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Two and a half years has passed and Troy has spent them in jail, a prisoner of the King of Langor, and now as he struggles to remember why and who he is. Malaq is old friend has returned to finish what they started long ago, to free the Shinree and make Mirra’kelan a free land for all the races. As Troy slowly learns who he is more of his history is revealed to us and more of the puzzle comes together. Ian has learned he has a higher level of magic in him than he thought possible and that bringing peace to the realm will be much more difficult than he thought.
Magic-scars has a level of complexity that is much more than I first thought, the characters continue to evolve and develop as the story of The Crown of Stones continues. I love the way C.L. Schneider has weaved this world, filled in the more of its history and told us more about why the Shinree are so integral. Mirra’kelan is a living world with many complex characters that seem to shift from friend to foe as the story is told. Ian has a fine line to walk and who he can depend on for help is constantly moving. With less allies than he can count on a hand he forges forward with his quest to free his longtime friend from the jail deep beneath the castle of Langor. The sophistication of magic spells, sources of magic and their effects continues to impress, they hold me to the story and don’t let go. Every chapter left me needing more and at every turn of the story I felt more and more connected to Troy and his quest.
Troy and his traveling companion Liel meet many obstacles on their way to Langor and the castle of Draken, the battles are many and damage leaves them near death on more than one occasion. The fight scenes are styles are very well written and add to the strength of the author’s creation of the differing races in the realm. As Ian learns the true secret of the crown of stones and his own heritage it is clear his father Jem and Draken are far more dangerous than he could have imagined. As the free are pushed back to the small island of Kabri once again Ian, Malaq and Jarryd must set out on yet another quest to defeat those who threaten the realm of Mirra’kelan. The writing is so well done it’s not hard to feel you’re standing beside Ian and his small group, I again felt the crushing agony of every battle and decision Ian had to make. His heart is torn out on so many occasions it’s hard not to feel his pain. I love the ending C.L. Schneider has left us and the way the third book is set up. The epilogue left me wishing I had more to read and I know another trip back to The Crown of Stones won’t be far off, this will be a much anticipated read for me and an epic adventure I can’t wait to return to.
Rating 4.5/5
Book Info
Length: 488 Pages
Release date: January 7, 2015
Magic doesn’t wound the same as a sword.
The story of Ian Troy continues in Magic-Scars, the second installment in C. L. Schneider’s riveting epic fantasy trilogy, The Crown of Stones.
Captured by his old enemy, King Draken of Langor, Shinree magic user Ian Troy was sentenced to prison. Tortured and drugged, robbed of his will, his memories, and his magic, Ian was made to do unspeakable things. Rescued, as his body slowly rids itself of the drug, Ian realizes he has returned to an unfamiliar world gripped with fear. In the wake of his fall, those he cared for were left to their own grim fates. Draken has seized control of the realms and named himself High King. His brutal rein has sparked a desperate rebellion that Ian now finds himself a part of. His one task: recover and repair the Crown of Stones, in hopes it will tip the balance in the revolution that is brewing. In pursuit of the reason behind the artifact’s strange loss of magic, Ian is driven to release an explosion of retribution and power that leaves him irrevocably scarred.
Struggling to reconcile the man he has become with the man he once was, Ian strives to understand the growing number of magic-scars adorning his body. He searches for the truth behind his link to the Crown of Stones and uncovers shocking secrets buried for generations beneath the sand. To become the weapon the resistance needs, he must assume responsibility for his magical inheritance. But can he curb the destructive appetite that comes with it?
The price of Ian’s magic and his addiction have never been higher.
C.L. Schneider, biography
Born in a small Kansas town on the Missouri river,I grew up in a house of avid readers and overflowing bookshelves. My first, full-length novel took shape while I was still in high school, on a typewriter in my parent’s living room. My main focus is adult epic fantasy, but I also dabble in urban fantasy, and the occasional science fiction or post-apocalyptic story.
Though I have been writing all my life, The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price is my first published novel. Magic-Scars, the second book in the trilogy, was released early this year. I am currently hard at work on the third and final installment in the trilogy.
The Scary Reviews 