gladly read three hundred pages more about any one of these characters or any place in the Fool’s Proof world, provided it was written with the same deft wit and curiosity. I would unhesitatingly recommend Eva Sandor’s book to anyone who has enjoyed Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.
May 30, 2021
The plot swirls and sways and catches its readers like it does the characters’ lives. Those characters are wonderful. I know my favorite (but it would be a spoiler to share).
The quickest way to categorize this book is to say “Terry Pratchett”.
The quickest way to categorize this book is to say “Terry Pratchett”.
May 4, 2021
Unfortunately, this was not really for me. I didn't really appreciate the plot or the humour, the latter being my problem not the author's. I read 8 chapters before I gave up. I'm sure it will appeal to other readers as it is full of incident, with the usual range of aristocrats and peasants, some distinctly more intelligent than others. Plus a talking bird, whose intelligence appears to fall somewhere in the middle.
October 15, 2021
This lighthearted book is a delight. There's a reluctant and very unheroic hero, a talking magpie with a taste for adventure, several memorable supporting characters, and in the background, a fantasy world with some disorientingly unfamiliar gender roles.
July 24, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I liked the story and the character development; the protagonists were sympathetic and women played many of the roles that would normally be written for male characters. The world-building and pacing were very good. There was also some humor in the book and the magpie helped with that. I had previously tried reading the book but gave up as I found it confusing, but I started over and I liked it better the second time around. I’ve seen comparisons of writing in this book with the writing of Sir Terry Pratchett. I don’t see it. This book didn’t have Pratchett’s intense social commentary or clever wording. I did find the writing similar to that of Tom Holt, however. Overall, the book is worth reading for fans of the genre and I am happy that another book in the series is coming out. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the complimentary reader copy.
September 28, 2020
An excellent and assured debut from Sandor, whose tale of ex-fool Malfred Murd getting embroiled in Dame Elsebet de Whellen's rescue mission is a thoroughly enjoyable escapade. Although the content is light and breezy, it is delivered with real quality in terms of the writing. The inevitable comparisons to Terry Pratchett are accurate and any fans would be advised to check this out, but also those who enjoy Christopher Moore. Top stuff.
October 4, 2021
Apparently, just not my style at all. I was mostly confused by much of the book. Nothing was explained well... weird writing style - like a poet trying not to write poetry. It was disjointed and lacked depth.
May 2, 2022
DNFed this at 2/3 through. Finally got some books in from the library and had no interest in finishing this one. It sounded cute and funny but not so much.
June 14, 2021
This is one of those books - I've seen a few lately, so I assume it's a new trend - that brings back an older narratorial approach of an omniscient implied narrator with an ironic tone, moving freely between the viewpoints of a number of hapless characters, who may or may not be protagonists. One of the characters even gets his heavy accent into the free indirect speech in which his viewpoint is depicted. (I didn't find it especially credible, by the way, that someone should have such a very heavy accent who, although originally from a remote mountain area, had grown up mostly not in that area. But this was a minor point.)
That ironic tone, the sometimes gruesome trials and often reduced agency of the characters, and the fact that children were always referred to as "brats" were not especially appealing elements to me, and did not prepare me for the ending, where . The intersections and progressions of the various characters are strongly driven by coincidence, which is not my favourite way for a plot to be driven.
The setting is one in which women are the fighters and labourers (apparently being the physically stronger sex) while men do the accounting, reading, and philosophizing. Both genders can be rulers. There's reliable contraception through chewing "maidenroot". All this was more in the background than the foreground, but gave an interesting spin to the world.
The copy editing was mostly OK, apart from some capitalization issues ("Brother" should be capitalized when it's part of a person's name, and "Harbour" when it's part of a place's name) and a few minor typos.
It's capably done, and the ending was unexpectedly satisfying, but the journey had too much ironic detachment from truly nasty events, too many clueless characters, and too much coincidence for me to really love it, or to add it to my Best of the Year list.
I received a copy via Netgalley for review.
That ironic tone, the sometimes gruesome trials and often reduced agency of the characters, and the fact that children were always referred to as "brats" were not especially appealing elements to me, and did not prepare me for the ending, where . The intersections and progressions of the various characters are strongly driven by coincidence, which is not my favourite way for a plot to be driven.
The setting is one in which women are the fighters and labourers (apparently being the physically stronger sex) while men do the accounting, reading, and philosophizing. Both genders can be rulers. There's reliable contraception through chewing "maidenroot". All this was more in the background than the foreground, but gave an interesting spin to the world.
The copy editing was mostly OK, apart from some capitalization issues ("Brother" should be capitalized when it's part of a person's name, and "Harbour" when it's part of a place's name) and a few minor typos.
It's capably done, and the ending was unexpectedly satisfying, but the journey had too much ironic detachment from truly nasty events, too many clueless characters, and too much coincidence for me to really love it, or to add it to my Best of the Year list.
I received a copy via Netgalley for review.
May 14, 2025
Eva Sandor’s Fool’s Proof is a refreshingly irreverent romp through a world where satire and fantasy collide, starring a protagonist you might want to throttle—if only you weren’t too busy laughing.
Malfred Murd, the titular “fool,” is no charming court jester. He’s a snarky, washed-up performer who’s as abrasive as he is unlucky. Recently booted from his prestigious Royal gig, Fred finds himself scraping together a living on the fringes of society, relying on meager crowds and the dubious companionship of a talkative, kleptomaniac magpie. When said magpie swipes a mysterious bag of “shinies” from a Tek-rich, politically marginalized noblewoman, Fred unwittingly gets swept up in a high-stakes plot to rescue her homeland.
Sandor crafts a witty, twist-laden tale with impressive world-building and a flair for the absurd. The fusion of medieval setting and futuristic "Tekology" gives the book a quirky steampunk edge, while the cast, especially the flamboyant Fred, brings a comic zing to every scene. Despite Fred's initial unlikability, his reluctant heroism, sharp tongue, and surprisingly earnest arc make for an oddly endearing journey.
Beyond the laughs, Fool’s Proof touches on themes of redemption, resilience, and the blurry line between foolishness and bravery. Readers who enjoy genre mashups, zany capers, and character-driven fantasy will find this novel a delightful escape with real narrative heart.
Malfred Murd, the titular “fool,” is no charming court jester. He’s a snarky, washed-up performer who’s as abrasive as he is unlucky. Recently booted from his prestigious Royal gig, Fred finds himself scraping together a living on the fringes of society, relying on meager crowds and the dubious companionship of a talkative, kleptomaniac magpie. When said magpie swipes a mysterious bag of “shinies” from a Tek-rich, politically marginalized noblewoman, Fred unwittingly gets swept up in a high-stakes plot to rescue her homeland.
Sandor crafts a witty, twist-laden tale with impressive world-building and a flair for the absurd. The fusion of medieval setting and futuristic "Tekology" gives the book a quirky steampunk edge, while the cast, especially the flamboyant Fred, brings a comic zing to every scene. Despite Fred's initial unlikability, his reluctant heroism, sharp tongue, and surprisingly earnest arc make for an oddly endearing journey.
Beyond the laughs, Fool’s Proof touches on themes of redemption, resilience, and the blurry line between foolishness and bravery. Readers who enjoy genre mashups, zany capers, and character-driven fantasy will find this novel a delightful escape with real narrative heart.
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September 1, 2022Eva Sandor MFA’96
Author
From the author:
Dame Elsebet de Whellen has ruled her mildly magical, high-tech country for 50 prosperous years. Now it's facing a crisis three generations in the making, and the bold steps she's taken to save it have gone disastrously off the rails.
Naturally she’s going to pray for the help of a brave and selfless hero. Of course it will go wrong. Obviously instead of a hero, she’ll get an exiled jester and his bantering bird.
That jester would be Malfred Murd: poet, acrobat, wielder of wit. He’s cynical — twenty years of playing the Fool for an unappreciative wet blanket of a King will do that to a fellow — as well as broke, blacklisted and reduced to eating lizards caught by his self-appointed guardian, a sassy magpie with a longing for adventure. All Fred wanted was a few coins to keep him off the dirt streets. But he gets more, far more. Like it or not, he and Dame Elsebet are about to get hopelessly entangled in a desperate mission that might cost a Fool his life and a people their future.
Author
From the author:
Dame Elsebet de Whellen has ruled her mildly magical, high-tech country for 50 prosperous years. Now it's facing a crisis three generations in the making, and the bold steps she's taken to save it have gone disastrously off the rails.
Naturally she’s going to pray for the help of a brave and selfless hero. Of course it will go wrong. Obviously instead of a hero, she’ll get an exiled jester and his bantering bird.
That jester would be Malfred Murd: poet, acrobat, wielder of wit. He’s cynical — twenty years of playing the Fool for an unappreciative wet blanket of a King will do that to a fellow — as well as broke, blacklisted and reduced to eating lizards caught by his self-appointed guardian, a sassy magpie with a longing for adventure. All Fred wanted was a few coins to keep him off the dirt streets. But he gets more, far more. Like it or not, he and Dame Elsebet are about to get hopelessly entangled in a desperate mission that might cost a Fool his life and a people their future.
June 6, 2023
I received a free copy of Fool's Proof from BookSirens.
I really enjoyed Sandor's writing style. She's got a knack for making some really interesting characters. The Heart of Stone books take place in a society that is dissimilar from ours in that women are stronger on average and more likely to be in charge. As a result the female characters, particularly Dame Elsebet de Whellen, are the most interesting. However the plot is driven by the madcap actions of two men, Malfred Murd, former Royal Fool and Alvert Dragonsson, a young courier, as their ineptitude keeps the plot moving. At first the book makes little sense but as details are filled in by backstory vignettes, the struggles of Elsebet to maintain her house & title become poignant as her illustrious and slightly checkered past is revealed. Sandor has really made a complex work of art here. Well worth reading.
I really enjoyed Sandor's writing style. She's got a knack for making some really interesting characters. The Heart of Stone books take place in a society that is dissimilar from ours in that women are stronger on average and more likely to be in charge. As a result the female characters, particularly Dame Elsebet de Whellen, are the most interesting. However the plot is driven by the madcap actions of two men, Malfred Murd, former Royal Fool and Alvert Dragonsson, a young courier, as their ineptitude keeps the plot moving. At first the book makes little sense but as details are filled in by backstory vignettes, the struggles of Elsebet to maintain her house & title become poignant as her illustrious and slightly checkered past is revealed. Sandor has really made a complex work of art here. Well worth reading.
September 27, 2022
There was a lot of this book that I quite enjoyed. I really liked Fred and his sassy, sarcastic magpie made for a great companion. Plus, he had the ability to speak! I thought the world was creative and well built and there were definitely parts where I giggled out loud. At the same time, I have to admit that my attention waned around the middle. I didn’t lose interest, but I felt the plot was getting increasingly convoluted, especially after the introduction of several new characters. The positive here was that the confusion I had didn’t last and eventually, things worked out. Overall, a pretty fun read!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Eva Sandor for my copy! I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you Voracious Readers and Eva Sandor for my copy! I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 19, 2025
Overall, a pretty good book, and the author shows potential. I went in expecting something akin to Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and instead find something both more and less odd - the differences to our world are mostly subtle, with a few major changes sprinkled in and treated as unremarkable. It came across as clever, by the end, but took a while to get there.
The middle of the book dragged, and I nearly dropped the book around 30% in, but am glad I powered through, because the world and the subtle humor shine by the end. The plot takes a long time to fully connect, and is largely built on uncommon - but still familiar - tropes.
I look forward to the author's further works, as this really felt like a "teeth cutting" novel, with some growing pains but overall a solid showing.
The middle of the book dragged, and I nearly dropped the book around 30% in, but am glad I powered through, because the world and the subtle humor shine by the end. The plot takes a long time to fully connect, and is largely built on uncommon - but still familiar - tropes.
I look forward to the author's further works, as this really felt like a "teeth cutting" novel, with some growing pains but overall a solid showing.
August 23, 2021
I was first attracted by the brilliant cover illustration and then got sucked in by the brilliant story inside. Funny, touching, gut-twisting, riveting, and more. Just enough world building to be interesting but a lot left for the next installment of the story (and I hope for more than one).
Women are the strong sex here, how great and mind-blowing is that? I constantly had to adjust my perception while reading and I found myself rolling my eyes when wondering why a certain character is male instead of female.
This is a promising new writer. I loved the book and I'm looking forward to reading the next.
Women are the strong sex here, how great and mind-blowing is that? I constantly had to adjust my perception while reading and I found myself rolling my eyes when wondering why a certain character is male instead of female.
This is a promising new writer. I loved the book and I'm looking forward to reading the next.
November 4, 2022
I LOVED this book.
The characters are great, their world is well developed, but above all, the language for the story-telling captivated me. I roams from the bawdy to the poetic with a lightness of touch that keeps the ongoing development of the characters and plot at the centre thoughout.
And I love the fact that all the tough jobs are done by women folk. And eventually worked out what maidenroot is for.
Looking forward to devouring the next two in the series, and the fourth when it comes out.
The characters are great, their world is well developed, but above all, the language for the story-telling captivated me. I roams from the bawdy to the poetic with a lightness of touch that keeps the ongoing development of the characters and plot at the centre thoughout.
And I love the fact that all the tough jobs are done by women folk. And eventually worked out what maidenroot is for.
Looking forward to devouring the next two in the series, and the fourth when it comes out.
September 26, 2024
The humour is suble and you can tell that it will be an ongoing adventure.
Manfred (Fred) was a royal jester who was recently fired. He wonders around looking for work while scrounging for food with the help of the magpie Corvinalias. Corvinalias talks and calls Fred his pet.
Fred is adopted by a wandering Ox train queen, who is enchanted by him and Corvinalias.
They have adventures and misadventures.
Corvinalias is far too small a part of the story, but hopefully plays a larger part in the sequels.
Manfred (Fred) was a royal jester who was recently fired. He wonders around looking for work while scrounging for food with the help of the magpie Corvinalias. Corvinalias talks and calls Fred his pet.
Fred is adopted by a wandering Ox train queen, who is enchanted by him and Corvinalias.
They have adventures and misadventures.
Corvinalias is far too small a part of the story, but hopefully plays a larger part in the sequels.
Read
August 3, 2025Resigned to DNF after chapter 18. I thought that I was just too tired when I started reading this, but two days later I'm still not able to get into it. The writing is a bit too dense with gags and affected dialogue while not doing enough to move the story forward for my tastes. I also couldn't find a way to care about the characters or their respective situations. I'm shrugging and saying it's probably as much me as the book, though, and suspect that there's a real audience for this that just doesn't include me.
August 25, 2021
Entertaining
I love the cover! This was a fun and easy read. Its very light hearted and imaginative. The story world is one of a kind. The main character Malfred is a trip. Definitely recommend.
I love the cover! This was a fun and easy read. Its very light hearted and imaginative. The story world is one of a kind. The main character Malfred is a trip. Definitely recommend.
August 6, 2022
This book has its amusing moments, but doesn't begin to live up to the hype. I found the multiple characters and convoluted plot threads confusing, and wasn't always sure what was going on, but it sorts out eventually. The world building and reversal of traditional gender roles is interesting.
December 20, 2022
This fantasy novel was interesting. The magpie can talk to humans. The main hero waking to everyone, scamming for money. In the end the tables are turned on him. Ms.Sandor delivered the audio very well. She was able in inflect accents and different sounds for the creatures and characters.
October 7, 2022
A free book from Voracious Readers thank you
A tale that has betrayal, madness and magic twists
A tale that has betrayal, madness and magic twists
January 23, 2023
For a first book it was really good, I would love to know what happens next with all characters. A fool who is so much more than a fool, a Dr that isn't really a doctor, what could go wrong
June 25, 2023
I'm sorry but I struggled through this mishmash of unoriginal ideas and found it quite boring, I do wish it was as advertised but it took far too long to set up the characters and by then it was too late.
September 11, 2021
Such a fun and whimsical book!
The motley assemblage of anthropomorphic characters and the scattered but interconnected plots reminded me of Xanth, for some reason.
The author writes in varied and unique voices for each perspective and fully immerses the reader in a world mixed with fantasy and technology. The characters are fun and endearing, and the witty banter is humorous and smart.
Highly recommended for fans of light-hearted fantasy!
The motley assemblage of anthropomorphic characters and the scattered but interconnected plots reminded me of Xanth, for some reason.
The author writes in varied and unique voices for each perspective and fully immerses the reader in a world mixed with fantasy and technology. The characters are fun and endearing, and the witty banter is humorous and smart.
Highly recommended for fans of light-hearted fantasy!
September 3, 2023
Really good story. It was a bit difficult to follow in the beginning. There are several different story lines and a lot of characters. But everything comes together in the second half of the book.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews