In the movies, you go off to war, have some harrowing adventures, win the big fight, watch the bad guys die off, and then head home and marry the love of your life to live happily ever after in post-war peace. Real life isn't quite that tidy. The war ended with a huge number of casualties. Jessica Flint's first love didn't survive to the final battle. Sarvin Elgin's didn't survive the first year. And the bad guys, they didn't just roll over and die after the "final battle." A month long series of magical terror bombings took a terrible toll on the survivors. Post-war peace? That hasn't been all roses and sunshine. The magical population of the UK has gotten so low the Senex has made a law requiring all of the fertile survivors to find a mate and marry within the year, or face exile. Sarvin and Jessica have a choice. They can leave the UK and continue to lick old wounds, or they can stay and try to make a new life, with new loves, and finally heal.