"Epic fantasy in the Tolkien tradition, with a strong girl hero who is entirely believable in her struggles. . . . I couldn't put it down!" — Tamora Pierce, author of the Protector of the Small and the Circle Opens quartets

Hem is a weary orphan who thought his struggle for survival ended when he was reunited with his lost sister, Maerad. Separated from her once again, Hem learns the ways of the Bards in the golden city of Turbansk and befriends a mysterious white crow. When the forces of the Dark threaten, Hem finds himself once again fighting for his life — and realizes that he, too, has a part to play in Maerad’s quest to solve the Riddle of the Treesong.