Ian Irvine

The Merdrun, cruel warriors blooded by thousands of years of slaughter, are gathering in the void between the worlds. Their long-hidden summon stone is waking, corrupting good people as well as bad, and turning arcane places into magically polluted wastelands. If it is not destroyed it will create a portal and call the Merdrun through. In a nightmare, a nine-year-old girl sees the Merdrun leader - and he sees her. If her parents Karan and Llian are to save their daughter and their world, they must find a way to stop the greatest warrior in the void.

The cruel Merdrun, the greatest warriors in the void, have invaded Santhenar but their portal failed, leaving them stranded. They're desperately trying to regain contact with the summon stone so they can reopen the portal and begin the slaughter of humanity. Llian, hurled through another portal, sees the summon stone wake and knows the allies have but one chance to destroy the Merdrun - though it will involve an alchemical quest that has always ended in ruin, a mad invasion in untested sky ships with untrained pilots and the most unequal battle in all the Histories.