"Thus she stood resolutely between her children and the faceless beast that had risen from the darkest gloom of the abyss to devour them all." Tales of the Denmother, handed down from the time before time The young bear Honeymaw impatiently awaits the end of winter, for the year of her eighteenth summer is approaching. The consecration to womanhood. The casting of the runes that could grand a glimpse into her future. And the divination that would reveal her destiny. But instead of happiness and blessings, she is foretold hardship and terror. She is to face an almost invincible foe. Should she not, a fate more final than death and a thousand times more bitter awaits her world. The enemy has chosen his chess pieces wisely and has long since positioned them for the game to come. Move by sinister move, these henchmen carry out his will.

"I remember how they marched to field. How they sang their songs. The drums echoed through the streets like thunder, their voices sounded like a heavenly storm. Proud and young. And we cheered them. No one could have guessed what would happen. Oh, what fools we were!" Honeymaw, daughter of the northern bear tribes, follows her destiny and travels to the kingdom with her father Jorl. No sooner do they arrive than they experience firsthand how threatening the vices and dangers of the big city can be. But where there is shadow, there is also light: for love also beckons. Meanwhile, the conflict between the old and new empires seems inevitable. Warmongers on both sides fan the flames of war. Will the prophecy come true? How many lives is the preservation of the status quo worth?

"The streets were overflowing with refugees. So many desperate souls in one heap, who had to leave everything behind. Children had been separated from their families and were begging in the streets. Not the organized gangs you find in the slums; these were truly lost children. But the mood in the capital was still chipper, almost boisterous. People were drunk on the euphoria of war, and they were happy to show generosity to those who were worse off. At least for a while. But then it came to be as it did always." War broke out over the kingdom. The Empire of the Sun, thought to have perished, threatens to drown the lands of the North in a wave of blood. When the mighty huntress Grimhilda learns of her niece Honeymaw's fate, she sets sail for the south. And overnight, Crown Princess Victoria is forced to lead the defense. But something else is lurking: a gruesome series of murders is shaking the capital's slums. Is a daughter of the sun stepping out of the shadows? Does a daughter of the moon break free from the darkness? Can a poor beggar girl change the light of her star?