When forced in a war that isn't his, how can an enslaved nobleman combine honour and survival?

Captured by pirates at sea, Valirian, a young nobleman from the kingdom of Vinmara, is sold into slavery to the empire of Koresh, his people's sworn enemy. He comes into the service of Alexar, a powerful and influential Koreshian general, whose designs for the young man are as obscure as they are an ill omen.

But war is near, for the Emperor of Koresh, a centuries-old and powerful sorcerer named Tarasmir, plans to unleash his legions to conquer new land. Forced to adapt to a hostile environment, Valirian comes to learn the price he must pay to stay alive. As war takes him far away from home, he will be forced to make a choice-one that may cost him his life.

Fate is a cruel mistress in love with irony. Will Valirian find redemption, or are some doomed to repeat the same mistakes until the very end?

Delve into the themes of morality, guilt, and forgiveness in this coming of age story, and embark on this literary journey of complex relationships, mysterious powers, and struggle for survival.