The epic fantasy adventure of Queen Inos continues as she is pursued by powerful warlocks, all the while convinced her beloved servant, Rap, is dead. Still stuck in the desert land of Zark—and mourning Rap—Queen Inos has conflicted feelings about Sultan Azak's proposal. Her heart lies with her beloved kingdom of Krasnegar and her duty to its people. But when she and Azak make a desperate escape, Inos is shocked by an image of Rap and knows that he must be alive—somewhere . . . On the island of Durthing, Rap's gift of farsight has made him too valuable to be truly free—until the evil Nordland raider Kalkor captures him after a bloody slaughter. Testing his magical wits against Kalkor, Rap searches for a chance to escape and restore Inos to her rightful throne. "If it's traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you're after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy. " —SFReviews.net "Duncan takes all the trusted fantasy ingredients, meticulously prepares them and brings them together with skill and relish. . . . The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy." —Fantasy Book Review "Duncan's unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended." —Library Journal