A stunning blend of visionary storytelling and majestic prose, The Mark of Ran is a new masterpiece of imaginative fiction. In this epic adventure, Paul Kearney records the voyages of a reluctant hero, a band of outcasts, and a quest into the unknown no one has ever dared beforeIn a world abandoned by its Creator, an ancient race once existedone with powers mankind cannot imagine. Some believe they were the last of the angels. Others think they were demons. Rol Cortishane was raised in a remote fishing village with no idea of his true place in the world. But in his veins runs the blood of this long-forgotten race and he shares their dangerous destiny. Driven from home, accused of witchcraft and black magic, Rol takes refuge in the brooding tower sanctuary of the enigmatic Michal Psellos. There Rol is trained in the assassins craft and tutored by the beautiful but troubled Rowen. Its no accident that Rol and Rowen have been brought together, but the truth about their past is a secret they will have to fight to discover. Now theyve set their sights across the sea in search of the Hidden City and an adventure that will make them legendsif it doesnt kill them first.From the Trade Paperback edition.