The Almost King

A thrilling, edge-of-your-seat fantasy adventure from the young author of Take Back the Skies. Set in the same world, but with a new hero and an new, action-packed story ...

Aleks Vasin is the youngest of four brothers, each with his path mapped out. But Aleks doesn't want to work in his father's shop in a village in the westernmost corner of Siberene for the rest of his life. Tired of being picked on and treated like the runt of the family, he decides to save his parents the cost of his keep and leave.

First he heads south – though everyone tells him not to – to Rudavin, headquarters of the Kingsguard. He signs up for the army, little knowing what brutality it entails. After only a few weeks, Aleks realises that this garrison is full of liars and thieves; he's signed away four years of his life to a commander who steals his money and a captain whose only goal is power. This is not a noble destiny.

After a brutal beating, Aleks escapes into the night, hoping to find safety and a new life somewhere in the north. And there, this deserter finds love, adventure and a skyship in which he might just prove himself a hero after all ...