A young Freylarkin begins experiencing violent premonitions, foretelling unprovoked attacks on farmsteads along the eastern edge of the vale. Helping the child to control her visions, Kirika inadvertently learns of new truths involving Darlia — her sister. Now Kirika must confront Darlia, somehow finding a way to balance the scales of justice in light of her sibling’s atrocities — but can she do so without losing her sister, again?

Leyla, a surviving Blade Adept, delivers word of the brutal attacks to the vale, confirming the desperate situation. Under Lothnar’s command, the scout regiment is sent to quell the savage conflict. Accompanied by Rayna and Leyla, the scouts discover a malevolent evil bent on expanding its territory, laying waste to all those who might oppose it. Seeking to prevent such wanton destruction, Rayna discovers a chilling relationship between Freylar’s newest enemy and her miserable past. Unlike previous encounters with her murky origins, this newest threat clouds the light bringer’s judgement, finding a way to get under her skin, seeking to pull her back into the darkness.

Liam W H Young