From Forluin, green, half-fabled land of beauty and peace, has journeyed the gentle Estarinel, bearing tragic news. From the terrible Empire of Gorethria rides Ashurek; a lean and deadly warrior, once High Commander of its Armies, scourge of the Earth, hated and feared across continents. The third is known only as Medrian. Coldly wrapped in her cloak of sorrow, her eyes deep-shadowed with suffering long-endured, she will explain nothing of her reasons. Theirs is the Quest. They must slay the great Serpent before it lays waste and utterly destroys the Earth. Together they must seek its lair in the far frozen north, battling peril and nightmare until they face the ultimate, indestructible foe... Three warriors. An epic Quest. They are the world's last hope...

Three warriors. An epic Quest. They are the world's last hope.… All-powerful and terrifying, the Serpent M'gulfn is poised to lay waste to the Earth and its mysterious Planes. Only three have the courage to challenge it: Ashurek, the fell prince of Gorethria, Estarinel from the gentle island of Forluin, and the silent, sinister Medrian. Aided by the denizens of the fabulous Blue Plane, they are sent aboard the mystical ship The Star of Filmoriel back to Earth to seek the Silver Staff—a strange weapon that may prove more dangerous than the Serpent itself. Caught between the machinations of the heartless Grey Ones and the sorcerer-priestess Arlenmia, they cross fantastical landscapes and battle demons. As they forge into the frozen desolate wastes of the Arctic, their Quest to defeat the Serpent becomes ever more perilous and desperate. But the greatest danger of all lies in their midst.

The terrible Serpent M'gulfn has been destroyed, but Earth's future is in peril. Its death has unleashed a chaotic power that may prove more dangerous than the Serpent itself. Journeying to Gorethria comes Melkavesh, daughter of Ashurek and Silvren, determined to harness the new power of sorcery for good. But can she resist the temptation to claim her birthright - the dark throne renounced by Ashurek? A ruthless usurper, Xaedrek, has already seized Gorethria's throne and is working his own warped form of sorcery to restore the evil empire. To save the Earth, Melkavesh must defeat him… but she has reckoned without Xaedrek's seductive charm… 'Fantasy doesn't come much better than this!' - Starlog

Fourth in the "Blackbird" series, this book continues the epic saga of Emperor Xaedrek. At the end the evil serpent has been defeated again, but Emperor Xaedrek is determined to keep the evil spirit alive, in order to harness the power for himself.

The towers of Niankan-Siol soared skywards, all blue and gold and glass, seeming as light as air. Walkways, weightless and swaying, threaded between the pinnacles and spires, while winged creatures and air transports flitted and looped among the glittering heights.