Areus is a muscular 20-year-old Torian; his people can live for thousands of years, and most generally enjoy their lives. All has not been well for Areus, as he’s been plagued by a dream of a great king in pain, but he’s also a talented athlete who competes in an event like wrestling called Lúkari. His fighting abilities come in handy when he later faces enemies in the realm of the mortals while accompanied by a wise man named Santia, who’s a member of a celestial order called the Assembly of Light. When the two meet, Santia tells the young man that a powerful evil has returned to the world after a long time away and that “There is more to you than you would like to believe.” Meanwhile, in a land called Denkari, a rebellious young woman named Belvara is troubled by her own dreams of terrible anguish; she’s the niece of a senator and longs to know more about her birthparents. When circumstances bring her into contact with Areus, the two realize that they can communicate telepathically—one of many discoveries they encounter in a vast quest to come. Events move slowly in this saga’s initial pages; the first chapter, for instance, provides readers with the backstory of Hydroland, the largest landmass of Aureus’ planet, which seems irrelevant at first but comes into play later on; later, extraneous details regarding Areus’ Lúkari competitions adversely affect the narrative momentum. Although the stage takes time to set, the introduction of compelling creatures will maintain readers’ interest, including brutal monsters called rifas and a helpful shape changer. That said, some descriptions feel lacking; for instance, one cave is guarded by a “monstrous cave troll and his vicious thylacine pets,” but little detail is provided about them. Still, intriguing information is revealed about Areus, and this, coupled with other discoveries—regarding, for example, the dangers of solar flares—will keep readers engaged.