Aethercraft - Apprentice. Aethercraft, #1

Aethercraft: ApprenticeBook One of AethercraftIn a kingdom where magic is both feared and revered, fifteen-year-old Rhys Caelwyn has no reason to believe his life will ever matter. Orphaned, unwanted, and cast out from the only home he's ever known, Rhys drifts from village to town-until a false accusation nearly costs him his life. But fate has other plans. Saved by Eldric Faelan, a reclusive mage haunted by his past, Rhys is brought to Blackwood Keep-a fortress hidden in the mountain wilds-to begin a brutal, breathtaking apprenticeship in Aethercraft: the elemental force that weaves through all living things.
Magic, however, is no gift. It demands discipline. It exacts a price. And wielded without control, it can devour mind, body, and soul. As Rhys struggles to master his abilities, he uncovers dangerous secrets-of Eldric's fallen apprentice, of a shadowed order known as the Veilborn, and of a power within himself that could change everything. or destroy him. Set against the vast, fractured realm of Aldervan-where noble houses clash, mages walk a razor's edge, and whispers of prophecy stir beneath the ice-Aethercraft: Apprentice is a rich, character-driven tale of survival, sacrifice, and the perilous cost of becoming something more than you were ever meant to be.
The journey begins here. Book one of a sweeping fantasy saga filled with ancient secrets, ruthless ambition, and a boy who might yet reshape the fate of his world.