Sage, an orphaned thief with a sharp tongue and a sharper wit, is one of four boys chosen to participate in a lethal contest. After being plucked from the streets by a nobleman named Conner, Sage learns that Conner plans to choose one of the orphans to impersonate a long-lost prince in the hopes of averting a civil war. Conner's rules of play become quite clear after he murders one of the boys who will not compete. Suddenly winning matters very much.

Sage is defiant and cunning and utterly irrepressible. He knows that Conner's motives are questionable at best, yet he also realizes that his life balances on a sword's point--he must be chosen to be the prince or he will certainly be killed. But the other two boys, Sage's rivals, have their own plans as well, and are competing as though their lives depend on it--which, they do.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a stunning twist raises the stakes to an even deadlier level. Nothing is sacred, nothing is predictable, and nobody can be trusted.

The first book in a new trilogy, this brilliant and heart-racing tale is taut with danger and adventure, lies and deadly truths that will take the reader's breath away.