In the heat-blasted wastelands of a post-apocalyptic world, Toler Glaive makes his living as hired muscle, guarding trade caravans against the storms, mutants, monsters, and nomads who harry them every step of the way. Only the strongest survive the wasteland, and the strongest of them all is the trading company's brutal overlord, Nichel Vantanible, a man who doesn't tolerate smugglers in his ranks.But that's just what Toler aims to become. He's got all the pieces in place to pull off the biggest heist of his life, and he isn't prepared to settle for anything less than perfection.When nomads ambush the caravan, Toler soon finds the pieces of his carefully laid puzzle coming apart. Can he live out the remainder of the journey and dispose of the goods without Vantanible finding out? Or will his career as a gambler be cut short by a headsman's machete?The Shepherd is a prelude to the Aionach Saga, a post-apocalyptic fantasy epic beginning with The Infernal Lands.