Thraxas, Makri, and Lisutaris are back in Turai but the city is levelled, and the food is scarce. Thraxas is losing weight. He is also sober due to alcohol shortages. Finding money to feed the citizens requires the first chariot in investigation to do some work with the help of his friends, most of whom are powerful women sorcerers.

The best news from the book is that although the second cycle of six books is over, the series isn’t. There will be Thraxas 13 eventually.