The five provinces of Denoril are in peril. A dark force rots the realm from within, gathering strength and preparing for an assault that will topple it into chaos. Only a handful of people stand between Denoril's annihilation and salvation. Roman and his friend Dennah are accused of vicious crimes they did not commit. One man can prove their innocence, but their desperate quest to find Frenin leaves them crushed between men seeking justice and an unforgiving blizzard. With nowhere else to run, their only salvation may lie with the law's darkest agent, the Crow. Julian, the former initiate of the Silver Guard, then enslaved, was left for dead by his captors. He watched his best friend murdered to resurrect Denoril's overthrown King, Djaron Algast. Placing his life and trust in a mysterious and dark Nymradic, Julian must find a way to win his freedom and return to his beloved Tanea, before Craymore falls. But will he be forced to sacrifice too much? Julian must embrace the darkness to realize his new purpose, while far to the south, in the snow, Roman must grasp his power to escape the darkness within.