'In real life, tia, good people sometimes do bad things and not all bad people are totally evil. Dirk lives with what he's done every day of his life.' Dirk Provin fled Prince Antonov's court in Avacas with tia Veran and is now in hiding in the Baenlands. Antonov, the Lion of Senet, determines to bring Dirk back with a series of atrocities so dreadful, Dirk is unable to ignore them. Antonov's son, Kirsh, has married Princess Alenor of Dhevyn, but is still obsessed with the beautiful young acrobat Marquel who may yet cost him his life. Alenor is discovering that married life is not quite what she imagined, and tries to concentrate on her responsibilities as Queen of Dhevyn. Instead, she is inexorably drawn into a web of deceit and intrigue. It is only in the ruins of Omaxin that Dirk has any hope of uncovering the truth of the Age of Shadows. But the truth he discovers is not at all what he bargained for... Praise for Jennifer Fallon 'the best fantasy I've read this year . . . anyone who loves Guy Gavriel Kay or George RR Martin will devour this book' Nexus 'Fallon writes with a fresh and engaging touch' NW magazine