The path of ambition is seldom as rosy as the dreams that give birth to it.

Lucan is the son of a landed knight in a kingdom that is surrounded by diverse threats. As he comes of age, he must make peace with both the tasteful and distasteful of his responsibilities.

But most important of all, he must find a way to either tame or accept his own ambitions.

In a realm where an underground labyrinth births monsters that hunger to climb into the world of man, it’s difficult to be a noble and dangerous to be a warrior. Lucan must navigate a maze of mortal peril and political intrigue if he is to survive and, perhaps someday, thrive.

A kingdom starved.
A prince’s war.
And a young knight standing between ruin and redemption.

When the Wildermen dam the River Walis, the crown rides to break their hold. Lucan marches beneath banners he does not trust, his father beside him, into a campaign that will test all measures of loyalty. From the deep woods of the Wilderlands to the halls of a weary realm, he will learn what it means to lead, and what it costs to keep one’s honor when every oath demands a sacrifice.