magic
Corin Cadence is a minor noble son setting out to take his Judgment, a test at one of the magical Shifting Spires that exist across the land. If he succeeds, he will be granted a minor magical power that will grow with time, while if he fails, he will simply never emerge from the tower again—just like Corin's brother, years ago. While Corin does well in his tests, things begin to go terribly wrong. He frees three prisoners from the tower and then runs into one of the divine Visages who control the towers. One of the escaped prisoners fights the Visage on an even level, something that should be impossible, and Corin barely manages to escape from the tower, earning his power in the process. Now, Corin is trapped in the middle of a dozen conspiracies, fighting to stay afloat amid angry gods and his disappointed parents. Through it all, he only has one goal: To return to the tower, reach the top, and beg the goddess to return his brother to him. This novel provides examples of: Adve...