To Leandros Nochdvor, Egil was the greatest hero the world had ever seen. It had nothing to do with the man's accomplishments, the past he overcame, or even the lives he saved. It was simply this: Egil taught Leandros how to live, and then he taught Leandros how to love. And then Leandros lost him.

Years later, when Leandros' uncle the king is abducted by a strange woman wielding stranger magic, Leandros asks himself what Egil would do and gathers dangerous allies to rescue his king. On the journey, they encounter forgotten magic, old gods, and the dead returned to life. But as Leandros' allies add innocents to the mounting list of casualties, he begins to question who the true villains are. The foe they face at the end confirms his fears: it's Egil, back from the dead. Against such a powerful enemy, how could Leandros win? Against the man he once loved, why would he want to? And if this noble hero stands in his way, which of them is right?