For a thousand years the mages of the Empire have flourished through sorcery. But an ancient spell, forged by the semi-divine Simurgh, is draining magic from the world. They call it the BAN.This does not much matter to two clueless shepherds, Zanthred and Millie, who arrive at the capital ready do their civic service for the Emperor. Zanthred immediately disgraces himself with foolish romantic gestures and is soon the butt of every joke in the town.But as mages start rebell...

As the war deepens and spreads, Zanthred is a newly minted hero, a man of note. But jealous rivals on his own side might be as much a threat as the foe.On the other side of the world, Akai tries to rally support from the most unlikely of creatures: Humans. But is he to treat these strange, short-lived brutes as barbarians who cannot be yoked, or children who might be taught?The struggle continues in this second book in an ongoing epic of magic and strategy.