Yancy Barnes and the Crystal Coffin
(2026)(The fourth book in the Yancy Barnes series)
A novel by Bill Craig
Yancy Barnes accepts what sounds like a straightforward job: lead a small, well-paid expedition into the remote reaches of the Carpathian Mountains, where superstition still clings to the land like mist and entire valleys remain untouched by modern maps. His employer speaks of an ancient legend—a crystal coffin hidden within a ruined fortress, said to preserve its occupant forever and hold the secret of immortality. Barnes doesn’t buy the fairy-tale trappings, but the money is good, and danger has never scared him off before.
As the expedition climbs deeper into the mountains, the atmosphere grows oppressive. Villagers bar their doors at the mention of the coffin and trace protective symbols in the air when Barnes asks questions. Wolves howl too close to camp at night, and the men begin to notice that the forest seems unnaturally silent just before something goes wrong. Old manuscripts and crumbling stone reliefs hint that the coffin was not meant to grant life—but to contain something that could not be allowed to die.
When the crystal coffin is finally uncovered, Barnes realizes the truth has been carefully buried under layers of myth and deliberate lies. The being inside is not a saint, nor a king, but an ancient predator bound by forgotten rites, preserved until the day foolish men set it free. With his team turning on one another and an unspeakable horror awakening in the frozen dark, Barnes must fight not only to survive—but to ensure the secret of immortality is never unleashed upon the world.
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
As the expedition climbs deeper into the mountains, the atmosphere grows oppressive. Villagers bar their doors at the mention of the coffin and trace protective symbols in the air when Barnes asks questions. Wolves howl too close to camp at night, and the men begin to notice that the forest seems unnaturally silent just before something goes wrong. Old manuscripts and crumbling stone reliefs hint that the coffin was not meant to grant life—but to contain something that could not be allowed to die.
When the crystal coffin is finally uncovered, Barnes realizes the truth has been carefully buried under layers of myth and deliberate lies. The being inside is not a saint, nor a king, but an ancient predator bound by forgotten rites, preserved until the day foolish men set it free. With his team turning on one another and an unspeakable horror awakening in the frozen dark, Barnes must fight not only to survive—but to ensure the secret of immortality is never unleashed upon the world.
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Used availability for Bill Craig's Yancy Barnes and the Crystal Coffin