Nobles. Hunters. Warlocks. Sorcerers. Monsters. Beasts. And Loch, an orphan with a tainted arm, is about to get a perilous crash course on how these mighty creatures weave their webs of power in a world where the supernatural goes hand in hand with science.
The world of Aegis is filled with all manner of powerful beings, but these powerful beings didn't start strong; they grew, evolved, and ascended. By twisting the power of the Tainted Aether, the very lifeblood that runs through all things in the world of Aegis, humans have taken a step to rise above their original status as prey and have joined the ranks of the predators.
After millennia of fortifying and no small number of sacrifices, Humans have cut a slice of the hazardous lands for themselves, with their ringed cities built on blessed soil and defended by magic and machines, each ruled over by a being so powerful they are title with the name of royalty, Monarch. Some Humans have begun to be born and die without seeing a shadow of the many monstrous existences that used to have a human or two for breakfast. It is in one of these ringed cities where an Orphan born with a common deformity due to Tainted blood is about to learn what it takes to rise above the masses and ascend to the almost mythical level of Monarch.
A GRIMDARK story filled with classic sword and magic elements but also a very heavy sprinkling of guts, guns, and glory. Humans can only rise past their limits by hunting the many beasts and monsters that roam the lands of Aegis.
This is definitely one of the best novels I have ever read. So well written, absolutely deserved more loves.