The Wizard Lord — Lawrence Watt-Evans

The entire world is kept in a delicate balance under the supervision of the Wizard Lord. It is his duty to govern lightly and protect his domain, but if he strays from the way of the just then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.

The Chosen are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker, magically infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service have only one function: to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or execution.

Breaker, a young man of ambition, has just taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer. Never did he think that he would be called to duty so quickly or that the balance of power that existed in his world would be so precarious.

He had a duty to perform.

And a world to save.

But why did he still have doubts, not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?