Within the Hall, the community quivers in terror. At the door the winds moan as retribution seeks admittance. How will the Sorceress protect her people from the anger she has provoked?

Having exiled Daro for his obsession with the ancient mages of their secret past, life is still far from peaceful in Selesh. The aging Sorceress has found no relief from troublesome children, for she has given refuge to Jalni. The girl, hotly pursued into the heart of the community, has an intriguing (though erratic) command of power. Admitted as a novice, Jalni commits a catalogue of crimes, and is on probation when Daro returns to challenge his foster-mother's long held beliefs.

Determined to ignore the personal price he has paid for power, the Opal Sandsinger takes Jalni as his guide, and sets out to save the children of Scartel. Encountering Myst-cats, Wanderers, Storm horses and a mysterious mentor, Daro must also find his feet in a strange new world, while he seeks "Another Shade of Mystery", in the hope it will help him understand "The Song of Sorcery", that seems to guide his destiny.