In Emmiel, a tranquil village in the heart of western Lanacoby, young Dorean is set to follow in his father's farming footsteps; but the words of a prophecy, spawned centuries ago, have committed his life to a much greater purpose. When a mysterious man arrives, unannounced and uninvited, in the winter before Dorean's eighth bornday, the peace of Emmiel is shattered and the village spirals into chaos. Torn from their parents, the village children are thrust into a savage world where the weak lose themselves to despair and only the powerful survive. A cloud of treason and murder looms over Dorean's head and he, along with seven others, seeks to put an end to the madness. Beneath the shadow of uncertainty, the eight young warriors are forced to overcome their fears and find the strength to act - but the cost of failure is high. Swept up in a conflict that is not their own; they battle against the wrath of the Breeder of Warriors.