Rahl is a young apprentice scrivener on the island of Recluce who likes things to work out in his favor. To make sure things go his way, this young man uses a small amount of order magic in opportunistic moments, but his abilities are starting to get the attention of the Council magisters. He’s not like other ordermages, the same rules don’t seem to apply to his magic. And he has a bad attitude too. It gets him sent to the mages training school for testing, and then banishment to Hamor, where his learning continues under dangerous circumstances. But as he learns as an exile in Hamor, working in the Ordermage Council’s import and export business, his powers increase. And so does the amount of trouble he can get into.