Harric, an outcast rogue, must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. As the day approaches, nightmares from the spirit world tear at his sanity. To survive, he'll need more than his usual tricks. He'll need help--and a lot of it. But on the kingdom's lawless frontier, his only allies are other outcasts. One of these is Caris, an autistic, horse-whispering runaway, intent upon becoming the Queen's first female knight. The other is Sir Willard--ex-immortal, ex-champion, now addicted to pain-killing herbs and banished from the court.With their help, Harric might keep his curse at bay, but for how long? And both companions bring perils and secrets of their own: Caris bears the scars of a troubled past, and Willard is at war with the Old Ones, an order of insane immortal knights who once enslaved the kingdom, and who now return to murder Willard, and seize the throne from his queen. Together, Harric and his companions must overcome fanatical armies, murderous sorcerers, and powerful supernatural foes. Alone, Harric must face the temptation of a forbidden magic that could break his curse, but cost him the only woman he's ever loved.* * * A tale of magic, mischief, and the triumph of trickery. * * * MIDWEST REVIEW says, "The first volume in Stephen Merlino's 'The Unseen Moon' series, "The Jack of Souls" is a terrific read from beginning to end and clearly establishes Merlino as a master of the fantasy action/adventure genre. Highly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections..." * * * "Of all the books I've read in the past couple of years, The Jack of Souls is by far my favorite. Merlino's remarkable imagination and storytelling skills had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through!" --Karen Duvall, author of Darkest Knight, and Demon Fare * * * "A rich and rewarding new mythos!" --Rob May, author of Dragon Killer and Roll the Bones.