Before the Heralds, before the Companions—there was one man determined to escape an empire.
Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a peaceful horse-breeding duchy within a brutal, magic-corrupted Eastern Empire. For years, his family has quietly gathered mages and knowledge, preparing for the day when resistance would mean annihilation. Now that day has come.
Dark magic rises. Elementals are enslaved. The Emperor grows suspicious.
But a bold plan is forming: a distant Gate, a mass exodus, and the hope of founding a new land far beyond the Empire’s reach. Kordas must bluff, outwit, and survive long enough to lead his people into the unknown.
Beyond begins the long-awaited Founding of Valdemar trilogy—a story of rebellion, courage, and the birth of one of fantasy’s most enduring kingdoms.
