Wen Alder is the son of a wealthy Sienese merchant, one who is dedicated to the god-like emperor and his brutal methods of wiping out minority belief systems. Unfortunately, Alder's mother is from one of those minorities, and his grandmother is determined to teach him the magical ways of his forbidden heritage. While moving ahead with his father's plans for him (performing well on imperial exams, finding a place in the empire's vast machinations), Alder learns the old ways of magic from his grandmother, and struggles to balance the contrasting values.
Greathouse has set up a strong cultural clash and rebellion with Alder, though Alder isn't a particularly likeable character (the secondary characters, however, are VERY intriguing). I am curious to see what Greathouse has in store for the Sienese empire.
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