Connor Magnuson is going to conquer Death itself. A penniless drifter, Connor has survived the last eight years alone in a cursed woodland teeming with monsters that eat grown men whole. Shunned, forgotten, and with nowhere else to go, he looks death in the eye every night and draws his sword to face it. The forest, after all, burned the fear out of him long ago. Still, it hasn’t hardened the last shreds of his heart quite yet. When Connor hears a mysterious girl scream in the middle of nowhere, he ends up in a brutal battle that nearly costs him his life. His bravery does not go unrewarded, and in the aftermath of the fight, he finds himself bonded to the most infamous enchantment the world has ever seen: the Wraith King. The undead abomination grants him godlike power, but legendary magic always comes with a cost. Even as his fellow outcasts flock to him for help, Connor is branded as an outlaw. Kings and lords alike know where the wraith has gone, and they’ll slit his throat to take it from him. To them, a peasant like Connor is unworthy. He's a mistake to be corrected, and nothing more. But Connor is no ordinary man, and he’ll drag those hunters to hell with him if that’s what it takes to protect what is his.

Outlaw. Assassin. Aspiring warlord. Connor Magnuson’s been called many names, but which of them are true? Through his connection to the Wraith King, Connor has access to far more power than he realizes. His shadow blades give him the strength of a god, granting him the limitless potential of a man with no equal. But no matter what good Connor does, the people still fear him. Even those he saves run screaming in his overwhelming presence. He wields the sort of power people unite to destroy, and word of his growing abilities spreads fast. In the north, Teagan Starling rallies the most fearsome army in Saldia, hoping to destroy the new Wraithblade before the man can master his gifts. Despite Connor’s noble deeds, despite all the good he has done, the world fears him. They always will. To protect his home, his friends, and his family, he must embrace the Wraith King’s bloodstained legacy and truly become power incarnate. Hell itself is on the warpath. When it reaches Connor, he will do what he has always done—look Death in the eye and draw his swords to faceit.

To survive, Connor Magnuson must become a man with no equal. The path ahead is a deadly one. His end of the bargains he made to get this far have come due, and his debts take him back to a homeland he’s been trying to forget. Kirkwall is an island of ancient secrets, and the magic in its soil will topple empires if he doesn’t get to it first. His legend has begun to spread through the pubs, and others begin taking credit. Imposters pop up along the coast, and they threaten to undermine everything he has worked for. The deadliest army in history gathers in the south, stronger every day, and they’ve set their sights on him. The tides of this world will shift at any moment, and Connor is pushed to his limits. To protect what’s his, he’s forced to unleash the raw power that will consume him if he isn’t careful. Enslaved dragons. A dying goddess. A path to immortality—or an early grave. Magic always comes at a cost, and this time, Connor doesn’t know if it’s one he can pay.