Discontent continues to fester within the realms of Craitol and Renuih, fed by intrigues carried out in the shadows. As rivals and apostates struggle for supremacy, a long incubated plan begins to unfold.Vyissan, a mysterious alkemycal practitioner arrives in Renuih, the latest strike in a long war over who shall control the secrets of alkemya and Craitol itself. He carries with him a secret that, once revealed, will reverberate across all realms. Before he can reveal it though, the conspirators against the emperor will strike their own blow.But now, a new and more powerful menace looms on the horizon. The Shadow Men have gained the secrets of alkemya and no one can be certain what they will do with it...In the second volume of The Shadow Men, we find ourselves again in a murky world, where loyalties are unclear, power must be taken, no ground is stable, and war awaits if a wrong choice is made.