An ancient evil stirs in the East, and for the seventeen-year old Princess Aliona Meredia, everything is about to change. Dark forces conspire to put an end to her life, and the only thing that stands in their way is Lorak Stormweaver, her loyal guardian. But the foes arrayed against them and Aliona's own insatiable curiosity will not make his task easy. When he turns to the mystical force of Arcana to protect them, Aliona discovers that world is a far more dangerous place than she first imagined.