A sorcerer with no talent dies in a pointless duel and wakes as Lloyd de Saloum, seventh prince of the Kingdom of Saloum and all of ten years old. This time the aptitude is enormous, and Lloyd wants nothing to do with the throne, court politics or romance. He raids the royal library, takes apart every spell he can get his hands on and tests each magical phenomenon he finds. Far enough down the line of succession to be left alone, he chases mastery of magic for its own sake.