Wyl Thirsk is brought to the royal palace to learn about being the next leader of the army and companion to the crown prince. His father and the King are friends. However the prince is looking for power and is willing to do anything to get that power. He doesn't get on with his father and can't wait for power.
A moment of kindness with a condemned witch gives Wyl a power he's not sure about and doesn't know what it does.
His father dies and he has to take on the mantle and try to succeed. When the king dies things start to change and not for the better and Wyl has to work out where he belongs in the system.
This is one of the first books in a long time that I have really wanted the next book in the series right after finishing this one. I cared about the characters and wanted to know what happened next throughout the story.