A world a thousand years ago. The last retreating glaciers, the first legendary empires, mythical ancestors of Finns and Slavs, and—miraculously preserved—relics from far more ancient times: this is the world of the great Aratta and the wild lands around it. Fifteen-year-old prince Ayur goes on his first real hunt—to defeat the great beast in single combat. His path leads through the Creeping Mountains, where mammoths still roam and bloodthirsty sabertooth cats hunt. In his desire to test himself, the young man has no idea how far he will have to go. What he will have to face is far worse than any wild beast…
Young Kirya, from the forest tribe of ingri living on the edge of the inhabited world, accidentally discovers a magical gift within herself. A simple clay whistle in her hands gains extraordinary—and sometimes dangerous—power. How should she use this power, especially when outsiders invade the forest lands and the familiar world begins to fall apart right before her eyes?
This book is the first collaboration between the creator of the famous Wolfhound series and the talented St. Petersburg writer Anna Guryeva, author of book series such as “The Prince of Silence,” “The Moon Warrior,” “The Book of Fire,” and other popular works in the fantasy genre.