C. L. Schneider
Fantasy Author
THE CROWN OF STONES TRILOGY
The Crown of Stones is an adult epic fantasy that follows the trials of Ian Troy, a man born with an addiction to magic, living in a world where magic is reviled - and its users are enslaved.
The Crown of Stones
Magic-Price
For ten years, Ian Troy has been running from the blood on his hands and in his veins.
A decade after the end of the Rellan-Langorian war, Ian is still tortured by the tragic aftermath of that day. Having renounced his magical heritage, he lives as a bounty hunter in self-imposed exile. He curbs his addiction for magic with a steady stream of wine and regret. He struggles to put it all behind him. Until a fateful encounter with a pretty assassin brings Ian's past crashing into the present. Forced to use magic again, his deadly addiction is awakened
Now, targeted by enemies old and new, Ian becomes the pawn in a violent uprising. With his addiction raging, another war looming, and The Crown of Stones at the heart of it all, denial is no longer an option.
Embroiled in a violent race for control of The Crown of Stones, to save the realms and those he cares for, Ian must embrace the one thing he fears most: his own power.
Bronze Medal - Epic Fantasy
Magic-Price
2017 Readers Favorite
International Book Awards
First Place - Fantasy
Magic-Price
2019 Top Shelf Book Awards
The Crown of Stones
Magic-Scars
They took it all: his will, his memories, his freedom, his magic.
Imprisoned by his enemies, tortured and drugged to keep his magic suppressed, Ian Troy returns to a world as marred and broken as he is. Ravaged by the reign of her new High King, Draken of Langor, Mirra’kelan’s citizens live in fear. Rella’s lands are in disrepair. The Shinree, misled by Jem Reth’s promises, are no longer slaves, but they are far from free. Thrust together by necessity, refugees from all realms have banded together and formed alliances never before thought possible. They share a common goal: freedom from oppression. And a common, fragile hope: Ian Troy.
But as Ian struggles to put the pieces of his life back together, he finds he is not the same man as before. Afflicted by an unsettling, personal transformation, he strives to discover the truth behind his connection to the Crown of Stones. He searches for answers among the ruins of the past and uncovers ancient secrets that may have altered the course of his entire race.
The Price of Ian’s magic and his addiction have never been higher.
FINALIST
Magic-Scars
AUTHORSdb 2017 Cover Contest
The Crown of Stones
Magic-Borne
In one fell swoop, the resistance was shattered. Lives were taken. Hope was lost. Peace slipped like grains of sand through his fingers. So did the Crown of Stones. Now, forced into hiding, Ian Troy grapples for a way to save the realm—and free its people—from the sadistic clutches of Jem Reth; Mirra’kelan’s new self-appointed emperor. Plagued with the knowledge of a tragic future, he strives to influence events and save those he cares for. But his magic has betrayed him, and Fate has other plans.
Marked by the crown, hindered by the transformation spell contained within, each cast brings Ian one step closer to becoming more beast than man. Each move brings the death and destruction foretold in his vision inexplicably nearer. With Langor on the brink of war, and King Malaq’s plan for peace hanging in the balance, Ian returns to the ancient past; seeking an end to the eldring spell and a means to thwart Jem’s growing domination. What he finds there sets off a chain of revelations that leads Ian places he never thought to go.
Entrusted with the future of his race, Ian becomes the linchpin for lasting change. But how much weight can one man carry? And how much is he willing to sacrifice in the name of peace?
The world of The Crown of Stones:
Mirra'kelan
Once a single landmass ruled by the ancient Shinree Empire, Mirra'kelan is a land long-divided by war, prejudice, and fear. Five hundred years ago it was struck by a catastrophic quake, and the terrain was forever changed. The Empire was toppled, creating a shift of power and burying the Shinree's history, culture, and their secrets deep beneath the ground. The Shinree survivors, made vulnerable by their inborn addiction to magic, were drugged and enslaved.
The Langorians, once displaced by the Rellans and dominated by the Shinree, were free to claim the mountainous region of the west. They adapted to its harsh environment and evolved into brutal conquerors. Their relentless attempt to own the land of Rella continues to this day, as does Mirra'kelan's callous oppression of the Shinree.