For years, the faceless terror known as the Hand of Fate has been secretly manipulating the port city of Reyza for her shadowy ends. Those she favors rise in status while those who betray her are never heard from again. When the opportunity to eliminate a powerful dynasty presents itself, the Hand of Fate conspires with a sadistic diplomat who shares the king's bed. Together, they hatch a plan to assassinate their rivals. The plan is flawless-every variable calculated-except for one. On the night the Hand of Fate's hired assassin makes his move, a notorious thief is also making his. Jarle Jadien has had it with the gray-haired harpy whom he serves and succumbs to the greatest temptation of all: The Ensther estate is home to the king's betrothed and a fortune in jewels. When the risky heist takes a disastrous turn, Jarle finds himself in possession of a treasure he has no intention of keeping. Avaren Ensther is beauty and intrigue in one, and a keeper of secrets that reach far beyond Jarle's world of whiskey and disrepute. Reyza's infamous thief has had his heart stolen from under his nose, but time will tell if his sirenic temptress proves worthy. Within the city walls, a retired war-hero investigates the conspiracy and attempts to uphold justice, but his efforts may not suffice to prevent an all-out war. Too many vengeful plots have festered; too much blood spilled. As the moons reach a cataclysmic alignment, unleashing the terrible force of the tides, neither hero, criminal, nor all-powerful monarch; can escape the tendrils of fate.

Several millennia ago a war raged between the factions of dragonkind. With their world ravaged, the Kaldean Alliance forged the Amulet of Draconic Control and the Tethering Stone, and banished their foes to other realms, saving Kalda from utter destruction. Fearing the power of the Amulet, the survivors secreted it away. But now knowledge of the Amulet has resurfaced-and in the wrong hands, war could erupt anew. Long ago, men harnessed the Channels of Power, creating tevisrals-devices capable of manifesting magic. But men weren't the only ones to accomplish such feats. Dragons crafted the most sophisticated tevisrals. These shaped the world, defining civilization of man and elf alike. Over the centuries, the people of Kalda have fallen into a dark age, where elves are estranged from men and dragons have retreated into legend. Tevisrals are scarce and men are willing to trade everything for them. But there are some who wish to bury the past, and in their lands, possessing tevisrals is tantamount to treason. Still, daring men scour the world in search of Kalda's past. One such man, the scholar Krindal, seeks an ancient order known as the Keepers of Truth and Might. He yearns for their knowledge, long feared lost. Prince Kaescis Midivar also searches for these Keepers. The assassination of his uncle, the emperor of Mindolarn, killed his hopes of peace with his empire's enemies. His empire's survival hinges upon unearthing the Keepers' secrets. An aging warrior, Cornar Dol'shir, longs to be home with his wife. But his retirement must wait, as his band of adventurers is recruited to help find the Keepers' hidden temple on the Isle of Klindala. Haunted by his tragic past, Iltar, the Son of Adrin, does not join in the search for the Keepers. Instead, he seeks to unravel the mysteries held within a volume of prophecy foretelling the advent of the Unspoken One and the return of the Crimson Eye.