This classic fantasy adventure from the acclaimed author of the Wars of Light and Shadow series “is storytelling at its best” (Raymond E. Feist, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).

Chained at the oar on a Mhurgai galley, a sullen slave who never speaks is considered a madman by his fellow captives—until the hour Korendir announces a plan, which is certainly doomed to failure, for no one ever escapes the merciless Mhurgai alive . . .

Korendir’s silence hides a devious intellect. And his benchmate, Haldeth, is desperate to end his cruel captivity, even if mercy comes to him under the murderous knives of the Mhurgai. When Korendir’s daring plan frees them both, Haldeth is compelled to follow his determined companion on an even more impossible quest: to lift a curse that despoils the kingdom of Torresdyr by recovering a legendary wardstone from a witch. His prize if he succeeds? A wizard’s treasure. If he fails? A grave with the legion of defeated champions before him. Far from content to retire from danger, Korendir’s restless nature will not embrace peace, his insatiable taste for impossible odds skating the thin edge toward insanity . . .

“Powerful . . . Epic grandeur . . . Magnificent.” —Anne McCaffrey, New York Times–bestselling author

“Feeling like an old-fashioned episodic adventure fantasy, the novel gradually reveals an underlying thread that explains the main character’s personality. Think Lethal Weapon in a complex fantasy setting.” —Tor.com

“A large, varied, and original fantasy world, a unique magic concept, and a beautiful romance.” —Fantasy Literature