Book excerpt: Will Athas return to its former verdant glory—or is it destined to remain a wasteland of cruel, desolate deserts? Rajat, the First Sorcerer, was betrayed by his champions at the moment of his paramount victory. As the only one who can return Athas to its verdant splendor, it is crucial that someone rescue him from his prison beyond space and time. But when Tithian of Tyr leads his former slaves to free the ancient sorcerer, some question his motives. Does he want to restore the world to its former glory—or to merely claim it as his own, like all the sorcerer-kings before him? But before they can discover the truth, gladiators Rikus and Neeva, along with the elven enchantress Sadira, must conquer their own forgotten passions—a trial that proves more perilous than battling the Dragon and his enchanted fleets.