Book excerpt: Their hometown scorched to the earth, a self-doubting young man and his naïve, childish half-elf friend depart on a quest to find closure by determining the source of the mysterious blaze. Up against a megalomaniacal sorcerer and his headstrong apprentice, their exploits draw the ire of the magical organization that seeks to keep the world's forces in balance. In a world where magic is practiced like a science, they must face their demons head-on in a world they barely understand, or risk losing everything to their enemies' twisted plot.