For a boy coming of age and discovering a magical self-reliance and new powers for every occasion, the future is in the cards, in this fantasy adventure.

Arthur lives with his father, a fallen but proud former noble, in Border Village #49, along with the other good folks condemned to toil in service to the Baron. But Arthur has an edge: a stolen heart card that secretly fell into his possession, thanks to a dragon. It's a priceless source of power for the Baron and the tyrant will kill to get it back. Invaluable, too, to a young man of spellcasting ambitions.

So, at the behest of his father—and to save his own hide—Arthur flees and joins a trader caravan on the kingdom's backroads. Mile by dusty mile, he gains new skills and learns more about his increasing capabilities. But when he meets Horatio, his sharp-tongued new best friend and a spell card collector himself, Arthur discovers the greater powers to come by building on the Legendary card hidden close to his heart.

One step ahead of the Baron's hunters, Arthur and Horatio forge on under a sky full of guardian dragons—from the adorably loopy to the mystically wise—and their unflappable riders. Amidst danger, rescue, and friendships with both humans and those creatures of the more leathery variety, Arthur awakens to a newfound confidence . . . and the extraordinary things that can arise from the simplest magics.

The first volume of the hit progression fantasy series, featuring a unique card-based magic system, now available for the first time in print!