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Reader ratingreader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
4.8
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Three Sticks by David R Anderson Review: A Nostalgic, Earnest Heroic Fantasy Debut
by David R Anderson
Three Sticks is a self-published coming-of-age fantasy novel — the first in a planned three-book series — written by David R Anderson, illustrated by Tim Cleary, and edited by Steve Anderson. Told through the eyes of Sten, a self-conscious seventeen-year-old half-elf navigating a childhood injury, village life, and an unexpected journey into the Wild, the book draws on Anderson's decades of love for the genre, rooted in his Dungeons & Dragons-playing teenage years in small-town Minnesota. Reader reactions on Amazon point to an entertaining cast, a well-paced plot, and a tone that balances heroic adventure with humor and heart.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers who grew up on classic D&D-lineage heroic fantasy — elves, quests, creature rosters, and campfire camaraderie — and who want a warmly traditional coming-of-age adventure with genuine emotional interiority at its centre.
Worth it if
You enjoy character-driven quest fantasy in the classic mould and are happy to follow a trilogy as it unfolds, since Book 2 is already available and Book 3 is reported to be in progress.
Skip if
You prefer grimdark, politically complex, or formally experimental fantasy, or you like to wait until a complete series is in hand before beginning Book 1.
What readers & critics say
Amazon reader listings across multiple storefronts reflect consistent enthusiasm, with reviewers on amazon.com.au praising the cast, surprises, and humour, and amazon.ca's listing describing the book as "a sweeping coming-of-age fantasy about courage, scars, and the bonds that shape us." No reviews from major critical outlets such as Kirkus Reviews or Publishers Weekly were retrieved for this specific title.
Sources: Amazon.com.au, Amazon.ca4.8from 81 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
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Three Sticks is a warmly traditional coming-of-age fantasy following Sten, a self-conscious seventeen-year-old half-elf whose journey from village life into the Wild carries both external adventure and genuine emotional interiority. Readers rooted in classic D&D-lineage heroic fantasy — elves, quests, creature-filled wilds, and campfire camaraderie — will find it an entertaining and heartfelt debut. The key caveat: those seeking genre-subverting or formally experimental fantasy will find its pleasures firmly traditional, and the trilogy remains incomplete while Book 3, Three Bones, is still in development.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers with an appetite for classic, secondary-world heroic fantasy in the D&D tradition, Three Sticks offers genuine entertainment: Amazon reviewers consistently praise its cast, pacing, and tonal balance of world-building, magic, action, and humor, with at least one describing a dread of the final pages because the reading experience was so engaging. Sten's emotional arc — rooted in a childhood injury and a convincing self-consciousness around connection — gives the story more interiority than a purely action-driven adventure. As a self-published debut, it arrives without the editorial infrastructure of a major imprint, a factor some readers weigh; and because the trilogy is still in progress, readers who prefer complete story arcs may want to wait for Three Bones. Those happy to follow a series as it unfolds will find two books already available and a third underway.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to Three Sticks will find natural company in the classics of secondary-world heroic fantasy and accessible coming-of-age adventure. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring shares the D&D-lineage sensibility — elves, quests, creature-filled wilds, and a band of companions — that Anderson explicitly draws on. Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind offers another coming-of-age fantasy following a young protagonist's growth in a richly built secondary world, with a similar balance of adventure and interiority. For readers who appreciate Anderson's integration of humor and heart alongside the heroics, Terry Pratchett's Mort provides a lighter, wit-driven take on classic fantasy tropes. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone round out the curated selection for those interested in younger-protagonist fantasy with strong emotional arcs.
- Who should read this?
- Three Sticks is written for readers who grew up on classic D&D-lineage heroic fantasy — elves, quests, creature rosters, and campfire camaraderie — and for those looking for an accessible entry point into that tradition. Its coming-of-age framing, with Sten's arc around self-worth and connection, gives it additional resonance for teen and adult readers interested in emotional depth alongside adventure. It is also a strong fit for anyone who appreciates a balance of world-building, magic, sword-and-staff action, humor, and a touch of romance within a single volume. Readers seeking grimdark, politically complex epic fantasy, or formally experimental storytelling will likely find its pleasures too traditionally rooted.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 13 and up. Three Sticks features a seventeen-year-old half-elf protagonist navigating themes of romance, heartbreak, friendship, and self-worth alongside heroic adventure — territory that maps naturally onto confident teen readers and adult genre fans alike. The tone is warmly adventurous with humor and heart rather than dark or graphic, and the content framing is broadly in line with classic heroic fantasy of the D&D tradition.
- Where should I start with this series?
- Three Sticks (Book 1) is the correct starting point — it introduces Sten, his brother, the world's creature roster, and the emotional arc that drives the series. Book 2 is already available for readers ready to continue immediately after finishing the first volume. Three Bones (Book 3) was reported to be in development as of Anderson's most recent public update, so the trilogy is not yet complete.
- How does D&D influence this book?
- The D&D connection is foundational rather than cosmetic. Anderson has described the Three Sticks series as emerging directly from the Dungeons & Dragons sessions played in the Anderson family basement during his teenage years in small-town Minnesota — memories he says 'linger and demand a voice from five decades past.' That biographical grounding shapes the book's creature roster (elves, pixies, Hurks), its adventure-forward structure, and the warmth of its ensemble dynamic. Classic fantasy readers will recognise the lineage immediately, and the book is likely to feel like a love letter to the tradition for those who share it.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What age is it for?
Where should I start with this series?
How does D&D influence this book?
Summarize this book
Three Sticks is the first volume of a planned three-book series by debut author David R Anderson, illustrated by Tim Cleary and edited by Steve Anderson. It follows Sten, a seventeen-year-old half-elf carrying a childhood scar and a deep self-consciousness about it, as he and his brother venture from village life into the Wild — a realm of elves, pixies, Hurks, and fantastic creatures. The book blends heroic adventure with coming-of-age themes of courage, romance, friendship, and self-worth, and draws its sensibility directly from Anderson's decades of Dungeons & Dragons memories. A standalone ghost story embedded near the midpoint adds a shift in register that reviewers on Amazon have singled out as a particular highlight.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 12–18
Reading level
Young adult
Best for: Ages 13+ — coming-of-age themes including romance, heartbreak, and self-worth alongside heroic adventure suit confident teen readers and adults; the D&D-lineage adventure register is accessible rather than dark or graphic.
Skip if you're seeking grimdark, politically complex epic fantasy, or formally experimental storytelling.
Our Review
A debut novel fuelled by five decades of D&D memories, Three Sticks delivers a warmly traditional heroic fantasy that will resonate with readers who grew up on elves, quests, and campfire camaraderie.
Three Sticks: A Coming-of-Age Fantasy Series by David R Anderson front cover
What the Book Is and What It Contains
Three Sticks is the opening volume of a planned three-book series and is marketed as a coming-of-age fantasy. Its central protagonist is Sten, a seventeen-year-old half-elf who carries both a physical scar from a childhood injury and the emotional weight that comes with it — specifically, a deep self-consciousness that causes him to withdraw whenever girls attempt to speak with him, convinced their interest is pity rather than genuine connection. The story begins in the context of village life but pivots when Sten and his brother (described in Amazon listings as two brothers on a shared journey) head into the Wild, a realm populated by elves, pixies, and an array of fantastic creatures. The publisher describes the book as "a sweeping coming-of-age fantasy about courage, scars, and the bonds that shape us," and its thematic territory spans romance, friendship, heartbreak, and wonder. The world also features humans, elves, Hurks (a species that, as one Amazon reviewer notes, rhymes with Orcs), and an magic system integrated into the action.
The Author's Origins and the Series' Roots
David R Anderson came to fiction writing after a long career in software development, having earned an engineering degree from the University of Minnesota before working in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis. Now retired, he has described the Three Sticks series as emerging directly from the teenage Dungeons & Dragons sessions held in the Anderson family basement — memories, he notes, that "linger and demand a voice from five decades past." That biographical context is not merely promotional colour; it shapes the book's sensibility. Three Sticks is Anderson's first novel, which makes it a notable act of late-career creative ambition. The series already has a second book out, with a third — titled Three Bones — reported to be in progress. Tim Cleary is credited as the illustrator, and Steve Anderson serves as editor.
Strengths Noted by Readers
Reader responses on Amazon, while not drawn from major critical outlets, reflect consistent enthusiasm. Several reviewers highlight the cast as a particular strength — one notes "a most entertaining cast of characters whose adventures keep the reader's attention from page one," going on to describe dreading the final pages because the reading experience was so engaging. Others point to the book's tonal balance: one reviewer praises "just the right amount of world building, just the right amount of magic and sword/staff action, a good plot pace… humor (!) and, even a touch of romance." A standalone ghost story embedded near the book's midpoint is singled out as a highlight — described by one Amazon reader as an "eerie ghost story near the middle that would make a nice stand-alone story" — suggesting Anderson has a feel for varying register and pacing within a longer narrative structure.
Genre Position and Likely Audience
The book plants its flag firmly in classic, or secondary-world, heroic fantasy rather than grimdark or epic political fantasy. Its D&D lineage is visible in the creature roster and the adventure-forward structure, and readers who grew up on that tradition — or who are looking for an accessible entry point into the genre — are its clearest intended audience. The coming-of-age framing, with Sten's emotional arc around self-worth and connection running alongside the external quest, gives the story a layer of interiority that distinguishes it from purely action-driven fare. That said, the book's roots in nostalgic genre memory mean it is unlikely to surprise readers seeking formally experimental or genre-subverting fantasy; its pleasures are those of a well-executed traditional adventure.
Considerations for Prospective Readers
As a self-published debut, Three Sticks arrives without the editorial infrastructure of a major imprint, and readers who weigh production context when choosing their reading may factor that in. The series is also ongoing and incomplete at the time of this book's publication — the first volume is Book 1 of 3 — so readers who prefer to wait for a complete story before investing may want to note that the third instalment was still in progress as of the author's most recent public update. On the other hand, for readers happy to follow a series as it unfolds, the existing momentum — two books available, a third underway — offers reasonable assurance of continuity.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
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