Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman with an enigmatic past. Consumed by thoughts of vengeance, he is consoled only by thoughts of the beautiful, dangerous Madeline. He is also the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien...

On the gas light streets of the city, he assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for vengeance the murder of Count Montesq. Montesq orchestrated the wrongful execution of Nicholas's beloved godfather on false charges of necromancy--the art of divination through communion with spirits of the dead--a practice long outlawed in the kingdom of Ile-Rein.

But now Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, even fatal events. Someone with tremendous magical powers is opposing him. Children vanish, corpses assume the visage of real people, mortal spells are cast, and traces of necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries are found. And when a spiritualist unwittingly leads Nicholas to a decrepit mansion, the monstrous nature of his peril finally emerges in harrowing detail.Nicholas and his compatriots must destroy an ancient and awesome evil. even teh help of Ile-Rien's greatest sorcerer may not be enough, for Nicholas faces a woefully mismatched battle--and unthinkable horrors await the loser.

"An enchanting blend of detection and sorcery, it features a memorable cast of characters and a wealth of 'period' detail.Highly recommended." (-- Library Journal )

"Splendid plotting and characters. . .Thoroughly engaging." (-- Kirkus Review)

"A chillingly convincing tale that will entrap genre readers." (-- Booklist)

"A thoroughly entertaining high adventure". (-- Locus)

Martha Wells was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and received her B.A. in anthropology from Texas A &M University. She is the author of two previous novels, The Element of Fire and City of Bones. She lives with her husband in College Station, Texas.