Irella's undead armies are on the march, and only Jarek and Acharsis are aware of their fell intent. Fleeing the empire with their ragtag band of allies, they set their sights on distant Magan in the hopes of warning the rival nation of the impending catastrophe. But crossing the monster-strewn Golden Steppe may prove the least of their worries, for they have but days to convince the Maganian royal court of the imminent and impossible invasion by the dead.

Worse yet, the Maganian king has been assassinated, and a trial has begun to select the next ruler. A lethal, terrifying test known only as the Quickening, and one whose outcome may determine the fate of all the civilized nations of the world....