(W) J.M. Clarke (A/CA) Natsujirushi. The gods chose him. He said no. After his parents died, Alex Roth had one desire: become a wizard. But on his eighteenth birthday, he is Marked by prophecy as one of his kingdom’s five Heroes, chosen to fight the Ravener, his land’s great enemy. But his brand is 'The Fool', the worst of the marks. Rather than die or serve other Heroes like past Fools, he takes a stand, rejects divine decree… and leaves. With his little sister, his childhood friend, and her cerberus, Alex flees to the world’s greatest Wizard academy. university, hoping to research the mystery of the Ravener. There’s one small problem–the Mark of the Fool prevents him from learning and casting spells… that is, unless he learns to exploit the hell out of it.