“Eyes to the horizon” were the last words the king spoke to his wife before the abrogator channeled dark power and murdered them both. Their deaths activated an enchantment that concealed their two sons’ identity and allowed the king’s brother, Kaellor, to escape from Aarindorn with the heirs to the Southlands.

For 12 years, Kaellor raises the boys in relative anonymity. Without explanation, the barrier concealing their identity frays. The abrogators renew their hunt, and the three begin a journey fraught with otherworldly dangers.

Back in Aarindorn, Karragin, daughter of the Regent, ascends to leadership among the Outriders, but political intrigue threatens her family at every step. She survives one assassination attempt but uncovers something even more sinister threatening the kingdom.

​Between them all, Laryn struggles to find her path in the Valley of the Cloudwalkers. Her fate is entwined with the others, but first, she must survive the dangers at the summit of the Korjinth Mountains.

How will the brothers react to the trappings of destiny? What hope do two teenagers and a middle-aged map maker have against those aligned with the forces of the underworld?
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When you strip everything from a man not once but twice, what are the limits to his vengeance?
“What kind of home are we returning to that a man has to be able to defend himself with the sword?” These heavy thoughts preoccupy Bryndor, who is trapped in the Valley of the Cloud Walkers. Violent supernatural storms devastate the summit of the Korjinth Mountains, insulating and isolating any in the valley. He uses the time to train with the sword, to understand his wolvryn companion and something of his place in the world.

In Aarindorn, Karragin leads Outriders on missions against grotvonen. But something else lurks among the hordes under the mountains, something that hints at the resurgence of an evil thought long ago vanquished.

​Not all challenges rise from the arcane. The regent of Aarindorn struggles to hold together a kingdom threatened by dark forces without and the Lacuna within. His scribe, Ksenia, bears witness to the growing tide of unrest. Despite her desire to remain above the politics in Stone’s Grasp, she finds herself steeped in its controversies.

When all of these forces collide, who will survive the devastation? Can the runes of the prime channel enough zenith to shape the future of Karsk?
Sometimes the Giver gives, and sometimes the Taker takes.

On the Borderlands, Kaellor and Reddevek reunite, but their plans to thwart Tarkannen already face several obstacles. Before returning to Stone’s Grasp, they must determine if it’s possible to reconcile with Savnah and Dexxin’s treasonous affiliation with the Lacuna. Laryn offers a plan to mitigate the damage the Circle Breakers have sewn in the kingdom, but Kaellor wonders if it’s more risky than a wager with the Taker. Despite the dangers, they decide to travel in secrecy to Callinora.

In Stone’s Grasp, the regent, Therek Lefledge cultivates unusual resources to combat the growing Lacuna menace. He relies on the steadfast counsel of Vice Regent Chancle Lellendule and presses Ksenia Balladuren into clandestine service. Her reaction to the ever-increasing political pressures may shape the kingdom’s future.
Warden Reddevek enjoys the company of his ward, Ranika. He protects her secret and comes to rely on her growing power. But she is just one of the abrogators gaining strength on Karsk.
Volencia coordinates with a unique umbral, the shamans of the Brognaus clan, and even grondle to see her dark plans come together.

Can the royal family and those loyal to the old ways stop Tarkannen before he breaks free from his confinement in the Drift? Even if they contain the rise of the abrogators, what other forces might breach into the world of Karsk?

SOMETIMES THE GIVER GIVES