by Dean Richard Kayler (Author)
When Tala'Keahi confronts a man beating a girl in an alley, his life is changed forever.
He has spent his entire life training to be a Researcher at the renowned Institute. But suddenly, he's the most wanted criminal in all of the known world. Rescued by two mysterious figures, Tala finds himself among the Dissidents: people who wreak havoc and don't believe in the Gods. His whole life, Tala has feared and hated the Dissidents. Now they're his only hope.
Anderas Anto, the beloved son of Fire country and the world's foremost Blessed, is powerful among the powerful. Tala witnesses his powers firsthand as he saves the lives of hundreds of spectators during a fight. But in the wake of Tala's crime, Anderas has been tasked with hunting he and his companions down. Yet even Anderas has his own agenda.
As Tala and his companions flee the city, he learns that everything he thought he knew about the Gods was wrong. He is confronted by the harsh realities of a new and unfamiliar world, and soon discovers that he is much more powerful than he could have imagined. But will this be enough to save him?