It has been six years since the disappearance of the Crown Prince and the Heartwood Empire stands on the brink of war. In a land divided between the Fae and the Humans, nineteen-year-old anxiety-riddled Keo is forced to make chase into enemy territory to retrieve him-- and becomes the only human to ever return. Now, the once-lowly peasant Keo is suddenly thrust into the most dangerous position in the world-- The Vanguard.