Dawnthief - James Barclay

The Raven have fought together for years, six men carving out a living as swords for hire in the war that have torn Balaia apart, loyal only to themselves and their code.
But when they agree to escort a Xesteskian mage on a secret mission they are pulled into a world of politics and ancients secrets. For the first time the Raven cannot even trust their own strength and prowess, for the first time their code is in doubt. How is it that they are fighting for one of the most evil colleges of magic known? Searching for the secret location of Dawnthief; a spell that could end the world? Aiming not to destroy it but to cast it. All at the behest of a man, cloaked by deceit, with a demon as a familiar and a wild story of a threat so old it has passed into folklore.
DAWNTHIEF is an epic based on a band of all too human heroes. It crosses a fantasy world bought alive by realistic politics and terrifying magic. A world riven by war facing a nemesis it could never imagine.