In a small nation on a distant planet, the Restorers of the Way are battling dark forces at work in society. They have killed one of the Mindbenders of Dûrion-and this has seriously inconvenienced the country's despotic ruler, Shambor dom Beldet.News of their achievement spreads, and thousands rally to their cause. But Shambor's response is devastating. Inexperienced and outnumbered, how can the 'strangers and loners' from Earth, with their Dûrian friends, prevail against an enemy who not only controls the army and all the resources of a nation, but also wields deadly powers of mental and spiritual oppression? The second of three novels in The Mindrulers series, this book is written by a linguist with significant cross-cultural experience and a love of history. It is set in a richly-imagined world featuring convincing languages, fascinating cultures, and meticulously detailed maps. The setting is thoroughly worked out, creating an inner consistency and a breadth of history and geography that gives the reader a sense of reality, and of hidden vistas that may yet open up.