Book I of the dark fantasy novel series Land of the Silent Ones.Once united to create a fragile equilibrium against the king, three powerful families – the Vargas, the Strouts, and the Anroths – turn against each other in a bitter struggle for dominance after the assassination of the head of Anroth family. The families use their young scions as pawns in their scheming games, leaving them surviving their growing pains without parental guidance.