The Scepter of Xarbaal — Brian D. Anderson

The Dul' Buhar are the deadliest of warriors, gifted with extraordinary skills through the dark magic of their Sorcerer King, and Akiri is the mightiest of them all. Yet even his immense talents will be tested beyond the point of breaking as everything he believes in is ripped apart by his sovereign's insatiable hunger for conquest and death.
 
Akiri was born into war, his childhood shaped by battle and betrayal. He knows it is his fate to die by the sword. He is a warrior. Warriors die. It is what they do. But he will not go without a fight. In his first breathtaking adventure Akiri must outwit shape-shifting creatures bent on devouring his soul, battle spirit demons, become the first new dragon lord in a generation, and defy the will of the God of Death himself if he wants to live.
 
Forged in the pits of hell by the Lord of the Underworld himself, the legendary Scepter of Xarbaal was created with the sole purpose of purging the land of mortal life. In his arrogance, the Sorcerer King believes he has the strength to wield against his enemies and end the devastating war once and for all.