Publisher's Synopsis
A city on fire, a king in distress, a watchman and his daughter... After surviving the orphanage and the harsh life of a street urchin, Dana Hearthkin has finally found a home and father. But life is not as simple or comfortable as she imagined it would be. Her father, a sergeant of the City Watch, investigates the thefts of ancient artefacts and helps keep the peace in a city where unrest is rife, while trying to raise his child as best he can. A strange figure in red stalks the streets of Karel, inciting trouble and suffering wherever he treads. Northgate is now a powder keg, and many have already fled for safe haven. The Dwarves are leaving Karel in droves, fearful of persecution by humans, and the City Watch are spread too thin to offer safety and security to those who need it. As the unrest grows, and many of his subjects petition him to act, King Andrenian faces a terrible choice. Does he impose martial law, and inflict his armies on his own subjects to maintain the peace, or does he let his city fall into anarchy? Throughout this strife, Dana must come to terms with the loss of her first friend, Branton, and endure the painful memories of her assault by two guardsmen. Worse still, is the ever-present fear of losing her father in these turbulent times. Will Dana remain safe, or will her dark past return to haunt her?
