This imaginative fantasy about the monsters that lurk in the dark will
thrill fans of Ranger's Apprentice and Rick Riordan.
Denizen Hardwick is an orphan, and his life is, well, normal. Sure, in
storybooks orphans are rescued from drudgery when they discover they are
a wizard or a warrior or a prophesied king. But this is real
life--orphans are just kids without parents. At least that's what
Denizen thought...
On a particularly dark night, the gates of Crosscaper Orphanage open to
a car that growls with power. The car and the man in it retrieve Denizen
with the promise of introducing him to a long-lost aunt. But on the ride
into the city, they are attacked. Denizen learns that monsters can grow
out of the shadows. And there is an ancient order of knights who keep
them at bay. Denizen has a unique connection to these knights, but
everything they tell him feels like a half-truth. If Denizen joins the
order, is he fulfilling his destiny or turning his back on everything
his family did to keep him alive?