The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed more desperately than ever. The barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is weakening, and the Emperor has abandoned his throne, seeking to destroy those he feels have betrayed him. Sorcha must lead the army against those who seek to destroy the Empire.