For 1,300 years, the Order of the Guardians has defended the continent of Termain from unimaginable evil. Now, with the coronation of a new and ambitious king, the Order appears poised to turn from its role as protector to dominate those it once kept safe. Meanwhile, after a millennium of lurking in the shadows, the servants of a dark god reemerge to take advantage of the strife. In the face of these dangers and more, unlikely heroes must rise: Three bookish orphans, raised as brothers, find themselves torn apart by destiny… An archduke’s daughter, imprisoned in a world of luxury, comes face to face with a deadly assassin… A middle-aged farmer struggles to provide for his family in a land-ravaged by bandits… The youngest son of a senile king clings to his honor in a century-old civil war… Will they be enough to bring the dawn and drive the dark away?