The chronicle unfolds as the heroic, yet fated, odyssey continues. The fourth volume in the sweeping 18-book Realms of Kyre epic fantasy saga.
Vengeance has a name. Upon returning to Lordstown, Kyre discovers that Symona, his radiant Sheen companion, has been sadistically murdered. Consumed by a pitiless rage, the solitary warrior vows to hunt down those responsible, setting himself on a collision course with the quarrelling, treacherous factions of the ruling Volko family.
But personal fury must wait as a looming doom encircles the Lordlands. The realm is fracturing from within and without: rebellious provincial lords rise up, hill bandits terrorize the borders, and a rising tide of ruthless pirate raiders chokes the coastlines. Worse still, the forces of neighbouring foreign realms are secretly massing for a full-scale invasion, all while High Lord Rogor descends into erratic madness.
With only his small troop of aristocratic guerrilla fighters at his back, Kyre turns to a dangerous, forbidden weapon. Defying the strict laws of the realm and the explicit will of the lord, he attempts to master the secretive skills of the Fireworkers—harnessing volatile blackpowders to craft devastating fire-bombs and explosive projectiles.
Amidst the blood-soaked brutality and mounting trauma of a collapsing world, Kyre seeks fleeting solace in the arms of casual lovers, loyal friends, and manipulative Rua Sisters. Torn between the demands of the Sisterhood and his own expanding power, he must face the ultimate question: Is his bloody path driven by the dark fires of the Pit, the distant destiny of the stars, or his own unyielding will?
From the Intimate to the World-shattering, the Realm of the Lordlands will never be the same again.