The Crown of Stones by C. L. Schneider

What if you were born with an addiction to magic? What if your pleasure meant their pain?

The brutality of war was all Ian Troy had ever known. Peace was all he ever wanted. Fate had other plans when it placed the Crown of Stones, an ancient artifact of untold power, into his battle-weary hands. With one reckless wish, he ended a conflict that had been tearing the realms apart since before he was born. And paid a terrible price.

A decade later, Ian is still haunted by that tragic day. Running from the blood in his veins and on his hands, he struggles to forget—what he’s done and what he is. But when a fateful encounter with a pretty assassin brings his past crashing into the present, denial is no longer an option.

Hunted by enemies, old and new, with the realms burning and kings dying, Ian becomes embroiled in a violent race for control of the Crown of Stones. As the death toll mounts, and the deceptions unfold, his path becomes clear. To save the realms, Ian must embrace the one thing he fears most: his own power.

Magic-Price is the award-winning first installment in The Crown of Stones, an immersive epic fantasy trilogy.