The mage known as Braim Kotogs is the first human to return from the dead, a fact which brings him more attention-and trouble-from mortals and gods alike than he wants. He doesn't remember who he is or much about his past, nor is he interested in winning the Tournament of the Gods. But when a mysterious assassin nearly takes his life, Braim must enter the Tournament in order to survive and learn the identity of his assailant. As the princess of a powerful nation, Raya Mana believes that she is destined to win the Tournament and become the new ruler of the world. But when she is assigned to a bracket that she loathes, Raya must deal with shattered expectations, in addition to an anonymous letter writer who claims to know all her darkest secrets. Carmaz Korva has known only poverty and hopelessness his whole life, having grown up on an island that the gods have abandoned. But when he is offered the chance to enter the Tournament of the Gods, he sees an opportunity to restore his people to their original glory while remaining ignorant of the tragedy that awaits him at the end. And with a mysterious and malevolent force plotting their destruction in the background, winning the Tournament of the Gods may be the least of their troubles.