As the kingdoms of the Northwest recover from a devastating war, Kelyn of Ilswythe is trying to put his life back in order. Adjusting to peacetime and life at home with a new wife and son is difficult enough, but he soon learns that all is not as idyllic as it appears. He receives troubling news of children disappearing, of dwarves locked in frenzied war against an unnamed foe, of travelers slaughtered by unseen monsters. To Kelyn, these disturbing events appear unrelated, but evidence soon proves that sinister magic is at work. His twin brother, the avedra Thorn Kingshield, begins to unravel these tangled threads, and finds that the answer comes straight out of his nightmares. Lothiar, the enemy he believes to be dead, works from the shadows, training a vast army and scheming among the courts of men in an effort to save his own kind from a slow, agonizing demise. Ghosts from a long-forgotten age are rising for revenge, and the Sons of Ilswythe find that their greatest battle is bearing down on them. A monstrous horde is poised to cleanse the lands of Dwinovia of the taint of humanity and avedra alike. The world of flesh and the world of magic must fight side by side if either are to survive.