Markhat and Darla journey into the unknown, where Trolls and worse await those who dare the wastelands, and old magics take on new life when fueled by vengeance and the undying power of greed. Three thousand miles of haunted prairie lie between Rannit's bustling streets and tiny frontier town of Railsend. Finder Markhat's new case puts him aboard the steam locomotive Western Star, bound for Railsend...and the edge of the world. But before the Star sees its first sunrise, blood is spilled, and Markhat finds himself at the center of a murderous mystery. When wartime magic of the killing sort enters the picture, Markhat realizes not all the passengers are who they seem. There's a rogue sorcerer aboard the Western Star, a sorcerer bent on homicide-and not just one death will do. Pressed into service by railroad law, Markhat must unravel the tangled web of lies before the next life taken is his own.