Cazaril returns to the court of Chalion a broken man — a former tutor and slave who bears scars no one else sees. Thrust into service as chamberlain to a noble house, he must navigate palace intrigue, the jealousies of royals and the fragile politics of a realm on the brink of war. When a malign fate seems to pursue the royal family, Cazaril discovers that the gods’ touch is real, and that salvation will demand sacrifices he never imagined. Facing assassination plots, matrimonial maneuvers, and a curse that claws at the soul of a kingdom, Cazaril must use the cunning he honed in chains to outwit enemies and heal what has been broken. His struggles are intimate: at stake are the lives of those he has come to love and the chance to reclaim his own fractured spirit. The story moves as much through whispered confidences and ritual as through steel, and Cazaril’s courage and compassion turn personal torment into unexpected power.
Honours and achievements received
