When all hope is lost, who will raise the banner of light? War grinds on, spreading its shadow over all the land. In the wake of his overwhelming victory, King Lennart marches on the Empress Teodora, helpless and undefended in her capital. Though battered, Teodora is far from defeated, setting in motion a new plot which threatens to annihilate all of Lennart's allies. Unaware of the peril about to overtake him, Kendryk is torn between duty to his family and to his cause. While he struggles to recover from his loss, Anton joins Kendryk in his quest, but will be sent down another, more dangerous path. Gwynneth survived an attack by Teodora's most unrelenting assassin, but she will soon face a test that threatens to destroy her. Maryna, the heir to Terragand, travels to faraway lands hoping to provoke a confrontation with Teodora, but her journey takes an unexpectedly deadly turn. Her ambitions magnified at the prospect of her mother's downfall, Elektra must decide if she's willing to pay the price needed to fulfill her destiny. And even as Braeden triumphs over an enemy who has long threatened him, his next steps take him down a path that will lead to tragedy. Faith and friendship are tested, alliances shattered, and a new generation rises in Winter of the Wolf, book four in the Desolate Empire series.