Thorn has drawn his pieces together, at last. But to finally release and then devour the Moon Father, the imposter knows he must rely on Mei and Iggy, neither of whom will simply agree to his madness. Nor will they give up seeking to undermine him at every turn. All the while, others are converging upon fateful shores where the Moon Father stirs. Anyo and his companions flee across the mountains, driven by his jealous siblings and a sly creature, desperate to find both the resting place of the Sothalic and peace from the doubts that plague him - doubts about his true desires, for both the throne and for Binya herself. Worst of all, he knows that without answers, he will fail to reach the Moon Father in time to bring the legendary sword into play. Farther away, Rokura has found himself imprisoned in a new land - but closer than ever to his prey, and to the rescue of Asaro. That is, providing he can untangle the web of deceits and half-truths that threaten to swallow him. Only then, and only if he can find a way to escape - it will be time for a long overdue homecoming, to a city that may need his help more than ever.