Essence of Stone embodies the heart of epic fantasy while pulling readers into a fresh world defined by a creatively different elven society, science-based magic, and diverse cultures. Gellion, an accomplished metal artist and dignitary of elven politics, has spent the last two hundred years trying to forget the horrors of his past - a terrible war waged by a demonic phoenix, and an infamous mentor whose legacy has plagued Gellion through the centuries. A sea away, Gellion has managed to build a new life for himself in the great elven city of Daro, mining the precious stone that forms the fabric of the elven race. Vierstone's touch allows the elves to shape their physical world through metal, stone, and glass. It enhances their emotions, burning them with love, empathy, anger, and sorrow, and it opens them to that same burn in others. Vierstone is eternal. Unfading. Or so the elves have always believed. When strange and seemingly sentient earthquakes begin to attack the city with unknown magic, vierstone is left broken and lifeless in the streets. In the face of a looming battle alliance and political treachery from within, Gellion must keep the elves united, confront the shadows of his past, and solve the mystery that could obliterate the foundation of his very race. Haley Rylander's debut novel unfolds a page-turning and interwoven series of plots steeped in mystery, political intrigue, and a touch of romance. Fans of massive world-scale, high-stakes, and dynamic characters will fall in love with this first installment of the Lifestone Trilogy.