Samir is a thief, a street-urchin from Yad Sha'Rib, greatest city in the Empire. Like the city itself, he carries a secret; Samir is descended from the Heritors, powerful warriors who once drank from the fabled Crystal Pool. Though he dreams of one day saving his people from slavery and oppression, Samir keeps his nascent powers hidden lest he meets the same fate as his father--a slow death in the dungeons, where the grand vizier, Zhar-Marrhad,...