A ruined past. A rigged game. A deadly rebellion. Damian is a gifted magical engineer, a master cardplayer, and a reprobate running out of options. On the verge of escaping his brutal life, a single, devastating mistake shatters his future. Dragged into the dark underbelly of a high-stakes conspiracy, Damian is forced into a corner: accept a suicide mission, or let his brother suffer for his mistake. To save his brother, he must infiltrate the Empire's most elite, ruthless special forces unit. Armed only with an unorthodox mind, a deck of cards, and volatile rune technology, Damian enters a hornets' nest of military deception and political intrigue. Surrounded by lethal killers who watch his every move, one wrong play will get him killed. But as a savage revolution begins to ignite the city, Damian realizes he isn't just playing to survive or save his brother—he is playing to rewrite the fate of the Empire itself. Perfect for fans of gritty military fantasy, complex magic systems, and fast-paced espionage, The Heretic delivers a cinematic, dark adventure where every card played could be your last. "Full of intense dilemmas and crises. I'm still thinking about each character!" -Rose ★★★★★ "The character's and their relationships are the winning aspect of The Heretic." -Caleb Collier ★★★★★ "The descriptions of places like Dockside and Fort Sang Mare are so vivid that I felt like I was actually there." -Brittany Dahl ★★★★★ "The magic and technology system is innovative and captivating." -Daniel Smith ★★★★★ "Crafted the stakes facing the main characters to feel simultaneously grand in scale and intensely personal." -David ★★★★★ "A must-read for fans of epic fantasy looking for something new and thought-provoking." -Candice S. ★★★★★ "I love magic systems in books that have rules and make sense so that characters can work in those rules to do exciting things. This is one of those magic systems." -JC ★★★★★ "As a Branden Sanderson fan, it had very similar vibes and I'd happily recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read! 20/10!!" -Spencer Richards ★★★★★ "I have never read a book where I was so engrossed in the action scenes." -Corwley ★★★★★