The Sword Debt

By Daniel Massett

A farm boy receives the sword of his fallen father and goes off to fight in the war that took him. It's a tale as old as history itself. Only this is a tale that Orhan wants no part of.

Orhan is a boy set upon by the tremendous pressure of growing up in a world that has known only conflict. The sultan has instituted a conscription of his people, called "sword debt", which requires one member of each family to take up a sword and fight against the invading forces helmed by the ruthless General Yu. If the bearer of the sword dies, another in the family must take on the sword debt. And with no end to the war in sight, the debt can never be paid.

When Orhan's family receives a sword debt, their father goes first to fight and is killed in battle. His sword is taken up by Orhan's older sister Rasheda, who is captured. When the sword returns to Orhan, he decides to shirk his duty with the sword debt and, instead of fighting in the war, takes it on a personal quest to rescue his sister. He is aided by Zeki, a mischievous young monk who longs only for adventure, and Aysu, a deserter with a mysterious past who guides Orhan on a path to her own redemption. Along the way they encounter a dragon who lives in the trunk of the Tree of Life, false prophets, true prophets, whirling dervishes who dance their way to a world beyond their own, and the horrifying effects of the war without end.

Once they find Rasheda, she presents them with information that could change the course of the war. Orhan is faced with the most difficult choice of his life, and his decision may turn the tides of history...

Fans of Narnia, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Dark is Rising, The Zelda video games, and Middle Earth will feel right at home in this epic and spellbinding adventure

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G2KC1JVY
• ISBN13: 9798274540414
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 0.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"