The apocalypse wasn't what anyone expected—no rising flood waters, no zombies, no nuclear bombs. Instead, monsters. Their sudden invasion left the world in shatters, and now, decades later, all that's left of human civilization are a few nomadic bands struggling to survive off the land. Askari was born to this world, and lives, fights, and survives alongside the community that raised her. But when she breaks one too many of the community's rules, her punishment is leave. Armed with her bow and blade, Askari sets off alone, guided only by a map and the promise that if she can find a book hidden in a nearby town, then she can return. But what can one person do alone in such a harsh, violent landscape? How will she survive? Askari faces a challenge that will force her to learn not only about the world she lives in, but question what she believes about herself.

Head down, mouth shut—this is Askari’s new mantra. A pall still hangs over the Baratok community from the rarohan attack only a few months before, and all Askari wants is to stay out of trouble and help her grieving community heal. Until a stranger rides into camp. He offers her a chance to obtain something rare and valuable—monster blood with healing properties that could help prevent more of her people from dying. But when the mission goes wrong, she becomes the target of a relentless monster who won’t stop pursuing her until she and everyone around her are dead. Her only thought is to lead it away from the Baratok community, even if that means sacrificing herself. Injured, scared, and with only Harcos and Shujaa to help her fight, Askari flees from the Baratok with the monster on her tail. As she runs, fights, overcomes injuries, and encounters unimaginable terrors, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever make it back home—or if she even wants to.

They’ve barely escaped from the voro with their lives. Now Askari, Harcos, Shujaa, and Fane are seeking refuge in the one place secure enough to give them time to heal: Greystone City. The city welcomes them with open arms, and Askari discovers a way of life she never believed was possible. In Greystone City, people are doing more than just surviving—they’re living. Plagued by nightmares from the City of Dod, Askari throws herself into the work of the city as she waits for her friends to heal, hoping to outrun her trauma. But the settlement is not as safe as it seems. Politics divide the people, and the new surge of monsters has brought a flood of refugees to the city. And monsters are lurking everywhere—even within the city’s seemingly safe confines. With every minute that passes, Askari regains more of her strength—and Devor gets closer to finding and destroying the Baratok. Askari has to decide: remain safely in the city, or brave the monster-ridden wilderness alone?

Find the Weatherman. This vague directive is all that Askari and the others have as they head north into an increasingly cold and snowy winter. With Minda leading the ragtag band of Baratok members, they head to the Marketplace, a center of trade for the many communities and tribes that survive within the region. But no one has seen the Weatherman in weeks. Their only clue is from a crotchety old man named Moose, who agrees to lead them to the most recent location where he saw the Weatherman in exchange for a fee. They set out despite the looming snowstorm, knowing that if they fail, it's not only their own lives at stake, but the lives of everyone everywhere. They have to stop the flood of monsters into the world, or there won't be anyone left to save.

Askari and the others spent their winter in the Vault, taking the time to heal, rest, and learn as much as they can. But with the first drops of melting snow, an all too familiar face appears: Devor. Askari knows he is taunting her, trying to get her to react and she knows she should resist. Yet all she wants is to kill him... until she finds out that there might actually be a way to save Agi in the process. As the days grow slowly warmer, Askari and the others embark on a mission to save their friend and fellow warrior—and possibly the future of the human race. This is the 5th action-packed book in the Land of Szornyek series.

I have to rescue Rudi. This is all Askari can think about as she races toward Greystone City. Her quarantine after being exposed to a deadly plague was short, but she knows anything could have happened to Rudi during that time. Before she gets very far, a flock of hulla interrupts her journey with terrible news: they have discovered a voro nest. And if Askari will negotiate an agreement between the hulla and the leaders of Greystone City, they will reveal its location. As if that weren't enough, when she arrives at Greystone City, she finds herself directly in the middle of a faceoff between the humans of Greystone City and the leaders of the three main monster groups—the Elnok, Cleo, and the leader of the koponya. In addition, she must still figure out how to tell her grandmother and friends the truth of who she is despite her fear they will reject her. Between grappling with her new identity, searching desperately for Rudi, and coming to terms with this new world order, Askari must make a series of decisions which could have devasting consequences for herself, Greystone City, and potentially, the world.