Cursed by an evil power, King Emeth of Khol continues to slowly waste away despite the efforts of the best healers in the land. Prince Bain, the king’s only son, will do anything to heal his father and return Khol to a position of strength, knowing that their enemies are already in motion like vultures circling an injured animal. With the king dying, bickering, infighting, and suspicion have taken root in the hearts of the citizens and the City Council. Khol is vulnerable and ripe for invasion.

But to save his father, Bain must set out in the worst of years to find the Phoenix nest, the Year of the Dragon, when the Dragon’s power is at its apex and the Dragon’s followers are thirsting for the blood of everyone who would oppose them. The Dragon Spawn are on edge, bigger, angrier, and more vicious than in any other year. The island is ringed with volcanos, a shattered landscape of toxic air that is only just breathable. And the Guardian of the Labyrinth wherein Bain must conquer to find the Phoenix nest knows Bain is coming and will seek to destroy him utterly or corrupt him.

Setting out with unreliable companions, Bain must find a way to heal his father before the Taninim war fleet arrives and lays siege to his city. His journey takes him into the darkest part of the island and into the heart of Taninim where every hand is against him and betrayal lurks around every corner. Failure means the end of everything, and all whom he loves, his father, his sister, Minnie, and Roy, will die.