For the last 20 years the planet of Cantoon has been gripped by war. Cantoon, no longer the pearl of the empire, is twisted with malice.
45, a mere boy compared to real soldiers, must prove his worth to even make it through his training, and get onto the front lines. In a civilisation bred for conquest, there are no second chances, no maybes, you pass or you disappear. A fellow recruit, Taradin, will test his limits to how much one person can hate another. Before all this he must pick a name for himself, and this name will mean everything.
Entire races of people have been swept aside as the larger powers face off against one another. What hope is there for a lonely solider, where even the wildlife will not hesitate to end their existence.