We start off with an orphan named Sage. Sage is somewhat of a troublemaker. He does not follow rules and is quite the rebel. 
 When he meets Conner, a nobleman, who kidnaps him. He is not the only one, there are three other boys about his age, all orphans. There names are, Roden, Tobias, and Latamer. 
 No one knows why or where they are being taken. 
 They soon learn that the entire royal family has been murdered, and the kingdom is on the edge of war. Regents have their beady eyes on the throne. But Conner has his own plans. 
 That is where the boys come into play. Conner will do anything to get what he wants, even kill. 
 I loved the twist at the end, I never saw it coming at all. 
 Characters are extremely important in stories like this, for me and these characters were great. Conner was ruthless, cold-hearted. Sage is clever sharp witted;He is one of my favorites of the books I've read this year. 
 Now I need to get my hands on the sequel, The Runaway King soon!