Orphan. Thief. Prince. Pawn. Every street urchin from the Lower Circle of the Capital secretly wishes to be claimed as Ogenra, the bastard offspring of the Royal Houses so important for political maneuvering. The fairy tale fate of a discovered Ogenra is a life of plenty and ease, but when a blind minstrel's son, Kierin, discovers he is one, his rise to riches and wealth is anything but a happy ending. Now Kierin must dodge lies, power plays, Imperial politics and his own twisted family as he attempts to discover what’s really going on and how it all ties in to a series of ancient prophecies that every faction seems bent on fulfilling or breaking. His quest to discover the truth behind the cabals, schemes, and machinations of the Upper Circle will lead him through heartbreak and slavery—from the slums of the world's largest city to the dark, corrupted forests of the afterlife itself—while he struggles to stay out of the reach of myriad factions seeking to use him for their own generals, merchant princes, sorcerers, demons, and even gods.