Eleven years have passed since the time of the Belgariad Garion is Overlord of the West, coping with the duties of a king and the problems in his marriage to Ce'Nedra When the Orb of Aldur warns 'Beware Zandramas!' the Voice of Prophes reveals that, in the land of the East, the Dark Prophesy still exists As Belgarath and Garion seek to uncover the threat, Garion's baby son is kidnapped All evidence points to the Bear-cult, powerful once more, but all the while there are more sinister forces at work