Shard, a world drowned, yet dotted with islands, is set at odds in a war older than memory. One, Lagoon, feels remarkably at peace. With the war far from their shores, they're free to focus on a greater concern . . . the witch.

Imprisoned upon Gabriel's Tear, a nearby rock jutting from the sea, the witch crooned powerless in all her telepathic fury. Though all were awash with fear, should they wander within range of her all-seeing eye. Bedtime stories were told to keep children in check, lest they be whisked away in the night and devoured. None dared speak her name.

Ciroc, a young boy, was soon to be enmeshed in her future . . . and that of the council, who controlled all in an iron grip. Not even Mother Sea could predict the outcome. Woe be to this blue planet. Woe be to this blue marble called Shard.