An army under his command, Ardent abandons the Canyonlands in order to set the Keep free. Once again, the Color River serves as his guide. Its familiar currents and bends carry him and his new-found friends closer to war. Winding through a wilderness of broken bridges and ghost towns, Ardent worries what chaos awaits. That is, if he arrives at all. Floods and sandstorms, mutinies and madmen, fate itself seems to conspire against success. Far from rescuing the Keep, his army often ends up struggling to save itself. Making matters worse, Ardent faces several shocking truths. People aren't who they claim to be. Neither is Extinction. The Keep is built on a foundation of lies. Conflicted, he must decide: Hope or despair? Mercy or revenge? Sacrifice or self-preservation? Hero or villain, in love with Modest or Eve'lyn, one thing is certain: Nothing is certain about Ardent's future.