Book excerpt: Death is a fickle thing. For most, it's a force of nature, but Agil Novan sees the reaper in a different light. As the greatest swordsman of all time, he cherishes life more than most, and he's lived one full of both struggle and success. After all of his accomplishments, he too must face the reaper and its scythe. When challenged, however, the swordsman is not one to go without a fight. After parrying it once and then impressing the reaper with a show of the blade, he is offered something more. A second chance at life--one that he's all but forced to accept. Now, stranded in an unfamiliar land with an unfamiliar body and far too many questions, Agil has his life threatened at every turn. Still, he is determined to survive. He knows what the reaper did to him. And he has never been one to let vengeance go unfulfilled.