Shadows of Kings — B.T. Narro

For many young mages like Basen, the Academy is more than just a place to learn the art of manipulating energy. It has become the only sanctuary in this unbalanced war, a symbol of resistance. But the Academy can't stand up to Tauwin's army much longer. As Basen and a group of allies take on the task of recruiting troops from other territories, he soon comes to find that no one is stupid enough to fight…no one except a fearsome horde of creatures more powerful and violent than they are smart. Basen begins leading them back to the Academy only to realize there's a good reason humans have kept away from these creatures for centuries. On the other hand, Tauwin has problems of his own. His benefactor in this war arrives in Kyrro to claim what he was promised in exchange for his support: half of the territory. Sanya quickly assumes this benefactor to be the opportunity she needs to fix everything that has gone wrong in her life, planning to gain his trust and turn him against Tauwin by informing him of Tauwin's lies. But soon she'll discover that this masked man, who's come to Kyrro with his own army, is even more dangerous than he appears.