Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Andrew Neil MacLeod

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Caroline Logan had a way of adding Myths and Legends into the story that had me fascinated with them. Not only that the world building around the Fae world was so good. You didn't feel that you didn't know what was going on.

The style of writing was easy to read and had me pretty gripped from the start. The interactions between the characters were what I enjoyed about the book the most.

Thanks to Burning Chair and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this title.

This was a surprisingly solid read. I went into this book with no real knowledge of what it was about or any real expectations but I was pleasantly surprised.

I didn’t realise it was the second book however and I think in hindsight I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first and got a bit more grounding in the world.

I’ll definitely consider any new releases from the author.

This book was a rip roaring adventure from start to finish.
The Stone of Destiny, the sacred relic of the Scottish High kings, is a fake, and Doctor Johnson turns up at his friend James Boswell’s door to drag him on an adventure to find the real one.
Set in 18th Century Scotland this book really brings to life the industrialised towns and the wild landscapes of the country.

It's an enjoyable concoction of history and the supernatural. As myths and legends are fused with science as the scholarly Dr. Johnson and the very Watson-y Boswell stumble their way through facts and clues, chasing and being chased across the highlands.
The book unfolds almost like a collection of short stories, as Boswell's diary entries, detailing their adventures with monsters and cultists as they chase the Stone.

I enjoyed a lot of the Celtic nods in this book, and appreciate a book that has you googling myths or people to learn more.

If you want a fun, engaging treasure hunt of a book, with a good mix of fantasy and historical fiction, then this is a solid book to pick up.

Have you ever come upon a scene in a movie or a book when a character finds a dusty journal within a collection of antiques and oddities? Reading the Stone of Destiny feels like opening that journal and finding tales of strange and curious encounters.

This story follows two friends who decide to go on a quest to prove that the current Stone of Destiny in Westminster Abbey is a fake. Following clues, they stumble upon odd happenings in various towns and help to solve these local mysteries as they pass through.

I have to admit that I generally prefer plot-driven books, so this one started a bit slow for me. However, the format of this book made it very easy to read a good chunk and then put it down until I was in the mood for it again. The story is anchored by the quest for the truth, but each "adventure" encountered by the MMCs is nicely packaged into a mini-story of sorts.

My favorite aspect of this book was the friendship between the two main characters - Johnson and Boswell. They have a charming camaraderie, and I enjoyed their conversations.

This book is definitely not for everyone, but I'd recommend it if you enjoy:
- slow burn, historical fiction mysteries
- lots of character dialogue
- finding old annotations in second-hand books
- browsing shops that sell one-of-a-kind oddities

I wouldn't recommend this book if you prefer:
- stories with a quickly moving plot and a lot of moving parts
- straightforward historical fiction without a paranormal element

Thank you for the ARC! This review has been cross-posted on Instagram and GoodReads.

Despite being a slow burn, I really liked this book. I loved the historical element. It made me look up facts for more information which is fantastic! I loved the Scottish setting as I have always wanted to go there. Loved the characters and they're relationship with each other and the fantasy was just the Icing on the cake

I found it really slow to get going and capture my interest, when books are written as a short story collection it can be a bit disjointed and not flow as well as other stories.

Overall though I did enjoy the subject matter and the author’s use of old time style of writing.

I would recommend this book if you enjoy the short story collections.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good overall direction of travel yet has a number of shorter, distinct stories within it. You really get to feel what the Dr Johnson character is like and how his travelling companions help him on his quest. I enjoyed the twist at the end too. Ideal if you like to pick up and put down a book.. just read a mini story in a visit.

I was completely engaged in this novel and totally absorbed in the atmospheric world. I really enjoyed the format of this story too; some parts were split off into short stories (which felt like wonderful side quests) and also portions of the book were "from the case book of Johnson and Boswell." I would definitely read more books written in this style. I found it to be perfectly paced as well. I adore Scotland as a country and this book didn't disappoint on that level either, the book seemed to envelope me into every scene. The author has managed to capture a style of writing that comes across as modern Victorian, which I found easy to read whilst transporting me to another era. For me, this book was both captivating and enthralling. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a historical mystery and folklore.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book!!Really liked it!
Went into reading this book with no expectations but was pleasantly surprised!
It set in the 1700s and has Indiana jones/ Sherlock Holmes vibes add in a splash of supernatural.
It was a fun read, with some twists and jumps but very good

Truthfully, I expected this to be a little more engaging - parts were a little wooden and some of the dialogue seemed stilted - as if it were translated into English from another language - some of the exchanges just didn't seem realistic.

It may have been that this book just wasn't my cup of tea - there were parts that I did enjoy - the characters overall were good and I liked that the story was centred around Scottish history.

it sounded interesting but the writing didn't gab me. I couldn't get hooked early on, so I had no drive to continue. Dnf pretty early which is a shame

I have tried to get through this book but I ended up DNFing just before half way through.

This is not to my taste but may suit someone who has an interest in Scotland and have read the previous book.

The Stone of Destiny is the second book in the Casebook of Johnson & Boswell series set in 18th century Scotland. This book features Doctor Samuel Johnson and James Boswell.

Doctor Johnson has decided to prove that the historic Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation ceremonies of British monarchs is a fake. Boswell agrees to accompany him on a tour of the Highlands, while following a series of clues to the secret location.

This was whimsical and entertaining story of what if the Stone of Destiny was truly a fake. I did not read the first book, but I think I would have enjoyed this one so much more if I had.

Thanks to Burning Chair and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the second installment in the partnership of Johnson and Boswell and it's full of wild adventures, creatures from myth and legend, plus the continuing mystery surrounding the Stone of Destiny. At the end of book one, Johnson and Boswell learn that the coronation stone at Westminster is a fake and they set out on a road trip across the wilds of Scotland. While the major thread of the story remains throughout, each part could be read as a separate tale, but I would say it's best to read them in order. The tales cover a wide swath of regional myth and legend, including the Tuatha Dé Danaan, werewolves, and other horrors. Each tale is a wild ride and the story is fun, escapist reading. I liked how some historical figures and events are woven throughout the story. As a character reader, I wasn't particularly attached to either of the main characters, so for me it was lacking that emotional punch, but that's not what this is striving for so don't let that keep you from reading and enjoying this unique set of stories!!

I have done my best to finish reading this book but have ground to a halt at Loch Ness. My failure is due to too much gravy and not enough meat on the stories and so they failed to hold my interest. Therefore, this is not a book I can heartily recommend.

In 1773, Samuel Johnson and James Bothwell toured Scotland. Was this idle fun, or a serious investigation into an historic theft (or historic scam)? The official record says it was for fun, this alternative universe book says it was an investigation into the nature and whereabouts of the Stone of Scone, upon which the Kings of Scotland hand been coronated for hundreds of years. The Stone, which has gone by various names, was stolen in 1422 and taken to England by Edward the Second, known as Longshanks, where it was incorporated into the Coronation Throne. However, it has often been suggested that that stone was fake and that the real Stone is hidden somewhere in Scotland.
Their search is really just a backbone on which to hang a series of short stories in which our two “heroes” meet various challenges at the main stopping points on their route (which does actually map the route they took in the real world). The stories are in the fantasy genre and their roots are quite apparent to see in that canon, notably “The Island of Dr Moreau” and the “Murders in the Rue Morgue”, but with clear links to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Traditional Scottish folk stories are also evoked (although there is no Scottish tradition of werewolves), and some historical accidental poisonings. There is also an overarching background concerning Atlantis, here in its second most popular location in the Atlantic (more or less on the Celtic shelf) and long now sunk, but with survivors having colonised Ireland and the Western Isles.
The book presents pretty much as a mishmash of interesting but not very exciting tales. The writing is passable but not great or compulsive reading. None of the characters are particularly likeable and Boswell, it seems to me, is traduced. I’m sure there’s an audience for this but I had grown out of it by the time I reached my majority.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

The Stone of Destiny was a step up from its predecessor.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Burning Chair and Netgalley for the opportunity.

I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)

Release date: 31st of October 2022.

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When I requested The Stone of Destiny from Netgalley, I had no idea that it was actually a part of a series. Therefore, and because I had a little bit of time, I gave The Fall of the House of Thomas Weir a read. It was interesting, but I wasn't totally enjoying myself going through it, which does get improved in a way in this book.

Before that however, the main improvement in this book comes with the fact that they're shorter adventures within a much bigger adventure. Boswell and Johnson start off searching or learning more about the titular stone, before they are exposed to the local legends and myths for further investigations.

For me, this worked very well, as it felt like the stories were a lot tighter in execution when done this way in comparison to a much lengthier narrative. I'm somewhat starting to think that the author's strength lies in shorter narratives just like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as an example.

The events in each of these stories were interesting, the characters felt more distinct and it was very interesting learning about the history and trying to uncover the myths so to speak. It was also interesting to see how the locals reacted to the existence of these myths and how they functioned as a community with them as well.

My main complaint in the previous book was that the characters, especially the main duo and their companions, felt exactly the same despite the author's efforts. But in The Stone of Destiny, there is a very distinct feel when it comes to Boswell and Johnson, and because they were moving from one place to another for other stories, there was also variety in the companions.

This might have also been a bit of a double edged sword when it came to Boswell for me, as his unresolved daddy issues and roving eyes (with the accompanying thoughts) got old very quickly. Historically, I'll say it's not inaccurate of a portrayal.

Provided entertainment wise for me personally however? Not as much as I had hoped.

Regardless, I'm very glad to see that I was right in thinking that this series could get better moving forward, because it did. The shorter narrative is something I hope is here to stay, as it works so much better and leaves me kind of excited to see where they would next.

Johnson and Boswell have a definite Sherlock and Watson vibe as they head out to discover if the stone of destiny in Westminster abbey is real or a fake and they have several adventures during their search.
I wasn't expecting the way this book was formatted, it's a series of diary entries followed by the story being told more in depth before the next entry, and while they are all interesting little side quests it really disrupted the flow of the story for me. I also didn't realize when I requested this book that it was book 2 in a series and while it read fine as a standalone you'll likely get more out of it if you start at the beginning.
The characters are interesting and based on actual people with obviously a lot of liberties taken to tell a fantasy story, but I found how Dr. Johnson always explained away each little side quest to be a bit abrupt and with very little show and to much tell. Overall it was an interesting story that has made me want to learn more about the people the author based the characters on.

3.0 out of 5.0

The Stone of Destiny by Andrew Neil MacLeod is an Action / Adventure with Mysterious elements sprinkled into the stories. Set in 18th Century Scotland, Samuel Johnson and James Boswell search for the legendary Stone of Destiny and encounter many strange people along the journey.

The writing seemed to reflect the past method of serialized storytelling. This choice helps to set the atmosphere of a spooky Scotland in which ancient folklore lurks around every Abbey. The caricaturized personalities of Johnson and Boswell did not work at all. Johnson was a Holmes type intellectual while Boswell was a W. C. Fields type womanizing drunk.

Some of the stories were a good fun read but the main quest was a dull tale. Not a recommend.