With this hammer, we will strike the world anew.
At sixteen, Neval Brennan dreams of escaping the poverty and prejudice of his upland village. Despised for his father's sins and hopelessly in love with his best friend's betrothed, Neval yearns for a life beyond the confines of his upland village. Yet all that changes when the ruthless Marian Empire arrives, threatening everything he holds dear.
When a brutal attack strikes far too close to home, Neval finds himself the accidental leader of a doomed rebellion, making one last stand against the world’s mightiest empire. Thrust into the role of rebel leader, Neval must navigate a web of shifting alliances and impossible choices as the very people who once scorned him now turn to him as their last hope. As the true cost of rebellion is laid bare, Neval faces an agonizing decision: embrace the love and acceptance he's always craved, or sacrifice everything for a chance at a better life for his people?