The Cursed Blood Chronicles: The Horn King (The Cursed Blood Chronicles, #1) (ePub)

In the land of Aldheim, the Jewel of the Nine Worlds, the elven houses stand in eternal battle for power over the inheritance of god Freyr; the power over the entire elven world. The Nine Worlds have been sundered from each other in Hel's War, the gods haven't been seen since, and the mortal races have been left to their own devices. Aldheim is ruled by the Five Houses, and intrigue and war are as frequent solution to trouble, as is diplomacy. The Regent Bardagoon, far in the north has little power over his rivals, and the humans who live in Aldheim amongst the elves, are the least of the worries for the Heads of the Houses.

And yet, every now and then, a human, often despised for their short lives, and lack of skills in art, war, and magic, decide on the matters of the great. 

Gutty and Oxam, men and former pirates are agents of the Company, a guild of thieves and killers, and they have duty in Trad, the capital of House Vautan. Though they do not know it, that duty is going to shake entire houses to their core. It is up to them to retrieve a mysterious item for a client, and such dangerous duty is often given to the Murder and Loot, their band of criminals. Successful in their job Gutty finds himself hired again, this time for a job far more dangerous and deadly, by an elven lady of the House Vautan, Diniss, who is going to retrieve an item from the lands of House Daxamma, their bitter enemies. Gutty has little choice in the matter, and yet, for once in his life, is promised a prize that truly intrigues him; his lost past, and a kingdom his family once held. 

Thrust on the road with elves he loathes and distrusts, Gutty soon finds things are not to his liking. There is something very odd about the whole party, and events that follow suggest something far bigger than a mere treasure hunt is shaping up. It is up to Gutty to solve the mysteries of the party he travels with, to keep Diniss alive, and the man has to fight a desperate battle to stay ahead in a game where elves excel; deception. Also, Gutty's past and flaws are not doing him any favors. 

And yet, Gutty is not without allies. Oxam, his ally is on the road with him. And so is something else that lives under his skin.