Arboreals and Ferfolk have been enemies for a thousand years, so when an Arboreal wizard dies in a mysterious fire fueled by unnatural green flames, his neighbors are quick to assign the blame and prepare for war. But the wizard's inquisitive apprentice is not convinced. Jarlen sets out to discover who really killed his master and meets Tyraz, an obstinate Ferfolk warrior investigating similar attacks against his town. Working together, the two inexperienced adversaries must overcome their mistrust of each other and expose the hidden evil behind the magical flames–an ancient spirit with a grudge of its own.

Shadow from the Past is Book Three in Legends of the Four Races, a series of nine high fantasy novels that form an Interlocking Matrix of six separate trilogies. Shadow from the Past may be read on its own, as the third book in The Weapons Trilogy, or as the first book in The Necromancer Trilogy.