young khan · steppe empire · historical fantasy · ambitious · inexperienced ruler · sky-father faith · political intrigue · horse riding · dual heritage
First light crests the horizon, spilling gold across the floors of the palace in Keshkar. Guards stand like statues at the chamber door. Inside, the fourteen-year-old heir opens his eyes to a world reshaped. The immense Sky-Khaganate is his now, a legacy of glory and a crushing weight of duty left by the old khan for his young shoulders to bear.