Bellarius, saved from utter destruction, is now plunged into vicious civil war. Amra has vanished, and while Holgren has a plan to find her and bring her back, the plan teeters between impossibility and insanity.

But before he can even implement his plan, Holgren will have to deal with three separate armies vying for control of Bellaria, who view him as a threat, an inconvenience, or a potential tool. He'll have to trap and break to his will one of the monstrous rift-spawn, abominations born of the Telemarch's madness and power. And after that, he'll have to traverse several of the eleven hells in order to steal from the Black Library an ancient artifact of incredible power...