Evander is beloved by his people. He leads his band of hunters into the foothills, snatching food from the mouths of the Shadow Wolves. He rides out against the dragons that descend from their lairs in the Pallid Peaks. He shelters an orphaned girl who escapes the wolves and appears on his doorstep in the heart of winter. The people of Holt would follow him anywhere. Or so it seems.

His mother's visions of a great light called "the sun" have driven her mad. But they've shaped her son's mind and invaded his heart. He begins to think it possible that a sunlit world could indeed lie somewhere over the mountains. He begins to hope, to plan.

But many in the prosperous village of Holt think Evander's notion of the sun is no more than a child's tale. The fate of his people rests on his choice. And the Shadow is watching.