Warriors use it aggressively, to destroy, while women use it to heal. In all the elemental magics, earth, air, fire, and water, he’s stronger than she is, but she is now stronger than he is in spirit and in Azrahn, or soul magic. She and Rain have formed the truemate bond. The publisher made me cut it into two.ĭD: Where are the characters after the fifth book, Crown of Crystal Flame, and what’s next?ĬLW: Ellie was key to saving the Tairen and the Fey and has done that. The first two books, Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadows, were originally one book. For example, the death of Vadim Maur happens much faster than I originally planned. There are five novels in the series, but I had enough material for six. But the books were all Tad Williams length, around 225,000 words. Was this by design, or did it evolve as the story grew?ĬLW: I realized very early that this would not be just one novel and planned it as a trilogy. The first five books are Ellie’s coming of age story and show how she gets her Tairen wings.ĭD: As you said, the strong romantic arc builds, with other story arcs, against the big canvas of an epic fantasy that has the fates of kingdoms at stake. Wilson (CLW): It’s sword and sorcery romance, like The Lord of the Rings with a strong romance. The hero, Rain, is called the Tairen Soul.) Publishers Weekly said of the fifth volume, Crown of Crystal Flame, “This series should have great appeal for fans of fantasy.” Kristin Smith, Borders’ romance expert, called the first volume, Lord of the Fading Lands, “a truly impressive debut,” describing Wilson as “an author to keep an eye on.” After participating in a Writer’s Track panel on gruesome ways to kill characters, Wilson sat down for a chat with the Daily Dragon.ĭaily Dragon (DD): Welcome to Dragon*Con! For readers who aren’t familiar with the Tairen Soul series, please describe it.Ĭ.

(Except for the hero and heroine, who are Fey, the Tairen are a race of large, winged felines with shapeshifting capability. Wilson is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author with her Tairen Soul series.

Crown of Crystal Flame by C.L. Wilson