What's a villain to do when he's already lost? That's the question plaguing Killean Onryn, shapeshifter and reviled traitor after he is inexplicably released from a cursed sleep by his enemies and left to eek out an existence impersonating fishing cormorants and evading angry war orphans. Until that is, he's kidnapped by a group of mages who want him to steal a magical relic, the Realm Pearl, and retrieve its creator from a notorious Pirate Lord.

So far, so Tuesday, in the life of Killean Onryn, but when his former lover; a particularly insistent angry war orphan; a pirate called Cactus, and the celebrated hero who defeated him in the war, all come together to force him to do this one last dirty job, Killean's life gets complicated.

Faced with more irritants than one ex-war lord can reasonably be expected to tolerate, Killean must utilise all his ruthlessness, cunning and willingness to set fire to everything and anything in his path, to burn through the web of intrigue ensnaring him. All while vainly trying to ignore the elaborate magical conspiracy sweeping the continent. Oh, and stop himself turning into a god-like dragon. Because seriously, that is not as much fun as it sounds. His main goal? To come out on top. Because if there's one thing the Lands of Magic need more than a good hero, it's a truly excellent villain. And this time, Killean isn't going to accept defeat.

Novel length 98,000 words. Includes excerpt of next book in the series, Mishka Silverfloe and the Secrets she Learned.