ðə bˈʊk ɪz ɐ bˈɪldəŋsɹˌoʊmən hˌuːz pɹˈoʊɾɐɡənˌɪst, mˈaɪkə klˈɑːɹk, bɪɡˈɪnz æz ɐ bˈɔɪ sˈiːkɪŋ ɐdvˈɛntʃɚɹ ɪn ɐ ɹˈæðɚ ɹoʊmˈæntɪk ænd naɪˈiːv wˈeɪ, fˈɔːlz ˌʌndɚ ðɪ ˈɪnfluːəns əvən ˈoʊldɚ ænd vˈæstli ɛkspˈiəɹɪənst, wˈɜːldwˈɪɹi sˈoʊldʒɚɹ ʌv fˈɔːɹtʃʊn, ænd bɪkˌʌmz ɐ ɡɹˈoʊn ˌʌp ˈæftɚ nˈuːmɚɹəs ɛkspˈiəɹɪənsᵻz, sˌʌm ʌv ðˌɛm vˈɛɹi hˈæɹoʊɪŋ.
The book is a bildungsroman whose protagonist, Micah Clarke, begins as a boy seeking adventure in a rather romantic and naive way, falls under the influence of an older and vastly experienced, world-weary soldier of fortune, and becomes a grown up after numerous experiences, some of them very harrowing.