Ten years after the capture of the traitor-god Melok, all the gods are dead save one. Agtiartertok, the last remaining god, is prepared to confer sovereignty on a king named Almoriden. Among his gifts to the king is the return of the king's son Jaemis, who was secretly raised by the gods. Jaemis's abnormal birth granted a form of magic that is tied to his brother Jurien. Jaemis must decide who to trust as Almoriden's mental health deteriorates, Jurien plots against him, and a mysterious masked thief named Orm threatens to destroy them all.