At Castle Harvell, demented Prince Kylock grabs the reins of power and hate by murdering his father. Harvell's two young refugees are torn apart by the storms of war: headstrong young Melliandra is captured by brutal slavers, and Jack, whose wild power works miracles, falls prey to a smuggler's lying charms and a woman's seductive schemes. Meanwhile, a knight's shattered destiny is about to lead from death-sport pits to the blood-strewn creation of an empire. And a wondrous epic of grandeur and magic continues...