As the Great King of Chaljuse withers away, the battle for the succession is brewing. Jenarp, his youngest son, must pass the Test of the Fangs to become an adult and hope to claim the throne. Ijpurna, a fragile boy and Jenarp’s great love, approaches the test with much more reluctance. The Palace Mages and his comrades hold a great grudge against him because of his origins and his gender identity, and they are likely to make him pay for it when he is alone and vulnerable on the mountain.
As for Araxa, daughter of the Supreme Mage and thirsty for knowledge, perhaps she will finally learn the Mysteries forbidden to women, as well as the secret name of the Raven God?