Thirteen-year-old Joey has always known hunger-but nothing could prepare him for what awaits beyond it. With war creeping ever closer to their struggling town and no work left to be found, Joey's mother makes a desperate choice: she sends him to Lapidius, a distant schoolhouse rumored to offer food, shelter, and safety. But when Joey arrives, he discovers the truth-Lapidius isn't a sanctuary. It's a secretive military institute training children for combat. Alongside hundreds of other recruits (like battle buddy Maisie), Joey is thrust into a world where survival means mastering more than weapons. At Lapidius, war isn't fought with weapons alone-it's waged with ancient magic, deadly creatures, and shadowy forces that defy logic. As Joey uncovers the dark secrets behind the school's purpose, he realizes that the greatest danger might not be the battlefield ahead, but what's lurking within the walls of Lapidius itself. Perfect for fans of Ender's Game and Shadow and Bone, Lapidius is a gripping tale of sacrifice, survival, and the hidden power of the underestimated.