Driven by cold and hunger, savage outsiders—goblins and orcs living in the north of the continent—invade human lands. But this is not yet the Great War; it’s more like a battle reconnaissance. The dark mage Lessing tests his enemies, trying to find weaknesses.
Martin Flokkhart must confront not only the cannibal outsiders, leading his squad of headhunters, but also internal enemies—humans. None of the people in power want to believe that the prophecy is false—that the mages are playing their own games… and this leads to Martin’s personal tragedy.