It is twenty years since the once-magical land of Thimhallan was shattered by the forging of the Darksword. The survivors of that catastrophe now live on Earth, many still huddled in bleak relocation camps, bereft of magic, bereft of hope, forbidden by law to return to their ancient home. Only Joram, the willful, ambitious adventurer whose creation of the Darksword devastated Thimhallan, remains behind on that ravaged world. But the Darksword has been destroyed - and with it, Joram’s power. But now an even greater catastrophe threatens. A merciless alien race known as the Hch'nyv is systematically annihilating Earth’s outposts and colonies, moving relentlessly toward Earth itself. But there are rumors that Joram has forged a second Darksword, and Earth’s desperate leaders regard it as their last, best hope. They enlist the elderly Saryon, Joram’s friend and confidant of twenty years ago, to return to Thimhallan with his scribe and companion, Reuven, and persuade Joram to surrender the sword. Saryon and Reuven face grave challenges, not least the unpredictable dangers of an enchanted realm in ruins. An embittered Joram has his own plans for the Darksword - as do the Technomancers, a secret alliance of humans and Thimhallans whose soulless magic is based on the power of death. In the shadow of the Hch'nyv menace a closer danger lurks, threatening betrayal, enslavement, and death to humans and Thimhallans alike.