Born a bastard of Echo, a haven occupied by savage conquerors, the Vrai, sixteen-year-old Hain is haunted by both the coward living within him, and the guilt of having spilled innocent blood. Loathed by his kin for his dark hair and mismatched eyes, Hain finds his purpose ranging beyond the haven walls as a spy for the human resistance. But when Vrai collaborators within the haven work to reignite tensions with Echo's oldest enemy, Hain must escape not only to stop a war that could end humanity, but to save the person he loves as well.

Fleeing his home, Jace ends up starring on a reality show, playing "Orc Wars: Uprising". Only one avatar can win, and if he loses, Jace is back on the streets. ***** Facing abuse at home, Jace runs away and lives on the streets. But it's not long before he finds an opportunity to build a new life - he's going to compete on a reality series based around the game "Orc Wars: Uprising". Soon Jace is living a double life, as himself, and as his famous avatar: Lazarus the Ranger. Soon the game is growing more complicated, and factions form within the game. If Jace loses he'll be back on the streets, but if he wins, he'll have everything he always dreamed of. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]