Elyndor: Shattered Echoes: Hearts of Stone and Shadow. The Elyndor Chronicles, #1

In a godless realm where magic demands a price, three unlikely allies must claim a Heartstone fragment before it falls into enemy hands. When healer Elara saves warrior Rianor's life on a rain-soaked battlefield, neither expects the ancient Heartstone symbol carved into his skin to awaken-bonding them through visions of a shattered ritual and a map to seven lost fragments. The artifacts pulse with dangerous power, whispering ambiguous truths that could save or doom the fractured realm of Elyndor.
But they're not the only ones hunting. The Umbral Pact, a revolutionary faction promising order through unity, will stop at nothing to reunite the shards. Their manifesto speaks of ending chaos and suffering-yet their methods hide darker costs. Alongside cynical investigator Quil, who uncovers a conspiracy deeper than anyone suspected, Elara and Rianor must forge a fragile alliance between rival factions: the knowledge-seeking Dawn Concord, the honor-bound Iron Circle, and the balance-focused Verdant Assembly.
Each faction brings strength-and dangerous internal fractures. Every shard they claim reveals devastating truths. The Heartstone's whispers are never clear: "Ambition forges chains." Is it warning them about the enemy's plans-or exposing the darkness within their own hearts? Elara's empathy becomes a weapon that drains her. Rianor's honor is tested when strategy demands sacrifice. And the spy hidden among their allies threatens to shatter everything they've built.
Epic battles. Impossible choices. Trust fractured by betrayal. As the first fragment pulses with power, Elara discovers the cost of healing others: absorbing their pain until she can barely stand. Rianor faces the truth carved into his bloodline-his ancestors helped create the very conspiracy now threatening the realm. And when the alliance's most trusted ally is unmasked as a traitor, the fragile unity collapses into chaos.
In a world without gods, mortals must forge their own meaning-or be consumed by ambition's weight. Book One of THE HEARTSTONE SAGA-a seven-book epic fantasy romance where magic costs everything, alliances are tested in fire, and love blooms amid the ruins of broken trust. Readers who enjoy these elements will love this book: Morally complex protagonists navigating impossible choices Slow-burn romantasy with marriage dynamics tested by magic Intricate magic systems where power comes at devastating cost Enemies-to-allies faction politics and found family bonds Epic world-building in a godless realm driven by mortal agency THE HEARTSTONE SAGA begins here-a seven-book epic fantasy romance where ambition crystallizes into magic, alliances fracture under pressure, and every truth carries the weight of kingdoms.
This is not prophecy. This is choice. And choices echo.