The Lowborn King

When the old king dies and the realm tears itself apart, lowborn war clerk Rainer Ashbourne is shoved to the front lines as expendable bait. But with three hundred doomed soldiers, a broken bridge, and a mind built for war, he turns certain death into his first victory. Now nobles want his head, a black-armored regent wants his submission, and a fierce northern lady may be the only ally standing between him and the throne.