Yen, the younger prince of Daahr, is supposed to be a normal guy... except everyone thinks he's a shapeshifter. Not that his behavior does much to prove them wrong. Running for his life, he's chased by the kingdom's best hunters.
Meanwhile, Niven, a quarter-elf assassin, discovers he can't hurt a child—and suddenly finds himself in trouble with a deadly order. That doesn't mean he's ready to babysit anyone, especially a far-too-talkative northern "monster." Yet by the time they reach Nath-Kaddah—each for their own reasons—he's protecting Yen while dodging his own enemies.
Together, they face assassins, hunters, inner (and not-so-inner) demons, and a fair share of chaos—some hilarious, some terrifying. By the time they leave the city, they've learned one thing: surviving the world is only the beginning of understanding themselves—and the forces that shape them.
Their main battles are still ahead.
