River: The Beginning: The First Book of Darkness

The torture is unrelenting. Day after day, Emperor Bayne works to extract either death or duty from Ky. But no matter how much anguish is inflicted, Ky endures. Ky and the Emperor are confounded.

Beyond the walls of Ky's dungeon, the world exists in darkness. The Emperor's compulsion to harness Ky's powers has left his kingdom in despair, haunted by hopelessness. Yet as prophesy foretold, the dawn of a brighter day is coming. A captive named River holds the key to peeling away the gloom and restoring the royal bloodline.

Rescued by an underground group called the Shadow, Ky and his liberators are sure he is the River that was foretold. Bursting with questions, Ky is hopeful that his confusion will finally end. But the journey is just beginning.

As his lost past unravels, Ky joins the Shadow to fulfill his heroic duty. To do so, he must learn to channel a distorted beast within him-the beast that the Emperor's torture was attempting to extract.

As Ky slowly learns to control and direct his powers, he comes to terms with a world like no other-and rediscovers himself in the process.