Kheda, no longer warlord of Daish, is doing his best to reclaim the masterless domain of Chazen, with help that he cannot acknowledge, even to those closest to him. He dare not let his allies know the full story of how he won back the Archipelago’s southernmost isles from the wild men who invaded the year before. Yet he finds he cannot do without the aid of forbidden magic once again, when a new calamity strikes. The wild men didn’t so much come in search of something as to wait for something. Now the Archipelago is under attack by a dragon.
Dev, Kheda’s unacknowledged mage, seeks help from a friend in Hadrumal, northern home of wizardry. Velindre is looking to make those who denied her the title of Cloud Mistress regret their short-sightedness. But to help Dev against the dragon, she must go in search of lore held by a mage whose past actions would appear to wholly justify the Aldabreshin contention that wizards are mad, bad and very, very dangerous to know.
It became clear the events of each successive book would mean life would never be the same again for the central characters. Working through all the consequences for each individual, exploring their reactions in light of their experiences and their beliefs and choosing between the often difficult options open to them have made this a richly complex, and rewarding series of books to write.
