The leading man of a new fantasy trilogy from the prolific and hilarious K.J. Parker, Saevus Corax is manipulative, selfish, cuttingly funny, and—against his better judgment—a big fat hero. Thrown squarely into the midst of the politico-religious machinations he abandoned years ago along with his birthright, Saevus applies the savvy he's gained as a mediocre playwright and a fairly excellent battlefield salvage contractor to keep ten steps ahead of his enemies. The thrill of Parker's writing is being let in on the plan just enough to root for his protagonist, but never enough to anticipate the next twist.