It has been foretold: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom. The hero: Jian, raised since birth in luxury and splendour, celebrated before he has won a single battle. But the prophecy was wrong. Because when Taishi, the greatest war artist of her generation, arrives to evaluate the prophesied hero, she finds a spoiled brat unprepared to face his destiny. But the only force more powerful than fate is Taishi herself. Possessed of an iron will and a sharp tongue-and an unexpectedly soft heart-Taishi will find a way to forge Jian into the weapon and leader he must be in order to fulfil his legend. What follows is a journey more wondrous than any prophecy can foresee: a story of master and student, assassin and revolutionary; of fallen gods and broken prophecies; and of a war between kingdoms, and love and friendship between deadly rivals.