A tyrant rises in the ashes of mighty Tairngare. Bloodthirsty raiders slaughter unwitting villagers in the Midlands. Norther nobles, stripped of their titles, wealth, and livelihood invite retribution through vendetta. Rebellious Southers, seek to oust the absentee High King through war. Crises of faith and cultural identity ravage the Milesian poor... and behind all, an unseen threat prepares the board...
Held captive in her childhood home, Una is adrift in treacherous waters. The Court of Bethany is no place for the unwary. Political strife, familial infighting, unrequited love, betrayal, and religious fervor; are but a few of the perils she must navigate, alone. Torn between her mother's tragic legacy and the logic of her father's ambition, Una finds herself questioning her role in the future of Innisfail. Yet, there is little time to weigh her options. Just before the Midwinter Feast, several mutilated bodies are discovered on castle grounds. It seems, a brutal murderer stalks the halls of her father's Keep, just as a religious cult gains influence among the nobility. Soon, the Machine City is a powder keg, waiting to explode.
No longer bound by the geis that trapped him in mortal guise for nearly thirty years, Kaer Yin Adair, freed of his alter ego, is liberated from his ignominious sojourn through the wilds of Eire. Following Samhain's devastating events, however, home is the furthest thing from Kaer Yin's mind. A certain heretic priestess has taken root in his conscience; therefore, nothing can ever be the same. Contrary to allied opinion and heedless of any objection, Kaer Yin vows to free Una Moura from Bethany. There's just one problem with this plan: Kaer Yin Adair isn't just supposed to be dead... he's also the most hated man in the South.
