'In the new land, everyone works together to bring Kydan the wealth and strength it needs to survive the inevitable confrontation with the old world. Strategos Galys Valera believes the key to defeating the Hamilayan Empire is buried in the papers left behind by her dead lover, Kitayra Albyn ... but can it be found in time?
'Across the Deepening Sea, Empress Lerena Kevleren is forging her power base made from human sacrifice and her overwhelming control of the Sefid, the source of all magic, before turning her gaze on Kydan.
'This final confrontation between old and new, magic and freedom, and between empire and a growing nation state, will determine the fate of millions – not least the brave band of colonists who set out from Hamilay to settle Kydan with courage and hope in their hearts. (From the publisher's website.)