The Sisterhood of the Blade rules Medalon with an iron fist—a fist that wears the gauntlet of the Defenders, elite warriors sworn to uphold the Sisters and keep Medalon free of heathen influence. R’shiel, daughter of the First Sister of the Blade, has pulled against the short leash of her mother ever since she was a child. Her half-brother, Tarja, is the dutiful son who serves as a captain in the Defenders. But when they run afoul of their mother’s machinations, they must flee for their lives.
Treachery and political intrigue are rampant, and all-out war looms as the High Prince of Karien prepares to invade Medalon under the direction of the god Xaphista. R'shiel, the demon child created by the gods to slay Xaphista, was fatally wounded in Medalon; healed by Cheltaran, the god of healing, R'shiel is now recovering under the ministrations of the Harshini, a people legendary for magic. Medalon's only chance for thwarting the invaders lies in allying with the Hythruns and their storied warlord.
