Eloran is a world of imperious elves, fractious human realms, and the hated, skeletal kaul. When Latanna Forgrym’s despised father tries to betroth her to the youngest son of a powerful, manipulative family, she forges a new path by instead marrying a man she respects but doesn’t love. A chance encounter with a pair of mercenaries leads Latanna to a lost crown, a relic of forces the world has tried desperately to forget, and gives her the means to break free from her corrupt family --- but at a terrible price. A kaul mercenary travels through the human realms with a companion of no nation, identifiable species or memories. Latanna’s crown sets the warrior on the path to recovering first his name --- Vorykas --- and then fragments of his past. When a forbidden book resurfaces, threatening to reveal the knowledge Vorykas seeks, enemy forces move to conceal the book and any hint of its contents.