The Forsaken Lands: Book 1 of The Ruins of Hivarrah Series

The land has been ravaged and warped by magic. Its unpredictable effects have seeped into nature itself, creating monstrosities and oddities. But few know why. Everywhere, ruins speak of an underlying history, one that is mostly lost. Citizens of Sundraydia live in ignorance and denial, shunning magic and even the written word, which could cause someone to stumble upon buried magical power. Some, like Alder, read and learn in secret. When he is sent out to hunt and earn his place as a man in society, he unlocks the power to manipulate the growth of plants, and realizes he identifies more with the outside world than the desert land he calls home. Some seek to eliminate him. Others, to use him. And still others, to teach him.