This tale concerns a lad of twelve, who sets off unwillingly on a journey with his uncle. In the course of his adventures, he obtains a stone, whose ultimate meaning is tied up with the fate of a war between two cities. As commonly happens with boys, he finds himself at the center of the conflict. Can he divine the stone’s purpose in time? Even more importantly, can he even hang on to it? The story includes a mystery, long journeys, prisons, adventure, and living out-of-doors. There is also a fairly large battle at the end, with plenty of blood. Death appears throughout. I believe that...