An eight-year-old emperor Ivan faces a whole pack of claimants to the throne of the Russian Empire. While, on the outskirts, the remains of ships destroyed by American and Ottoman squadrons still smolder, a new war is already blazing in the very heart of the state. Ptolemy Graus, Admiral Desse, and the imperial princes who proclaimed themselves the only legitimate heirs raise a revolt and try to eliminate the young ruler.
What can a boy without experience stand against—against famed admiral traitors and calculating conspirators? However, history has more than once proven: boldness and courage can break the superiority of experience. And perhaps the little emperor is far less naïve than those who decided to write him off as a loss.