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Winnford Torbjorn Vaux is the second son of the Duke of Barristan, and while it may appear on the outside that he lives a privileged life, his home life reveals an unpleasant truth. Considered inferior to his older half-brother Keyland, his dominating father reveals to Winn that when his time comes and Keyland takes over, Winn will receive no inheritance nor power and will be left to his own devices. Not academically gifted nor seemingly proficient in anything else, the role of tournament knight is suggested. Winn leaps at the chance, only to discover he lacks sword-fighting ability.. A dream visit from the Almighty reveals that Winn has a much larger role to play in history and a great destiny that he can only fulfill by making the right choices and avoiding those who would see him powerless.
The author wastes no time in highlighting for the reader what makes Winn special. In a world where the greedy and powerful look to exploit every advantage or keep others down in order to continue to be able to dominate them, Winn is refreshingly compassionate and bright. He is still young and impulsive at times, but his ideals are progressive, and he stands up against injustice even if it gets him into more trouble. The contrast between those qualities and those of his father and Keyland give the reader a hopeless hero that they can root for, even if he lives a literally charmed life in one fashion or another. This book sets up the framework for Winn and his allies to embark on plenty of fantasy adventures and puts the reader in the middle of a world that they’ll love spending time in.