Book excerpt: For the city of Hope, stability is a memory. Counseled by Lord Denon, the leader of the Church, Vel, the new and very reluctant young king, has unintentionally prompted a bloody civil war. Pounded by an unrelenting winter and faced with diminishing food supplies, the city of Hope is carved into a battleground. In the midst of shifting alliances, Vel relies on Lord Denon and General Wunic-his military adviser-to help him end the conflict. But the situation deteriorates. The only hope is a cache of food reportedly stockpiled by the mysterious Frill in the abandoned ruins south of the city. Against the backdrop of social and political anarchy and widespread starvation, Vel must make the dangerous journey to the ruins and make contact-and come to terms with-the Frill. What Vel finds instead is a powerful kind of computer-based portal into the future. A late-twenty-first-century future controlled by a brilliant but ruthless terrorist known only as Blakes. But what is the link between Blakes-a cold-blooded mass murderer from the future-and the conflict devastating Hope? Vel must find the answer. And fast. Time is running out. For Hope. And for Vel. Harsh snowdrifts bury the dead, loyalties have become strained. Vel must face the horror not only of Hope's past, but of its future.