The Crown of Stones Trilogy Box Set (The Crown of Stones Series) by C. L. Schneider – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

The Crown of Stones Complete Trilogy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magic-Price
Magic-Price, the first book in The Crown of Stones trilogy, follows the adventures of Ian Troy. Troy is one of the Shinree, which means that he can use magic and, unlike many of his people, his powers are not suppressed by members of other races who enslave the Shinree to benefit from their magic. As the story begins, however, Troy’s powers are being suppressed by another force – fear. Shinree magic draws energy from the lives of surrounding plants, animals and people, which all too often results in death. In Magic-Price, we meet an Ian Troy who has avoided using magic in over a decade following a battle which has left him and all the inhabitants of Mirra’kelan scarred. Unfortunately for Troy, turmoil is again building in the world and his famously destructive powers are desired by many for both defense and attack.
Magic-Price introduces us to a world that has been very well constructed. Throughout the novel, we are given glimpses into the history of various races and characters, and this history clearly shapes the motivations and actions of the characters we encounter. The magic system is explained in great detail as we go along, and allows for different characters to have abilities in different areas, as well as different levels of strength. Troy, and the reader, encounter a variety of characters from different backgrounds who all have different, but for the most part equally believable, motivations. This, along with the scenarios he finds himself in, throw up some very interesting and difficult moral challenges. The nature of Troy’s power alone presents numerous moral challenges as with each spell he casts he, and the reader, must weigh up the benefits of the spell against the price of the lives it will drain.
The story is told through a first person narrative, which allows Troy to fill the reader in on history and culture as well as letting us see his thought process as he considers how to respond to the people and situations he encounters. It also allows us to be tricked alongside him and to share in his confusion on a number of occasions! He’s a classic anti-hero, and the narration style helps us to empathise with his desire to be left out of the drama.
I give it four stars – an enjoyable, thought-provoking read!

Magic-Scars
Magic-Scars is the second book in The Crown of Stones series, and picks up the story about two years after the events of Magic-Price. It opens with the news that Ian Troy, the protagonist, is dead. With over fifty chapters to go, however, the reader is unlikely to be convinced by this. But Troy, whilst alive, has suffered a lot during his imprisonment between the books and has a long way to go before he will be himself again.

At the beginning of Magic-Scars, Troy has lost his memory as a result of his treatment in prison. Schneider uses his amnesia to remind readers of some of the key events of the previous book as Troy remembers things or is told by others. He also remembers and is told some of the terrible things that happened to him in prison. Troy’s relationships are strained, first by his lack of memories of his friends, and then by the things that he remembers, and he struggles to rebuild trust.

Magic-Scars develops Shinree magic even further than the first book, introducing some new magical concepts and delving deeper into those we have already encountered. There is also a fair bit of the history of the Shinree as Troy attempts to understand and control his powers. It really is a well thought-out world that is complex but makes sense when explained.

Many of the characters we encounter in Magic-Price have prominent roles in Magic-Scars as well. Something I particularly enjoyed in Magic-Scars was the extent to which characters have clear and varied motivations and this continues in Magic-Price. The principal characters are from varied backgrounds and each have their own goals and agendas which require them to work with or against different characters. Troy, who seems to have failed to learn his lesson from his many misjudgements in the first book, continues to make assumptions about characters based on their race which, for the most part, are completely wrong. Even the terrifying eldring turn out to be more complex than he believes.

Magic-Scars continues the first person narrative, with a combination of factors making Troy a fairly unreliable narrator. His perspective gives many scenes a feeling of intensity as the reader shares his fears, confusion, helplessness and temptation.

I give this book four out of five stars. It’s dark and graphic so I wouldn’t recommend it to younger or more sensitive readers, but if that isn’t an issue for you it’s a gripping read set in a very well developed fantasy world.

Magic-Borne
Magic-Borne is the third and final book in The Crown of Stones series. It is an epic fantasy series that centres around Ian Troy, a Shinree whose fate is intertwined with that of the magical Crown of Stones.
This series has fantastic world-building. I’d definitely recommend starting at the beginning to get more of the details. There are many different races and species characters with different motivations and alliances. There is a long history that influences current and future events.
One thing that I particularly like about this series is that all magic comes at a cost. Troy, and others, do not use their powers without careful consideration – the benefits are always weighed up with the consequences. This is particularly true for Troy, whose magic usage is gradually turning him into a monster. As someone who regularly finds himself in situations when lives – his or others – are on the line, he often has to make the choice between saving lives or staving off his seemingly inevitable downfall.
I’ve really enjoyed this series. For me, this is a five star book.

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