Duel for the Throne (Paperback)

Kval, young and still unsure of himself, has just ascended to the throne of the Dakh Hhargashian Empire. It is a job he’d never planned to take, since his culture runs on cruelty, with brutal customs that have endured for centuries. Now determined to end centuries of systemic abuse, Kval discovers that changing an empire is more dangerous than conquering one. And when his reforms threaten the power of the empire's most influential leaders, those in power become determined enemies who they will stop at nothing to keep everything as it is—even if it means killing the emperor.

Surrounded by enemies and confronting resistance at every turn, Kval finds unexpected allies in a traumatized former slave, a human ambassador, and a mysterious empath from a subjugated race. But he has a dark secret, something that could give his enemies the power to quickly destroy him.

With his people divided between tradition and progress, and his family held hostage, Kval must find a way to save not only his throne, but the soul of his empire. But in a culture built on strength through suffering, benefits through brutality, and power through pain, can real change ever be possible?