Unrest grows in the Lautun Empire as more Souther armies arrive to guard against another attack from the East. Erkal Dortrean must hold the Southers to peace, while the lives of his family are threatened by the Emperor's treachery. The Council of Magi, still divided between followers of the old gods and the new, may have to take action to prevent the Southers seizing control. Erkal's son Kellarn pursues his quest to prevent the greater threat of the demon Lo-Khuma's return, and enlists the Magi's help. While Kellarn goes in search of the dead kings of Farodh, High Councillor Rhysana must wrestle once more with unsolved mysteries from the Council's shadowed past. As the time of Lo-Khuma's return draws near, the internal rifts of the Council and the imperial Court grow wider, and far older powers from Lautun's history awake and come into play. Marcus Herniman brings to a close this tale of conflict, magic, loyalty and sacrifice in one of fantasy fiction's most strongly imagined settings.