According to Gene Wolfe, the manuscript of this book came to him in an unknown way from the distant future, and he is not its author, but only a translator. The reader, in whose hands it ends up, is given a unique opportunity to walk side by side with its main character a difficult and dangerous path, experiencing unique adventures. Here Severyan, a former apprentice of the executioners' guild, wanders through time and space. Among the winding streets of Thrax, on mountain paths or in the thick of battle, be careful - after all, any at first glance insignificant detail can serve as the key to solving one of the mysteries that are scattered throughout the text. And when your paths finally diverge, you will look after the retreating figure for a long time, wondering if this is the same Severyan who seemed so familiar to you and to yourself...