Review by Travis Starnes The first book in the Echoes of Empire series, The Garden of Stones is an epic story of a civil war, a madman’s vicious path to power and the noble warrior that stands in his way. The description of the book made me eager to get a copy and start reading. I have to say from the outset you can tell how intent Mark Barnes is to build this world. It is obvious on every page how much care and detail he put into the world, the politics, the people and the language. Generally I admire when an author really builds out the world the story is set in. For me it is what elevates The Lord of the Rings from a good read to an amazing novel and the keystone all fantasy books should follow. Unfortunately, Barnes does not successfully pull of the world building the way Tolkien did. … Read more »
