Book excerpt: Ryson Acumen battles frustration and fatigue as another struggle unfolds before him. A growing conflict threatens to engulf Uton from the western shores to the eastern plains. Illusions abound after the magic from an erratic sorceress alters the corridors of life and death, and the delver faces internal doubts as well as horrific monsters. A treacherous creation first hunts the dark creatures of a nightmare realm, but the danger quickly falls back upon Uton. Forced to choose between divergent paths, Ryson must rely on others to defend the person he cares about the most. He can only hope his friends are able to defeat a new menace that revives old fears. While the delver ventures into the Lacobian Desert, cliff behemoths vow to protect his wife, Linda, just as the elf guard, Holli Brances, leads spell casters against an unknown and dangerous foe in the abandoned town of Pinesway. Even the powerful wizard, Enin, enters the clash in hopes of ending the conflict before too many lives are lost. It is ultimately up to Ryson Acumen to defeat his inner demons and to find the answers that will save Uton and all its inhabitants.