There are six known decimates that are wielded by Sorcerers in both Belleger and Amika, two countries who have been warring with each other for generations. The battles between them have become so bloody that the engagements are known as "hells". Sorcerers on both sides use the six decimates (Fire, Wind, Pestilence, Earthquake, Drought, and Lightning) in these hells, but it is Amika that has the advantage because they have the better sorcerers. Belleger survives by using rifles to out-range the sorcerers; however, they can never gain the upper hand because building reliable rifles is a slow and time consuming process for them. The battles rage on until, in the blink of an eye, all sorcerers in Belleger lose their ability to wield magic. The king quickly becomes desperate because he knows Belleger lacks enough rifles to fend off an Amikan attack without magic, so he opts for a cliché Hail Mary. He sends his son, Prince Bifalt, out on a quest to find a mythical book in an unknown location in order to restore sorcery and save his people. Because, why not?

Prince Bifalt is a warrior that hates sorcerers, so it chafes him that he must risk his life to restore magic to those he despises. However, he is loyal to his father and his kingdom, and they will both surely perish if his quest does not succeed. The premise is thin, and the world here just isn't all that interesting at first, but things do get better after Bifalt is forced to travel beyond his home kingdom. The story opens up, the plot becomes much larger in scope, and the world and the characters become much more interesting. The world is much larger than Bifalt ever knew and he quickly figures out that he is a mere pawn in someone else's game, and unfortunately for him, there is not much he can do about it. Not yet, anyway.

This one started slow but did become intriguing enough for me to continue on with the series. Hopefully there is a payoff, but it is too early to tell after just the first book. If the story would have been limited to just the war between Belleger and Amika then I think I would have bailed, but the expanded scope became much more interesting.

Scott Brick narrates the audiobook and he is a veteran who often teams up with Donaldson. He isn't the best in the business, but he is no slouch and his performance is solid enough.