Past the sparkling blue sea and inside the solid walls of the white marble city of Darenjar, an unseen venom spreads, bringing all under the control of a dark power. But still the people speak of the wars of a thousand years ago, of the days before the Lost God was banished, of the days when dragons flew the skies, of the Prophecies.The young thief Berran knew nothing much of lost gods or prophecies when he unintentionally stole Raiephin's Tear, a creation of the Dark God that has all the magic of the world imbued in its core. It is a daring act that attracts the eyes of those with evil intent.The theft sparks off a chain reaction of events with Berran in the middle. The authorities have never been fond of him, but now someone very high up wants him dead. Since stealing the Tear, he finds he has an inexplicable command over the highest levels of magic. His mystery-shrouded past isn't coughing up any answers, but it is doing a good job creating more questions. Enduring pain and hardship, Berran realizes that friendship is only one part of the key to unlocking the riddles of his life.He knows he's not a brave hero like those in the stories of old. However, at times fear proves to be a good thing as Berran is swept up in the inextricable grasp of a powerful prophecy, trying to resurrect the Lost God and restore the magic that is slipping away from the world.Author Steven Van Meeteren lives in the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia with his wife and their three children. Raiephin's Tear is the first book of The Sorrowinds Cycle.