There's seeking knowledge and then there's obsession.

Ever since Jahl's experience at High Reach putting the grid back together after the renegade sand walker nearly dismantled it, he's had nightmares. With them has come an insatiable curiosity for pushing the limits of wielding magic essence.

The nightmares aren't so bad. Half the time he forgets he even had them. Donya's not forgetting though. Then there are those dreams that just won't let go, and he struggles to push the jangled feeling aside that they leave behind.

Returning home from Loeban Desert will open up plenty of possibilities. There's his old shard that he buried on Fallon Mountain. It's sure to hold answers. He might yet get access to Prestig's grimoire.

What about Alriane and the warning they received to keep her from extending beyond the reach appropriate to a precocious two-year-old's access to essence? Donya can take care of that.

Will Donya and Rouen be enough to watch over Alriane? And what about Jahl? Maybe he needs some oversight, too. Will he know when he's pushed wielding magic essence too far?

Who's experienced enough to know when he's crossed the mark? What if he goes so far that even Donya and Rouen won't be able to pull him back from the brink?

Read the fifth book in the Standing Stone series because even the best wielders cross the line.