By the Will Alone

In a forgotten corner of the Empire, a small village struggles to defend itself against brutish marauders. In the heart of the Empire, a petulant ruler risks war on a whim. Unlikely heroes struggle to learn the secrets of magical power. Unprepared rulers take the reins of nations on the brink of war. Behind the scenes a shadowy figure spins a web that threatens to engulf the world in darkness. Their actions will stop a headlong rush to madness,or doom Taracon to fire and sword. 

By the Will Alone is the first book of the Taracon Chronicles, which begins in a small frontier village and spreads to involve the kings, emperors, and the sons of a god.