From the back book cover: For Toryn Ninefingers, this is almost like any other night, entertaining a rowdy crowd with song and story. But tonight, he has a special purpose in the telling of his tale, and reveals a shocking personal story that he has never told an audience before. With its telling, the world of Uteria may never be the same again. This is the first book in the Crossroads of the Never saga, a series spanning thousands of years, shedding light on the dark and disturbing mysteries of the world of Uteria-a world besieged by the passing of a dark age, the continuing echoes of its violent history, and the recent incursion of creatures long since forgotten.