After a life on the streets, a misfit thief is chosen to apprentice under a feared monster hunter to slay Cryptics—deadly magical creatures born of secrets—in this "action-packed...marvelously inventive" (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of Scott Reintgen and The Witcher.

Rolan Strider has never belonged—not at school, not in the city of Crisanth, and definitely not in the life of his crime-lord father. So when he's caught vandalizing one of the city's lanterns—a serious offense in a world where darkness breeds monsters—he expects prison. Instead, he's claimed by the Arcanist, a legendary warrior who hunts Cryptics: terrifying creatures born from the secrets people hide. Dragged beyond the safety of the city, Rolan is forced to train under Luc's harsh guidance—learning to read, fight, and wield Arcana, the strange power drawn from slain Cryptics. And for the first time, Rolan begins to feel at home. But the beast Luc has been hunting for years is closer than Rolan ever imagined—and tied to his own past in ways that could destroy them both. To survive, Rolan must face the truth, wield the power of the very secrets he fears, and decide who he wants to be in this action-packed adventure: an outlaw, a hero...or something else entirely.