War sweeps the land as the sons and daughters of the late King Marcus battle over who will claim their father's throne and able-bodied men and women flock to one cause or the other in the hopes of a better tomorrow. At least, most of them.
If life has taught the jaded sellsword Aaron Envelar anything, it's that hope is for fools and causes are a sure remedy for breathing. But when his latest job leads him to the corpse of a prince and a conspiracy that threatens to destroy the entire realm, Aaron is forced to choose sides in a war he doesn't want, between forces he doesn't understand. Thrust into a world of mythical assassins, a madman with superhuman strength, and a nagging ball of light with a superiority complex who claims to be the embodiment of compassion, Aaron takes on his hardest job yet - staying alive. This debut novel from Jacob Peppers is a new entry in the great epic fantasy tradition of Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, and Joe Abercrombie.