With the Heart of the World safe at the Capital, Lady Adella Grimless and her friends turn their attention to the looming war with Sornia. Pressed by the increasing threat in the Campos, Adella, Kol and Armand each part ways to face dangers from both land and sea on their own.

Kol embarks on a perilous mission across the frontier, and learns the truth about his tragic past. Meanwhile, Armand heads to Raymouth to deliver a message, but soon finds himself on a reaver ship heading for troubled waters.

As the Sornian army closes in on Elldon, Adella travels to Pentz to seek assistance, but things don't go as planned. When she faces death in the watery depths, one thing becomes clear:

The legends of Andolin are real... And disaster is coming.