BEYOND WIZARDWALL the northern adventures of Tempus and his Stepsons come to their apocalyptic conclusion at the Festival of Man, where the games are not the scheduled ones of prowess at swordplay or chariot-racing, but games of assassination and treachery, with the Rankan emperor’s life and the honor of the Sacred Band at stake. When Niko quits the Stepsons, he finds that his troubles are just beginning: not only has Death’s Queen marshaled new forces to entrap him, but Rankan interests desirous of a change in emperors have singled him out as the perfect assassin. Randal, the Stepsons’ pet mage and Niko’s former partner, must unite Tempus, the Stepsons, and hellish aid from magical quarters in a desperate attempt to save the defenseless Niko from Death’s Queen – and himself. In imperial Ranke, Tempus finds himself torn between conflicting oaths and pitted against powers not even his immortal strength can vanquish – powers both mortal and immortal, magical and heavenly, so that, in the end, the god-ridden and accursed soldier must make pacts with his most hated enemies – not only Aškelon, the Lord of Dreams, but Death’s Queen herself – in order to save the souls of those he loves and the empire he’s served so long. And this time, Tempus’ own soul hangs in the balance, as primal forces and even Enlil, the most fearsome storm god of them all, haggle over his fate.