Prince Kattanan duRhys was in direct line to the throne—until his royal family was cruelly slaughtered by a usurping uncle who spared the life of his "favorite nephew" but left the boy mutilated and incapable of claiming his birthright.Nearly a decade on, Kattanan is a harmless wanderer—a coveted prize—serving many different masters. But now the singer´s simple life is threatened by chaos and dark wizardry, by his impossible secret love for the betrothed Princess Melisande . . . and by an obligation of the blood that forces Kattanan to pursue vengeance and a crown he´s not certain he wants.

In the tradition of Mercedes Lackey and Elizabeth Haydon comes a riveting fantasy debut about an unlikely deposed prince who must reclaim his kingdom with the help of a disgraced prince, a female wizard, and a powerful magic-breaker.