The Dog of Pel — Mary Holland

All Jamie Pel wants is a quiet life in his demesne and someone to share it with. As the secondary heir -- the spare -- of the Magne of Pel, his uncle, he's avoided the pomp and ritual other Magnes and their primary heirs seem to relish. But with talk of a nascent slave trade circulating in Gallia, the Magne of Pel recruits Jamie to join an observation mission to the Scour, the blasted, burned-out territory where people sell themselves into slavery to get out.

With nothing but good intentions and a desire to steer clear of drama, Jamie obliges, but while he's out-demesne, his uncle and beloved cousin -- the primary heir -- are both killed, elevating Jamie to a powerful position he's spent his life trying to avoid. Returning home, he discovers traitors and thieves under his own roof and a tinderbox of ambition and intrigue about to explode among his fellow Magnes. With Magic afoot and a vicious power struggle stretching to every corner of Gallia, Jamie doesn't know who to trust or where to turn. But if he doesn't rise to the occasion -- and soon -- all of Gallia could be absorbed by the blighted Scour, and everything -- and everyone -- Jamie loves could be destroyed.