Lon Marcs has led the Rayders in an overwhelming victory, but his trials are far from over. A new Rayder Commander must be selected. Mutiny swells in the shadows of Taeja's ruins. The Rayder civilians must be escorted to their new home. And the biggest question on everyone' mind is how they will survive the brutal winter. Appernysia fares no better. Its civilians are defecting to Taeja every week, fleeing from their own deteriorating nation. Yet, as an Itorean handmaiden, Kaylen Shaw realizes that Appernysia' weaknesses are far more complex than the rulings of a misguided monarch. The last hope for their kingdom dwells with Mellai Marcs, but can she master her power and find the courage to oppose her own twin brother?