Publisher's Synopsis
A series of attacks by the Witch Queen Tuahine Hae, and Rubric Volsunga's, Demon Sleeks, results in a crippling injury to Athas Orga, Lord of the Lonely Ocean, and the subsequent abduction of his mother, the Witch Queen, Mordeana Never Dead.
The inhabitants of Koura Pourewa help Mordeana's grandson/apprentice, Isknot, cast blood magic in an attempt to protect him before he sets off on an adventure to find the Witch Queen, but they realise that the sorcery they created is too powerful and out of control when all manner of creature appears to give their blood to Mordeana's cauldron, to get her back. Makara, take Isknot to the isle of Katharos where he is to take ship to the court of the Crystal Witch Marama Rawa and ask for her help to find Mordeana Never Dead, but by the very act of leaving the Gold Tower, Isknot releases a knot in the fabric of All-There-Is and sets in motion the events that are the precursor to the prophesised Eve of Destruction.
Although he promised himself not to use sorcery he cannot stop himself nor the hand of Fate when he saves a Volpi on the Isle of Katharos, angering the bear baiter who was using her for sport. He calls the Volpi Breeze, she accompanies him to the quayside and onto the ship he is to take. Unbeknown to Isknot, the seer, Cassandra Novantae watches him while he takes his first step on the Dagger Path toward Silver Tower and into her schemes.
At the Crystal Court Isknot meets, Kanohi assassins as well as the A-gender Witch Queen, Mo Moema who takes him on a mission to clear the Stone Compass, a stone circle used to travel across distances quickly. They fight shadow entities there until the ways inside the compass are clear. Isknot wants to follow Mo, but she is headed to the Gold Tower to check on the inhabitants there. Meanwhile, the hand of Fate is shaping destiny when a storm erupts at sea.
Silas al Seamist and the Moema Warrior Atarangi Hiriwa, are besieged by the Witch Queen Tuahine Hae who has sent an unnatural storm to sink their ship, but the storm has loosened something from the deep seabed, something that Silas desires - an Eternity Eel and its heart which gives a gift of prescience to rival the gods. Silas uses his berserker energy to kill the eel and takes the heart but cannot bring himself to eat it, still raw, still beating. Instead, he puts it in a casket where the weight of the balance come due increases. Every day the heart is not eaten, Silas draws terrible destiny to himself, his crew, and all who know him. He makes his way to the Crystal Court where he agrees to escort Isknot to the Dagger Path, but secretly, Silas is no stranger to Silver Tower, Cassandra Novantae, nor the Mother Runga, the highest mother who guards the entrance to the Dagger Path and the way to Silver Tower beyond.
Isknot discovers that Mother Runga is Silas' first daughter though she appears much older than Silas. Isknot realises that there is more to the boorish pirate than meets the eye. Silas, Atarangi and Isknot set off on the Dagger Path but are attacked by demons. They are rescued by the Volpi Tribe who live under the protection of Silver Tower, but Breeze is killed in the attack and Atarangi fatally injured.
In Silver Tower the three companions are tested by horrendous visions of futures they have created by their own deeds. Drawn further into the plots and schemes of the Witch Queens they find themselves on a Creation Shard, in the Void, in the presence of the One Tree, a place full of the supernatural light Eleri Imole which was thought to be lost long ago.
They promise Cassandra Novantae they will help her son, until Silas realises he being held captive in the foul, demon lands of Umbra Horrenda but Isknot finds his courage and agrees to use his magic to help Cassandra, and so ends Dagger Path
