What a great book. The plot, the parallel running stories, the end of this first book of the series and, the battles with the use of mercenaries are crafted in such a way that the reader is gripped from the start and, through the gift of this amazing author, taken on a virtual adventure through the eyes of the boy warrior, the boy king who have been compelled to age rapidly following tragedies that affected them on a very personal level.
The reader will feel a multitude of emotions as the story progresses starting with the joy of family interaction to the immense emptiness and rage following a loss as well as the constant training to achieve a goal that both main characters have fixed in addition to treachery, deceit, pain, friendships, and blinding hate that will see the main characters face near death experiences.
I highly recommend this book and rate it 5 Stars even if it deserves more.