Book description
A powerful fantasy adventure filled with dark magic and deadly
intrigue, from the worldwide bestselling author of the Saga of the
Pliocene Exile.
Conrig Wincantor, Prince Heritor of Cathra, has a vision: to unite the
whole island of High Blenholme under Cathran sovereignty.
He has so far been thwarted in this ambition by his cautious, aging
father, King Olmigon, who, though weak with illness, still clings firmly
to the reigns of the government.
Now Conrig has hit upon a scheme that will convince the Lords that his
plan can suceed. He has formed an alliance with Ullanoth, princess of
the remote northern province of Moss and a fearsome sorceress. With her
help his army will have the advantage it needs to subdue the only domain
refusing to sign his Edict of Sovereignty.
But before Olmigon will give his consent he insists on making a
pilgrimage to the Oracle of Emperor Bazekoy, there to ask the one
question permitted to a dying monarch, which the Emperor must answer truthfully.
Meanwhile, Ullanoth tends her own schemes. Posessing the talent to call
on the unearthly powers of the Beaconfolk, mysterious otherworldy beings
who appear as lights in the sky, her power is undeniable. But the Lights
are fickle, and their interference in human affairs unpredictable. If
Ullanoth calls on them to help Conrig, they are likely to extract an
unforeseeable price. Julian May is the author of the Saga of the
Pliocine Exile (The Many-Coloured Land, The Golden Torc, The Nonborn
King), The Galactic Millieu Trilogy, Black Trillium (with Marion Zimmer
Bradley and Andre Norton), Blood Trillium and Sky Trillium, and most
recently The Rampart Worlds. The author lives in the state of
Washington.
