| Abstract |
Since Ragnarok - the great war between the gods and the forces of chaos - the human realm of the Midlands has become a desperate and dangerous place, bereft of magic. Sixteen year old Eiric Halvorsen is among the luckier ones, his family has remained prosperous. But he stands to lose everything when hes wrongly convicted by a rigged jury of murdering his modir and stepfadir. Also at risk is Eirics half-systir, Liv, whos under suspicion for her interest in seidr, or magic. Then a powerful jarl steps in: He will pay the blood price if Eiric will lead a mission to the fabled Temple at the Grovethe rich stronghold of the wyrdspinners, the last practitioners of sorcery. Spellsinger, musician, and runecaster Reginn Eiklund has spent her life performing at alehouses for the benefit of her master, Asger, a fire demon she is desperate to escape. After one performance that amazes even herself, two wyrdspinners in the audience make Reginn an irresistible offer: return with them to the Temple to be trained in seidr, forever free of Asger. Eirics, Livs, and Reginns journeys converge in New Jotunheim, a paradise fueled by magic and the site of the Temple. They soon realize that a great evil lurks beneath the dazzling surface and that old betrayals and long-held grudges may fuel another cataclysmic war. It will require every gift and weapon at their command to prevent it. -- from book jacket. |
