With the rediscovery of the Book of Dei'lo, the lines of war have been drawn across the Inherited Lands. Behind their fortified walls, the forces for good and evil are massing for the ultimate conflict, pitting the two Languages of Power against one another in open battle for the first time...At the focal point of this coming apocalypse stands Gideon Dawning, a troubled loner who has been marked by prophecy as the Waymaker for the Pearl. His charge: to find a holy sentient orb of power that has been lost for over 2,000 years, and bring it safely to Wordhaven. If he succeeds, he may avert the war. But there are many who would see Gideon fail-Sa'lei Lords of staggering power, and their corrupted minions within the Deathland Barrens. Yet an even greater danger lurks within the realms Gideon cannot see.where a living evil plots to capture his very soul. With all the perils that lie before him, Gideon is certain of only this: He must go. For if he cannot retrieve the Pearl, no one will.