Intrigue. Honor. Magic. Murder. A young Emperor returns from battle to once again don the crown and apply all that he has learned. A powerful warrior marches toward conquest, battling ancient ghosts every step of the way. A new leader guides his followers toward what he hopes is a better life while struggling to control strange new abilities. A pair of warriors, one young and one old, investigate a series of grisly murders far too close to home.

A lovely seductress kills her way into a safe haven and hatches plans for more mayhem. A young thief wonders what her life has become and where it will lead her next. And a pair of twins who gave themselves to a dark power lead it toward the kingdom's heart, leaving chaos and despair in their wake. All these forces are converging on the capital city. Can the Relicant Empire survive the collision? Who will emerge intact? When the dust settles, who will stand atop the pile of broken bodies and crossed bones?.