The second in Ed McDonald's Chronicles of Redwinter, full of shady politics, militant monks, ancient powers...and a young woman navigating a world in which no one is quite what they seem.

The power of the Sixth Gate grows stronger within Raine each day - to control it, she needs lessons no living Draoihn can teach her - but when her master Ulovar is struck by a mysterious sickness that slowly saps the vitality from his body, Raine must face her growing darkness alone. And to do so, she must learn the secrets the Draoihn themselves purged from the world.

The book can teach her. She doesn't know where she found it, or when exactly, but its ever changing pages whisper with power that has lain untouched for centuries.

But others have plans for Raine too, and as the king's health fails, rebellious lords begin to vie for power. Her former friend Ovitus seeks Raine's support as his clan turns to him for leadership, while the grandmaster seeks to harness Raine's potential as a deadly weapon to be launched right into her enemy's heart as even Redwinter scrambles to hold onto power.

Amidst threats old and new, Raine must find her path, weaving her way between a twisted friendship, a dangerous mentor, the dark secrets of the book, and the queen with a crown of feathers to whom Raine has already promised more than she can afford to give...