Lyons, J: The Ruin of Kings

WHEN DESTINY CALLS THERE'S NO FIGHTING BACK

As a bard's apprentice, Kihrin grew up with tales of legendary deeds. He also steals to escape Quur's slums. Then he raids the wrong house, has to flee from a demon, and life will never be the same again.

His plight attracts royalty, who claim him as their immoral prince's lost son. But far from living the dream, Kihrin's at the mercy of his new family's ruthless ambitions. However, escaping makes matters worse. Kihrin is horrified to learn he's at the centre of an ancient prophecy. And every side - from gods to demons to dragons - want him as their pawn. Those old stories lied about many things too: especially the hero always winning.

Then again, maybe Kihrin isn't the hero, for he's not destined to save the empire. He's destined to destroy it.

'Everything epic fantasy should be: rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying' Lev Grossman

'One hell of a ride' Glen Cook

'A fantastic page-turner with a heady blend of great characters . . . I loved it' John Gwynne

'The glitz of a high-speed, multi-level video game, with extreme magic' Janny Wurts