Publisher's description:

The big man's name was Ballas. It was time, he decided, to get himself some money.

Ballas is a drunk and a vagrant. In his eyes there is only greed, and in his heart only bitterness. Such a man is not suited to legend. He is fit only for an unmarked grave. And there are people who seek to hasten his journey there.

When a young priest saves him from a beating in the street, Ballas does not know how to repay such an act of kindness. So instead he betrays him by stealing from those who have offered him hope.

What Ballas chooses to take can easily be hidden under a cloak, but it is no trinket to be sold in the market for a bowl of soup. It is an artifact that will lead an army to him, and bring the world to the edge of chaos.

Quotes:

• The most exciting debut fantasy novel you will read this year - David Gemmell
• Bloodthirsty, action-packed fantasy . . . this author is going to be one to watch - Starburst
• Ian Graham writes with energy and inventive nastiness . . . impressively unpleasant - SFX
• That rarest of things, a fantasy novel that dares to be different . . . a breakthrough first novel of remarkable strengths - Enigma
• Eschewing the predictably chivalrous caricatures of much mainstream fantasy, British author Graham's fiercely energetic debut novel of dark destinies, treachery, and tragic self-awareness focuses on morally corrupt characters in a bleak, amoral world of oppressive religious systems and explosive violence . . . Those seeking gritty realism in imaginative fiction will welcome it - Publishers Weekly
• In gritty, realistic prose, Graham pulls no punches as he depicts a fantasy world both brutal and unforgiving and lacking in heroes. Fans of noir fantasy should enjoy this grim but uplifting debut - Library Journal
• This is not the typical fantasy because Ballas is an antagonist with very few redeeming qualities . . . Readers can't help but be drawn to this character in spite of themselves because of a fascination with such a nasty soul or because he has the raw potential to do good deeds despite himself. Ian Graham has plenty of talent and the courage to write a book that is totally different than any recent work in the fantasy genre - Midwest Book Review
• A strong ending that is memorable and absorbing - Dreamwatch
• The consistency with which Ian Graham portrays his central character is one of the book's great strengths . . . Another strength is the spare, effective descriptiveness of the prose - Graham seems to have the knack for conjuring up his characters and settings with an impressive economy of language. His action sequences, too, are convincingly conveyed and he doesn't pull any punches either; this is a very violent book with fights, beatings, and killings aplenty - The Alien Online
• A compelling read - Romantic Times