Secret designs and dark ambition have split the kingdom of Lam in half. Benjamin Black, raised among exiled villains and traitors on the Thieves' Plain, learned enough nasty tricks to claw his way to valedictorian at the Villains' Academy. Now he's set off on a quest to gain his rightful position as villain's assistant to the newest archvillain. Benjamin's dark future seems assured. After sabotage cuts his employment goals short, a surprising new opportunity rises from the ashes. His choice may lead to something even more ambitious: reuniting a shattered kingdom-a task that will take all of...