Backed by an army of undead, Geoffrey ae'Magi, master of illusion, threatens to devour Aralorn's peaceful kingdom of Reth... — The ae'Magi is corrupt and yet irresistibly charismatic, the horror at his core shaded by a spell-cast mask of regal charm. Only a few have the will to resist his evil domination... like King Myr, dragon blessed, Wolf, driven by immortal rage, and Aralorn, weaponsmistress of the shapeshifting race. Captured and brought to the Archmage's castle, Aralorn faces slow death by torture unless faithful Wolf can find her in a labrynth of power and shadows.

The exciting follow-up to New York Times #1 best-selling author Patricia Briggs' Masques features the further adventures of the shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn. Aralorn's dangerous existence has taken her far from her aristocratic roots and kept her from her homeland for more than a decade. Now, she must return home to mourn the death of her father, the Lyon of Lambshold. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they discover that home is gone forever and they must take on an old enemy more sinister than they ever could have imagined.