Boy has survived the terrors of life with the magician Valerian, dark magic and deadly chases through gloomy catacombs, but he is still on the run. Now, as the City lies frozen in the icy claws of winter, he is captured and incarcerated in the Emperor Frederick's palace. Boy is transported to a world of gilded finery, splendour and wealth beyond his wildest imagining. But beneath its golden veneer, this world is just as full of madness and cruelty, of desperation, closely guarded secrets...

The pace, as always, is white hot – as are the special effects. As readers will know from Book Two, the Shining One Xanetia can melt her enemies with a touch. Fortunately, she is on the side of our hero, and so is the god Edaemus, whose (literally) volcanic rage will be useful in the continuing fight to save the Tamul Empire from the ravages of sinister King Cyrgon of the Cyrgai. Cyrgon has called forth Bhelliom’s equal in supernatural power, Klael, the very essence of evil. And while Sparhawk...

The worst fact about the mess they were in was Kestrel knew it was his own fault. He shouldn't have tried to trick the sorceress Phoebe with a load of worthless wood, or compounded the error by trying to trick the other wizards of their gold. So they were being pursued by eleven angry wizard and uncounted imps, but even so it wasn't fair.

A collection of 16 colour cover art posters published by Transworld Publishers Ltd.