Readers journey with Ari through the challenges he faces as a young boy of the lowest caste in the streets of the Mutri Empire to his dedication to uncovering the hidden wonders of binding magic. To understand their present circumstances, Ari delves into his history, recalling the many lives he's lived and the origins of his many names beyond 'Storyteller.' In an ambitious and passionate narrative, through the past and present, truth and fictions of Ari’s life, Virdi captures readers in a lyrical web, grounded in the landscapes and cultures of South Asia. Together, Ari and Eloine find that parts of their pasts have not been left behind, and neither have their enemies. Since she's reluctant to share details about her life, he gives her the name Eloine, but they each soon realize that the other is much more than who and what they seem. He meets a mysterious songstress with plans of her own. His arrival at a quiet and humble tavern was intended to be an opportunity to perform and earn his keep while on his journey, but as often happens to Ari, his plans are quickly interrupted. In his travels to Etaynia, a place far west of his home in the Mutri Empire, in search of an old and nearly forgotten tale, he is recognized as the most famous storyteller along the Golden Road.

There is some truth to the legends about him, but as stories are told, little by little, they can become transformed over time.

An ode to storytelling, complete with a rich mythology, turbulent adventures, and a flawed hero you'll root for.Īri has been given many names.

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi