Book summary

A man and a woman struggle with demons within and an uneasy political situation without in this work of high fantasy, set in the same milieu as the Hugo award-winning PALADIN OF SOULS and THE CURSE OF CHALION. The imminent death of the Hallow King has thrown the realm into turmoil, exacerbated by the death of his youngest son, Prince Bolesco. The prince was conducting a forbidden religious ritual when Lady Ijada, an unwilling participant in the brutal ceremony, killed him in self-defense. As a result of that ritual, Lady Ijada is possessed by a leopard-spirit. That's a condition understood fairly well by Lord Ingrey, the man chosen to conduct her and the prince's body for burial. Lord Ingrey himself shares his spirit with that of a wolf, forced upon him during a similar ritual. Unfortunately, he also seems to be harboring a spell cast by an unknown party, compelling him to make repeated attempts on Lady Ijada's life.