As unrest stirs across the Eleven domains, subversive questions lead to unexpected answers. And ghosts of the dead walk in increasing numbers - for those few that can see. In a land where stonecasters foretell destinies for a fee and gods talk to those who can listen, the future is uncertain and is built on a bloodsoaked past.

So what did happen one thousand years ago, when Acton's people came across the mountains? Was Acton himself a hero and liberator, or a bloodthirsty invader and scourge of the travelling people? Wild magic gives Bramble some dangerous insights into a land's disturbed history. And why did Ash's Traveller father not teach him the secret songs of his people?

The ultimate answers to all these questions are hidden in time, where perhaps they should stay.