Book excerpt: King Halvar is ill and childless, so he visits the village orphanage, narrowing his search for a suitable replacement to the throne to two young brothers, Silas and Dregz. Halvar knows the new king must be strong, resilient, determined, and most of all, honest. Dregz wins the competition, and his brother Silas, in a fit of jealousy, has him banished to the Island of Dregs, warning the people that “only the dregs of the earth live there!”

But Silas’s actions have dire consequences. Dregz’s son Dreck is determined to uncover the secret his father has kept for years, and as he sets out to save the people who once looked down upon him and his family, he finds himself in a terrifying chain of events. Will he be able to save Silas’s daughter, Princess Elle? And can he defeat Nazaar—the slithery stranger who seems to hold such power over them all?