Rose Priestess Sylah and her companions are making their way back to The Three Territories, armed with powerful knowledge contained in sacred books. All the while, Gan Moondark has been struggling to keep his young empire alive. The kingdom suffers under constant attacks from enemies on all sides, and Gan's campaign for freedom may already be dead.
As winter falls, The Three Territories' enemies have begun to conspire, planning a coordinated attack on Gan's castle. Church means to reassert it's power in the region and punish Sylah for heresy. Moondance wants nothing less than the total domination of Gan's kingdom. The Skan intend to raid the entire coast for slaves, looting the lands for all they are worth.
Gan must once again turn to Conway and the other survivors to use their skills and weapons in the coming battle. They will need every advantage against the combined force of their enemies. But the people of Gan's kingdom are restless, fearful of their enemies and distrustful of the magic being produced by Sylah's books. Gan must convince his people to trust him, and the strangers, or his kingdom will be lost before the war has even begun.