Continuing the powerful epic that started with THE STORMCALLER; the Lord Isak is dead his armies & entire tribe in disarray. It falls to King Emin to continue the war alone & the Menin are only too happy to meet his challenge. In Byora Ruhen is developing his Saviour persona. The Harlequins start preaching in his name & many of the pilgrims who flock to him are recruited to be Children disciples who spread Ruhens message. All over the Land people are starting to see Ruhen as the answer to their troubles. A showdown is coming: battle lines are finally drawn & the atrocities quickly mount. The spectre of the Great War looms but in this age the Gods cannot & will not come to King Emins aid. With the peoples of the Land turning against Emin & his few remaining allies their only chance for survival lies in the hands of a dead man.