In a world where leszyes rule the woods, the lakes teem with drowners and rusalki, and blood-thirsty strigas haunt the night, a young woman named Venda is the final line of defense for the people of Wolven Valley. As guardian, she will have to face not only the gods and demons themselves, but far more dangerous foes: loneliness, fear, and doubt.While she wrestles with learning what she needs to know to become the guardian, an ancient prophecy begins to unfold around her. The last wolfar has returned to the valley, seeking to resurrect the cruel race of predators who once ruled there. Generations earlier, the Gray Lord - god of wolves - had predicted that his children would return some day, to unleash terrible revenge on the people who drove them out. Will their forbidden love stand in the way of destiny, or will it just bring the terrifying prophecy closer to fruition?