One man's journey... One world's fate... Conor led the army that won the war against the Bonded. Prophecies seemed fulfilled and peace at hand. Yet the conflict brought hungry empires and forces far worse than those of men into the Southlands. And victory had not prevented Conor from being imprisoned and his homeland ravaged and occupied. Alone and grieving, Conor faces new threats and the emergence of an ancient enemy as he fights his way across a chaotic landscape to find his friend and ally, the Hound Gray. And in the Empire of Eliton, Conor must prove his worth in ritual combat and persuade the powerful Mothers to join his quest. Once together again, linked by mind and mission, Conor and Gray must strive to save their home and their world.