Troy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars

“ War had raged in Mirra’kelan, on and off, since before I was born. These lands were soaked in blood. War is raging now. Endless days and nights of clashing swords and dying men. It troubled me how quickly their faces blurred. How easily we moved among the dead, tallying their numbers, relieving them of valuable supplies. So little time had passed since I was sent to join the queen’s command. Just over a year. I’ve changed so much since then. A year of being sprayed and splattered, of slogging through fields drenched in Rellan and Langorian remains. It feels like ten… ”

“ I’d been eager to wield blade and magic… to turn the tide for Rella and represent my people. I was the only Shinree magic user to ever be allowed into the Rellan army. There were healers, of course, but their lineage was prolific, their service common. Shinree soldiers were exceedingly rare. The magic of our line was too unsafe to be bred anything but sparingly. As far as I knew, in hundreds of years, no other but me had been allowed off the drug. Not since the elixir’s ability to suppress our magic was discovered, and the slave laws written. Certainly, none had been expertly trained in all aspects of soldiery, magical or otherwise. Long ago, I promised myself I wouldn’t squander the privilege. I would rise in the ranks faster than any other, regardless of race. I would be the queen’s right hand. With the help of my magic, Rella would one day be victorious. Langorians would weep at the sound of my name. My expectations died the day I reported for duty; my hopes crushed by the sound of her voice, as she cut me to the quick. “No spells in battle, Troy. Ever. Not without my direct order.” …. I had no choice but to acquiesce. It’s what my people did. ”

Troy is the prequel to, and the origins story of The Crown of Stone Series by C.L Schneider. Having loved The Crown of Stones trilogy, there was never any doubt that I would be snapping up a copy of this to find out how it all started.
Ian Troy is such a complex, dynamic, damaged, and somewhat enigmatic character (and more) in the trilogy- so this book was great as it allows us to be able to ‘go back’ and see what ‘shaped him’, the events that made him the man we met and followed through the series. We not only get his history, but that of the realms, and that of the magic/ magic lore as well- which builds on the what we already knew- filling in his history in a way that allows for a more ‘high-definition’ image and understanding.
As expected from Ms. Schneider, this is another intricately woven, and action-packed high fantasy- with originality, magic, adventure, intensity, superb world building, dramatic developments, intrigue, suspense, tension, and challenges. I love how original Ms. Schneider’s stories are, and how she cleverly crafts her world/s in such a way that it is entirely realistic and believable- so richly painted with attention to detail- and this story is testament to that- brimming with all the elements that bring her stories to ‘life’ and set them apart from most- the characters, magic lore, adventure, culture, backstories, history, and so much more.
This is a fantastic story/series- and I really recommend it to anyone who loves an epic, action-packed fantasy!
Happy Reading…

Thank you, C.L. Schneider!

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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