A kingdom in crisis, a missing prince, and an orc-ish blood feud as old as time.... Enter Cade Esaro, a wise-cracking ranger-for-hire who has spent nearly all his life in search of monsters to hunt, bandits to track, and barons desperate enough to pay him for his trouble. But when a great lord's son goes missing, leaving a trail of violent murders in his wake, Cade is forced to play diplomat as much as detective for a ruler who might have more hate for orcs than love for his son. That's a lot of pressure for a cynical, world-weary ranger who spends most of his days whittling arrows, snaring goblins, and camping in the woods. Cade soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery that binds together bloodthirsty orc-ish warlords, fallible human kings, and he, the humble ranger, in a disastrous quagmire his sword and wit may prove too meager to manage. The fate of two proud kingdoms hangs in the balance, as well as the life and reputation of a ranger who can afford to lose neither. Because lords that hire men like Cade Esaro believe any ranger-for-hire who fails is no better than a common outlaw... This first tale from the journals of Ranger Esaro contains the record of both realm and man on the brink of losing absolutely everything...all for the sake of pride and a bit of gold. Perfect for fans of monster-slaying epics like The Witcher or classics like The Princess Bride and Ranger's Apprentice, this first episode of The Ranger's Codex is rife with swashbuckling heroics and fantastical humor. Jump headlong into the diaries of a fierce wanderer, warrior, and accidental storyteller...