Thirty years ago, Ineluki, the King of Storms, was defeated, and his armies were scattered. Since then, the Light Ard has lived peacefully under the rule of Simon of the Snowy Thread and Miriamel, the daughter and heir of King Elias. But it’s becoming harder and harder to rule—autumn has come into their lives. Prophetic dreams have left Simon; old friends and allies are dying; and even he himself faces the threat of betrayal. In this darkening world, Simon is expecting a new journey.
In the North, within the ice fortress of the King of Storms, Nakigge, the Queen of Norns wakes from a deep, many-years-long sleep. She orders her people to destroy the human world. Her sorcerers will bring a fallen demon back from nothingness, and the Claw squads will begin to roam Ardu in search of the blood of a living dragon… And finally, the greatest artifact—the Crown of witchwood—will belong to her. And then humanity will fall.