Would you - could you? - uphold the law at the cost of those you love?
 
Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, is on the brink of fulfilling his dead King's dream: soon, Aline will take the throne and restore the rule of law once and for all.
 
But in Tristia, nothing is ever that simple. In neighbouring Avares, an enigmatic warlord has risen, and his closest ally is none other than Falcio's old nemesis Trin. With the armies of Avares at her back, she'll be unstoppable.
 
Falcio, Kest and Brasti go racing north to stop her, but in those treacherous climes they discover something altogether different, and far more dangerous . . .