Thousands of years ago the gods fought and fell in the
deeps beneath what is now Southmarch Castle, then were
banished into eternal sleep. Now at least one of them is
stirring again, dreaming of vengeance against humankind.
Southmarch haunts the dreams of men as well as gods. Royal
twins Barrick and Briony Eddon, the heirs of Southmarch’s
ruling family, are hurrying back home as well: Barrick now
carries the heritage of the immortal Qar inside him, and
Briony has a small army at her back and a fiery
determination to recover her father’s throne and revenge
herself on the usurpers.
The cruel and powerful southern ruler known as the Autarch
of Xis wants the power of the gods for his own, a power he
can only gain if he conquers Southmarch.
And nobody knows what the Qar want, only that the
mysterious fairy - folk are prepared to die for it — or to
kill every living thing in Southmarch Castle and in all
the lands around.
It will come to an apocalyptic conclusion on Midsummer
Night, when the spirits of the haunted past and the
desperate struggles of the present come together in one
great final battle. Many will die. Many more will be
transformed out of all recognition, and the world will be
forever changed.