Everyone thinks Eli is afraid of the dark, and they’re right. But it’s not because he can’t see in the dark; it’s because he can. After his father is murdered by kingsguard mice, Eli is tortured and condemned to death.
With the help of Tira-Nor’s old seer, AlBaer, Eli escapes his executioners and discovers that his mother, who was sold into slavery in Cadrid years before, may still be alive. Finding and saving her becomes his passion, but can he survive slavery, cruel taskmasters, foreign armies, the hatred of his own people, and even death itself? AlBaer can’t—or won’t—protect him from the supernatural evil that stalks him, and Eli must try to unravel the seer’s curse alone.

Daniel Schwabauer, M.A., is creator of the One Year Adventure Novel writing curriculum and editor of Crosswind Comics. His professional work includes stage plays, radio scripts, short stories, newspaper columns, comic books and scripting for the PBS animated series Auto-B-Good. His young adult novels have received numerous awards, including the Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Children?s Literature and the Eric Hoffer Award. He graduated from Kansas University?s Masters program in Creative Writing in 1995. He lives in Olathe, Kansas with his wife and daughter.