The Union, one of the strongest states on the Earth's Circle, is going through difficult times. The King is dying, and the Closed Council rules on his behalf, whose members are more concerned with intrigues against each other than with the affairs of the country. The northern province is threatened by the self-proclaimed King Bethod, and in the south the Gurkhul Empire is plotting revenge for a previous defeat. What can the lame, crippled inquisitor Zand dan Glokta, who barely eats, oppose to this? What role will Logen Nine-fingered, whose name terrifies the northerners, and the young nobleman Jezal dan Lufar, who cares about no one but himself, play in the impending events?

A storm is coming that will cover the entire Union, but for now ... while everything is just beginning...